February 17-21, 2014: Enchantment of the Seas Cruise review

Levi and I went on a cruise!   

It was a big surprise for Levi.  We booked close to our sail date, so I decided not to tell him.  I packed everything up in the car the night before, and told Levi we were going to a bakery and to run errands.   We drove by the port, and stopped to "look at the ships" and then got out and handed him his sailor outfit and suitcase.   He was so surprised!

This was our first cruise with just the two of us.  Because we've sailed Royal Caribbean before, we got to go in a "faster" line, but we got to the port early, so there was hardly anyone there anyway.  We were in the second row of chairs for getting on board.

DAY 1:

Here is Levi waiting:  (his hair was insane!)

Walking to the ship:     We sailed on Enchantment of the Seas

and onboard! 

When we got on the ship, there weren't many people on board yet

We had lunch at Windjammer.  Levi had unusual lunches there because of his allergies, but the staff was good about helping us figure out what he could eat.   We both loved the fresh fruit you could get any time of the day. 

This bridge was where they added to the ship - At some point they cut the whole ship in half and added an extension.   The pool deck is really big because of this too! 

I noticed recycle bins all over the place, which I love.  I just hope people actually use them!

The tail of the ship:

We went to the dining room and figured out our dining plan to deal with Levi's allergies.  They did a great job the entire cruise of making sure he had plenty to eat, even making him special deserts so he wouldn't be left out.  
This pic is mostly the bottom floor, we were upstairs though (my time dining) 

We went to see where our room was around 2pm, and were pleased to see that not only was it ready, but that our bags had arrived.  So Levi got changed and went for a swim in the hot tub.

When he was done, he got dressed again and then we walked around some more.  The casino floor near the entrance is see-through with fish inside (not real ones!).   Levi enjoyed checking this out.

We played shuffle board, this and the hot tub are Levi's favorite cruise activities -  even with so much to do he really likes the simple activities. 

 Next, it was time for the muster drill.   Boring as usual, but required.    Josef, one of the dancers was our muster leader and he did attempt to entertain us a bit so it didn't seem as long.   Afterwards, we stopped off at our room and Levi insisted on trying on the life jacket.  

And then Levi danced at the Sail Away:

We had some time before the evening show, so we tried the trampolines.  I was surprised that throughout the cruise we hardly saw anyone on these or the climbing wall.  We never had to wait for the trampolines, and only had to wait for 1-2 people once in a while on the climbing wall.   Both are a lot of fun and a good workout with a great view!  

Awful picture of me taken by Levi, but I had to prove I did it! 

And the beautiful sunset: 

The pool deck glowed! 

Levi found this vent thing, I have no idea what it was for but it always was blowing air.  Every time we went by he had to stop and get his hair blown around! 

Night time climbing, we were the only ones on the wall!   Levi made it to the top every time, and was very quick to get up there.  He had a great time with the staff as well (Jenna in particular).   

And then we went to the show!    By the way, he got his lanyard from Adventure Ocean, the kids program.  It was a nice way to keep his key-card handy.  I wish I had brought a lanyard for myself, or bought one on the first day, but I didn't remember to do so.  

Our first dinner.   Levi had veggies, rice and a potato.   

The starter he chose was a raspberry watermelon fruit soup.  He liked it so much that he asked for another one for desert.   Our waiter brought him a huge glass of it with a straw, and Levi drank the entire glass!     I had creme brule. 

 DAY 2:   Coco Cay

We got on one of the first tenders to Coco Cay, it was just a quick ride to get there.    Last time we were on a RC cruise we went to Labadee instead, so this was our first time here.

We found a nice spot on the beach, under a tree for shade.   My sister went to Coco Cay a few weeks later and found another spot on the other side of the island - they found chairs there with no one else around, so even better!   But we were happy with a good spot on the snorkel beach where Levi could play with other kids and we both could snorkel.   

The water was very clear and pretty!  

We went snorkeling for a while, no coral but a lot of fish including one the same size as Levi!

Then we went on the nature trail.  Apparently people pay money to do this as an excursion, but I don't see the point - they have a lot of signs telling what all the plants are.  It was fine as a self guided walk.  We even saw some chickens! 

Levi decided to snorkel some more. 

