End of Another School Year!

The kids had their last day of school on Friday. It was pretty anticlimactic for the older kids. They don't really do much the last week or two. Once testing is over, it doesn't seem to matter much if they go. The school actively encouraged the kids to miss the last Wednesday, as it was graduation day and with so many teachers attending that, they knew they would not have enough subs. Kara spent the day at Universal with one of her friends and had a great time. Jack stayed home and Anna went to school because her best friend had to go and asked Anna not to leave her alone. They all finished the year strong. Jack and Kara had straight As for the whole year. Anna also did well and finished the year with an unweighted 3.6 GPA. 

Luke had a good year in 4th grade. They finished the year by reading a book, Hoot, and doing an associated project. They had a list to choose from and he and Beya chose the skit options. They had to write a short skit, make owl puppets and perform for the class. They also had a pancake party and other fun activities for the last week. And, according to Luke, he sang a song in the lunchroom for everyone on the last day.  The Principal was in the lunchroom playing songs on her phone and Luke asked if he could sing something. She agreed and Luke sang a silly song (All Star with alternate lyrics he and Kara made up). He said everyone thought it was funny.

On Thursday, Anna had an orthodontist appointment. They did x-rays and made a ton of adjustments. They said if all goes well, she will be done in a couple more appointments. Fingers crossed, as she is more than ready to be done. And, Luke had an appointment on Wednesday. He has a palate expander now. He, Anna and Jack all have small mouths. Kara's teeth were visually the worst before starting braces, but her problems were the easiest (and quickest) to fix. Weird. 

Everyone went to school for the last day. That night, Luke, Anna, Thomas and I went to Universal for a few hours. Kara went to a friend's pool party. Jack went to dinner with a friend and then back to his house to play video games with some other kids.

Saturday, everyone but Kara went to Luke's baseball tournament (Kara had plans with friends). Luke played well, but his team had a tough draw and lost both games. Sunday, just Thomas went. They won one game and then lost the next. It was the end of their season and Luke got the MVP award for defensive player of the year. I was sorry to miss it, but it is hard for me to be away an entire weekend when the other kids also have things they want to do and need rides (or just someone around for).

Everyone is happy the school year is over and looking forward to summer. Luke has a few weeks of camp, including an overnight one in late July. Jack signed up for a couple of virtual classes. The girls both have "summer bucket lists". Hopefully it is a good summer.

Five Years in Florida!

Five years ago today we spent our last night in Maryland. Time for some reflection!

When we were debating whether or not to move to Florida, Thomas and I made a pro/con list. My recollection was that Maryland won, but that I felt really sad about not moving to Florida and so we put in for the transfer. If I recall, it took our boss a while to make a decision and we were about a day away from withdrawing our names from consideration when they notified us that the transfer was approved. Do I regret the decision? No. Do I wish we had stayed in Maryland? Yes. Don't those two responses conflict? Maybe. In an ideal world, it would have never even been an option, then I would not have felt like I was missing out on anything. In fact, several years before we moved, when I was still a stay-at-home-mom there was an opening in Florida that Thomas, at my request, put in for. I remember feeling a big sense of relief when they hired someone else and the decision was out of our hands. I really enjoyed our life in Maryland and moving was not an easy decision. So, if there had never been two openings, then I would have never felt deprived and would have continued living happily in Maryland. I also wonder sometimes if what I miss most is what life was like pre-covid and pre-all the extreme division in our country. 2019 was definitely a kinder, gentler time. 

At the end of the day, the kids have thrived here. We left behind some drama in Maryland with the girls and their 'friends' and that never resurfaced. They have all done well in school, they all have friends, and I don't think any of them regret the move. I am asking them to write for the blog, so although I don't know what they will say as I write this, you, my dear readers, will only have to keep scrolling to find out.

So, what do I like about Florida? What do I dislike? What do I miss most? 

What I like: I like being near everything we need. Our town in Southern Maryland had everything we needed to live happily on a daily basis, but we were far from some things, which made extended living less ideal. Some kind of silly, like a mall, some more important, like a children's hospital. I hated that when Kara had her appendix out we were hours away (with traffic) from a hospital that would help her. It made me nervous. We also had to go to Baltimore or DC for specialty visits. Here, all the hospitals, including the Children's are 15 minutes away. 

