Wren Reunion 2009

I thought I would be able to do this sooner, but I found that I spent my week conducting behavior boot camp with the boys and breaking up the fights and panic that result when each threatens to send the other to jail (if I only had a nickle for each of the times I have heard "MOM, Thomas/Sam says he is sending me to jail..." we could finance another cruise in no time!). Since returning home, Thomas has also decided any specks on his food are lady bugs. Since he assures me over and over that he does not eat ladybugs, he has not had much food this week besides string cheese and cereal.

So, here is the best and less best of the 2009 Wren Family reunion (in no particular order):

BEST:

1. Happy, excited boys.

2. Lifting off and knowing we would not see the snow or need boots for a week.

3. Seeing all 40+ of the family (especially those who live far away).

4. Discovering the self serve ice cream machines within an hour of boarding.

5. Camp Carnival where we could take the kids and know they were being adequately entertained. Most nights we picked them up they had had their faces painted.

6. Samuel, Thomas, Jack, Olivia and Anna doing the twist at the family disco.

7. Towel animals on the bed every night after dinner.

8. Having the room straightened for me twice a day (I actually went through withdrawals after getting home. Ask J.)

9. Super friendly cruise chip workers who were so nice to my kids and always wanted to high five them as they went past.

10. Having the room straightened for me twice a day.

11. Having the room straightened for me twice a day (seriously! you have no idea...)

12. Wait staff who danced after dinner every night.

13. Mini golf on the top deck.

14. Finishing three books in five days.

15. The melting cake dessert in the dining room.

16. Breakfast in our rooms on the busier mornings.

17. Spotting whales, dolphins, flying fish and what we think was a hammer head shark as we passed Cabo.

18. Uninterrupted naps during the day.

19. Seeing everyone all dressed up on the formal night in the dining room.

20. Watching all the little cousins bond.

21. Samuel celebrating his birthday and being sung to in the dining room.

22. Taking the kids to the beach in Puerto Vallarta and seeing Sam get excited about the waves and Thomas get excited about sand digging.

23. Being reassured by our taxi driver (in PV) as we struggled to find seatbelts for all the kids that we didn't need to worry because he was an awesome driver and no one else used them.

24. Finding a Raffi-sized sombrero.

25. Finding Kinder eggs (even if putting the toy together almost made me wish I hadn't).

26. Discovering that the world's greatest kiddie pool is located at the Crystal Resort in PV.

27. Going on a date in Pto. Vallarta and watching a whale play out in the water (and sunset on the beach.

28. Real Mexican chicken Fajitas!

29. Getting some good deals in Mazatlan.

30. J's 30 minute $15 massage in Mazatlan.

31. Finding a shark tooth necklace for Samuel.

32. Playing games and hanging out in the evening with the grown-ups while the kids were at Camp Carnival.

33. Reading the Wren family memorabilia book.

34. 24 hour pizza!

35. Surprisingly comfortable beds.

36. Endless Jello at the Dessert counter for Thomas.

37. Not cooking a single meal or washing a single dish for seven days.

38. Glass bottomed boat taxi to lovers beach in Cabo for snorkeling.

39. J seeing a small shark (maybe?) while snorkeling.

40. Beautiful white sand beaches and turquoise water.

41. Wearing flip flops all the time.

42. The memory of getting in and out of the taxi boats at Lover's Beach (expect to get wet or get thrown, or maybe both. And then you are supposed to tip for it. :-)

43. Riding the glass elevators to the lobby on the ship.

44. J scuba diving for the first time.

45. Waking up in the morning and watching to boys race to the window to see if anything new was going on in the water outside. The morning we arrive in PV we opened the window in time to see a pirate ship replica sail by.

46. Getting rocked to sleep every night by the motion of the ship.

47. Boys who played so hard that they were zonked out the entire night and well into the morning.

48. Fun ship Freddy (the cruise mascot). We thought he was kind of creepy looking, but the boys thought he was awesome. So, he's in!

49. Watching the boys try to play air hockey on a rocking ship.

50. Good company.

Less Best:

1. J's iphone getting stolen.

2. Trying to pack up while being very seasick on the last day.

3. Not being ready to say good bye to hanging out with the extended fam.

4. Hanging out in Long Beach all day long waiting for our flight.

5. Coming home to a driveway that needed shovelled.

Bottom Line: We would do this again in a heartbeat! It was an amazing trip and is definitely one of the bext ways to vacation with kids. Thanks Grandpa and Grandma!