Winter Vacation Day 7 (Christmas Day)

December 25, 2015

Today seemed to be all about towels. After breakfast, we went to an interactive towel folding presentation. As the kids were excited for the towel animals in our room each day, it only made sense that they learn how to make some of them. The cruise director allowed all of the kids up on stage and let them spread out to make their animals. We learned how to make elephants, dogs and a sting ray.

Winter Vacation Day 6 (Christmas Eve)

December 24, 2015 (Christmas Eve)

With no more ports, it was time for us to truly take part in all of the events that the ship had going on. After breakfast, we attended our first Morning Show hosted by the cruise director, Jase. As it turned out, we weren't missing too much by not coming on previous days. Pretty much, they told us the activities that were listed on a sheet that was delivered to our room each day. The best thing that came out of the Morning show was a tip about a floor that decorated their doors with lights and posters with Christmas themes. After the show ended, I took the kids through the halls, looking for people that were more festive than us.

Winter Vacation Day 5

December 23, 2015 (Belize)

Today was the port that I was looking forward to the most. Since before we got on the ship, I wanted to take an excursion to see some Mayan ruins. The one authentic house that we saw in Mexico was not what I was looking for. I knew that there were ancient pyramids that we could walk up. The problem was that everything that I read said that they were hours away from our port. I was a bit hesitant to go this far away from the ship and not be part of an official excursion hosed by Carnival. The secondary problem was that these cost roughly $200 a person. When I found out that the ship wasn’t porting in a harbor, but rather staying out to see and ferrying people to the shore, this additional half hour ride eliminated a trip to the ruins in my mind. My trip to the ruins was ruined.

Like every other morning, I woke up early and wrote while the others slept. I had predetermined locations that I would be at different times, in case they needed to find me. I wrote in the Habana room until 7:00 and then moved to the Fish and Chips section of the buffet. At 8:00, I kept imagining the kids getting bored and restless and bothering Leigha while she tried to sleep. Meanwhile, I got restless and excited to leave the ship. I knew that it would be a longer process to leave the ship and wanted to set that in motion.

Winter Vacation Day 4

December 22, 2015 (Isla Roatan)

Today was our second day that we could leave the ship. Isla Roatan is an island off of the Honduran coast. Mahogany Bay, where the ship ported is an invented city that has been created by Carnival Cruise Line. Carnival constructed an outdoor shopping center and partnered with every shop to split the proceeds. The same is true for every business along the beach.

Winter Vacation Day 3 (My Birthday)

December 21^st, 2015 (My 36^th Birthday)

Today, like most days, I woke up earlier than the rest and went to the Habana Club to write. After writing for about an hour, two little kids jumped out at me, yelling “Happy Birthday!” While I went to the room to change clothes, Leigha took the kids to get some breakfast. After I found them, I got some food as well. By the time that I had gone through line to have an omelet made, it seemed like I missed my chance to have breakfast with my family. The worst part of a cruise is probably the lines. There are always hundreds of other people that want to do the same thing that you are planning on doing.

After breakfast, we left the ship for the first time. We were at Cozumel. The last time that we were on a cruise, it also ported in Cozumel and it was my least favorite port. I thought of it as a port where everything was haggled for. “Hey, what’s your name? Hey pretty lady, would you like some jewelry? Hello family, let me show you something.” On top of that, the last time we were here, we left the port to walk the streets of commercialism in search of a free charm that was provided by being on the cruise.

Winter Vacation Day 1

December 19, 2015

Although it was a Saturday, today started like any other school day. The whole house was up by 6:00 a.m. and going through the routine. Shower, breakfast, brush teeth and out the door by 7:30. Instead of getting backpacks ready, we had suitcases. The kennel that Dude is staying at during our vacation didn’t open until 8:00 and we had a four hour drive ahead of us. We pulled up at 7:59. Emery helped me bring Dude inside and held him while I filled out the regular paperwork. She told me that she missed him as soon as she left.

Leigha woke up anxious and nervous. She was afraid that we were going to arrive at the vet and they wouldn’t have our reservation on file, or the down payment that I had made over the phone. When I got back in the car, she was able to check off one more thing from a never-ending list of things that need to be done. As we started driving, I could see her looking up into her mind, scrolling through her checklist, worrying that she forgot to do something.

“We’re packed. Dude is dropped off. We’re on our way,” I said. The farther we got from home, the more she relaxed, either certain that we had done everything or appeased by the fact that it was too late to do something about the as-yet thing that we inevitably forgot to do.