Another big "like" is the college options for the kids. In fact, that is probably the biggest "pro" on the list right now. Our kids can live at home and go to UCF, which is ranked 64th in the country for public universities. UF is ranked 6th, FSU is 23rd, USF is 45th, etc. Maryland doesn't have that level of variety. It does have the University of Maryland College Park, ranked 19th, which is amazing, but you wouldn't have the option of living at home and getting your degrees. Florida also has the Bright Futures Scholarship, which will make college really affordable. Hopefully, our kids all attend Florida universities and we receive this benefit. Otherwise, this "pro" disappears, and we aren't left with nearly as much to fill the list. Although, we would have had more money to afford college if we'd stayed in Maryland. My job there had higher income earning potential, our house payment and our cost of living was significantly less, so financially, moving was not a wise choice.

So, what else makes the "like" list? Being near family, although not in the way I thought. We don't spend nearly as much time together as I expected. But, I am very glad I am here to help with my dad. If not, that would have all fallen on my sister, which would have been terribly unfair to her, and I would have felt horribly guilty. So, for that reason alone, I am glad we are here. 

Another pro is the theme parks. It is so fun to be passholders at Disney and Universal. We are about 30 minutes from all the major parks (some a little more, some a little less) and the novelty of going to Disney on a Wednesday night is not lost on us. It is fun and we enjoy it.

What do I dislike? The weather. There are a few amazing months, a few tolerable months and many excruciatingly hot and humid months. In my dream world, we would be snowbirds and never experience the extreme cold or heat. Maryland's weather was actually pretty perfect, and I miss it. 

The drivers here are also the worst I have ever encountered. The less said on that, the better. Similarly, the traffic where we live is awful. I am not exaggerating when I say that probably 10 giant apartment complexes have been built in our area since we moved here, along with multiple single-family homes. There is one main road and it can be miserable to traverse. The drive to the middle and high schools is absolutely horrible with stop and go traffic. We knew they were still building, but we wrongly thought our specific area was a little more finished. After all, our house was built in 2003, it had been here for 16 years before we moved in and construction ramped up.

Other things I don't like include how expensive it is here. Florida has a reputation for being cheap. It isn't. Our car insurance is more than double what it was in Maryland, our homeowner's is at least 3x more as are our property taxes (those are the comparison numbers from when we moved, now it is much more than that, but I am assuming that Maryland has also increased). So, while there is no state income tax, they definitely get their money. There are also toll roads everywhere. 

I also dislike our house. It is too small and has been a money pit. At one point, I said I liked the layout better than our house in Maryland. I have definitely changed my mind! I miss our basement on a daily basis and our backyard almost as often. Although I do like our Florida neighborhood. It is pretty and shady and I love that the elementary school is within walking distance. There are lots of green spaces and it is very idyllic.

Some additional Maryland specific comparisons: I miss my friends. I miss the relationships I had with the people in our old neighborhood; we all moved in at the same time and our kids grew together. I miss the Wills across the street and the kids going in and out of each other's houses. I miss the bookclubs and the ladies nights and neighborhood group chats. I miss our monthly dinners with the Darrows. I miss having friends at work. I miss having a reliable friend/nanny (Summer!) that would watch the kids and let Thomas and I have a weekend away.

I also miss our weekend trips. I miss that within 3 hours we could be in Williamsburg or Philadelphia, both of which we frequently visited on a long weekend. I miss that New York was just a few more hours away. I miss all our trips to different battlefields and historical sites. I miss the topography. I miss Mount Vernon and the Smithsonian. I would trade the theme parks for the history.

Florida has been good and bad. Overall, I think it is good that we are here. However, I do hope that this is not my permanent home. 

Now, for everyone else's thoughts. I would not let them read when anyone else wrote before providing me their input:

Thomas:  I never wanted to move.  I really loved my life in Maryland. During our time there, Kori would periodically ask some form of the question "if you could live anywhere, where would it be?"  And my answer was always that I couldn't think of anywhere being better than what we have in Maryland. So not only did I love Maryland, I didn't like Florida.  While there are some good things about Florida (Kori's family, Spring Training) I hated the weather and various other things about the state.  And I'm sad to say that after living here for five years, it's not any better. I still hate it here.  A lot.  But that said, I understand this is our home.  I think everyone else in the family is happy here and I don't want to be a Debbie Downer.  In fact, my resolution for 2024 was to write something I liked about living in Florida every day. And I'm happy to report that I've managed to keep that resolution so far.  I try to keep a positive attitude and am truly happy that everyone else enjoys it here. That is, without a doubt, the most important thing to me. 

