Spring Break Cruise, Days 1 & 2

Embarkation day, which also happened to be Luke's birthday! We got to the ship, Utopia of the Seas, around 11 AM. From the time we arrived to the time we walked on the ship, it was about 20 minutes. It was seemingly crowded, but everything moved quickly. As soon as we got onboard, we went to guest services to transfer our refreshment packages to the girls. Thomas and I really like the Vitality Café smoothies, which is where we get the value from the refreshment package, which includes all non-alcoholic drinks, but the ship did not have one. We bought the package during a black Friday sale, so we had a good deal on it and fortunately they let us transfer it. That made the girls pretty happy, they can get sodas, milkshakes, mocktails, etc. 

Then we went to lunch in the windjammer, which was delicious. They had a ton of seafood. I’m the only in our family who likes seafood, so it was fantastic for me. Jack is deathly allergic (literally) to shellfish, so obviously it is not something I eat much at home. But, onboard, I had lobster and shrimp and clams. Yum! Thomas tried some vegetarian options that he thought were good. And, the kids were happy with their choices. I sat at a different table from Jack and thoroughly washed my hands.

After lunch, we explored and played games at Playmakers, including foosball and some older video games. The girls also tried their hand at pool. Then we went to our rooms and unpacked. We got an afternoon snack at El Loco Fresh, then Luke, Thomas and I waited in a 30-minute line to try out the Abyss (10 story slide). It was pretty amazing but a bit bumpy and made a headache I had worse. Thomas and I went back to the room to relax before dinner. The girls hung out with Marta and Frank in the Diamond lounge. We all met up at dinner, although we were disappointed to see that Frank and Marta were not sitting with us. We talked to the staff and hopefully it will be resolved tomorrow. Dinner was good, they sang to Luke in honor of his birthday. After dinner, we went to the evening show which was their production show called All In. We all thought it was okay, it had cool effects, but no plot, just singing and dancing and the effects (like drones). I prefer the Broadway style shows.  After the show we played a round of mini golf and then Luke and I called it a night. Thomas and Anna went to Central Park and Jack and Kara went to the teen club. It was a good first day!

Tuesday was our first full day on board. We started with breakfast at Johnny Rockets. It is so fun to sit outside on the boardwalk with the ocean breeze while we have a nice breakfast, one of my favorite experiences on a cruise ship! After that, Luke played on the play structure, we played mini golf, rode the Abyss (20 minute wait), and had lunch at the Wind Jammer buffet. After lunch, the boys and I played laser tag. Luke and I were on one team and Thomas and Jack were on the other. My and Luke’s team won, but Jack and Thomas were quick to point out that they had the two highest scores for both teams. In fact, Thomas would like it noted for the record that he had more points than Luke and I combined. I would like it noted for the record that they were still the losers. The ship was in Nassau, but we opted to stay onboard. It was only a 4-night cruise on a massive ship, so we needed the extra time to explore.

Dinner was good, they sorted out our tables so we were with Marta and Frank. After dinner, Thomas, Luke, Anna, Marta, Frank and I saw the aqua show which was set to 80s tunes. I really enjoyed it, although it was very very loud. From there, Anna and I went and listened to a piano singer in one of the lounges. 

Throughout the day, the girls made good use for the refreshment packages. Luke enjoyed a Johnny Rockets milkshake and at some point we went and got a snack at El Loco fresh. Always one of our favorite places to eat! 

Pictures from throughout the day. 

Abyss in the background, Johnny Rockets on the left. Two of our favorites.

I don't think any of us rode the carousel, but it gives the boardwalk a fun vibe.

Taking this very seriously.

Goodbye Nassau!

Aqua Show

Luke and Jack shared a window room. I took this picture peering from our balcony.

Happy Birthday to Luke!

Menchie's cake

Luke turned eleven on March 17th. His birthday always falls on Spring Break, so celebrating can be a little odd. We had a short cruise planned for Spring Break, which left on his actual birthday. And, he had a tournament the weekend before. Plus, this year he decided he really wanted a party. It was a busy time!

