Winter Break 2018 - Fun on the Ship

We had three sea days on the itinerary which left lots of time for fun on the boat.  The kids spend the majority of their time on the top few decks.  There was a Sports Complex which included a rock climbing wall, ropes course, mini golf and sports court.

We were able to book the whole sports court one day for a King Valley family dodgeball.  

We all did the ropes course as there was a little version for Avery.  The main version included a zipline and a plank obstacle where you walked out on an 8' ledge over the side of the boat.  Mom and dad completed the plank and the boys each gave it a shot.

Right next to the sports area was the kids pool area which had a small pool, splash area and several water slides.  One of the water slides had a trap door which mom and dad bravely did.

The kids also spent some time at the arcade.  And the whole family completed the Family Circus Escape Room and our team did the best!

There was also a glow party one night where the kids made it on TV with their rave gloves.

And Avery's favorite part of the ship ended up being Splash Academy, the kids club.  She asked to hang out there most sea days and went almost every evening.  There was one night all the kids went together and they all chanted "Friends forever" in a circle while we waited to check them in.

Most nights had a theme.  Avery came home as a fairy princess, got to dress up like a Pirate and go on a treasure hunt and even put on a circus show the last day.  She worked all week on her Tiger routine.  

Colin tried to pick her up early the last night (Pajama night) and she screamed until he left.  When he went back at the end she lost it crying because she never wanted to leave the kids club.  And she has asked to go back to the kids club several times since we have been home.

Winter Break 2018 - It's Cruise Time

After a year of planning, it was finally cruise day!  We booked a 7-night cruise on the Norwegian Breakaway with stops in Cozumel, Mexico, Costa Maya, Mexico and Harvest Caye, Belize.  We were able to snag an early boarding time and were on the boat before lunch.

Someone needed a ride

Our group consisted of 10 families with 23 kids between 2-13.  It was such an amazing trip.  Everyone had a blast together.  The kids loved having a friend everywhere they went on the boat and there was enough activities to keep both kids and adults entertained.  We are already planning our reunion cruise!

We booked two balcony cabins so there was room for everyone to spread out.  Though with everything going on, the room was typically only used for naps, changing and daily homework time.

The first night we had dinner in one of the main dining rooms where there was a dance floor that Avery took full advantage of.  But for the rest of the week, the kids opted to eat at the Buffet where they had everything they could ask for and lots of ice cream.

Tearing up the dance floor at dinner the first night

Parker's typical meal - everything is yellow

Winter Break 2018 - New Orleans before our Cruise

We took advantage of a full day in New Orleans and started with a trip to the Insectorium.  We saw lots of bugs and learned that Avery is scared of butterflies. 

We then met up with some friends for lunch at Cochon Butcher...

Before making our way to Mardi Gras World.  It is a museum/workshop where parade floats are made for dozens of annual events.  We saw lots of floats and got to try on some parade costumes.

Then we headed to the French Quarter for beignets and a chance to enjoy the scenery before we grabbed dinner and rode the trolley back to the hotel.  

Winter Break 2019 - Heading to New Orleans

While it wasn't our kid's Winter Break, we decided to take them out of school for a few days to join in on a cruise vacation with some of our closest neighborhood friends.  Our group of 10 families mostly hit the road/tracks/skies a few days before the cruise left to enjoy some time in New Orleans before we left.  We ended up stopping in Biloxi, MS for the evening before we headed into Louisiana the next day. 

A little hotel room homework time