Anna: I’m glad we moved to Florida because I got to try a lot of new things like basketball, ice skating and lacrosse. I like going to the theme parks and going on cruises. I also think that people here are nicer and the schools are good. I miss the weather in Maryland. I also miss going to places like Mount Vernon, Williamsburg and especially DC. Overall, I am happy that we moved to Florida but I don’t want to stay here after I graduate college.

Jack: I’m really glad about all the opportunities here that weren’t there in Maryland- the tennis center or the YMCA for example. I’m glad that I live in our neighborhood, which is by far the nicest I’ve ever lived in. I’m glad, of course, for my friends. I miss the weather in Maryland. As well as how things weren’t as developed there- though maybe by now that’s changed. I miss how close we were to old historical sites compared to here (Mount Vernon, Yorktown, and such) as well as the cities- DC, Philadelphia, and maybe New York.

Kara: I am very thankful for the opportunities that I’ve had since moving to Florida. Since being here, I have gotten to meet so many wonderful people and create the best memories with them. I know the majority of my family complains and dislikes it here but I like to focus on the more positive side. I’m here and there is so much to be grateful for. Most of family dislikes the weather here, and while yes it can get hot, I like the feeling of the sunshine on my skin. And getting to swim and eat ice cream almost year-round. I also love palm trees. Just getting to see them every day makes me happy. And the sunsets here are gorgeous.  I also love Halloween Horror Nights at Universal. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else and not being to go. It really makes my year to have the privilege to get to experience that. I also enjoy the opportunities that school has given me. I like to play lacrosse and the theatre program at my school is wonderful. But, the best thing of all is the people. All of my friends I’ve come to know are amazing and I love them all so much. Overall I am so glad we moved to Florida and I will cherish these moments in my life forever.

Luke: I wish we didn't move, but it is nice that I can play baseball year round. I also like my friends here. I miss our house, the backyard, our playset, the weather, my Maryland friends and everything else!

This and That

Working in reverse order:

Today is Saturday, May 18th. It was a typical, busy Saturday. The older kids volunteered at a Special Olympics tennis event. They all said it was really fun. Jack was a ball boy and Anna and Kara did awards. They are now inspired to learn to play tennis. 

Now, Jack is at the band banquet. He was asked to give a speech for one of the seniors. Every senior gets to choose an underclassman to say some kind words. Jack was on the fence about going, but that sealed the deal and off he went.

While the kids were volunteering, I went to Lakeland to visit with my dad. Then, I picked up Luke who had spent the night in Winter Haven with Marta. He had a nice night. Coming home, traffic was typically terrible. I hate Central Florida traffic. They just keep building and building without the infrastructure to support all the people.

Friday, the teens skipped school and we went to Universal. It rained, but we still had a nice time. We rode a few rides and had lunch at Circus McGurkus. We were hoping to ride Hagrid's, but it was shut down due to weather. Meanwhile, Luke had a special event at school--he got to walk to Menchi's with the 10 other kids who read all the Sunshine State books (and, two adults). He got a big yogurt with lots of candy toppings. Then, after school Marta picked him up. They went back to her house, had pizza and swam. 

The kids all had testing over the course of the week. They did well on the ones that have been graded. Kara also had her first week of summer lacrosse. She found a ride with a friend who drives. It is hard to believe our kids are at an age where they have friends who drive. Of course, Jack and Anna have been 16 for months now, so it makes sense. Jack will get his license when we get back from our trip. Then, we will worry about Anna and Kara.

Thursday, Luke's team played a baseball scrimmage against an 11U team (his team is 10U) and won. It was at the park near our house, which was so nice. Anna and I actually walked up, we have been doing nightly walks, so it fit in well with our routine. I miss him playing there! There were a couple of uncomfortable moments. One of the parents on our team got yelled at by the other coach for correcting him in his balls and strikes count. In her defense, she was right. In his defense, it was a scrimmage and not worth getting upset about. And, there was a parent on the other team who kept yelling at his kid ("do that again and see what happens" "you're going to be walking home," etc). I felt really bad for that kid. It did make me feel slightly better about my parenting skills, at least I'm not publicly shaming/embarrassing them (I hope!).