Then we went to have lunch.  There was a hula hoop contest going on, so we joined that.   Then we  watched some crazy "Island Games" relay races.   Finally we ate!  

We went and looked at Adventure Ocean on the island, and found that it was just a small fenced off area with nothing in it but a couple tables.  It did not look fun at all and only one other kid was in there, so Levi decided not to go.    We went back to the beach and found some people feeding fish, so we got in the water to watch.    There was a quinceanera (15th birthday celebration) for a whole bunch of girls on our ship from Argentina -  they tend to wear very little clothing hence the butt in this picture. 

View from the tender boat back to the ship: 

We had to do some more rock climbing.  

And it was formal night, so we got all dressed up.  This is the suit I custom made for Levi.  

And then it was time for dinner, rice and beans, Levi's favorite! 

We found our first towel animal, a dog I suppose? 

DAY 3: Nassau:

We decided to go to the pirate museum.    There was a "real" pirate outside who directed is to where to get tickets, put Levi in the stocks, and then showed us the way into the museum.   He was very much in character the whole time!     The museum had all kinds of neat stuff in it.  Levi was a bit intimidated by the dark entrances, he is terrified of haunted houses and similar and I guess this gave him the same feeling.   Once inside each section he was fine, and we did learn a lot about pirates.   I enjoyed it anyway.  

We went to the straw market, and bought the obligatory "walking turtle" for Levi and a couple more for gifts for his friends.   He also chose a carved dolphin.  I got a sarong for me, a shot glass for my sister, rum cake for everyone else, and a magnet for Grammy.  

 

This giant feathery thing is near where you get off the ship.  I took Levi's picture with this the first time we went to Nassau, but I can't find it now!   

We got back to the ship and had some Ben and Jerry's (because Levi can eat the lemon sorbet!)

Levi tested out the jogging track, which isn't anything special, just a different color strip of paint around the deck.  

This one was taken when I stood on one bridge, and he on the other. 

 Some pictures of Nassau:

The show was a magic show, Levi was so impressed that he whooped and hollered after every trick.   I love seeing him so amazed.   Watching him was even better than watching the show! 

Dinner:
Levi had vegan french onion soup, one of his favorites.  

And then they kept bringing food!   He had a HUGE plate of beans and rice, a plate of rice and veggies and three kinds of gluten/dairy/oat free bread.    I had vegan "chicken" sweet and sour which was quite good.  

And I had pear crisp for desert, which was not crisp at all and didn't taste like much, it looked cool though!   Levi had a special merang.  

We found an elephant on the bed! 

And then went up to the pool deck for round 2 of dinner.  WAY too much food that night, it was crazy!   They had a huge fruit carved sculpture with more carvings all over.   There was all kinds of appetizers,  deserts, and fruit kabobs. 

Levi's favorite: 

And Levi really wanted a "light up cup" (which always look so much cooler at an event than when you get them home),  so I got him a fruit smoothie drink.  It was very tasty, kind of a pina coloda with berries in it. 

And Levi danced some more! 

DAY 4: At Sea: 

The last day of the cruise was just a day at sea.  There were quite a few activities to do on board, so we joined in!   

This was a cake decorating contest, the captain was one of the "chefs"

We did spend some time wandering around the ship too, it was such a nice day! 

We learned how to fold towels, and then we learned how to fold napkins.   Levi tried this a few times at home too.

Levi played in the pool with some kids, the water was pretty cold in the pools. 

Adventure Ocean had a "family science" class.  We made alien slime (borax, water and glue), and then used a straw to blow it up.   

 We found our last towel animal, a monkey!

The kids did a pirate show, which was super cute. 

And then we went to a late evening activity, "Quest".   It is super crazy, and a lot of fun!   Our team won second place, Levi helped by being the top of a pyramid and giving up his shoelaces.   The team captains decided to give Levi one of the baseball caps and medals, which thrilled him!

Afterwards, I asked if Levi wanted to do one last walk around the deck before bed time.  I think thats when he realized we were getting off the ship the next morning!  He was so sad!  

This thing, by the way, is an interactive screen that had the cruise compass, things to do, dining, and even a bathroom finder.   Very helpful tool for finding your way around the ship.  

