April 3, 2006
Back to real life
Between springing forward and returning from vacation I'm a bit off today. Weary describes it adequately.
Daily Vacation Highlights
Sunday, Day 1, arrive in Miami:
Public Service Announcement: Taxis in Miami no longer can take infants without car seats.
We arrive at the Miami airport never having been to Miami before. Amazingly Miami gives the Philly airport a run for its money in terms of taking a long time to get the bags off the plane. We wait (im)patiently and finally grab our bags. Wanting to save time and money we had decided to take a taxi from the airport to the port rather than take the cruiseline buses. We leave the airport to find a taxi and are informed that taxis in Miami no longer take infants without car seats. We end up taking a van service instead, and we don't save any money but we probably still end up saving some time.
Monday, Day 2, at Sea:
Realization: There is never enough fun.
E. wants to have fun. Even after he has played miniature golf, gone ice skating, swam in the pool, and eaten too many treats including ice cream. We have created a 3-year-old vacation monster. "More fun!" he exclaims randomly, "I need some more fun!"
Tuesday, Day 3, Belize City:
Please Note: More on Tuesday tomorrow.
Tuesday deserves its own entry. I'll just say that Be Prepared is a great motto, one that every parent should take seriously. Also, your kids' pooping schedules get all screwed up on vacation.
Wednesday, Day 4, Costa Maya, Mexico:
How We Felt: Happy. Gloriously happy.
Wunnerful, wunnerful. A perfect vacation day. A perfect beach day. Except for the part where it takes K. 2 hours to get back to the ship for some cash, K. and I dig heartily into the shrimps which were billed as "just a little spicy", and a bathroom adventure that reinforces all of my previous bathroom traumas. But honestly, the most perfect day. You should all go to Costa Maya (which is really Mahahual, Mexico), Mexico. Immediately.
Thursday, Day 5, Cozumel, Mexico:
What We Learned: 6 cruise ships in port at one time is 4 or 5 too many.
Last year when we were in Cozumel we went snorkling and shopping and had a great day. I really liked Cozumel a lot. This year we decided to purchase an excursion to the beach from the ship. I think we have one photo from the entire debacle because I was so hot and grumpy.
Friday, Day 6, Georgetown, Cayman Islands:
Wondering: Where are the decent restaurants where all of the rich people eat?
How many of you out there want to buy diamonds, tanzanite, other expensive jewelry, expensive perfume, expensive breakable collectables (such as Hummel figurines), and crappy $5 t-shirts while you are on vacation? Does no one else out there see the irony? And how many of you would want to buy that crap while on one of the most beautiful islands in the world, an island packed to the brim with the super rich? On the flip side, the beaches of the Seven Mile Beach are lovely and the water is as blue and gorgeous and warm as you imagine it is.
Saturday, Day 7, at Sea:
Accomplished: 2 naps for Z. Finally. But too late.
I really need to shop more on land, no matter how bad the shops or how fussy the kids. Because otherwise I decide to shop on the ship and that is just pathetic. Also, despite two naps for the first time since Monday, Z. decides to melt down Saturday night, crying for a long, long time and causing E. to cry as well. Ready to go home!
Sunday, Day 8, return to Miami:
Public Service Annoucement: Disregard previous P. S. announcement. Assume SUCKER is written on my forehead.
We get a taxi with no trouble even though we still have Z. and no car seat. The airport in Miami is crazy. E. does not have a seat on the plane and then he does but it is 22 rows from our seats. The extremely energetic TSA worker shouts things continuously but they are incomprehensible on several levels. We tell Z. to look suitably pathetic and shush at her to get through the line *more than two hours before our plane is scheduled to depart* even though we are "in the way of other passengers whose planes are departing shortly" because That Is Not My Problem and the alternative is finding acornerinthehorriblecrushthatisthecheck-inarea.
