Prepping to head Back to the Boat

This new chapter calls for a new piece of Patrick O'Brien art on our walls.

The girls and I head back to the boat and our new home of Tortola in four days. I have been single-momming it the past two weeks (a whole blog post in and of itself!) Scott has been on the island getting our boat ready and finalizing our work situation. My mom and dad have also been out of town, leaving me little time for preparation as solo-parenting three toddlers is a full-time job. Luckily, we've done this back and forth thing a few times now so we know the drill. But still, it's daunting and a little stressful. No matter how experienced you are, international travel with little ones is not for the weak of heart.

What makes this particular trip a little different is the fact that we are, in fact, moving to the British Virgin Islands. We will not be "cruising" per se, but we will be living on our boat (at the incredible Nanny Cay Marina), and will continue to sail and island hop when our work schedule allows. Lucky for us this is not hard to do in our chosen home where you can be at another incredible island in an hour or two if you wish. Long weekend? Let's go!

So how are we preparing for this move?

First of all, our boat is pretty well kitted out since we made the "big move" onto it last January. We shipped two boxes of goods via Tropical Shipping like we did last time. This was easy and painless - our boxes have already arrived in Tortola - and will make it so we travel a little bit lighter when we fly.

Times have certainly changed and instead of boat parts and such, we have shipped mostly household goods and children's gear. What's in our boxes? Take a peek:

A. Rattique Shelf Basket- I got three of these (in three great colors) for boat storage. They are plastic and durable, and will be great for holding our Turkish towels on deck and other items down below.

B. Sorbus Foldable Storage Drawer Set - I already have a small set of these on the boat and wanted one more for the shelves in some of our rooms. They are great at organizing small items and still looking nice.

C. Melissa & Doug On The Go Water Wows - I've written about these before and we love them. A simple, portable, and CLEAN 'on the go' toy.

D. Spielstabil Sand Toys - there is seriously no brand of sand toy superior to this one. We are thrilled to partner with this company and have a bunch of sets that will replace all our broken, mega-cheap sand toys. Because we use these daily - a quality item is important.

E. Cacala Turkish Bath Towel - my love of the Turkish towel is well known and we've turned quite a few people on to them. I got a couple more for our galley and one more large one for showering and the beach. Can never have too many, right? 

F. Vidalia Chop Wizard - This is one of my most beloved galley gadgets and, after four years, ours finally broke after I chopped down on a veggie a little too hard so I wanted to replace it.

G. LEGO DUPLO Box of Fun - our girls LOVE legos. The ones we currently have on the boat are generic and have lost any and all of their grip power, so I got the girls a nice deluxe set that works. They love them.

H. Brown Bear & Friends Board Books - We love the Brown Bear series of books and I found two more at TJ Max for a steal. Had to grab them.

A. Melissa & Doug Deluxe Mini-Puzzle Pack - the twins love puzzles but space being at a premium, I wanted something small. I found these sets at TJ Max for mega cheap and decided to given them a try. 8 tiny puzzles that take up hardly any space and come in their own little storage rack.

B. ClosetMaid Collapsible Storage Cubes - we keep all the girl's toys under our nav station in these stylish storage cubes. They fold flat, are super light, and not expensive so I grabbed another color to brighten things up.

C. Living on Twelve Volts With Ample Power and Get Your Captain's License - Scott had these reference books here at home and wanted to bring them down. The Captain's license book has some great information on marine laws and such, and the 12V book is also full of great power information.

D. Melissa & Doug Cube Puzzle - Another great TJ Max find, these amazing cube puzzles solve the problem of loosing thin, flimsy puzzle pieces by using CUBES! The girls LOVE these challenging puzzles and the best part is that one set provides six puzzles. We love to work on them together.

E. Roger Priddy Wipe Clean Toddler Workbooks - these wipe and clean work books come with a dry erase marker and are fantastic for the beginning homeschooler. We are going down island with a bunch of these and Isla loves working on them with mommy.

F. Re-Play Divided Toddler Plates - I wanted to get some new plates for the girls since the ones on the boat were getting yucky, and found these whose color scheme I love (Our boat is very colorful!) The fact that they are made of recyled plastic and are super cheap was a nice bonus.

G. Usborne Touchy Feely Books - these books are fantastic and every time I can grab one, I do. The twins LOVE them and they are great for introducing sensory skills to beginning readers. We probably have ten of these.