And home again!  Port Canaveral 

We had a great time together!  The weather was perfect the entire time - smooth seas, nice warm (but not too hot) sunny weather.     There were less on board activities that our previous two cruises (i.e. smaller day time/late evening shows, classes, etc), but still plenty to do together.   Levi enjoyed the kids room, but liked hanging out in the hot tub, rock climbing, jumping on the trampoline and playing shuffleboard even more!  

Getting on board as soon as we possibly could was a good call - no long wait for lunch, and time to explore the ship before it got crowded.    The food was not as good as I remembered it being on Freedom of the Seas, and they only had 1 vegetarian option every night (besides boring plain pasta), so I didn't have a choice on meals.    But they did handle Levi's allergies better than our other two cruises (i.e. his only reaction was to sunscreen, no food issues!).    

Our room was an inside cabin on the 8th deck  - I've heard people don't like to be right under the pool area, but I found it very convenient if we forgot something, it was just a quick jog downstairs to grab it.   

Overall we had so much fun on this trip!   We missed having family there, but it was also nice to not feel the need to "coordinate" where everyone was on board, we could do our own thing and not think about meeting up.    Levi loved the cruise so much that he was a hot mess when it was time to get off, very very sad to have to get off the ship.     

Mega-fauna Sam's House Field Trip

Today we went on a field trip at Sam's House where we had Levi's 6th birthday party.  The theme was "Megafauna" and the kids learned all about the animals that used to live in the area many years ago. 


Tree climbing upon arrival:

Inside the log cabin, the kids learned about land in Florida.   At one point, Florida was just a few small dots of land, the rest was ocean.   During the ice age, Florida was much larger than it is now, so animals evolved to be much much larger.  Then, when the ice melted, Florida ended up around the size it is now, and animals reduced in size.    To demonstrate this, they used foam squares, having the kids stand on them to compare how much space they had when the land was different sizes.   

 Next they made fossils.   The kids pressed clay into plastic bowls, and then used plastic bugs and animals to make imprints.   They mixed plaster of paris and water in a bag and poured it over the top and left it to dry.  

Then, we went over and looked at the Megafauna.   The outline in the picture below is a mastodon.  There was also a giant sloth, and a turtle/armadillo type thing.  

The kids used paint brushes to find the bones buried in sand.  They colored the bones on a skeleton of a mastodon, using a sign to confirm the location of various pieces.    Miss T said this was her favorite part! 

 Then came the real fossils!  These were donated to Sam's House by someone who collects fossils found in the area.   They scooped up sand, sifted, and found fossils and then learned what they were.  

Here is the giant ground sloth - actual size! 

Last, the fossils they made were removed from the bowls by turning them upside down, pressing, and then removing the clay.  Levi painted his snake in a rainbow of colors with purple for the background.  

We really enjoyed our field trip, it was very hands on and interactive keeping the kids engaged, and I think Levi learned a lot!

Magnet Lapbook/Unit Study

We learned all about magnets!

This unit study was Levi's request, I had all the supplies, so we went for it.   It was mostly based on the Magic School Bus book "Amazing Magnetism".   Lapbook materials can be found from Ye Shall Know here. 

We did magnet painting.  Piece of paper in a box, and a magnet underneath.  We dipped paperclips, ball shaped magnets and other small magnets in paint and put them on the paper, then used the magnet underneath to move them around spreading the paint.  

This is an electromagnet we made.  We have made these before several times with Mr. Science.   They were also discussed in the Magic School Bus book.   Its a wire, wrapped around and around a large nail.  The ends of the wite have the casing removed (a challenging task for Levi with pliers! Hold the wire on each end of the battery, and the exposed nail head becomes a magnet!   Levi observed that the wires quickly get hot, so be careful with that!  

We made our own compass, also discussed in the book.  

Here is how to do it:

In addition to the lapbook and reading the Magic School Bus book, we also did a lot of just playing around with magnets of all shapes and sizes.  Comparing strength, lifting power, attracting and repelling, arranging the magnets close together but not sticking, etc.    We used ring shaped magnets and a pencil to make magnets float, and tried to make magnets flip over using their ability to repel.  