He asked for Dairy Queen for his birthday meal and an ice cream cake from Menchi's. We did those on Saturday after his tournament. Jack was in DC on his band field trip, but the girls gave him gifts and we enjoyed his cake (our gift to him was his party). 

One last cuddle as a 10-year-old (birthday eve)

On his actual day, we boarded the cruise ship. That night, they sang to him in the main dining room and brought him birthday cheesecake. 

Party people in the house!

We returned from the cruise on Friday and had Luke's party on Saturday. He chose a laser tag party. Our neighbor recommended the host, who comes to your house and runs everything. Luke invited his baseball team and a couple of friends from his class. With Spring Break, a few people were out of town, but he had 7/10 teammates and 3 friends from school. They played laser tag for 2 hours. I wasn't sure how laser tag could be played for two hours, but no one seemed to get tired of it. There were three different varieties of games and the kids had a great time. Jack is even considering it for his birthday. If you are reading this from Maryland, his son does the same thing in Maryland--Tomslasertag.com.  Most of the parents stayed and chatted. We had pizza, cupcakes, cookies, fruit, chips, soda and water. It was our first time hosting a birthday party in many years and I was happy it seemed to go well. Although, I realized that we forgot to sing happy birthday. How weird is that?

Strategizing for their next game

His friends were very generous. When asked what he wanted, Luke said "cold hard cash". He's saving up for a baseball card set he wants.

Luke is an amazing kid. He is smart, caring and fun. We are lucky to have him in our family and I hope he felt well-celebrated as he turned 11!

Kara served as party photographer and took these with her new camera:

This one is my favorite. Gael peeking from around the bushes.

Long Time, No Blog

I haven't blogged in about a month. It's been a difficult month. Thomas and I are back in the office. Honestly, that part is fine. I prefer to work at home, but going in person is no big deal. I get the same work done in the same amount of time, so whatever. But, other things are frustrating. The tone of the administration is unlike anything I've experienced in my 20+ years of working for the Navy. And, I am not talking about the quest to find areas where reductions can be made. While I personally don't want to lose my job, I am more fearful that we have gone down a partisan road and are further dividing ourselves along party lines. It is really hard to articulate without saying too much. 

In better news, the kids are keeping busy with good activities. In fact, Luke is at a baseball tournament as I write. Moving up to AAA has not been great for his team; their record is 3-13. They have lost many games by just 1 run, so the kids don't want to move down. Personally, I am tired of them being the bottom seed and thus having the 8am Sunday morning games, so I wouldn't mind returning to AA.

Kara is enjoying lacrosse. She is a varsity starter (most games) and scored her first goal! She usually plays defense so generally isn't in position to score, but occasionally plays mid, as she did the game where she scored. Unfortunately, I was not there to see it. But, Thomas and Anna were and they said it was very exciting. Their team has a great record of 7-1, but they do have some stronger opponents in the second half of the season. Regardless, it has been a great experience for her.

Anna has been helping us out a lot with Luke and babysitting in the neighborhood. She also started posting Vlogs on YouTube. 

Jack has been busy with band and track. He set a new PR for the 2-mile and did it in 11-minutes flat last week. Right now, he is on a bus, traveling back from a band trip to DC. We haven't heard too much about it yet, but Jack said it was a 9-9.5/10 experience.  Among other things, they went to museums and got to do a wreath laying ceremony at the tomb of the unknown soldier. The trip made Jack homesick for our life in Maryland. They also went to a concert at the Kennedy Center, which later made the news because the crowd booed the VP (Jack said he was not among those who booed).

Other happenings: we have done a few trips to the theme parks (Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and Universal). We also went to Leu Gardens one Saturday. I went to lunch with my sister and visited my dad. I met a friend for lunch at Red Lobster. Jack's band had their MPA, they did great and got straight superiors.  The weather has been beautiful. 

And, to conclude, a few photos from the month:

Luke in "The Scream" at Epcot's Festival of the Arts

Kara doing the draw

On the Skyliner

I love the sandhill cranes

Anna and I saw an otter in one of the neighborhood ponds. We watched him scurry from the water to the woods.