Vacation Dreaming

I've been daydreaming about going on a family vacation.

Specifically a Disney cruise. I've been entering daily on every online contest I've been able to find to win one, because frankly that's about the only way I'll ever get on one! With 3 kids and a limited income, it's terribly unlikely we'd ever be able to afford an $8K cruise vacation.

Wish me luck on winning because we'd have an amazing time, I just know it!

Please tell me I'm not the only one who plans faux-vacations? Just the thought of planning a vacation is half the fun to me. I could spend all day planning it out from doing the routes on Rand McNally, where we'd stop for lunch, which hotel we'd stay at, etc...I should have been a travel agent!

The Boy and I went on a cruise with my parents and a bunch of people from my co-worker's family. He was only three years old at the time, still taking daily naps and quite the little stinker so it probably wasn't as exciting as it could have been.


Playing with the giant chess pieces

My parents spent a majority of their time walking the decks & trolling the casino but we always got together in the evenings for dinner and sometimes, the theatre show. A few times, my parents put The Boy to bed and I went out dancing in the club with my friend and her family. During the day, I would take The Boy to the pool, we'd eat lunch on the Lido, he'd go to the kid's daycare area and I'd wander the halls looking for my friend, looking in the gift shop or lay in the sun.

It would have been more fun for me if I'd had a partner to join up with because playing bingo, eating soft serve, sunbathing, going to the gym and drinking a margarita aren't so much fun to do when you're by yourself!

I'm definitely open to doing the cruise thing again, this time with my husband. And hopefully Mickey Mouse!


Formal night, look at my little boy in his dressy clothes!

The kid's Spring Breaks are coming up in the next few weeks and as of yet, I have no idea what they will be doing or where they will be spending the time off!

Originally we had planned on taking a road trip to San Francisco during the time off however with budgeting and trying to build up a savings account (and also Danny starting at a new job with a new company), we decided to stick closer to home.

Usually we sign them up for camp during their time off but the time came and went and now it's too late (besides it would have cost us $150 for the two of them for the week).

So now the plan will be to split their time with a variety of people including my parents, my mother-in-law, Danny's grandmother and me (I'll take off a day or two). My mom & dad will still watch the baby when I'm at work. Now we just have to actually schedule who will watch the kids on what day and I need to request my time off.


Cannery Row in Monterey Bay, CA

Two years ago during Spring Break we took a road trip up Hwy 1. We stopped in Pismo Beach for an Easter egg hunt, took a hike through Big Sur, visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium, drove through a snow storm and spent time with Danny's family in Reno.


At the Dennis the Menace playground in Monterey Bay

It was quite the adventure and the kids were more content than I expected them to be during the long drive. The Girl (who is Autistic) had some difficulty during the transitions from place to place and would often have a meltdown when it was time to leave somewhere. However, she doesn't do that at all anymore, so I'm sure a long trip would be fine with her; she goes with the flow so much better now.


Outside the Sun Maid raisin factory in Fresno, CA

Ugh, I wish we actually were going on vacation during their vacation time! We are going to do something fun (Disneyland!) after the holiday break when it's not so terribly busy. I'm already planning, of course!