Spring Break 2019

Spring Break 2019 was our first (and last!) big trip as a family of six. I wouldn't exactly call it a vacation, because, ya know, traveling with 4 kids (including a toddler) is anything but relaxing. But after the looooooooong, cooooooold winter, we were all eager to get somewhere warm. So off we jetted to sunny Mexico.

After a long flight with a toddler who REALLY wanted to be on the move, we were finally there! We found our shuttle bus and headed off to our resort. As luck would have it, our shuttle blew a tire on the way, leaving us stranded on the Mexican freeway. Thankfully, they quickly sent another bus and 20 minutes later we were once again on our way to the resort.

We spent a week in a 2-bedroom suite at the Grand Mayan in Playa del Carmen, just south of Cancun. Our new pad was a great layout for our family of 6 - the boys had one bedroom and bath and the girls had the other bedroom and bath, along with a shared kitchen, dining area and living room. We even had a small splash pool on the porch. The pool was nearly overflowing our first night there, but by the end of the week, the kids had splashed much of the water out.

Owen and Rose wrestling in the splash pool

Rose and Cole showing me their silly faces...

...and their super happy faces.

We spent the week swimming, swimming and swimming some more! The kids loved all the different pool options - some of which were even perfect for Kate!

After a long first day in the sun, the boys (especially Owen) got quite the sunburn so we spent the rest of our trip avoiding the pool from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm to prevent it from getting worse. We'd hit the pool in the morning, then grab lunch in the shade, and it was back to the pool by 3:00 pm. My kiddos love the water!

To mix it up, we headed to the resort's beach a few times. The first time was in the late afternoon and the waves were splashing away. The kids thought it was a blast.

I'm not a fan of the big ocean's crashing waves with little ones, so we decided to come back one morning to enjoy the calmer water.  Of course, the kids were a bit disappointed that they weren't being knocked about, but this Mama was much more relaxed. We played in the sand and water and had the beach all to ourselves.

 

Our resort was so big that there was lots to explore, which was great since we didn't want to venture on too many excursions with the kids. Along with the pools, beach and several restaurants, there were flamingos and crocodiles on exhibit, as well as lots of critters native to the area, including huge iguanas and a whole herd of coatimundi.

A huge iguana

Rose walking on the trails at our resort

Rose looking at the flamingos

On our walk back from dinner one night with our leftover pizza in hand, we encountered several coatimundi. One got up on its rear legs just a couple feet in front of us with his nose sniffing away. He definitely smelled the pizza and thought he'd help himself as he got closer and closer. Owen grabbed the pizza box from me and took off running, with the coatimundi chasing after him! It caused quite the ruckus and excited squeals from the kids! In the end, we endured with our pizza intact and the poor coatimundi ran off empty handed.

The aggressive coatimundi

With an age range of 1 to 11, it's hard to find something everyone can enjoy. We knew our outings offsite would be limited with the varying abilities of our kiddos, but we thought it would be nice to get away for just one day so we planned a trip to Tulum to explore the Mayan ruins. Unfortunately, the night before our excursion, I got sick and wasn't looking forward to being stuck on an all-day tour. So Cole and Kate stayed back at the resort with me while Shane, Owen and Rose ventured off in the early morning for their Tulum adventure. They spent the hot afternoon exploring the ruins.

Owen REALLY wanted to touch the ancient ruins and he even got to hold an iguana!

We had a great time getting away to warmer weather, but by the end of the week, we were all happy to be headed home and back to our own beds (sleeping with a 1 and 4 year old is anything but restful!)  The flight home was going smoothly with Kate sleeping nearly the entire flight to Detroit. Unfortunately, on the descent into Detroit, Kate got sick and started projectile vomiting all over herself, me and the plane. Luckily she somehow missed the passenger sitting beside us who quickly volunteered to change seats with Shane. Kate and I were soaked in vomit. Thankfully we were off the plane quickly, grabbed our luggage and were able to change clothes. The rest of the journey home was less eventful and we safely arrived home late in the evening. After a long day of traveling, we were so happy to be home! Adios Mexico, until next time...