Our Bahama's Cruise!

Sunday morning at 4:30 am my fabulous Dad picked us up and took us to the airport. James and I were headed to the warm, sunny Bahama's to celebrate our 20th Wedding Anniversary! (Yes, it was last November but we saved the trip for the cold, dreary month of February!)

After paying $120 to get our BAGS on the plane. (Yikes) We flew to Dallas airport where we sat and sat. Right before our flight we were offered $300 in traveling vouchers each to give up our seats and wait until the next flight three hours later. We were just going to sit in Fort Lauderdale at our hotel so why not make $600 and sit in the Dallas airport? We bought a pack of cards, played cards, played on my new Kindle that James bought for my birthday before we left and we slept. 

In this picture I am actually awake trying to catch this photo, but unlike my photo savvy daughters, I have yet figured out how to hold the camera and get our heads centered in the picture.

We finally arrived in Fort Lauderdale and took a shuttle to our hotel. Here's a picture of James waiting for our shuttle. We're playing cards....again. Something we did lots of on our trip.

We stayed at a pretty dive-y hotel but at least there were not any bed bugs! We had called a cab as we needed to get to the Miami Port (we flew into Fort Lauderdale as it was $150 cheaper for each ticket) when we got out to our cab, our cabbie asked if we'd like to split the ride with two older couples that needed to go to the same port. Of course! It only cost us $20 to get to the Miami Port. Whoot! Here is  a picture of our cabbies cool cowboy boots. He was a very black french man from Marquis. His name was Mark. Mark from Marquis. I even got hugs from the ladies we drove with - they were taking a different cruise than us.

We got on the boat and headed straight to the buffet as our rooms were not ready. I must say that we were NEVER hungry on this trip. Yes, we ate that much!

Here is James with his best Captain of the Seas's look.

Here we are at our first dinner. (Yes, I took a picture of the picture they took. Shhhh!)

The next morning we landed in.....

Key West

(Again, this is another picture of the picture they took....but off of James' I-pod)

We rented a moped and went all over the island. (Notice our safety conscious helmets?)

Why did the chicken cross the road? So I could take it's picture!

This is the southern most point of the United States. Yes, I only got half of it. Give me a break, I was zooming by on the back of a moped and we didn't want to stand in the twenty person long line to take a picture!

LOVED the real estate in Key West.  Well, LOVED the big houses. We saw some dives too. Housing is extremely expensive here.

We stopped and parked at the beach and here is proof I put my feet in the ocean. Too bad you can't see my cute palm tree pedicure!

The beach...

Biker guy and his chick....

Warning....the next photo is very romantic.....

What a bad biker moped guy!

Then we went back to the city part and drove by tourist traps but didn't go in.

James petting the light house cat.

Another shot of Earnest Hemingway's house.

Key Lime Pie

Crazy pirate guy that charges you to take your picture with him. Luckily I was on the zippy moped and snapped this without him noticing.

Another tourist picture trap.....have your picture taken with a rooster. No thanks!

The pier

There are chickens all over the island, and we found some baby chicks too!

James with a fish statue...

That night was formal night back on the boat! Here we are and me with my famous blink! (I do this all the time in pictures! That is why there are so few of me on this blog!)

And yes....that is my Ukraine costume jewelry I bought at the outdoor bazar.

Nassau

The next day we went to Nassau. Last time we went on this cruise we booked an excursion to a beach and snorkeled and had a lovely lunch on a white sandy beach. This time we thought we'd do some shopping and see the city. Not a good idea. The city smelled HORRIBLE. There had been a big fire there and many buildings along the port had burnt down. The fire was out but the place smelled bad. I only took two pictures. This one of this horribly dirty alley way. 

And this one of the street. Which didn't really give you a true view of how packed and crowded the city actually was. We managed to find the straw market but it was like a Jamaican Tijuana. We managed to find the kids beach towels that say the Bahama's. Chances are they were made in China just like all the other junk for sale.

James took ONE picture. This picture below. He was besides himself about how unsafe and unharnessed these guys are up on this scaffolding. He has video too and plans to use it at work to show unsafe work practices.

I know that there are beautiful parts of Nassau....we just didn't visit any of them on this trip.

The next day we went to Coco Cay

(Royal Caribbeans private island)

 It's a beautiful island but not very private once the cruise ship of 3,000 arrived!

 Here we are with the cruse ship behind us....

