Our kids are coming with us. They'll be just short of turning 13, 11, and 11. I'm hoping that they'll be interested in the tours. We're trying our best to show them that there's a big world outside of the Philly suburbs.
I do know what you mean -- we find many opportunities for our kids to travel. 3 of the 5 so far have been to several Continents each (on our dime) - Our 17dd was THRILLED when we were in Columbia because now she has been to 5 of the 7 continents! She is missing Antarctica and Africa. She's been to Asia & Europe twice each.
Our 10ds is getting a chance to go to Germany, for a couple of weeks, this coming year. And dh wants to take 10ds with him to Hong Kong either this yr or next.....
It's our now 7dd (she'll have just turned 9 that month of the cruise) that I would rather not take. BUT, I can't not take her if we take the other kids -- she LOVES everything about the
Disney Cruise ship! It is truely the *happiest place on earth* for her.
We're bring our two sons they'll be 18 & 14 by then (doing the Capital Cities July 6/2010) be hard to split them up. Although I have had the fleeting thought of one way ticket to Nebraska for both of them
(only kidding)
Talking of the insurance things, it used to be you always took a job with the State/City or town for the benefits not the $$$. It looks like I'll have to retire this summer to keep my health benny's. Right now I have a 10% co-pay for my family. We'll loose that next contract, if I retire before the contract ends I keep the 10% co-pay for DW and I for LIFE! Kind of a no brainer I think, but after 29 years, I guess it's time. Other mountains to climb as they say, only not as tall, I want to enjoy my summers for a change.
Thoughts are with those who need them.
Jack[/COLOR]
I had to crack up at the Nebraska comment!!! As a woman that has already had 3 teenagers (our oldest three are 28ds, 25dd & 17dd) I can relate!!! With my luck DS would have been able to find his way home (I-35 South!)
The cruise you're on is the one mine & Cheryl's friends are going on!!! They were originally booked for the 15nt Panama with us! They had to go on the 5 nt instead.
Diapp. His oldest and my 17dd are friends.
We're definitely bringing our kids
JsMom2 posted a link to her Baltic Princess cruise with her then 10 year old daughter (I have to find the link) and she suggested that
a big part of making sure a kid has fun in these ports is learning the history ahead of time. She and her daughter watched a DVD series "The History of the Tsars" that was made by the history channel and she rented from Netflix. She said the Disney movie "Night Crossing" was also a great way to prepare for Germany.
Anyway with a bit of prep it should be a lot of fun
Those things will NOT work with dd!! LOL! The other kids would have a WONDERFUL time! If she was in a regular school they would be trying to force me to medicate her & possible have her in some type of *program*!
I know y'all didn't meet her -- other wise you would understand my pain! I shudder everytime I remember the Aruba excursion....
This past cruise she stayed in the club for most of the shore times. She only went off the boat in PV (all of us went together to the beach), Aruba (I had her by myself only because there was a misunderstanding about her health and they wouldn't take her in the club without a DR's ok) and CC (again we were all at the beach together).
The bus driver on the tour in Aruba told me to keep her quiet --- like I wanted to have a screaming child from H*LL. after she was done screaming she spent her time telling how boring everything was..... I told her that if she would actually just be quiet and listen to the guide or look out the window it wouldn't be so boring!
I think it just killed her to be confined to a seat on a bus.
I doubt if Jon could go that far without the kids anyway! LOL! I could but, he couldn't. In 29yrs of marriage we've only been gone over night from the kids 3 times. Once when the oldest two were 7 & 4; the 2nd time was when they were 14, 11 & 4; the third time was when the older 3 were 17, 13 & 6. We haven't been anywhere without them for over 3 hrs since then....and that was 11 1/2 yrs ago.....
...um...YOU
...
Now if I can just figure out how to get back on the boat sooner...... We were watching a slideshow of some of the pics from the REPO last night with a friend. Missing the ship big time right now.
I am just a little green with envy but I am happy for you.
Post pictures when you come back.
