Well the cruise was great, especially through the eyes of the children. It’s hard not to have a great time with anything Disney although there were some challenging moments.
First off, I didn’t factor in the single parent issue. Actually, I don’t think I could have because I never know when it’s going to be a part of the equation. Once we got on the ship it was a little stressful keeping the kids at my side in a completely unfamiliar environment. It rained just when we stepped on board the ship so everyone ended up in the Cabanas eating. It was literally elbow room only. I remember thinking if this is it we are in some serious trouble!!!
Second, I had a few things planned for my self. The first was a massage at the beach which was ridiculously awesome….reality check was about 20 minutes later when I went to get the kids in the secured programming area Scutler’s Cove on the island. Garrett promptly announced ” it was the baddest place EVER!”. He was really unhappy about being forced into crafts on the beach when he had not had a chance to look around yet. So I burned myself on the secured areas right off the bat. At one point I used it as a threat…. If y’all don’t behave you are going to the Oceaneer’s lab the rest of the day! Thankfully they warmed back up to the idea the second to the last day. The only problem with it was once I dropped them off I didn’t have anyone to talk to nor did I know anyone else on the boat. It felt weird to be completely alone. Secretly I found it comforting to have the kids with me even if I was barking at them to straighten up.
We had a really great time at dinner each night. We met a wonderful couple and their son from the UK who had the unfortunate privilege of dining with a couple very weary kids at 8:15 each night. We usually eat around six at home so that was really late for us. The kids turned really silly about 10 minutes after we would sit down. It was super nice to see the same faces each night. By the end of our trip no one had to make excuses for tired kiddies!
So overall it was a nice trip but it was difficult on me for a couple reasons. It was our first trip without Greg. We had adapted over the months as he was unable to contribute around the house without it really being an issue. Being in a completely new environment highlighted his absence in a big way. In my mind, I pictured a super relaxing cruise. Truth be told it was tiring. There were no lifeguards so I had to follow the kids around to be sure the other 13,000 people in the pool didn’t drown, cut, pee or throw up in their immediate vicinity. If you didn’t get the drift, the adults were outnumbered like 4 to 1. All the kids seemed to want to do was swim so it was always packed. There was a point at which I wasn’t sure if I could fit my big toe in the water. That was just a bit too much closeness for me.
I am glad we went even though it wasn’t as picture perfect as it was in my mind. We were forced to disconnect and I learned a lot about our little family and myself as usual. I think it also allowed me to let my guard down a bit. I had some real lonely moments, some tears, and some times I felt like we were making progress. I guess you can’t ask for much more than that.
Greg and Michelle Foster Blog 