Time Flies

I'm late in my update, but we had SO MUCH FUN on the cruise!!! Despite how high they already were, my expectations were exceeded. I knew we were off to a good start when Evie spotted Mickey in the lounge before we boarded and started yelling, "Mamo! Mamo!" and trying to run up to him. She would get so excited to see the characters and would have to be held back while waiting in line to greet them, but would stiffen and become really nervous when they got close. She bravely kissed Minnie on the nose, but I think she was shaking while she did it.

Hard to tell who was more excited.

Sail Away Party!

nervous kiss

The first full day was spent at Castaway Cay, Disney's Bahamian island. That morning I got all of our stuff together and we had a nice breakfast in one of the restaurants, but I was still so tense. As we were leaving the ship for the island, Matt asked why I was in such a hurry. After all, our only agenda was to lay on beach chairs all day. I had been so stressed in the months leading up to our vacation that it took me a solid two days to unwind and relax. By the end of the week, I was a new person. Or more like the old one, I guess. It was a good reminder of how important these breaks are for our health and sanity. I think it's also time to reevaluate my workload and try to create something more manageable.

The whole trip was so much fun, but two nights were particularly memorable. We started putting Evie in the nursery for an hour a day for the first couple of days in anticipation of our special dinner at the adults only dining spot on Tuesday. While it was heartbreaking dropping her off and listening to her desperate cries, it was almost equally heartbreaking to pick her up on the first day. She was propped against a pillow clutching her stuffed dog close to her chest and patting it reassuringly, looking completely forlorn. I didn't have high hopes on Tuesday when we dropped her off for the evening. She has never been put to bed by a stranger and I was sure we would get a call in the middle of our meal telling us to pick her up. What a huge relief it was to find out that she had put herself to bed! Unheard of! So after a spectacular meal at Palo, we stayed out for a night of fun! We had drinks at a piano bar and then headed over to a hilarious comedian/magician show. Best night I've had in ages.

Thursday was another great one. Matt and I revisited Palo for a 5 course brunch while Evie stayed in the nursery, where she did wonderfully. Palo, by the way, is worth the price of the cruise. I have never had such delicious food in my life and that's no exaggeration.

I took pictures of every course, but the dessert was pretty spectacular.

That night, we took a chance and decided to take Evie to the show, which was Broadway-style and I knew this particular one was full of classic Disney songs. We thought there was a chance Evie would be mildly amused, but we figured she would most likely get bored and throw a fit. We could not have been more wrong. She danced Stevie Wonder style to every song (never seen those moves before or since), clapped with the audience and waved excitedly with both hands at all the characters. When Aladdin sang A Whole New World, she screamed, "DAAAA! DAAAAAAAAA!!!" We think it's because Matt sang that one to her, but you can draw your own conclusions. During the finale when Mickey came out, she went absolutely nuts. She started flapping her arms and screaming (in a quiet, full theater) "MAMOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! MAMOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" So adorable and her parents couldn't have been happier to see her so excited.

waiting for the show to start

It was difficult to leave that ship after such a great week with my two favs, but it was nice to feel so refreshed and rejuvenated. Evie's a lucky girl, though! My parents are meeting us in Orlando tomorrow, so she won't have to wait too long for her next visit with Mamo. We'll miss Matt, but it will be fun to reconnect with some old friends and to see Evie's reactions to the parks.

Melmo!

Evie had a language explosion this week! It all started when I told Jack to move and Evie pointed at him and said, "moo!" That evening while taking her bath, Evie started shoving her rubber ducks from one side of the tub to the other, shouting at them to "MOO! MOOOO!" It was hilarious. Later, she gave them all hugs and kisses, no doubt in an attempt to assure them it would never happen again. They fell for it. Bossing those poor ducks around has become a bathtime staple.

Other new words:

Melmo - Elmo
Babo - Big Bird (same word I used for the guy)
Mamoo - Mickey Mouse
Dadoo - Donald Duck, Cracker, Thank You
Owdoo - outside

It's a blast hearing her communicate more! She's been asking for Melmo practically constantly, so I have picked up several books and even Melmo-shaped crackers. A couple days ago we were watching Sesame Street and this clip came on. I naively thought, "My girl would love that! I'll download it and we can listen to it on occasion." It's playing right now and it has been pretty much on repeat since I purchased it two days ago. You might suggest I try to find a distraction or alternative when she points at my computer and incessantly pleads, "Melmo! Melmo!? MELMOOOO!" But it wouldn't matter. I learned the hard way that the song will never get out of your head after you hear it. NEVER. Let this serve as a warning to you.

I'm finding it hard to believe that we'll be sailing off to the Caribbean in just four days! It's been a crazy week of preparations, 24-hour flu bugs and lots of unexpected freelance work. It will serve as a good contrast when we're lounging around having fun next week!