Here's yet another attempt of me holding my arm out with my camera trying to get the two of us in the same photo!

This one worked out better....the picture that is....not my hair!

 And our shadows....

We dined with some really nice folks each night. Vincent and MaraLouise from Malta and Mary & Pam from Canada....here we are with Mary & Pam. (Pam is now my facebook friend)

We spent ALL day Friday after getting off the boat sitting in airports and staggered in after midnight Saturday morning. Thanks Dad....again for picking us up and a big thanks to Troy for staying with our children.

Sunday (today) it snowed. 

Now, when am I going to show off my palm tree pedicure?

Friday Night Pedicures...

 Friday night Alex and James were heading to the Jazz game with Alex's Junior Jazz team and Austin had plans with friends so I decided the girls need a night out...besides, I needed a pedicure for my upcoming trip!

Here are our finished toes-ies!

Happy Birthday James!

Dorito Super Bowl Commercial Finger Licking Fun Weird Guy licks fingers ...

Yesterday we watched the Super Bowl!

A big deal because we don't watch sports. On TV. We sit in the bleachers and watch hours of our children playing sports but we really NEVER have sports on TV. (Thank goodness! What a waste of time?)

Anyway, I went all out. I made a spiral cut ham, potato salad, veggie plate in a football shaped bowl and I let the kids set up TV trays and eat in front of the TV.

The boys ate and soon lost interest and Alex went to work on re-typing his science stuff and Austin went to play Xbox. Dev and Ry cheered and booed the entire game. They were really into it. They even had a special handshake for when their team (The Steelers) made a touch down.

My personal favorite part is the commercials. My fav was the rich people in jail. Not even sure what they were advertising but it made me laugh.

When I saw the following commercial I laughed too. Sort of gross but funny. However, I knew I had seen this actor before. I asked the kids if they knew who he was? Nope. Was he on Napoleon Dynamite? Nope. I just knew I knew him from something.....

Then this morning while watching the news they mentioned this commercial was shot in Utah and it hit me! Remember this blog post: http://blessedwitharichhart.blogspot.com/2010/03/vampires-mother.html The one where I played the vampire's mother? THIS FINGER-LICKING-GUY PLAYED MY SON!!

Teeheehee!

I DO know him! I did a film with him and I spent a good hour hugging him over and over in our last scene. 

Oh, I hope he becomes famous with this commercial. He's a very nice guy. I know somewhere - in the cobwebs of my mind - I know his name but since it took over 12 hours to just remember where I know him FROM, it might be next week before his name comes to me!

(Okay, just read my post and his name is Aaron. Whoot for blogging. It's better than my memory!)

Lessons

This weekend we've been trying to complete Alex's science experiment. (I stole this idea from my friend Lori.) We're making chocolate chip cookies, one with all name brand ingredients and one with all store brand ingredients and doing a taste test to see if expensive taste better than thrifty.

Realizing, that science projects are due the 17th or 18th but that I'm going to be heading out of town 13th -18th, they need to get done this week. (Yes, THEY! Rylee has one too!)

We made the cookies Saturday and I told Alex -while I was running around like a crazy woman - to type up his list of ingredients, hypothesis, etc but to NOT print them out! I think I mentioned DON'T PRINT THEM about three times. 

Saturday was crazy! Running kids, running myself (Rylee's science experiment is me running and wearing a heart rate monitor to determine if running on a track or treadmill burns more calories) going to Alex's bb game, picking up Austin' corsage, attending a bridal shower, getting a listing signed, making cookies, and going to Junior Prom. Busy day. At one point I was collapsed on the couch with a ten minute window until my next get up and go and Alex come in with papers in hand. PRINTED OUT PAPERS. The very papers I told him NOT to print out. Grrr.....

I asked if he remembered me telling him NOT to print out the papers? 

Yes. 

Why would I ask him to wait? 

So, you can fix mistakes? 

Yes. 

Are they corrected? 

No.

And his eyes filled with tears and he told me he just cannot listen. I told him listening wasn't the problem. He heard me perfectly well. Obeying was the problem.