This is Levi's finished lapbook:
 All of these are from the Ye Shall Know lapbook except "Magnet Riddles" which I got directly from the Magic School Bus book (I typed them up with a space for him to fill in answers)

On the other side of the blue flap is his magnet painting. 

This is Levi's presentation of his lapbook:  

This was a quick one, but fun!   Now we are studying Explorers!

Introducing Skiing to Young Children Part 1 - Stop and Go

My very first job was teaching skiing lessons to 3-7yr olds, and I know a few people who are taking their children skiing for the first time this season, so I thought I'd write up some tips on introducing the sport, and some tips/tricks I used to teach. 


Prep work: 
Before you even get to the mountain, there are some things you can work on.

- "Make a Pizza"   To stop, you put your skiis in a wedge shape, for kids, this is a "pizza" (you can choose another triangle shaped object if you prefer, but keep in mind that in ski school, "pizza" is what instructors will most often use).    Have the child practice this technique with their feet, bare foot, or in shoes.  Move their feet into the correct position, with toes pointing at each other with a bit of space in-between, and heels apart.

- "Make French Fries" - This is the "go" position, feet parallel.   "French fries" is most often used.   Have the child put feet side by side with space in-between.   Alternate between "Pizza" and "french fries".  Make it a game, make it silly, make it fun.  And do this randomly (waiting in line at the store is a good place to practice for example) until the child can switch between the two easily without you having to adjust their feet.

-"Tall as a house, small as a mouse" - Have the child put their feet "french fries".   Tall as a house = arms up tall above their head.   Small as a mouse = bend down, hands on knees.   Small as a house is the position the child should be in while skiing, knees bent pushing forward, weight forward.   Position the child if needed and practice "small, tall".

- "Red light, green light" -  Play traditional red light, green light, but have the child stop and "make a pizza" whenever you say red light. 

All of these you will do later when the child has skiis on!

Lastly, talk it up!   Make sure skiing sounds fun, exciting, and wonderful.   A kid having fun learns best.   (and the whole point of skiing is to have fun, so make it fun!)

Equipment: 

- Warm clothes: LAYERS!   A cold child is not a happy child, and a cold child will not ski well.   Layer them up, and play in the snow to ensure the clothing is warm enough before you head to the mountain.    Extra gloves are good to have handy, new skiiers fall often, and wet gloves are no fun.   Proper ski socks are important too, regular socks are not warm enough, and not very comfortable.  

- Helmet:  YES your child needs a helmet.  Doesn't matter if they are staying on the magic carpet all day, they need to get used to it.  Many resorts require helmets for children or those in lessons.    Mom and dad, you should be wearing one too (both to set a good example and protect your own head!).  Even if you are the best skier on the mountain, it takes one out of control person to mow you down and cause injury.  A helmet should fit snugly and come down on the forehead just above the eyebrows, with goggles on it will touch the goggles.  When buckled, it should stay in this position (I see many children in ill fitting helmets that expose forehead, this is not safe weather its a ski helmet or a bike helmet).   Teach from day 1: No helmet = no skiing.

A properly fitting helmet

- Goggles:  UV Goggles or sunglasses are a must.  Snow blindness hurts and can be very damaging for young eyes.   Get your child used to them  in advance, and make sure to try them on with the helmet to check fit and comfort.    No goggles = no skiing.  

- Boots:  Ask for "2 buckle" boots when possible, many kids boots only have 1 buckle, which makes them harder to properly adjust and fit.  
Get boots that fit properly.  Do not get boots to "grow into",  boots that are too big teach bad habits like leaning back, and they can cause injury when the ankle is not supported.   Its also very important to tighten them properly.  Most kids will complain that the boot is "too tight" when properly buckled.   Redirect to focus on what fun skiing will be, and explain that boots need to be tight!     Practice wearing the boots in the house for a while before the first time on skis - this will help the child get used to how they feel.     Play the games listed above in "prep work" with boots on.

- Skis:   Make sure you get skis the right size for your child's height.   Rental companies and some ski schools will help with this.   This chart is a good source for checking height.    Skis will be adjusted for your child's weight and ability.     Have your child carry their own skis as much as they can.  Even when Levi was 2.5 I had him carry his skis for short distances (arms out, lay them across, give them a hug).  This helps teach caring for their own equipment, and saves you from having to lug them later (and their skis get bigger/heavier!)