A. Swim Vest with Safety Strap - of course we have life jackets (and puddle jumpers) for the girls, but I wanted something very low-pro that I could use in a pinch when on the beach or pool that would provide enough flotation but not be super cumbersome like a life vest. We'll see how these work.

B. TubTrugs - very proud to partner with this company who's flexible (and mega-durable) tubs will be awesome for everything from doing laundry, to lugging items to and for, to toy storage.

C. Pre-Washed White Quinoa, 5-Pound Bag - Groceries are ALL expensive in the BVI's, but Quinoa really broke the bank. $25 for a small bag! We eat a lot of quinoa so I sent 10 lbs of the stuff down!

D. Plan Toys Nuts and Bolts - we are very interested in the Montessori method for educating our girls, and these toys are well aligned with the theory, teach dexterity and small motor coordination as well as take up a small amount of space.

E. Spielstabil Sailboat Set (and extra water can) - we will be at the beach every day. A nice array of quality sand toys to help enjoy it are key!

1. Green Toys Tea Set - our girls LOVE playing "tea party" and when I saw this set for $10 at TJ Max, I had to get it.

2. Deluxe Duplo Lego Set (in lock-n-lock bin)- Already wrote about the legos, but I chose to store them in a lock and lock bin to deter legos spilling all over the place when sailing (this happened a lot with our last set!)

3. Sailor Bags Back Packs - I cannot sing enough praise about this backpack. We love and use it so much we have TWO!

4. 2-Quart Teakettle - I wanted a replacement water kettle so opted for this 2 quart model. I love the color and the size is perfect for our little galley.

So that is the bulk of what we shipped. The rest of the stuff is mostly clothes and toiletries.

My lists have been made and are slowly getting checked off. Three out of our five sailor bag duffles have been packed and we just made a diaper run to Costco to fill a bag with those.

Goodbyes are being said and while it's always hard to come and go like we do, it's nice to know that we will be coming back for visits in the summers (aka "hurricane season) to connect with friends and family. We are also very excited and eager to begin this new chapter of our life. It's going to be a big one! Luckily, Scott has our boat all ready for our arrival (he even stocked up on my wine!) and so the transition will be a little bit easier not having to spend a couple nights in a hotel. We will simply pick up where we left of in our little floating home. We're excited, for sure. Change is in the air and we are as ready as we can be.

For now, the girls are napping and I've gotta get packing! More to come.

Why Are We Still Landlocked? Lessons in Patience. And Island Time.

(note: this is easier said than done!)

Some of you might be wondering why the heck we are still residing in a guest home in the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago right now. "I thought they were going back to the boat in October?" you might be saying to one another. And you would be right. We were heading back to the boat in October. And it's now November. What gives?

While I can't disclose *all* the information as it pertains to operation "hiatus extendo" just yet, I can tell you that we are awaiting work permits for the British Virgin Islands (BVI's) and that the process has taken a little bit longer than anticipated. And, yes, we thought we accounted for "island time" in our planning. Turns out, our version of  "island time" appears to be on, well, "island time." Patience is a virtue...particularly if you want to live on a boat in the Caribbean.

"Why not just head back down to Tortola now?" you might say. And, boy, I wish it were that simple. We are chomping at the bit to get back to our boat but - alas - while work permits are in the processing stage, we are not allowed to be in the country. I'm not entirely sure why this is, but those are the rules and - well - we don't want to break any rules or tick off the wrong person while applying for employment, you know?

It's been stressful because there are a lot of people effected by our getting work permits and all of us are in a state of limbo which, as I have written before, is not a great place to be. However, in the grand scheme of things - as one friend so eloquently put it - this is a "fancy" problem to have, so we are keeping perspective and trying to keep a positive attitude while we do so. There is no real indication as to when, exactly, we will hear, but it could come any day and Scott is packed and ready to leave at a moment's notice.  The girls and I will follow shortly after, hopefully with my mom as the very necessary extra set of hands for the two flight saga. We are really hoping to hear good news soon as this next chapter of our lives is something we are very eager to start - and share with you.

So that is our story right now. I hope to have more news for you on this front, but until we get the 'thumbs up' - mum's the word.