I had to go into the office more often than usual recently. I don't mind going in when there is a reason, so it is not a big deal. But, I miss the quiet of my home office and my window. 

Oh! Last weekend was Mother's Day. Saturday, we went to Target and played Ticket to Ride. Sunday, we went to Fun Spot. It was empty, and we had a good time. We came home after lunch and played a couple more games. The older kids all wrote me nice, thoughtful letters. I think it sometimes frustrates them that I don't like stuff and ask them not to buy anything, particularly for Mother's Day.

Rest of April & Kayce's Visit

Another busy month in the books! Jack finished track. At his last meet, he ran the 4x800 and the two mile. He was hoping to get under 12 for the two-mile, but got 12:03. The first time he ran, he was around 12:50, so he made a lot of progress over the season. He plans to run all summer and do cross-country in the fall.

Luke had his Battle of the Books competition. We do not know how his team placed, just that they were not in first, second or third. Luke was disappointed, but, to make it to the second round was a huge accomplishment, so we were still very proud. 

Now that high school sports have ended, we were able to do a Wednesday visit to Disney. The girls, Thomas, and I went to Animal Kingdom. We rode a few rides (Safari, Dinosaur, FOP, and Everest) and had dinner. It is a fun perk of living in Orlando. We planned to go the next Wednesday, but it was a long Wednesday at school for testing. Speaking of which, the year is winding to a close. Only three weeks remain in the school year! It went by fast.

My good friend and former neighbor, Kayce, came to visit for a long weekend. She arrived on Friday morning and we went to Disney Springs. We walked around and had lunch and decided to return for Cirque du Soleil that night. Jack had a band concert, but he said he had no interest in going (we also could have gone on Saturday). So, Thomas went to the concert, the rest of us went to Cirque. It was a good show, it reminded me a little of the diving shows on the cruises. I have wanted to see a Cirque show, so I was glad for the excuse. The girls and Luke also enjoyed it.

Saturday, we went to the Orlando Wetlands. It is right near Fort Christmas, and I was shocked that until researching a new place to "hike", I had never heard of it. It is a huge (1600+ acre) man-made wetland that provides natural water treatment to the city of Orlando. We were there for four hours and didn't see it all. We did see 38 alligators, a pygmy rattlesnake (which I almost stepped on) and tons of cool birds. There was very little shade, so we were lucky it was a beautiful day. My family will definitely go back. Another hidden gem! We also went to Culver's and for a walk that night. Kayce is a walking machine! We were hoping to see an armadillo, of which there are many in our neighborhood, but we did not spot any during her stay.

Luke had baseball and Anna was the only kid up for the long hike. She was glad she went!

This pink spoonbill was my favorite bird of the day. Also, the boardwalk was super long and so pretty.

Sunday was our Universal day. We got there at opening and stayed until closing. We usually go in the evenings, so again, it was fun to play tourist and do it all. We rode a lot of rides, browsed the shops, and saw four shows (Beedle the Bard, Horror Make-up, Animal Actors, and the Bourne Stuntacular). We drank frozen butterbeer, which sadly Kayce did not like, and ate in the Three Broomsticks for dinner. We timed everything perfectly and managed to avoid long lines, mainly by seeing the shows in the peak riding time. The only thing we didn't get to do was ride Hagrid's. Our plan was to ride after dinner, but it shut down and never reopened. Next time! 

Monday, we went to "free Disney". We rode a parking tram, the Skyliner, and a boat. We enjoyed walking around the Boardwalk and Yacht and Beach Club resorts (where I would want to stay if money was no object). Then, we went to lunch before I dropped Kayce off at the airport. It was sad to see her go, but I was thankful for a good visit with nice weather. I miss having her live across the street! 

The week passed uneventfully. Jack's track meet, discussed above, was on Wednesday. Thomas had to go into the office multiple times because he is acting counsel while our boss is out of town. Friday, we were off from work and let the girls skip school. We went to Epcot in the morning and Magic Kingdom at night. It was a fun day.