- Magic worm- (A.K.A. Edgie Wedgie).  Find one on amazon here.   When you get it, tie 2 knots into it or it will be too long.   Not every kid will need this, but its very good to have on hand if they cannot get the hang of "make a pizza" with skis on right away.  This will force their skis into the correct position, helping them to develop muscle memory for the "pizza" shape.    Many kids just need a few runs with this on, some need longer.  More on the magic worm later!  

- Snacks:   Skiing makes kids hungry!  Stash a granola bar or similar in your pocket to avoid having to run to the snack bar after 5min of skiing.  

- Sled:  Optional, and may depend on the resort you are going to, but I found it very useful for hauling both the kid and equipment.   This is particularly true for 2-4yr olds who have a very hard time walking in boots!   Save the "wearing out" part for the slopes, instead of the walk to them! 

Now onto the teaching part....

First steps: 

-  Make sure your child is well rested and hydrated, has eaten, and has gone potty first.  Make sure they are have all their clothing in place, helmet/goggles/gloves on.  

- Once you are at the mountain and have your gear sorted, scope out where you will be practicing.  Point out other kids who are learning and watch for a while (see if your child can spot someone making a pizza or french fries!).   If you are using a magic carpet, have them watch how it works (where to go, how to get on, etc).



- Have the child walk around a bit in the boots to get them warmed up.  (practice pizza and french fries in the boots again!)

- Talk about how much fun they will have!  

Putting on skis:

-  Show child the skis - have them locate where toe and heel goes, the front and the back of the ski, and if the skis have it (most do) the left and right stickers. 

- Demo first:   Have the child watch while you put your skis on.  Explain each step as you go.   Put your toe in the front, and "squash the bug" pushing down the heel. 

- Have child put on 1 ski:   Many kids, especially the really tiny ones will need help "squashing the bug", but have them put their toe in themselves (using you for balance), and attempt to "squash" while you pull up on the back of the binding for assistance. 

- Start by having the child scoot around on one ski - kind of like a scooter.   This will help them feel how the ski slides and help with balance while still giving them a foot to stand on for a little control/confidence.   If they fall, show them how to position both feet as if they had both skis on, and push themselves up (teaching kids to get up on their own was always one of the first things I focused on, it will save your back later!   Especially for ski instructors who have 8 preschoolers to help!)

- Once the child is confident with that, make sure you are on level ground, and put on the second ski. 

Warming up:

- On level ground and staying still with skis french fry, play "tall as a house, small as a mouse".   When the child is "small" check that they are leaning forward in their boots.   If not, put your finger in the front of their boot and have them squish it.   When they do, make a big show of how much it "hurt" (which they will love for whatever reason).    Its really important to get them in the "leaning forward" position right away, this is a very difficult habit to break later.      Many kids will sit back (i.e. sitting in a chair position) because this is more natural.  Break this habit now and it will make for a much better skier later.  

- Now, try the "penguin walk":  Have the child shuffle forward on their skis.  Hold out arms for balance if needed, but try not to hold their hand (this gets them in the habit of leaning to the side).   Explain that this is for moving on flat ground, and for getting onto the magic carpet, etc.  

- Next stop and, practice making a pizza.   If the child has trouble, physically position their skis.   Have them switch between french fries and pizza until they get it down.   If its difficult, stand facing the child and grab their hands, pull forward slowly/gently and then have them try (if they don't have much leg strength, this can help)  
IF they cannot do it even after you reposition them several times, try the edgie wedgie.   Put it on the skis and have them "stretch the worm".  Show them how the worm magically helped them make a pizza!    You basically want them to do the splits, and the "worm" pulls the skis into the angled pizza shape.    They should be able to penguin walk with this on, but if they have trouble, you can remove one side while they get to the top.   Leave the worm on for the first few runs, and then try it without to see how they do, leave it on until they can easily stop.  

- Last, have them practice the "penguin walk" in combo with "make a pizza".   Play red light green light.

 Magic worm in use (Pizza)

Magic worm in use (french fries)

We all fall down!  