Patience. (Sigh)

Change is in the Air (We Have a Hurricane Plan)

The cruising season is winding down. The anchorages are thinning out, exposing more and more mooring balls each night and the marinas are peppered with empty slips as boats haul out or set sail for points north or south. The beach bars are a little less lively, evenings a little quieter, and the sound of dogs, birds and roosters replace those of outboard dinghy engines. The charterers have headed back north where the weather has finally warmed up and the cruisers have headed south to hunker down for hurricane season. Yet we remain.

It's kind of nice, actually.

While I must admit I have grown to love the energy that these islands have during peak season, this relative quiet is a welcome change. Some cruisers scoff at areas like this which are deemed by many to be "too touristy", but we have really enjoyed it here. In fact, I'd go so far as to say we love it here. Before we came down, we weren't so sure - our decision was mostly practical. We were nervous that anchorages might be too crowded, that we'd pay a fortune in mooring fees, that we'd get sick of all the "credit card captains"... but our worries were all for naught. While it is true that the British Virgin Islands are rife with charter boats and much more crowded than, say, the Grenadines or Bahamas (with the exception of Georgetown, of course), there are still many places to go that feel a bit "off the beaten path". Even still, we've never felt that our experience down here has been lessened or somehow tarnished by the presence of others. Maybe we're different from other cruisers in this way? In fact - meeting people has been a huge bonus of this season. We've been gifted loads of left over provisions (everything from beer to paper towels) from generous charters who see that we live-aboard (it's pretty obvious who is a charter boat and who is a not in these parts) and we have met no fewer than two blog followers per week since we've arrived. It's amazing to see how many people we've touched with this site and be able to put some faces to our wonderful readers. We've never been far from friends, that is for sure, and there's something to be said for that. Don't get me wrong - being alone in a secluded anchorage is wonderful (we've experienced that quite a bit in the Bahamas and down island), but there are some major plusses to being among others as well. We enjoy both.

For our maiden season as a very young family of five, I seriously don't think we could have picked a better area to ease back into a life afloat. Where there are tourists, there are amenities and when cruising with kids, it's really nice to be able to hit up a little grocery store every other day if need be (Gah! Out of diapers!) and to know that there are always services (pediatricians, yacht chandleries, marinas, etc.) nearby should we need them, not to mention the fun of being able to enjoy a drink or two at some of the world's best and most famous beach bars (and, hey, the ability to order a pizza to-go is pretty nice too on occasion). We have all the time in the world to go "off the grid", but for now, keeping one foot in the "developed" world has been great for us. Then there is the sailing.  We've actually enjoyed it so much more this season because here, there is almost always somewhere to sail to in just about any wind condition. And the distances? Being underway for no more than two or three hours is awesome and a must for our little crew ("if I can't see it, we don't sail there" is a joke I tell a lot). If we really want a change of scenery, the incredible island of St. John (possibly my favorite island yet?) has a distinctly different vibe and is only a hop, skip and a jump away. As for paying for moorings? We have paid for no more than five nights on mooring balls here in the BVI's since we arrived four months ago. The fact that we can anchor just about anywhere here was a huge relief to us, as the savings are significant. "I love anchoring in a mooring field where everyone else is paying $30 bucks a night" Scott ruminated last night as we swung on our Rocna in Soper's Hole, sipping on rum drinks, "it's like free money". And it is. Free is good.

But the winds of change are on the horizon and hurricane season is upon us. So where does that leave us? What's our plan?

Well...

Sailing down to Grenada is not an option for us - I have zero interest in covering those kind of miles with three small children. It was wonderful with one child, probably would have been "do-able" with two, but with infant twins and a toddler? No thank you. Being conservative has worked beautifully for us thus far and we have no plans to change that now. As such, we've decided that we're going to haul our boat and head back to Chicago for a few months to visit with family and friends before we return, yet again, to the British Virgin Islands in September or October. There are many reasons for this decision, and we hope to be able to share them with you soon, but for now - it feels good to know that we'll be spending summer with family and friends. And it feels really good to have a plan.

Change is in the air.

Packing for a Family of Five? Our List

I love a good list. There was a time in my life where this sort of rigid organization was not necessary to move from A to B, but having kids threw all that out the window. Maybe unicorns exist and there are families with multiple children who do not need preparation of this magnitude in order to travel, but for us - this is the only way to maintain order - and sanity - during what can be a pretty stressful and hectic time: the pre-departure panic.

