Then...and Now

[JulesBee]

... it was a way of remembering Mom and thanking her for getting us into cruising. She would so much have loved being on that cruise. I felt her presence everywhere.

 

This is a great story and I think it was a really sweet way to remember. Thanks for sharing it!

[CoronaCRZR]

Great Post. I'm sure the sea & ship will not dissapoint and be all that you expected. Welcome back!:)

[Typhoon1]

Interesting.

[edmusic]

Great post, Jules. I hope my wife and I get to meet you and your daughter and possibly share a meal together.

[JulesBee]

Great post, Jules. I hope my wife and I get to meet you and your daughter and possibly share a meal together.

 

Thanks Ed! That sounds great. :)

 

Happy Friday!

[TylerRose]

What a lovely post and caring responses.;)

 

Our first cruise was our honeymoon 25 years ago.

Our cruise experiences have changed a lot since then.

Thank goodness the bunk beds we slept on that cruise are history for us-

 

Take the time together for those "extras" you may not have time for at home.

Walks on deck, icecream, sunsets, sunrises- as much laughter as you can. Look for the dolphins, the whales, the wildlife!

No more worries about film, flashcubes & costs for developing---

Use your digital camera. Capture & cherish every moment. (bring extra batteries and memory cards)

 

My kids have just "aged out" of wanting to vacation with us... I am greatful for all the cruise pics to reming us of the fun...

(I have been assured they come back later for the free travel).;)

[JulesBee]

Thanks, TylerRose!

 

I'm 'supposed' to be working right now :p but it's Friday so I figured I'd use that excuse to respond quickly.

 

Absolutely awesome advice! I was a little irritated at my dd yesterday (she insists on letting every person she knows draw on her skin with ink. Big deal? Nope. Drives me crazy? SO much). And I told myself that I will need to make sure that I try and set a good tone for our trip and let the little things go. Addie (dd) and I are very close, but hey she's almost 13 so we have our moments. I want to make sure that we don't let petty disagreements or little irritations get in the way, especially while on the cruise.

 

Your words were a great reminder so I'm tucking them in my mind to pull out when I need them. If she is starting to drive me crazy (of vice versa) I'll suggest we go get an ice cream or find something interesting to look at from the balcony.

 

Life if too short to let the little stuff ruin your day (but man the little stuff can grate on my nerves sometimes) :rolleyes:

 

So here's to ice cream instead of arguments and relaxing strolls instead of nit-picking.

 

Thanks TylerRose :D

[TylerRose]

Dear Jules,

Ahhhh 13- They think everyone but them is wrong.

My dd had met her soulmate, none of us understood their love, and all her teachers had it out for her!

(What ever happened to that boy?)

(And TY to all those teachers who wrote her letters of recommendations for college because they really were sticking their reputations "out for her").

I promise the arm writing will pass... and no- it does not mean she will end up being covered in tattoo sleeves as an adult. She may choose to ofcourse- but more than likely, she will look at current pics in a few years and wonder what on earth was she thinking.

You are going to have a great cruise together!,

Robyn

 

PS... Brace yourself for shopping for formal nights. At 13 my daughters idea of semi formal to formal clothes meant too short for a slip vs too grown up to be worn with a training bra! (My kids wore school uniforms and it amazed me how high they hiked up their skirts at that age as soon as we dropped them off! (Yay bikeshorts!). Remind her Alaska is way too cold for strapless minidresses and while she will fight back wearing a cardigan -a shrug goes a long way towards making it a bit less revealing.

And if that fails and you let her bring it to stop the whining: drop the ice cream cone on the dress so she has no choice but to change!:D

[ncgolferette]

Thank you for your wonderful and sentimental post. It made me think about past trips with family members no longer with me. Have a wonderful time with your daughter.

[JulesBee]

Thanks again for all the great words/advice, Robyn! :)

 

My dd is actually in the minority at her age as she is a little immature when it comes to clothes, makeup and boys. She is at least a year younger than the other kids in her class and I think she was just a little behind socially. She is really blossoming though. When we first booked our cruise she was insisting that we get room service on formal nights. I never dress up, so that was fine with me. But now she's gotten us both outfits and has all the matching accessories ready to go. lol...what a difference 4 months makes at this age! Or it could have something to do with the boy I see her walking home with most days. :eek: So not ready for that!

 

I'm glad to hear the drawing on her arms will stop at some point. She tried to make me feel guilty talking about how she feels so left out when her friends are BEGGING her to let them draw on her. Oh to have her problems. :rolleyes:

 

But I wouldn't trade her for anything and we are very much looking forward to our trip! The long road trip to Seattle, the cruise and then going down the Washington coast before heading back to Salt Lake. I'm sure there will be moments of stress, but I know the good times will far outweigh them.

[JulesBee]

Thank you for your wonderful and sentimental post. It made me think about past trips with family members no longer with me. Have a wonderful time with your daughter.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply, ncgolferette! I'm so glad you enjoyed the post. I know it's certainly helped me to get a few things down on 'paper' and even to share them. The thoughts still rattle around in my head pretty often, but they seem to be more in order now. :)

[TylerRose]

Thanks again for all the great words/advice, Robyn! :)

...But now she's gotten us both outfits and has all the matching accessories ready to go. lol...what a difference 4 months makes at this age! Or it could have something to do with the boy I see her walking home with most days. :eek: So not ready for that!

 

Dear Jules,

Such fun playing dress up when THEY want to... of course- now that means you need to dress up as well. Personally though, I always enjoy the first formal night. (By second I have comfortable shoes on instead of heels... but still enjoy people watching). But- Depending on the cruise length; by third or forth I am eating in the Lido...

 

So- I was thinking back on the earlier school years and how much I loved our quality time cruising. My daughter spinning on deck in her brightly colored dresses that flared out in the breeze with their matching hairbows smacking her in the face while she spun. My son looked smashing in a tuxedo at 6 with the superhero vest I sewed! (Now he is a cellist and I see him in a tux more than jeans).

Feeling glum about cruising empty nester style, but certainly understanding our kids needs to mature and have lives of there own; I go with the flow and not let them know my whole day seems to get so much better when they actually call and check in...

My son called last night. He took on an internship as assistant to the music director at a summer stock theatre with 6 rotating shows, living on a college campus. After the 2 days of manual labor in the Texas heat & realizing that meant carrying speakers and mikes, and not rehearsing the vocals & musicians- he called last night to give us the heads up he may quit and want to cruise with us. Deciding to pitch the "you signed a contract" and "this was your decision"--- I realized I DID WANT HIM TO come home & CRUISE WITH US! So instead I am ashamed to admit I responded "well, they broke their contract first, I understand. Give it a few more days"... deep down... I hope he packs up & comes home. (Our trivia team is so much stronger when he is there.) And- it's not like the tuxedos aren't already hanging in the closet for formal night ;P