Explain that EVERYONE falls down.   Watch the hill and see how many people you see fall (tip.. watch the beginner hill)
Now comes the fun part - Fall down!   Make a nice dramatic show of falling over. 
Now you can demo how to get up!

- Put your body up hill
- put skis "across"
- push behind your bottom and reach for your tips.

For the most part, this gets you up!   Kids sometimes fall on their bottom, in a super uncomfortable looking fallen down pizza shape - in this case, just have them reach for their toes. 

Now, tell your child to fall!   Gently knock them over if needed.   Have them practice getting up, helping them to maneuver their skis if needed.   

Magic Carpet: 
 
- Before you start, watch for a while and point out the steps to getting to the top.   Then, go for it!   Try to help as little as possible with the shuffling - be near by if they waiver, but try and avoid holding hands, lifting and maneuvering the child.   Give verbal directions, and then help them to follow through.   The more you are helping, the less they are learning!  

- Shuffle to the start of the magic carpet
- quick quick penguin walk onto the carpet
- check that skis are in french fry position
- hands on knees and look up to the top.
- at the top, penguin walk off, and out of the way.   

Side Stepping: 

-Some places reserve the magic carpet only for children in lessons, so if you don't have one to use, you can teach the child to side step up to the top, skis parallel.  

Hit the slope! 

Once you are all warmed up and at the top of the magic carpet (or other small slope), you will now play red light green light on the hill! 

Start slow, and "stop" often.  Alternate between pizza/french fries all the way down -  this is pretty much it for day 1 for most kids - the goal is to get them to stop right away EVERY time you yell "red light" (or they are near a tree, pole, rock, you) 

You can also play Tall as a House, Small as a mouse - this will help with balance, and proper "leaning forward" positioning.   

Leaning forward tips:
- make sure boots are as tight as you can get them.   
- "squash my finger" (put your finger in the front of the boot and have them squish it, remind them of this as they ski)
- hands on knees
-superman/girl (hands forward, eyes front.
- stand up tall (this helps for kids who crouch down/squat too much)
- bend your knees (some times this alone helps

Once the child has "stop" and "go" (pizza and french fries) down, you can move on to the next step.   Don't move on until this is established!!



IMPORTANT:

Stop while you are still having fun.   If you end on a fun note, the child will remember this for the next time.   If you end with a hungry/tired/cold child, this is what they will remember.   Have them make a perfect pizza, cheer, take pictures, and call it a day.   Young kids can only handle 1-2 hours or less, so keep this in mind.  Take a long break and try again, or go home for the day!   
Some kids will get their "pizza" on the first try, some will take several days before they can do it with confidence, some will take the whole season.   As long as they are having fun, they are learning (and getting used to the equipment, the mountain, the snow, the feeling of movement, the muscle memory).  So even if they don't seem like they've progressed much after one session, they've learned more than you think.  

#1 goal is to have fun!  

Dragon Festival

Levi and I went to a "Dragon Festival".   It was a medieval sort of event, with knights, jousting, fencing, and more!   Lots of fun for both of us.  

Jousting horse - the parent has to push, and the kid gets to ride and catch rings on the lance.  

Fencing, with a real mask, but a balloon target! 

Finding out how heavy chain mail is! 

Tiny head medieval guy

 This man wrote our names in fancy calligraphy, and then let Levi try, he was impressed with Levi's handwriting!  (wish he would write that nicely on schoolwork!).   He also gave us a demo of bagpipe playing.

This little piggy was barking like a dog, it didn't seem to mind all the kids petting it.

We went to three different shows, the first was a joust with King Arthur there to decide which knight would join his round table.   They had real armor on and everything.

 Purple guy - who was the good guy won!

The next show was hand to hand combat... it was very violent and we had to discuss the topic for a long time afterward.  I regret letting him see this show even though he enjoyed it. 

This was one of the knights, who organized the whole event.  Levi and his friend posed with him.  

The last show was done by children singing, and they invited the audience to participate.  Levi told me that he really liked dancing with everyone.  

We had to do jousting a few more times before they closed down...

And here is my little Dragon, in a mommy made Little Sewing Shop hoodie, complete with wings, dragon tail/spikes, and a dragon knight embroidery design.   I will post better pics of this once I can wrestle it away from him long enough to get some!