On the loose ends list
I keep a running list of random things in my brain that I mean to blog about “sometime” for whatever reason. On the one hand, I’d probably remember more of them (and actually get around to writing about them) if I wrote them down. On the other hand, I kind of figure I’m a big enough dork that if I don’t write them down, it saves me from an even deeper level of geekdom.
(On the third hand—who has a third hand?—think of all the wondrous world problems I may have had the brain power to solve, were it not for random blog topics, all the words to every song on Beauty and the Beat, and all of the other useless crap I have tucked up in there. Just sayin’.)
Anyway. I did mean to update you on a few things. Because I’m swell that way. read more…
Love fills the spaces
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.
[Sidebar: Monkey got all teary on the last day because he wanted to take the waiter home with him. I suggested the kids make him cards and Monkey—ever our darling Literal Boy—wrote something about how “I know they don’t pay you very much money so I’m going to suggest the ship gives you a raise.” After a brief and not altogether successful conversation about how that was perhaps not the most politically correct thing to say, he changed it to “I know you work very hard so I’m going to suggest the ship give you a raise.” Phew.]
I know my father was hoping this trip would help bring the family closer together, and it did in ways I know I hadn’t really even considered. read more…
A funny thing happened on the way to Atlanta
I had a great time here in Philadelphia, and felt a small pang of regret as I headed to the airport yesterday and everyone else was headed out on a tour of the city and a group dinner to follow. “That’s okay!” I thought to myself. “I am going HOME! I would much rather be home than be social with people, so that’s fine.” I said my goodbyes and packed up and headed to the airport around 4:00 for my 6:00 flight.
They’re doing construction at the Philadelphia airport. I don’t know what they’re doing, exactly, I just know that I feel more like a rat in a maze than usual, here, winding my way through the various blocked off passageways and passing the “pardon our dust!” signs. But eventually I smuggled all of my contraband through Security (this time, I was pulled aside to be patted down, but my HIGHLY DANGEROUS HAIR LOTION went by unnoticed), but in due time I made it to my gate.
Which was utterly mobbed. read more…
Best-laid plans
In the continuing saga of You Can’t Take Me Anywhere which is, in fact, MY ENTIRE LIFE, I had a bit of a situation here yesterday morning.
And I’m not even talking about the fact that the water in this hotel tastes so horrendous that the coffee I brewed in the little machine they provide tasted like I’d brewed tea using old underpants in place of teabags.
Look; I’ve never had to head straight to a conference after spending a week on a ship, and if you think I didn’t agonize for WEEKS over what and how to pack, given these circumstances, you must be new here. What we finally did was manage to pack my stuff and Otto’s stuff into one large and one small suitcase; although my stuff filled most of the larger suitcase, this would allow me to take just the smaller one with me, post-cruise, when heading off to be all professional while sending Otto home with most of the laundry. I thought it was a brilliant plan. read more…
This is the trip that never ends
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, um, may have neglected to buy any souvenirs while on our trip, on account of it just never occurred to us. But who doesn’t want a cup shaped like the Carnival ships’ signature smokestack fin thing? Hooray!)
But yesterday we sat there and the kids played and we all chatted and Monkey ended up covered in ketchup (don’t ask) and then, suddenly, it was time to go. So there were hugs and kisses and thank yous and we were off to customs. read more…
Whoops, I missed Mexico
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 adventure, I went back to breakfast with Otto and Monkey. I had more coffee. And an omelet. And thought to myself that I was really, really tired of eating. And this was how I figured out that I was either 1) completely exhausted or 2) dying, because since when am I too tired to EAT? read more…
Love’s just right
I know I said yesterday that this cruise would be a lot more fun without the kids—and that’s true in many ways—but the other truth is that it’s not that it would be more FUN so much as it would be less COMPLEX.
Having kids makes it more complicated. (Having a kid with some special needs makes it a lot more complicated, quite frankly, but whatever.) Kids are complicated, period. My own special snowflakes are both easier and harder than other kids, in various ways, and I’m not up for a rousing game of “whose kids are the very most baffling” right at the moment.
The other truth is that if the kids weren’t here, this trip would not contain some of my very favorite moments so far. It would be a different trip, and while I may wish we were experiencing some of the perks of traveling kidless, now and then, this trip has quite a lot to recommend it exactly as it is. read more…
Magical! (kind of)
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 that can make her behavior a little bit… interesting. Monkey is… well, I think Monkey is bearing up incredibly well considering that he doesn’t do well with 1) noise, 2) crowds, and 3) waiting, given that cruises are apparently filled with all three of these things. They pipe music into the pool areas so loud that I myself kind of want to wear earplugs (or stab the DJ with a fork; either way), so I can only imagine how irritating he finds it. Basically we are spending a lot more time in our cabin that we otherwise would, and a not inconsequential amount of time talking Monkey down from various perceived injustices and intolerable circumstances that arise from his schedule being turned upside down and shaken well with 3,000 other people and a lot of sea water. read more…
Food, ridiculous food
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 machine is RIGHT THERE, well, why not.
Look, I worked REALLY HARD to lose some weight this year, so I’m trying to control myself. I’ve had dessert after dinner both nights so far, because I’m not made of STONE, but I’ve been good other than that. I stick to my South Beach-esque ways and eat lots of fruits and veggies and I’m good.
But the kids, well, it’s kind of crazy. read more…
Family (re)union at sea
Why yes, I am blogging from the middle of the ocean. I have to purchase some Internet time here on the ship at the luxury rate of about a bajillion dollars a minute so that I can do a little work, so I figured in for a penny, in for a pound—you get a piece of me, too. Lucky you!
Yesterday was a VERY long day. It turns out that the business of getting to the port, meeting up with eight other people in your party, getting through security and check-in, and then finally boarding the damn ship takes quite a while. And then just as you’re thinking to yourself, “Wow, I’m on a floating city and will never find my way back to my room again,” you have to run out on deck to your “muster station” for a safety drill, where they tell you how to put on a lifejacket and which lifeboat you should take in the event of an abandon ship order. (While that’s kind of crowded and boring no matter what, they pack you in five lines of people deep and sound various alarm chimes and I thought poor Monkey was going to abandon ship of his own volition if it didn’t conclude pretty promptly, which—thankfully—it did.) read more…