Well, yesterday was kind of a bust. We had plans to go out to the fireworks last night, of course, but then Chickadee got one of those random fevers, the kind where I notice she's sort of red-cheeked and glassy-eyed, and when I asked if she was feeling okay she said, "Well, my head kind of hurts," and then I felt her head and took her temperature while she was very limp and tragic. Once I declared we'd have to skip the fireworks, though, she had a MIRACULOUS RECOVERY, replete with MUCH WHINING about how it wasn't fair and she wanted to go and she was PERFECTLY FINE. You know, except for the...
Hey, did you know I went on a cruise? Maybe I mentioned it? At some point? Yeah, still kind of riding that high. Anyway, if you want to hear EVEN MORE about the cruise, you could go listen to this podcast, where I'm chatting with longtime readers Patricia and Michael, who also happen to be a travel agents and cruise junkies. (Can I say that? Please do not confuse "cruise junkies" with other kinds of junkies....) We go off on about fifty different tangents, and discuss everything from the goofiness of my children to wizened old men taking their trophy wives on vacation. Really. Also, I...
I know that every year I get a little loopy about my garden; in much the same way I can barely believe I'm an adult (with a driver's license and kids and everything), it still amazes me that I can grow things that turn into delicious food. I must've slept my way through botany in high school, because it still blows my mind. Soil and seeds and water make FOOD? It's like some kind of wonderful black magic. Of course, it's also a pretty nearly-instantly gratifying kind of thing, too. Plant, water, wait a month or two, enjoy the fruits (and veggies!) of your labors. For a devotee of Short...
Hey, remember when we were updating Five Full Plates all the time, and we had GOALS and MISSIONS and we did THINGS? Wasn't that cool? We're taking the summer off, on account of... ummm... we got tired of being so darn virtuous all the time. Yes, that's it. But after a long period of silence I thought a bit of an update was in order. You know, because I'm endlessly fascinating and you lie awake at night wondering how I am. Um. What? No...? Whatever, man. Here's a bit of a Full Plates update on me, just in case you care. (Which you totally do. I can tell.)
Even while blogging during the cruise itself, I found it hard to capture in words what was the most amazing during our trip. I mean, it was amazing that my father did this for all of us; it's the kind of vacation we never would've experienced, otherwise. And it was wonderful to spend time with far-flung family, and watch all the kids play together, and have our dinner waiter both prance around the dining room every night with Gerber (by the third night or so, Gerber would happily lift his arms up to him for his ride) and remember that the other kids would each be needing a glass of milk....
I blinked, and then our idyllic week at sea was over. Over! Finished, done, and there was nothing left to do but stuff all of our laundry back into our suitcases, let the kids have ice cream for breakfast (oh yes we did), and then... go sit up on one of the higher decks and wait for our disembarkation number to be called. My brother and stepbrother and Otto had all spent the previous night as we gathered for drinks networking their laptops and swapping photos. And Otto and I had choked down some sickly-sweet "drink of the day"s so as to get the souvenir cups they came in for the kids. (We,...
Today I didn't get off the ship. Somehow today was the day when all of the GOING and DOING and EATING caught up with me, and I could've happily spent the entire day sleeping. Chickadee was due to meet up with her aunt and uncle for ziplining early this morning, though, so I dragged my butt out of bed and took her to breakfast while Otto and Monkey got ready at a more leisurely pace. Chickadee had eggs and a bagel and some fruit and juice and milk. I gulped at a cup of coffee and barely resisted the urge to put my head down on the table and fall asleep. After Chickadee was packed off for her...
So yesterday was our adventure to "stingray city," and it was definitely unlike anything we've ever done before. I'm going to back up a minute here, though, and say something that probably makes me a lousy mother, and maybe even a lousy person, but I'm going to say it anyway because it's true: This cruise would be a lot more fun without the kids. Now, I'm perfectly happy to be here with the kids, and I'm actually pretty fond of the kids, but this is just the true fact of the matter, that we are a little bit captive to their needs even with extended family here. Chickadee is on steroids and...
My father tried to warn me about the food. I mean, I know that eating is a central part of cruising, just from talking to people. But GOOD LORD. I expect my children to each be five pounds heavier at the end of the week. Which wouldn't be such a bad thing, really, as both could really use a little meat on their bones. I also find that the frugal side of me---knowing that all this food is already paid for---feels sort of like Hey, it's kind of wasteful if we DON'T eat. And I realize that's completely twisted, but there you go. So when the kids want ice cream at 10 in the morning and the...