Today is Saturday. Luke had a baseball tournament. I took the older kids to Ross (Kara's request), then the library (Jack's request), then we went to one of Luke's games (my request), then went to lunch at PDQ (Luke's request). We dropped Luke and Thomas back at the fields for game number 2. Then, we went to Marshall's (Anna's request). Finally, we came home and the girls got ready for the lacrosse banquet. I dropped them off at 5 and picked them up at 7. Kara got a trophy for most improved. They also gave out superlatives to each girl. Anna was "sweet as candy" and Kara was "best hair".  Just another Saturday in the life!

They bought matching dresses at Marshalls :)

Bonus picture, our backyard deer had babies!

Another Busy Week

Monday was eclipse day. We only had about 60% coverage, but it was still fun to see. The schools were afraid of kids looking at the sun, so they canceled all after school activities. Luke still had baseball practice that night, but it was so nice to have a day off from driving to the high school! 

The crescent-moon-like shadows were really fun to observe.

It was also a big day at work for me. I got to close the window on a major action that has been pretty time-consuming. I know I have written about work ebbing and flowing. Well, as I've mentioned (perhaps ad nauseum) I was in a flowing period for a long time and now it looks like I should have some ebbing. In an ideal world, the work would be steady, with enough tasks to fill the day without being overwhelmed. I don't really like when work is slow, but I also don't like when it is super busy. In Maryland, I worked in a couple of practice areas, which was really nice. When one area was slow, it was easy to take on more work in another area to fill the days. Here, I only do one thing and it is really cyclical. And, it is hard to anticipate. I had three simultaneous actions, but none were planned to overlap (hence the extreme flow that made me miserable for the past 8ish months). Now, I can look forward to a hopefully quiet, but not too quiet, summer :)

In other work news, our supervisor is leaving. Thomas and I really like our boss and are not excited about having someone new. But, there is no sense in worrying about what hasn't transpired. Just some foreshadowing for our future. I can't wait to revisit this in a year and see how it turns out!

Tuesday was back to the track/lacrosse routine. Wednesday, the girls had their final lacrosse game. As mentioned, they were the last seed in the district and had to play the first seed. They lost something like 25-4. The other team was amazing and it was fun to see their advanced moves. Our girls knew they were going to lose by a large margin, and I was super proud of how they handled themselves. They never gave up, stayed positive, and played hard the whole game. 

Thursday was a stormy day. Jack's track and Luke's baseball were canceled. Friday was fun--after school the girls, Thomas and I went to Epcot to see Jo Dee Messina. She sings some of my favorite songs and put on an amazing show. The concerts only last about 35 minutes, but I think she did 6 or 7 songs and sounded great on all of them. Thomas and I had fun singing along. 

Thomas and I were waiting for the theater to open and the girls texted they were on Spaceship Earth. So, somewhere in there are Anna and Kara.

This weekend, Thomas and Luke went to a baseball tournament in Daytona Beach. They had a very weird day. I know I've written about their being different tournament levels (GOB, USSSA, Perfect Game, etc.). But, did I write about their being different levels within the levels??? Well, at USSSA, there are. Two, I think, and we usually play the lower one. But, it was full, so at this tournament we played the high level. They lost their first game 17-4. They were pretty close until the 3rd or 4th inning and then just fell apart. Then, the next game, they won 15-0, in one inning. That team only had 8 players and apparently their best 3 were all absent and they just fell apart. Very weird day. For Sunday, they lost their first game and that was it for the tournament. 

While they were in Daytona on Saturday, I was home on chauffeuring duty. The girls spent the day volunteering at a Special Olympics event. They both said it was a good experience. I dropped them off at 8. Jack went to a birthday party at Andretti racing. He had a fantastic time and loved it. I dropped him off at noon, then went back for the girls at 4, then we drove and picked up Jack. I think I spent about 3 hours in the car doing all the back and forth shuttling. I did have some home-alone time, which is rare and I started a new book (Endurance, another non-fiction shipwreck adventure). That night was the neighborhood Spring Fling, so we went and got our free dinner. They had a bunch of bounce houses and live music. Luke enjoyed the bounce houses. The rest of us, except Kara, who opted to stay home, enjoyed the food.

Sports, Books, & Easter

After our blissful week off from work and school, we jumped right back into the routine. Lacrosse and track are in the home stretch. For lacrosse, the JV team fell apart. Too many girls quit or were injured so they could not field the two teams. Kara has received a lot of playing time on the varsity team. In fact, at the last game, she played the entire game. District finals are this week. Our team is in last place, so they have to play the first-seeded team. That should mark the end of the lacrosse season. Anna is glad she didn't quit and is even talking about playing over the summer and next year. Kara definitely wants to keep playing. It has been really fun watching them try a new sport and I have enjoyed the games. So, I hope they continue.