We decided to make sure we were fully packed two days before we left (this is the "packing dry run" I made reference to in my earlier post). If you are traveling with kids...heck, if you are traveling at all... I highly recommend this system. It allows you to pack, assess, weigh (all bags under 50 lbs), revise, repack and make sure you are a) maximizing luggage space and b) covering all of your bases. If you look at the list, you'll see we are almost all packed up - minus the few items that we need on a daily or nightly basis.  This means that tonight we can make merry at our family farewell dinner and tomorrow night we can kick back with a bottle of wine and a movie if we want. We are pretty much "okay to go". Siiigh.

I posted this list to our Facebook Page last night and I had to laugh at some of the responses. You don't miss a beat and really know how to make me laugh out loud (have I mentioned lately how much I love you guys?):

Minus the fact that Scott and I lay awake each night giggling like school kids and exclaiming, "Holy crap. This is happening. Are we insane?!" followed by pressure-releasing squeals into our pillows, stress is at a minimum. We're excited. We're ready. What cracks us up even more is that our kids, minus Isla of course, are completely oblivious to the gigantic change that is about to take place. It's all business as usual for them and as long as they have mommy and daddy, they're gonna be cool. We're just going to pick them up and move them to Tortola where they will simply carry on as normal. There is something profound in this but I can't put my finger on it. Kids, I tell you. We can learn a lot from 'em.

Now that the preparation frenzy has simmered down and we find ourselves with some time to think thoughts outside of those related to all things packing, we're beginning to feel the first pangs of pre-departure sadness. We have been here for over a year, we have created a lifetime of memories and have been surrounded by incredible friends and family.We are very blessed and we are hyper aware of - and grateful for - this fact. I am, by nature, a nostalgic person which means I am terrible at goodbyes. I hate leaving. I am emotional and get choked up by sentimental songs and Hallmark commercials. My best friend utters the words, "I'm really, really gonna miss you" and I burst into tears like a baby. I wish I was more stoic, but that card was left out of my deck I'm afraid. 

Despite the choked-back tears and the millions of unknowns that lie ahead, we know we are making the right move. If we didn't go we would regret it, and - really - that is the only fuel we need in order to move forward. 

“Perhaps that is where our choice lies -- in determining how we will meet the inevitable end of things, and how we will greet each new beginning.” ― Elana K. Arnold, Burning

This. Is. Happening. 

Bring it.

BVI or Bust

Four days. That's how much longer we have until we uproot our life and kids and move back to our boat in the British Virgin Islands. I know I have said it before, but it bears repeating: this is no small feat. I mean, we are doing a packing "dry run" tomorrow night just to ensure we are prepared for our departure on Saturday. Never heard of a "packing dry run" before? Yeah. Us either. But we are learning that when you move your family of five from a suburban home in the Chicago-land area to a forty-four foot boat on the island of Tortola via airplane, you need to be sure you can handle the load. And what a load it is. Despite trying to be minimalists, we have no fewer than seven bags coming down with us. That is not including the three 15 x 15 x 15 inch boxes we shipped already. When it comes to babies on boats, you gotta have equipment.

So, how is this going to go down?

Lucky for us my mom is coming with us for the first two weeks to "escape" the polar vortex (and love up her grand-babies) which will be *hugely* helpful on the flights and once we are there (mom, you are the BEST.) We have rented a condo at the marina for the first two weeks because that is about how long we anticipate our boat will be an unlivable construction zone (fingers crossed it doesn't take any longer!) My mom will help me with the three kiddos on land while Scott works his butt off to get our boat re-commissioned and back in ship shape.

For a boat that has been sitting on the hard for a year, this is not a small job. Our water-maker needs to be revived, our engine given some TLC, our generator needs a new heat exchanger (this is in one of those seven bags mentioned earlier), our portholes need re-bedding, our forward hatch needs replacing, and then there's all the "little" stuff like general cleaning, re-running all the rigging, putting the sails back on, bringing our outboard back to life and making sure all our electronics and mechanical systems are still kicking. This obviously doesn't count the unforeseen things that will inevitably pop up, which is pretty much a given when it comes to boats. The past twelve months, however, a company has been doing checkups on Asante every couple weeks and sending pictures of our interior and exterior, so (in theory) there will be no "big" surprises when we return. We will not be met with mold and mildew (a humidifier has been running), dead batteries (a small solar panel has been trickle charging), or an infestation of bugs or critters (every morsel of food was removed and traps were set). The bottom of our boat has been repainted and the hull has been buffed. We know, more or less, what we are coming back to when we arrive. There is great relief in this.

