We set sail on the Norwegian Pearl on December 9! For the longest time we have been looking for an adventurous, NEW trip to take as a family. We were pretty much set on Disney, but we've done the Magic Kingdom before so when this cruise opportunity came our way, we moved quickly to reserve our 6 spots--no easy task we discovered; it takes two adjoining rooms to accommodate us. The kids can hardly wait, although Jacob was at first a bit hesitant about a new and unknown experience. However, once we told him about the 24-hour ice cream bar on the ship, he was sold! (We also had to promise him that he could have ice cream for breakfast one day!) I have to admit, I can hardly wait either. Having just come to the end of an official "no-school week" mainly due to the yuckies, we are in desperate need of adventure and relaxation. 'Tis a shame to only be a month into the school year with already one defunct week, but such is life.
Yesterday began for Audrey, Mark and me at 4:30 am. The Princess was burning up and THIRSTY! She asked for milk, which I know is not the best thing for a sore throat and fever. But she wanted milk and I wanted some sleep, so she got milk. She gulped it down very quickly and asked for more. Knowing his little girl, Mark voiced his worry that she drank it awfully fast but he said he would get her more anyway (he wanted some sleep too!). No sooner had he spoken when up it all came...all over our bed. So that was the end of that night with the exception of a few winks in a recliner and on an unmade bed.
Outside is Audrey's favorite place to be, and she wasted no time yesterday in making her request clear. Sick or not, she wanted to go out. She struggled with the closet door but managed to finally get her shoes. She brought them to me and then enlisted my help in getting her socks. And then out we went. I love to watch the older kids play with her as they are so good with her. Michael took her under his wing yesterday. He drove her around in the Escalade and then helped her on her tricycle. Tucking a mini football in the trike's basket, he explained in a sweet, sing-songy voice that he was going to take her to a football game. He carefully steered her over to the front porch and explained that they were going to "park" and then head to the game. After parking, he led her over to the "football field" where he tossed the football with her. In the meantime, Jacob was busy creating some sort of contraption with his bike, a wagon, and one of those rubber strappy things.
Alex made one appearance outside but only to tell Michael that she would pay him a penny to go down in the gully to get the basketball. I don't know what that was all about because she disappeared back in the house as soon as she had paid Michael for his services. She's quite the entrepreneur these days: She has a complete pricelist of services she can provide. I've explained that some of the items, such as cleaning her room, must to be done pro bono, but she'll weasel out a penny wherever she can.
Alex hasn't felt well for the last couple of days, but that hasn't stopped her work on her Art Show which took place last night at 7:00. The Box Office opened at 3:30 yesterday afternoon for Art Show tickets and at the bargain price of $.10 a ticket with a 50% discount for children ages 2 and under, she sold out quickly. It was quite a show with such pieces as "The Butterfly and the Color Storm," "Crayon Junction," "The Crucifixion," and "Bouquet of Flowers." My favorite was her watercolor entitled "Sunset on the Water." I inquired about purchasing this piece and was told it was $.05; however, I informed the artist that it was worth at least a quarter.
For a slow-moving, sometimes frustrating week, it has had its bright moments. And with a long weekend, perhaps everyone will recover and be ready for a new beginning in the Pierce world of academia. Since our cruise adventure will take us one day to Cozumel and another day to the Cayman Islands, I suppose I better get to planning some appropriate geography lessons to cover before we leave Miami's port.
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