Track is also wrapping up. I am not sure how districts work for them yet. Jack ran the mile on Saturday in 5:34. His goal was 5:30, so he was slightly disappointed, but it is still faster than the last time he ran the mile, so he is making good progress. The fastest times are around 4:30. Jack's time put him squarely in the middle of the pack. Considering this is his first year of track and he has never been a runner before, he has accomplished a lot. He enjoys it and plans to try cross-country in the fall. We also enjoy watching the track meets. I knew I would like watching Jack run, but I was surprised to find that watching a track meet is also pretty fun. Those kids are amazing athletes! 

I think he looks so strong!

Luke's Battle of the Books team won their first round and get to move on to finals! We are super excited for him. For the first round, they were in a division with 19 schools and only the top two moved on, so it was a nice accomplishment. The finals are next Wednesday.

The battle of the books team.

School's Facebook post congratulating the team. Last year, based on the same format, I thought each group was only 5 teams, this year I figured out that they only list the top 5 teams from each group. 

I enjoyed this weekend. Thomas and I were off from work on Friday, but the only thing we did was go to Walmart. Super exciting. We did go to Kohl's Friday night to check out their winter clearance. Most of us found some things that will be useful for our Alaska trip. Saturday morning I visited my dad. It was a beautiful day, so we sat outside and chatted.  He is dong pretty well. They removed his ankle monitor. Officially it's called a wander guard, it sounded an alarm when he got too close to the doors and he hated it with a passion. We had a nice visit and traffic was surprisingly light (comparatively speaking).  I was even able to make it to Jack's track meet. After his meet, we went out to a late lunch at 4Rivers, which we both enjoyed. When we got home, Kara and I watched a movie (Family Plan, it was okay). It was a busy, but nice Saturday. While we were doing that, Luke and Thomas were in New Smyrna Beach for baseball.

Sunday, I went to Luke's tournament. They did not win, but again, it was an absolutely beautiful day. I know those days are numbered. Next week, we are creeping close to 90 degrees. Because they lost their first Sunday game, they were eliminated from the tournament, making it an early day. While we were driving home, Anna texted asking to go to Universal. We haven't been in months, so even though we were tired, we agreed. Jack and Luke did not want to go, so we took the girls. The spring break crowds have left and we had a good visit. We didn't realize it was the last day of Mardi Gras, so we got to see the last parade of the year. Normally, we love the Mardi Gras event and go multiple times, but with lacrosse and track this year, that just wasn't possible. We were very happy we got to see it. We also tried the Minion Cafe for dinner, which we all thought was just okay. 

You can't see it too well, but it is raining confetti :)

I should try and write every week, because I don't remember what we did the week before this one. Oh! Easter! We started the day with the traditional egg hunt. Jack is not eating added sugar, so he was not interested in looking for candy, but did find one of the special eggs, which had a little bit of cash. Marta, Frank, Elizabeth and Travis joined us for dinner. Marta brought the kids an easter basket that included two new (to us) types of Uno: Uno Flip and Uno No Mercy. We played both and had fun. We also played Scattergories. It had been a while since we had seen them and it was nice to be back together. I didn't take any pictures, but Anna had a couple:

This was okay on Easter, but amazing in the following days. 

Elizabeth brought some adorable frosted cookies. They were delicious!

Cruise Wrap-Up

Our last full day started with breakfast in the Windjammer. Thomas and I had to wake everyone up at 8:30. We had a laser tag reservation at 9:30, so they needed enough time to get dressed and have a quick breakfast. We saw Mike and Sunshine in the Windjammer and Anna graciously volunteered her laser tag spot to Mike. Fortunately, the worker allowed us to add him to our reservation, so we were all able to play. Laser tag was super fun. The laser tag we play on the ships is the best laser tag we’ve ever played. It was the same as the one we did on Mariner where they divide you into two teams, Aliens versus Robots, and you're battling to see who gets to claim a new planet. All of us, except Thomas were on one team. Noncoincidental, all of us except Thomas, lost the planet. But, most of us had a blast. The girls didn’t really like it for some reason; the boys and I loved it.