Somewhere along the line E. discovers that he *loves* pancakes, Z. rips out her tube for the first time (and the second through fifth), K. wins an award for World's Best Father (yes, he did, and we're very sorry but you/your husband is no longer eligible), and I decide that 40 is ok.
And then we are home, and the hyacinths have bloomed and the lake isn't dredged yet and the cats are HAPPY and we melt into the house.
When we finally get inside there is a dead mouse lying in the living room, courtesy of the cats. Welcome home!
Missed you!
Posted by grrlTravels at April 3, 2006 11:38 AMYay! You are back- we missed you, too!
Posted by: chel at April 3, 2006 1:15 PMThe picture of E. golfing is very, very cute! Welcome home - do you feel completely overwhelmed? That seems to be my feeling after every trip. It looks like Z. was enjoying herself in the pool. Good luck getting back "on schedule"!! : ) Glad that you guys had such a nice time away.
Posted by: heather at April 3, 2006 2:17 PMwe missed you too! so happy to hear about your trip! And I love love love that picture of you and E. You look absolutely beautiful and he is just the most perfect 3 year old boy that could be.
Posted by: chicagomama at April 3, 2006 2:33 PMThat sounds exactly like what I would imagine a vacation with two small children would be like! Wonderful, fun, hectic and crazy.
Glad you're back and that you all had fun!
PS We went on a cruise to Cozumel for our honeymoon and wandered the shops you speak of. My husband has a goatee, and at one jewelry shop a man came out and heckled us a little, holding a ring, and said, "Come on, she wants some beautiful jewelry Mr. Wheeeskers." Mr. Whiskers he has remained to this day :).
Posted by: Bethany at April 3, 2006 2:54 PMSounds like a fun vacation and a great way to start your 40's! Wonderful pictures!
Posted by: Janet at April 3, 2006 3:21 PMAbsolutely fantastic summary! Great pictures, too -- especially the swimming ones! Such cuteness!
And I've decided that I, too, need to start randomly saying, "I need more fun!" throughout the day.
Every day.
Posted by: mrs figby at April 3, 2006 4:56 PMI think "I need more fun" is my new motto. Maybe I can get a tshirt made.
Your trip sounds great and I think it was a perfect way to start off your 40's. Which my brother tells me is the best decade yet!
Posted by: Colleen at April 3, 2006 5:08 PMYou know, that was a great vacation story that conveyed a real, real vacation.
Z. and E. look like they had some serious fun.
Welcome home!
Posted by: jen at April 3, 2006 5:37 PMWow! Sounds like your trip went pretty well with lots and lots of fun involved. Welcome home and happy birthday.
Posted by: Sassy at April 3, 2006 7:00 PMWelcome back and thanks for the pictures. I so want to go there right now. Can I, please? I want more fun too!
Posted by: Katie J at April 3, 2006 7:08 PMSo glad you are all back safe and sound! Sounds like a lot of fun was had (even if there were stresses).
You really didn't call it vacation did you? We refer to post-kids vacations as *Family Trips* now.
Posted by: Julia at April 3, 2006 11:13 PMWelcome home...sounds like a pretty good trip.
Posted by: sonja at April 3, 2006 11:42 PMWelcome home! Thanks for sharing pictures. I had fun just seeing E the fun boy!
Posted by: Tracie at April 4, 2006 5:00 AMGreat to have you back - missed your humor and insight!
Posted by: Viv at April 4, 2006 9:16 AMSounds wonderful!! Welcome back!!! I missed you!
Posted by: Stacey at April 4, 2006 11:06 AMWelcome home! Your trip sounds like fun overall. I'd kill for some warm weather right about now.
And ew about the dead mouse. But, better dead than alive in my opinion!
Posted by: tshapedgirl at April 4, 2006 12:06 PMMissed you too! So glad to read this hilarious version of your vacation. I am stil envious of your trip. Welcome home!
Posted by: carosgram at April 4, 2006 2:25 PM