Another great relief that will make this transition significantly easier is the fact that we have a good friend coming down with us who will a) act as a sherpa for one of our bags and b) be Scott's right hand man while getting the boat up and running. You might remember AJ as one of our trusty crew for the journey from the Bahamas to the BVI's and he's making a repeat performance as the best blog-follower-turned-friend EVER. He loves the BVI's (charters there yearly), has a very flexible work schedule and also happens to enjoy our company so he offered his assistance. He will, quite literally, be worth his weight in gold because so many boat projects, even the "simple" ones like putting the sails back on, require two able-bodied people. His presence will not only be wonderful as he is tons of fun and an all-around awesome guy, but he will be a *humongous* help to us as he is also an accomplished sailor who knows his way around boats.

We have so many other projects that will need to get done in our two-week window as well. I will be busing out my trusty Sailrite and am bringing down some great fabrics that will be used to make the twin's berth (they will be sleeping in the pointy end) and we are making our walk-through into a custom berth for Isla as well. There are lots of other sewing projects as well, and - if my schedule allows - I will post about them. I have no idea what sort of time I will have for detailed blogging, so if you'd like to keep up with what is going on in the next couple of weeks, by far the best place will be on our Facebook Page. It's much easier to post and engage with people "on the fly" over there.

Okay, back to packing and deep breathing. Wish us luck! We're gonna need it...

Return to the Blue Lagoon: Flying South

"We're leaving in nine days," Scott said to me while eating dinner last night. "It doesn't feel like we're leaving in nine days," he paused. "Shouldn't it feel like we're leaving in nine days?"  I agreed and then contemplated; what, exactly, should we be feeling? Because he is right, as I sit here on the couch listening to the television drone on in the background as our three little ones slumber peacefully, it feels very much like business as usual. At this moment, we're no different than any suburban family. Sure, we've shipped three boxes of personal effects and goods to the island of Tortola, and I have packed up the clothes for the girls and myself. I've had no fewer than five "farewell" dinners with close friends and the bottom of our boat is getting prepped and painted as we speak so she's ready to splash when we return. But, still, it just doesn't feel like this is really happening.

This move, understandably, feels pretty momentous which is kind of hilarious considering our "cruising plans" are so un-adventurous they border on laughable. But what we are trading in nautical miles and passages, we are gaining in the unchartered waters of "three under three" on a boat. I don't know of many (any?) boats out there that have our configuration of little children aboard (if you know of any, please let us know! Would love any tips and tricks). Lots of boats have kids of course, and many have a baby on board, I've even heard of a few boats with twins - but three kids under three? This is certainly rare which inadvertently puts us on the front lines of this whole "boating with multiple babies" thing. And, based on blog stats, interview requests and emails, I think there are a lot of people out there that really want to see how - and if - this pans out. Some days - most days - I am hopelessly optimistic about what we are doing, totally adopting the "we got this" attitude. Other days I worry that we are getting in over our heads. Only time will tell.

So how does it feel? Surreal. For so long this move was just an arbitrary date in the distant future and now it's just over a week away. On the one hand, we're heading back to our home and a very familiar lifestyle. On the other, we have doubled our crew tipping the parent-to-child ratio in favor of the kids which ups the "challenge" quotient considerably. There's a lot to think about, and a ton to prepare. Lucky for us, I practically have a masters degree in preparation. As with anything - I am being very thorough about our return. Where will they bathe? How will we get in and out of the dinghy? How will they sit in the dinghy? Where will they sleep? Which toys will give us the most bang for the buck? How will boat projects ever get completed? Which craft supplies make the most sense? What will be the most versatile safety seat to use? How will we manage naps? Will one of us ever be able to handle all three alone on the boat so the other can rest? Every day I run through at least a dozen scenarios in my head like a professional athlete might visualize winning before ever setting foot on the field, court or track. Preparation. While we are definitely jumping into the water head first with this whole "three babies on a boat" thing, we are certainly not doing it blindly. We have the fortunate experience of having lived aboard and cruised over 5K nautical miles with *one* baby, which gives us a picture - albeit a very vague one - of what we might be in for.