After laser tag, Anna and I got off the ship and walked around Nassau.  Well, really just the port area. It’s changed since we were last there and we enjoyed browsing the shops. We got a few souvenirs in the straw market. While we were doing that, Sunshine and Kara took Mike and Luke to the FlowRider, then the waterslides and hot tubs on the pool deck. When Anna and I got back on the ship, I went and sat with Kara (Sunshine and some of her family had also left to explore a little and Kara said she was happy to keep an eye on Luke and Mike). The boys had a good routine, they would go down the slide, then jump in the hot tub for a few minutes before going back to the slide. It was actually pretty chilly out and very windy so this worked out well for them, and there was almost no line for the slide. 

Luke didn't mind the colder air. After the slides, they headed over to the kids splash area.

Thomas and Jack went off the ship to visit a new museum on island culture. It was very small, but Thomas said it was nice and both he and Jack said they were glad they went. 

Thomas took a few pictures from the colorful museum.

We had a late lunch in the Windjammer, later Thomas and the girls went to El Loco Fresh and I took a nap. Luke ended up going to the kids club for a few hours. After my nap, I took the Abyss down to meet Thomas and the girls on the boardwalk. Anna and I had missed the morning trivia, so we went to an afternoon trivia and got 11 out of 15. The winner was 13, so it was the closest we had gotten.  

Me and my trivia buddy.

I’m not sure what Jack was doing while we were all doing the above. After dinner, we browsed the shops, looking for a way to spend our remaining onboard credit. Kara ended up getting some perfume, Luke got some candy, and Anna got some funny grape-themed stuffed ‘“animal”. We went to the 730 ice-skating show and then did all our packing. Jack went to the teen club to say goodbye to the friends he made, Kara was going to go, but then ultimately decided to have an early night. Our time to get off the ship was 7:30 AM, so that was probably the right call.

Departure day was sad. We weren't ready to leave. We got everyone up at 645 and went to breakfast. We went downstairs to disembark at our 730 appointed time, but they weren't ready for us yet, so we had to wait around a few minutes. Fortunately, it did not take long and we were in our car around 8 and on our way home. 

Before we left, we did one more walk on the music stairs.

The cruise was really nice. It is different with the teens getting older and having more interest in the later night activities (well, at least Kara and Jack. Anna takes after me and is not really a late-night person). This was also our first cruise where we didn't have anything to do at any port. For the large ships, like the one we were on (Symphony of the Seas) they really are a destination in and of themselves, so it didn't matter too much. It is very different from our upcoming Alaska cruise, where the ship was secondary to the itinerary. That being said, I would definitely prefer a different itinerary next time. It was crazy to not have a good beach day and I missed Coco Cay. 

Unfortunately, I looked at cruises for next Spring Break and they are 40% more than we paid for this one. I am glad we have gotten to do so many, but I am not sure it is going to be a frequent vacation for us in the future. The value has diminished with the price increase. For example, our last two cruises were both six nights and just under $6000. Once you add in internet, refreshment packages, parking, arcade, excursions, trip insurance, and other expenses, I am guessing it ends up being around $7500 (less on this one since we had no excursions, more on the one where we did a couple of excursions, but I think $7.5K is a reasonable estimate). We get three rooms, so when you factor in food, lodging, and entertainment for 6 people, that is a decent deal. But, we did two separate weeks in Pigeon Forge in 2022, one at the start of summer and one Thanksgiving week. Both times staying in cabins where we did lots of activities: Dollywood, white water rafting, ziplining, caves, hiking, horseback riding, museums, mountain coasters, etc. and it was around $5K a week. I am sure that those costs have also gone up, but it would be easier to make adjustments to stay on budget. I love a cruise vacation for the complete ease--I don't have to cook, clean, or micromanage our days. Once we are onboard, everything is taken care of. I am willing to pay some premium for that, but we also love our trips to the mountains, so the amount we are willing to pay is definitely capped. And, we may have reached the point where it just isn't worth it anymore. Or, maybe we need to look at a different cruise line. Anyway, that was my tangent on vacation choices. I am glad we went, we had a great time and I hope we will be back. But, if not, there are plenty of other things in this world to see and do. (And, sorry, I know it is a little weird to post how much things cost, but I think this will be helpful for me in future years to see how things change.)