*sigh*

Later as I was attempting to throw on a skirt and freshen up to go to Prom later that night, Alex came in and told me "I am just hurting every one's feelings today." Again, eyes brimming with tears. I asked what he had done? He was on his new Facebook account (Yes, he found 20 friends.....my plan backfired!) having an instant message chat with Kambree and Devree kept telling him what to type. He was getting frustrated and told her in his Ukraine-I-will-kill-you-voice "Stay our of my life!" Now, unless you have a Ukrainian import you have no idea how ice-like, cutting and gruff one little sentence can be. Not to mention dirty looks? Overly exaggerated body language? Daggers? Words delivered in a way that sends ice to your heart? These are things that happen regularly. Often times for the smallest things and he doesn't even realize. I sincerely believe it's a cultural thing. Alex has "a look" that could melt ice.Over something as simple as a missed spelling word. He will bark something at someone and it makes the hairs on my neck stand up. We've talked about this time and time again but this is the first time he's come to me for help.The first time he has actually realized that his words hurt.

He had already told Devree sorry and was truly repented. (He had also come and rubbed his cheek against mine, hugging me and promised me he would try harder to listen early with regards to the printing episode.) I told him how he just has a way of giving looks and saying things that are so hurtful and angry that we think he hates us? I told him it's not his fault. But he needs to find a way to be friendly. A way to disagree or defend himself with out making us feel like crawling under a rock. I did tell him that the great thing is that he is noticing that his words and actions are hurting others and that's the first step in fixing it.

I gave him an example of me asking him to take his shoes off before he goes in the living room. Delivering the exact same sentence but once in a friendly but serious voice and one in an angry and hateful voice. I asked which one made him feel loved and which one made him feel like I didn't like him? 

I hope he can conquer this. It really is hard to help or have compassion for a child that can - with one dagger like look - make you feel like you're dealing with hardened KGB agent!

I think he took it to heart. He also told me he's going to start praying to listen better. (Again...listen and OBEY is what I'm hoping he'll be aiming for!)

Today I brushed an eyelash off his cheek in church and had him make a wish.It didn't blow away. I teasingly said,  "Oh darn. Alex, now you won't get your wish. What did you wish for? Super hero powers?"

"No, I wished for listening better."

*sigh*

Austin's Junior Prom!

Before he left....posing for Devree's cell phone....

Talking to me on his cell phone while waiting for the promenade. (Austin is in the white jacket next to the pillar)

Still waiting....they were number one hundred and something....

The Promenade:

Kendall & Austin...

With his mom....

With friends, Cole & Jessica...

His group....

Yes, there was one parent dance and I danced with my handsome boy!

Facebook Funnies....

Alex REALLY wants a Facebook account. Really. Bad.

He found out you are suppose to be 13 before you can have one and since he is "almost" 13 (now less than six months away) can't he please have one?

I made him a deal. If he can find TWENTY kids in his grade that already have a Facebook account, he can have one. TWENTY. I told him I'd look up each and every one and confirm that they actually have an account.
Why?
Because who is he going to ask to be his friends?
Not my friends!
He needs his own friends.
(It drives me crazy to get friend requests from 10 &12 year olds. I have actually had a friend request from a 5 year old. Yes, a 5 year old!)
So, today he heads to school with his "chart" in hand to ask his friends if they have Facebook accounts.
Very scientific.
(I have a feeling it will be harder than he thinks to find twenty six graders with fb accounts.)

On the way to school he turns to me and asks,

"Mom, what I put on Facebook sign up....uhh....when it say sex? Women or Men?"

(You should see his face. It's so perplexed. And he's holding his fingers into a little square pantomiming the box to fill out.)

Me: "Hum...what do you think you should put?"

Alex: (In a tiny voice) "Women?"

Me: (Trying not to laugh out loud, realizing he thinks the question is more along the lines of "What do you prefer?" Not,  "What is your gender?") "No, Alex. When they're asking you what your sex is they're asking you if you are a boy or girl. Male of Female."

Alex: (The look of relief evident on his face) "Oh...then boy. I mean male."

Me: "Yes." (Still trying not to laugh out loud!)

Alex's Poetry

This morning Alex read me a beautiful poem he "wrote" about his family.  Something about how I am a watering can that nourishes our family, James is a strong tree trunk that supports our family, Austin is the leaves....it was very poetic and since I highly doubt he knows what a watering can is or what it's used for, I was pretty sure he did not write it. I simply told him it was beautiful and asked where he copied it from from? The Internet.
He came home from school today with one he wrote all by himself:

He shared that he just looked around his class room for ideas and found a poster of the solar system.

I thought it was beautiful!

~Mother Sun

Rylee's Braces!

She is very sore but I think she looks very cute!