These past few days have been a blur of organizing, selling and purging goods. I have an incredibly detailed packing list (I love my lists!) that continues to grow because with each item added, another item goes along with it. For example, if I need the camera, I must have the charger, the spare battery, the float strap, the DC battery charger...and oh! That reminds me, I need another DC USB plug...and, what about the DC computer chargers...and the hard drives for storage and...hmm...speaking of electronics, did we need more head lamps? Those things are notorious for disappearing...and do we need extra batteries for the white noise machines for the babies? You get the picture. The list grows, and grows and grows - no matter how thoughtful and discerning we are. For a lifestyle that is touted as "minimalist" - we sure 'need' a lot of stuff. Without realizing it and with very little effort, our list has grown Fibonacci sequence-style.

Friends of ours just left today on their maiden voyage, and in their blog post they shared this great quote by Tegan Phillips that so perfectly put this crazy packing whirlwind into perspective:

I wish I had known how easy adventuring can be so I could have avoided the ‘preparation panic’ people often face before trips of any sort, where you somehow convince yourself that if you don’t have this particular tool or type of tent or type of saddle or type of clothing even then your adventure will be a disaster and you will probably die. As I discovered, whatever you are going to do, the chances are somebody has done it with much less than you and somehow survived.

Of course traveling with a toddler and twinfants makes our situation slightly more unique than most. While we do try to adhere to the "less is more" approach to kids stuff (the twins got their first "high chairs" last week, prior to this we ate on the floor!) we need to be very mindful of safety and security which requires a lot of forethought and, yes, gear. Harnesses, tethers, life jackets, additional webbing and buckles, new materials for lee cloths and a twin bunk, more netting to secure the bow and pushpit...etc. There is so much to consider - particularly because we have one twin (Haven) who is a bonafide "Dennis the Menace" and is walking now - that even though we are going to some of the most "developed" islands we've been to where we will be able to get most anything we could get here (at a premium, of course) - we are still pouring over our packing list as if we were going to the moon. Only this time it's not provisions and boat parts we're thinking about, but baby gear. Oh, how times have changed!

So...I'm not quite sure how it should feel when we are about to take a giant leap into a pool that many people think we are quite insane to jump into. All I know is that a) it doesn't really feel like were leaving and b) when I sit and really think about it, it feels a little sad, a little happy, a little nerve-wracking, a little uncertain and a lot exciting. T-minus eight days until this family is island-bound.

The Optimist's Creed

It's go time over here. We head back to our boat in two weeks and, as such, the already frenetic pace of life has been kicked up a notch. While the overriding emotions surrounding our impeding move back to the boat and the islands are excitement and anticipation ("I wanna go back to my boat now, mama!" is Isla's latest and most persistent demand), I am not without reservation either. I have asked Scott, "Are we crazy??" at least once a day and as our departure date looms closer and closer, (thus becoming more and more real) the magnitude of it all is coming sharply into view.

Pre-departure nightmares have begun -- as they so often do on the cusp of big events -- when worries seep into our sleeping subconscious. The other night I awoke in a total panic after dreaming that we left for the boat forgetting all of our luggage and missing our plane right after sending Isla, alone, up into first class (I think this makes it clear who gets top billing in this family!) Every night I lay awake in bed with a million thoughts racing through my head, my mind ping-ponging between adding items to the packing list and general concerns about the uncertainty ahead: "Will we have enough room for five of us?" "Can't forget the scone mix..." "Will the babies sleep okay?" "Get more teething tablets..." "Will it be too hot for the twins?" "Must order new heat exchanger..." "Will we have the boat ready in time?" "Email the boat yard in the morning...." "Will the kids enjoy boat life?" "Stock up on sunscreen..." "Will *we* enjoy boat life with three under three?!"

So, yeah. There's a lot going on, and a lot of emotion going with it.

The other day I read a quote that helped ease my naturally busy (and slightly overwhelmed) mind:

"When you believe something is hard, the Universe demonstrates the difficulty. When you believe something is easy, the Universe demonstrates the ease." (Thank you Margret for sharing!)

