So we last left off with me putting my children in a pee-soaked rodent shaped pool. They were happily splashing in urine and so my mother and I left the hubby with his beer and the children. No fear everyone, we put a life jacket on the little one (read: left hubby with kids...and beer) & the rodent pool was only about 3 feet deep.
And off we went to explore the ship. Funny enough. I have exactly ONE picture from this exploration. (Ok, we only explored the adult pool & decks).
So here it is... ta da.... my mother. At Satellite Falls.
We both exclaimed how lovely this area seemed. And we both said we looked forward to spending some time here on the cruise. Here's a spoiler. Guess how much time we spent in the peace and quiet of this adult area.
You're looking at it. The time we spent taking this picture. So yhea. Fail on that mission.
This is my side note to say that I never felt as busy on a cruise as I did on this particular one. I was always going going going. Maybe it was because it was my first with three kids. I dunno.. but I never had time to much of anything I wanted to it seemed.
Anyways. Coming back out of the area.. I ran into the first person I actually recognized. Laura (Hi Laura!) and her mom Cynthia. We said hellos and talked a wee bit..... and then we headed back down to the pools.
Becca was dying to see the Edge. She had talked nothing for weeks except how excited she was to go to this Tween Club. So off we went to see it.
It was... um.. tiny.
There you go. That's it. There was a bunch of computers/video games...and little interaction.
Truthfully, she tried one more time the next day. And gave up on the Edge. She was very disappointed. Now. I have read since coming home that many people felt that way about the Edge this trip. And that is not always the norm. Also the tweens on this boarding we incredibly rude (I thought) and ran amok the ship. Pushing people on the stairs... hitting all the elevator buttons. I'm kinda glad she didn't really go hang with them.
Meanwhile- since DH had finished the beer. I sent him with the camera and the two youngest to the Oceaneers Lab Open House to register. Now this, THIS is a club! He took approx. 4 pictures. I had told him to take 'lots' and by his definition... 'lots' meant more than 1.
Computer area where Sarah spent all her time. Take her on a cruise. What does she want to do? Play the computer. Lovely. Least it was in a fairy setting?!
This was all only on the 'club' side. The lab side (mean for older kids) had no pictures taken. It's really a great club. Blows away every other cruise line by a million miles!
He went to leave & there was a minor snafu when I forgot to tell him the password and he called me...and... well, I also forgot the password I picked months earlier. Winner, winner chicken dinner. So yhea, the lab people had to tell us our password. And then we changed it. Good thing we were really their parents.
Our stateroom was ready at 1:30. And 1:30 we went down. We were located in adjoining cabins midship, deck 7.
Our bed-most comfortable beds EVER known to man kind.
The closets & the two doors are the two bathrooms.
Bathroom #1 with the tub/sink
Bathroom #2 with toilet/sink
The living room area/bunk. The bunk folded up in the ceiling and the lower bed was a couch. We just kept it like this (as beds) the entire week.
Our balcony combined with my mom's balcony... (we opened the divider)
The room itself was smaller than I remember on the Dream. Kurt agreed. We both think we booked a bigger room on the Dream. But it was a nice room regardless.
We had little time before it was time to head down to the huge DIS facebook meetup held in the D-Lounge.
It was a sea of green/blue.
I may have mentioned (and hard to believe based on my writing) but I am INCREDIBLY shy until I get to know someone. I am also not great at just throwing myself into a group situation. I like to hold hands and wade in with someone I know. And so all the people, already in clusters...well, I felt a wee bit awkward.
I pulled the kids over to the breakout of groups. Becca to the tweens where she meet someone and did a quiz. Sarah to make a
lego cruise ship and Charlie over to the little kid table.
Where it was in that second I realized... I said I'd bring glue sticks. And, guess what I forgot... glue sticks. It didn't even cross my mind and I felt so incredibly bad. So bad. And when you are on a Disney ship...there ain't no running out to get glue sticks. I felt horrible. I found the person in charge.. apologized. I could tell she was miffed. I would be too if it was me... but I could do nothing about it at this point. It just put an instant damper on the meeting for me because I felt so bad.
So what could I do? I hoped someone else would bring some (others offered). And did a quick walk around. Met a few people like Lindy (who I'm running PHM with) and Jane and Jennifer. Ran into Laura and her mom again. By this point Sarah was done & begging to leave. My mom was just sitting. Kurt was ready to go. And so we just decided to leave. We missed the group picture... but I took this from our FB page.
This is maybe 1/2 of the group (many had left already):
So that was the big group meet up. We went back to our room where our bags started to arrive. And I went into instant unpack mode. I wanted stuff put away & my 'home' for the week ready.
At 4pm we had to break to do the mandatory safety boat drill. Into the Buena Vista theater we went to hear our instructions & then were released.
Right back upstairs for the 4:30 Sail Away Party.
We got up kinda close & enjoyed the dancing and singing.......
Eh, are those characters going to make me dance with them? Mom, I'm a little scared here....
Gram knocked over a few families to get up and in front of her favorites.
Sorry cute little kid on the ground. We're gonna try to sell her off at Pirate Night to Captain Hook. (no real kids were injured in this process. I am telling a fable). She just elbowed some kids out of the way a little bit.
But not these two cuties
Soon enough we heard the best sound.. the Disney Horn. It ain't no ordinary horn. No. It plays "When You Wish Upon A Star". Ah. LOVE!!!
Then we did the YMCA. Charlie LOVED It.
And headed back down to our balcony to sail out of the channel.
Kurt was very busy waving to everyone. I was very busy watching the water.
Know why? Because... did you know that Cocoa Beach and Daytona Beach are #1 shark attack/sighting in the US of A? True story. And my eyes were on the prowl. I saw some Sting Rays. I saw party boats. I saw fishing boats. But no sharks. But they probably saw me and were laughing with their horrible sharp teeth ridden mouth wide open.
So then we passed Cocoa Beach and I screamed out "NO ONE GO IN THE WATER..SHARKS ARE IN THAT WATER" to all the beach goers.
Gawk. Look at all those people still in the water. I can't handle it. I had to go inside.
No kidding. I didn't go inside. I sat out on that balcony looking for those sharks. Till we were out to sea. And I was forced to dress for dinner.
Which is next installment of this great shark crusade. With Rum.
When I make a schedule DH gets mad and says I don't understand why we have to be "on time" all the time! He seriously think times are suggestions! Drives me nuts! But he will wear matching shirts, so I guess I lucked out there! Although he used to say I had to limit it to once a trip. On our last trip he enjoyed all the compliments we got when we wore our matching shirts so much he said we do them more than once on the cruise!
It's carved in my brain. 
It''s just really the thought of all the pee vs. the health danger of it all...for me to get my actual body in it. 
and say that's so me every time I read one of your updates!
. That makes me sound crazy, I know!
Probably because I can enjoy the beauty of the ocean without being in it (with those sharks!)
We tried the drink of the day everyday on our last cruise and they were all really good and a great value but the Paradise is my favorite. The Paradise could easily turn me into a lush. 
