We're Baaaaaaack!

And what a trip it was. I'm still exhausted, and haven't been inspired to write too much, so for now, I'm posting a photo essay.

We took the red-eye to Toronto. As you can see, Pearson Airport is still a leader in making travelers feel right at home (take a look at the very useful "vagrant proof" chairs in the background here in the security section of Terminal 1):



But hey, it was well worth it. (I so love the Cayman Islands!):



We took a trip on a pirate ship, and the kids had to clean the deck (hee hee!). Apparently, Daniel wasn't scrubbing hard enough.




Janet bravely walked the plank ("I'll never surrender . . . and you can't make me clean"):


Daniel went overboard several times and seemed to rather enjoy it!

There was snorkelling around reefs during a trip to Sting Ray City:


And, of course, sting rays:


The kids loved Karen's caique, Tika:

Dispatches from a Failed Mommy on Vacation Part I

We arrived at our destination last Friday. It's fantastic here and we've gone to beaches, blow holes, pirates caves and a petting zoo. Pictures will follow. Tomorrow, we plan on taking an afternoon cruise on a pirate ship (okay, not a real pirate ship, just a pretend one). Unfortunately, yesterday was spent indoors, out of the sun, nursing major sunburns. We went out to a particularly sunny beach with little shade on Tuesday and I failed to follow the instructions on the sunscreen bottle and "reapply as needed". On Wednesday, needless to say, my bright red legs positively screamed "stupid tourist" and the pink on the kids' shoulders and (yikes) blister on Janet's nose should secure lifetime membership in the Failed Mommies Club.

Packing for a Princess

We're leaving for a vacation in the tropics tomorrow. Daniel is excited at the prospect of warmth, given the long and cold winter that we have had this year, but he is completely content to allow his mother to pack his suitcase. Sure, he gives me a general idea of what he wants to bring (bathing suit, sunglasses, goggles, sandals), but he doesn't really care about what shorts and shirts I pack or even whether they match.

Janet, on the other hand, packed for herself and has been, in her mind, ready to go for two weeks! Tonight, after she went to bed, I went through her little pink suitcase (which, not surprisingly, she loves to wheel proudly through airports) and took stock of just what she had packed:

• Five pairs of shoes - sandals, running shoes, Mary-Janes, flip-flops and, of course, high heals;
• Six stuffed animals, including two "Webkinz";
• One sundress (a size too small);
• One skort;
• One magic wand;
• Two tiaras (big surprise there!);
  
• One Barbie doll;
• One "My Little Pony";
  
• One pair of dress-up fairy wings;
• One tube of lipstick; and
• One hair bobble.

I am surprised that she hadn't packed the gerbils.

I hope that she's not too disappointed at the modifications I made.