1. Champagne mojitos are still the way to go. Trust me, I tried every variety known to man such as frozen, straight up, fruit flavored and what have you. The golden (and delicious!) standard of the original Royal Carribean champagne mojito cannot be beat.

2. Getting your hair braided in Coco Cay, Bahamas is just as much fun today as having it done in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico when Mad Dog and I got engaged eight years ago.
3. When you are a Mom who rarely gets time away from her kids, something as simple as walking down a street with no Hotwheels, animal crackers or wipes in your purse, or better yet, absolutely no purse at all, is extremely liberating. It almost feels like your are breaking the natural laws of the world and it feels fantastic.
4. Sometimes, after a few hours have slipped by, you may find that you kinda of sorta miss the kids you left at home. This twingey guilt can be quickly remedied with another round of champagne mojitos (see Lesson 1).
5. This vacation helped solidify exactly how much Mad Dog must love me. He willingly posed for so many pictures, it is possible we may have set a ship record. For a man who greatly dislikes being photographed, he obviously loves the woman he is posing with. Thank you, Mad Dog!

6. This cruise was the best I have ever experienced. I have several theories as to why this is. The most likely being that if you have achieved a level of happiness and acceptance in the life that you are leaving behind for a few days, it only multiplies in a setting of rest and relaxation. And this time, I was more content than ever to return home and continue my adventures of motherhood.
It’s good to be home and even better to hug my boys.
