
Tuesday, July 8, 2025
Tommy's Confirmation

Sunday, July 6, 2025
Spring Break Cruise
We had such a great time on the Oasis of the Seas! It was a much different experience than the Disney cruise we took back in 2018. Not only was this cruise on Royal Caribbean, but the kids are old enough now that we let them roam the ship at will. We stopped at several different ports, but we barely got off the ship! We were all mostly interested in staying on board and enjoying everything the ship had to offer.
Highlights of the trip: sliding down the Ultimate Abyss from the 15th floor to the 6th floor; playing Jenga a million times (MJ lost every time); eating unlimited ice cream (Little Man had 6 cones one day for lunch); the different towel animals our steward made every day; our hilarious waiter and assistant waiter who even got MJ and Little Man to dance one evening; the ship's zip line; playing mini golf on the top deck; the Aqua80 show (amazing!); the cupcake-decorating class the girls and I took; and the ice skating show plus skating ourselves.
We didn't get to our planned stop in Haiti because of civil unrest, so we went to Nassau instead, where Sweet Pea had four braids put in her hair. We loved our day at Coco Cay, Royal Caribbean's private island, and saw a massive iguana sunning himself. Our other stop was Jamaica, where we were disappointed not to get our passports stamped -- Jamaica only stamps your passport if you stay for at least 24 hours.
One at-sea day, MJ and I took an in-depth tour of the ship, which was really interesting. We visited the bridge, the engine control room, the kitchens, and even learned about the elaborate waste processing that happens on a huge cruise ship. The water that day was such an incredible, deep blue -- I couldn't stop taking pictures of it.
Otherwise we relaxed on our balcony, or lounged on the pool deck early, before it was too mobbed. The kids' favorite restaurant was the Windjammer, the huge buffet. But MJ and I preferred some of the other restaurants we tried, like Chops Steakhouse, where Little Man polished off a 16-ounce ribeye and still had room for red velvet cake.
We told the kids they could each pick a souvenir on the trip. Not surprisingly, all three of them chose a Jellycat stuffed animal from the gift shop. Little Man picked a dragon, Blaze. Sweet Pea picked a sea turtle (because we saw one in the ocean), BooBoo. And CC picked a unicorn, Coco (Cay).
Our stateroom was considered a "suite," but it wasn't; it was just a slightly-larger-than-normal room in order to accommodate 5 people. We knew there would be a king bed for me and MJ; a pull-out sofa for two of the kids; and a final bed that folded down from the ceiling. What we didn't know is that the ceiling bed was directly above the king bed! Definitely not an ideal setup -- MJ and I couldn't even sit up without bumping our heads!
The kids are pretty sold on cruising now. And it was pretty great for me and MJ as well -- we enjoyed plenty of time to ourselves, including a decadent couples massage. But it was also a wonderful family vacation, with memories to last us a lifetime.
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Flood Damage
Tuesday, June 10, 2025
Goodbye to Middle School
It's official -- we have a high schooler! CC had her "promotion ceremony" on the last day of school, and she was all smiles. She wore a dress (actually a romper, but it identifies as a dress) that she picked out at Altar'd State, which is all the rage for teen girls. She loved the dress, and woke up early to curl her hair. She was preening all day!
Grandpa and Grandma came to her ceremony too. My dad would have as well, except for the house flooding issue which has resulted in no guest room or bathroom at our house. Since there are many big end-of-year events to attend, he asked the kids which ones they thought were most important, and they picked the baseball game and the two big dance recitals.
Afterwards we hosted her close group of friends at the pool for a little party, and they had a blast. It was definitely the easiest party I've ever thrown together, so all the moms and girls agreed we should do it regularly during the summer.
All five girls are going to different high schools next year. Scarlett is going to the high school we're zoned for, that I always assumed CC would attend. Clara's family is very spontaneously moving to a different part of town this summer, so she'll be at a different high school. Patricia and Vanessa live further away, in different areas that have their own high schools. And of course, CC will be attending the fine arts magnet school that she was accepted to.
They're all promising to keep in touch, and I hope they do. They're a sweet group of girls! I'm so glad that CC had a good support group of close, supportive friends to help her through the challenging middle school years.
Thursday, May 29, 2025
Visiting Grandma Jean
Friday, May 2, 2025
Field Trip
It was probably CC's final field trip (I don't think high schoolers take field trips?), so I definitely had to chaperone again. This time it was a 3-day trip to the North Carolina Outer Banks, so it was a LONG drive, but it was a really fun and interesting trip!
Oddly, I was not chaperoning CC's group. She was rooming with her friend Patricia, so Patricia's mom was their chaperone. Since they didn't need two chaperones, I was given a different group of girls to watch. But I was able to enjoy many activities with CC, and steal a few pictures with her along the way.
The first day we visited Bodie Island Lighthouse, which was very picturesque, and we got a nice group photo. Then we headed to Jockey Ridge State Park, which has the highest sand dunes on the East Coast! And because they aren't directly on the water's edge, you're allowed to climb all over them. The kids slid and tumbled and rolled to their hearts' content. CC didn't want to get too sandy, but she had fun meandering around and hanging out with her friends and one of her favorite teachers from 6th grade, Ms K.
The next morning, bright and early, we left for the Wright Brothers Memorial. I was really impressed! It was a very well-done museum and landmark. While the park ranger was giving us his talk, a small plane circled above us, then landed at the airstrip right in front of us. The pilot go out and started walking towards us -- it was the dad of one of the students! How cool!
We drove to Currituck Lighthouse, which is beautiful and still in operation. We climbed to the top, where there was a dizzying view. Thank goodness it was such a clear day!
We also spent time exploring the beach, and touring the wildlife museum next to the lighthouse.
After souvenir shopping, we ate dinner at a seafood buffet, then went to a fun park for mini golf, go-carts, and bumper cars. It was nice for the kids to blow off some steam.
The next morning we had our final outing: a trip to Jeanette Pier. Employees from the aquarium taught us how to fish, led us through a squid dissection (CC excused herself), explained all about the types of shells found there, and allowed us to roam the beach to find specimens on our own.
The trip had been going perfectly until that morning. But while fishing, a freak accident caused one student to get a fish hook fully embedded through her cheek. We called 911, and EMTs responded quickly and brought to the ER to have it removed. Not 15 minutes later, a student had a severe allergic reaction to the squid, and we had to call 911 again and rush her to the ER, too. She had no idea she had a squid allergy! Thank goodness both girls were okay, but it was a chaotic morning, and we were delayed quite a bit heading home.
By the time the buses limped back into the school parking lot, it was almost 11pm, and we were all exhausted. But it was a good trip, and I'm so glad CC and I experienced it together.
Special thanks to my dad, who made it possible for me to chaperone! Pepere came to stay with Sweet Pea and Little Man, since MJ was out of town for work. They all enjoyed a fun few days and had plenty of treats in our absence. Everyone had a great week! (Except maybe MJ.)