Yay another West Coaster! My name is Becky, my husband is Sean (who is a Deputy Sheriff). I found this group last year and they are awesome and welcoming people. Please post as often as you can, and Welcome!
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Hi Becky! Yup, we're west coasters, too! Seems like we've got a lot in common, but you must be braver than I teaching middle school!
Hi Karen! Thanks for the warm welcome!
Good Sunday Morning Crew.........
Nothing better than Mickey pancakes for breakfast!
It's not really a teachers' "week", rather a two day convention on the last Thur/Fri of October. All the schools in WI are closed those 2 days. You will need to book airfare early as it fills up quickly, especially all the Orlando flights (what's funny though is that the Las Vegas flights fill up too - must be some teachers taking off for the weekend as well and not going to the convention). What a lot of parents do up here is take the kids out for the other 3 days that week. This way, you have a one week vacation that only costs the children 3 days of school and it is not over a holiday when it tends to be busy in WDW.
Which excursion did you do on the Eastern that you liked? I've been on the Eastern twice already and have done the St. Thomas island tour (along with going to Meghan's Bay on our own) and then the second time doing the St. John island tour, but this time we want to get to Trunk Bay (I'll have to post my pictures again - beautiful).
Our schools don't do that type of teacher week. For us, our time off during the year are scattered so we just take the kids out of school when we want to go on vacation and have them do the work they miss. Life is too short and my boys have grown up too quickly to worry about what the District tells me is okay! Plus, I'm a mean mom! I actually want the work done before we leave so I make them do it before we go! Who wants to tote text books in luggage and take away space for my CC souveniers!
As far as the excursions on the Eastern cruise, we did do them in every port. In St. Maarten we did the dolphin excursion. It was just okay. My first time through college I studied marine biology and I really wanted a lovely dolphin experience. This wasn't it. It was okay, but not what I expected for the hefty price tag.
The excursion we loved was at St. Thomas-

The Doubloon Snorkel tour! From the moment the cruise operators picked us up, until waaaayy after they dropped us off, it was nothing but fun, laughter, great snorkeling, and painkillers (a fruity adult beverage they give you after you snorkel and refill, refill, refill)! DH, Pat, enjoyed the painkillers so much on the Doubloon that he made us go back to their portside shop and get a few more, then he went back later on his own, "to buy t-shirts for other friends we'd forgot!" He came back to our room and said he thought he needed a nap-Duh! He ended up waking up about 10pm! The excursion ended at noon!
We got to snorkel at a sanctuary with a lot of wildlife. Many sea turtles that were very friendly, wild stingray, a coral reef with many examples, and some conch. But the staff of the Doubloon was just fabulous! They learned all our names, tattooed all of us (temporary-but it allows you more painkillers free in the shop!), and they played with the kids and let them stear the ship. It was so much fun that when we planned another cruise my family wanted to do the Eastern again.
Sheri, FYI...this thread was nicknamed "Bash on the Boat" (thanks Brenda) and then shortened to B.O.B. (I believe I did that). Then Heather (from England) came up with the slogan "I'm with B.O.B.". I stole an image from another thread for our siggie lines, and Rachel (Cheryl's daughter) tweeked it to be the perfect logo. Feel free to copy it into your siggie line if you want.
(Jeff, can you post a link to it in your introduction post on page one plz?)
Then, I'll also explain the FO's you'll see. FO=Fresh One (Chris from England, AFEG came up with that game). If you have the first post on a fresh page, you must claim it immediately on the second post of the same page. If someone else get's the second post instead of you, you've been "BOBbed".

Be careful, there are some "Master BOBbers" out there.

It's just a little game we play.
Anyway, enjoy your new home away from home with us.
I understand the FO concept, but how do you claim it?

You are such a warm and friendly bunch! Thanks for your kindness!
