These pictures won't be in time order, but they're all from the same two days...
When you become a parent, there are words that take on a completely different meaning...you all know what I mean - the basics are...joy - looking into your kids eyes, hearing them laugh...a good night's sleep - four hours in a row...buttered popcorn - the smell of newborn poop...etc. Well, here are some that changed for us - European Cruise - exhausting nights of almost no sleep followed by hiking hither and yon through a different city every day...relaxing mornings sleeping in became early mornings spent watching the sunrise with a VERY awake Ellis...losing your luggage becomes a national disaster as instead of just missing your OWN underwear, you are missing formula, diapers, and pajamas for your 10month old...a 'modern' hotel is just one with a lot of hard surfaces and nowhere for a beginning crawler to let loose...ah, we revamped the dictionary on this whirlwind tour!
And despite all of the difficulties - it was a pretty amazing trip - having Ellis with us brought a completely different dimension in a good way - the staff on the boat practically went overboard (get it? :) to help us...they were all in love with our boy - for George, seeing Ellis squeal with excitement over a centuries old painting in the Hermitage beat out seeing it on his own...and it was really okay that late-night dress up dinners were replaced by pizza and ice cream with the newest member of our family -
the boat - simply awe-inspiring - some 3,000 passengers and 16 floors...
the first formal night with my boys....
at dinner
dancing on the deck with Ellis...
the maitre-d in the dining room couldn't get enough of Ellis - the first time we went, he demanded that the bus boy get Ellis some watermelon..but not the previously cut up watermelon - 'cut it up, fresh from the fridge!' - he's been on boats for over 20 years and has two kids...yikes!
Our two lovely sailing companions...Luisa (grandma/abuela) and Marta
the boat - HUGE!!
Our boat has a 'movies under the stars' feature - complete with wool blankets if it gets cold...
cruisin' with the guys...
our room - Ellis slept in the closet ;)
this is how tired he was by the time we made it to the boat - three flights and two days later...we seriously almost killed him....we were cracking up...he literally didn't move from this position for hours!
this is me - saying with my eyes...I can't believe we're taking him halfway across the world...
below...Ellis saying 'goodbye' to SF and heading out into the world...until next time - be looking for the Poliszuk's European Vacation Part II
