Pam, I haven't packed a lick yet! all I have is a few things I've purchased solely for the trip set aside in a box to be packed later and some of the new clothes I bought for the kids and DH are "put away" in the closet (put away so they won't wear them before the trip! LOL that way I don't have to wash them again... and have possible shrinkage which would be a disaster- I'd have to shop for them again LOL) but that's it. I have too much other stuff I have to do and I just do better with making a list and packing pretty much last minute. I can't stand things packed way ahead of time and then having to dig for something I need before the cruise and whatnot. Packing is always the last thing on my list and is pretty much done last minute. It works best for me that way. I ocd about making lists of things I need to purchase, then they get put on the packing list once purchased, and getting other things done before packing.
The kids have so much going on with end of school. I swear the schools around here really get mega active at the end of the year! You know- the normal parties, field days, but also plays, programs, field trips, etc. I always attend or volunteer at all of them- x 3 kids it adds up to a lot of time! Muffins for mom (at schools and church), grandparents day which includes mom coming on disabled van and I have to be there to help- she can't come on her own, etc. etc.
Plus we're finishing up soccer season on the 20th- so we have soccer practices during the week- games on saturday (x 3 kids again LOL) and Girl scouts x 2, Boy scouts x 1, awanas, running team x 2 and their races on saturdays also. Lotsa birthday parties (people always try to get those done before the end of the school year- reminds me I need to get my youngest's invites out before the end of the school year- her party will be right after we return though), a wedding... AND we have dentist appts, oldest has to have physical before going into middle school (7th grade), dr appts, oldest band solo/ensemble next Tues & concerts at the park on 21st, GS & BS end of year parties/ceremonies and extra activities, oh the list goes on and on! And yes, everything I have listed is AFTER today's date. That's not counting the stuff I've been doing the past couple of weeks. Oh and add to that it keeps raining on Saturdays so they keep cancelling the games- so then we have to make up games. x3 kids when we already have 3 games on saturdays if it doesn't rain- ahhh calgon take me away!
I still have more shopping to do. I've decided to heck with it. There's no way I'm going to be able to lose enough weight for it to matter and wait until the last minute to shop for myself. I'm just going to buy stuff to fit me now, TRY to stick to my diet as much as possible up until the cruise and if things fit me a little loose on the cruise date- well all the more room for me to "fill them up" by eating on the cruise plus I'm sure I'll swell a bit from the heat and probably not drinking tons of water the entire time every day on the cruise.
I've given up the dream of losing down to what I was when I bought clothes for our "original cruise" that got postponed to this one. I can't fit a thigh into the waist of those cruise clothes and the dresses can't be buttoned/etc. LOL Just have to buy more clothes... I should have gotten on this wholeheartedly earlier than now!
I have to get my hair done too. (the last time the highlights/lowlights was a snafu with previous hairdresser and she gave me orangish red hair instead of light brown/blonde- next hairdresser did the best she could to match my now darker roots since my hair is growing out darker but it wasn't the same color and the colored hair has lightened even more in the sun-- now I have about 5 inches of darker roots. I was going to just let it grow out IF the colored part of the hair matched what was growing out but it doesn't match. Gotta do something about that. LOL)
Oh let's see- I don't have my docs yet. I've emailed my TA about if we'll get them soon. I've registered/printed from online though. I only have a few other things to re-confirm that were already done much earlier- things like confirming the pet kennel Tramp will be staying at, and other reservations made concerning things about this trip. Then pack. LOL I'm going to have to shop for eldest dd too because she's been growing a bit all the sudden and the clothes I bought her a month ago (for this cruise specifically) are probably not going to fit her now. *sigh* for myself on shopping the only concern I have is buying me something for formal night- the rest shouldn't be too hard for semi-formal and cruise casual wear.
I do have questions though please!!!!!!
1.) Where is the "kiddos thread" I saw mentioned here?
2.) What is a message fish mentioned on this thread?
3.) What does the U in U.T.O.P. mean? I'm lost now. LOL
4.) Where would you suggest to buy a little liquor and some beer (for the cruise) between MCO and GF? We'll be taking limo and have a grocery stop. We have no idea where to tell them we'd like to go for liquor/beer for the cruise and would really appreciate if anyone could tell me the best place to go instead of trusting them- they might take us somewhere that only has beer or is the most expensive or something?
5.) If anyone is interested in scuba diving in Cozumel we are booked with Dive with Martin for 3 tank dive and it will be less than $100 (for the dive/tanks/taxi to them- not counting tip though). Let me know if you are interested or if you are going to book so we can hook our ressies together. Martin has said we can all save 10% if I get more people to go with us and he'll wait for us if we're not there by 9am also. PM me or email me if you're interested. so far it's just my DH and one other teenager of a member of this board. 
6.) Does anyone know THE best and THE strongest sunscreen for the face to keep the most sun out? I've been working on some pigmentation issues on my face for some time now (pregnancy mask I got with my pregnancy with my son 8yrs ago) and although I haven't got rid of all of the dark blotchesl- my skin will have a tendency to immediately get darkened quickly again if I get sun on my face. I have some spf 30 stuff I use on a daily basis but I thought I'd ask if anyone knew something that really really works well for keeping most of the sun off the face since I'm going to be in the sun a LOT on this cruise even with trying to stay out of it as much as possible. I use spf 30 sunscreen, then spf 30 tinted cream, then powder makeup that has sunscreen in it (when I'm going to be on the sun- like saturdays for soccer games LOL)- but on the cruise I doubt I'm going to be constanting slathering on layers of sunscreen PLUS makeup. Atleast I don't want to have to wear layers of sunscreen AND makeup the entire time if I can help it! If you have any recommendations- lay them on me please!
7.) are the bags and shirts going out soon? Just curious. I haven't been able to read all the pages for awhile now- just the past 10 or so each time I check the board lately... haven't seen anything mentioned about them sent. I shouldn't be worried about those yet, right?
I think that's it for now on the questions- thanks so much for your help!
Oh and we're not participating in the pirates stuff. We just can't. Well I'm not going to spend the money on the stuff to dress up for that and I'd already bought our entirely family matching clothes (dresses/sandals for the 3 girls, shirts for the males of the family) in the Tropical disney stuff back before our last cruise! Good thing I bought BIG because they all still fit. well my dress is going to be a little tighter than I'm confortable with really but I figure it's for one meal- it won't kill me and I just can't stand the waste of the entire family matching (for the first time in our lives all of us with matching outfits LOL) just because my dress is a little tighter than I like. Anywho- we'll be wearing that instead. I hope we won't stick out like a sore thumb- sounds like everyone is going to be doing the pirates thing. *pout*
I almost got the TOP but didn't. LOL