I'm not delusional. There are going to be some big challenges ahead for us and there will inevitably be hiccups along the way, but *maybe just maybe* if our overriding belief is "success" then that is what we will find? Could it be that easy? (insert emoticon with squinty eyes and teeth)

I'm willing to give it a shot.

The other night my dad shared with me a quote he came across. It's called "The Optimist's Creed" and it preaches...well...optimism. If it wasn't so damn long I'd have it printed on a canvas and hang it on our boat so we can read it daily with the hopes of living more like it by osmosis. Unfortunately our wall space won't allow it so I'll just have to post it here on the blog and call it good.

"Promise yourself:

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble."

- Christian Larson, 1912 Your Forces And How To Use Them

Land Yachting

While Scott and I have taken countless "leaps of faith" in our life together, baby steps is the name of our game. When we brought Isla on our boat, we started out nice and slow, cruising the Bahamas and then beyond. When we found out we were pregnant with twins, we decided to come home during my third trimester and adjust to life with multiples on land. When we decided we would, in fact, be returning to our boat - we decided to do a little test cruise with the babies on Lake Michigan to get a glimpse of what we were in for. When the prospect of a seven-plus hour drive with three small children in a rather compact SUV made us want to jump off a bridge, we decided to rent an RV instead.

****Skeeeeert****

Yep. We're "land yachting" for the holidays (thank you, Rorke, for the phrase!) Look out, Uncle Eddie.

While the decision was made primarily with our sanity in mind, there was some rhyme to our reason and a secondary bonus to making this call: driving in an RV will be yet another little glimpse of what life on a boat will resemble. Another "baby step" toward what we are in for in less than a month. Say what you will about motorhomes and trailers, but the fact of the matter is that "cruising" in a vehicle and "cruising" on a boat bear some very striking resemblances.

Scott and I had talked about renting an RV to drive up to his mom's in Northern Michigan before. It never happened because it was really, really expensive. After three solid weeks of having all kids sick with pretty much everything but Ebola (no joke: pink eye, influenza, stomach bug, respiratory infections, colds, crazy fevers and more) he got nervous about such a long car ride with very fussy, uncomfortable kids and brought up the RV rental again. Of course I was game (duh!) and I suggested he get a few quotes. Being that this is "low season" for the RV-renting set, we got ourselves a killer deal on twenty-five feet of a rollin' home that will be our 'tenement on wheels' for the week of Christmas. Scott has been doing seasonal work for UPS to top up the cruising kitty, so the prospect of taking to the highway in a twenty-five footer isn't *as* intimidating since he's been driving a big brown truck ten hours a day. File all this under the hashtag "winning."

So there you have it, our little adventure before our big adventure. Packing up three small children and all associated accouterments for a week in a cold, snowy climate - over Christmas no less - is no small feat (another bonus for the tropics: less clothes!!!) even for us who try to be minimalistic with toys and gear, so, of course, I am making lists and checking them twice. It's a heck of a lot to organize but again, it will be good preparation and pruning for the big "pack up" back to the boat. Neither of us have ever done the RV thing before so it should be an adventure. Needless to say, we'll keep you posted (check in with us on Facebook for more frequent updates). We "ship out" on Tuesday morning! Yee-haw!

Clark: So, when did you get the tenement on wheels?
Eddie: Oh, that uh, that there's an RV. Yeah, yeah, I borrowed it off a buddy of mine. He took my house, I took the RV. It's a good looking vehicle, ain't it?
Clark: Yeah, it looks so nice parked in the driveway.
[Raises glass to his mouth]
Eddie: Yeah, it sure does. But, don't you go falling in love with it now, because, we're taking it with us when we leave here next month.
[Clark nearly chokes on his drink]

- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 

PLAN: Just Another Dirty Four Letter Word (but here's ours anyway)

The BVI's

I have alluded to many "plans" throughout this blog.  Some have come to fruition, some have not.  For most travelers (I don't believe this is limited to cruisers) plans are simply guidelines, something to aspire to so that we keep moving forward toward our goals.  It's nice to have plans - without them we are rudderless ships - but it is equally nice to be flexible with those plans because sometimes our greatest adventures happen when we allow ourselves the ability to "sail the wind we are in" so to speak.  Opportunity favors the bold, so it behoves us to take risks, live courageously and without fear.

So, we have a plan...

We're going back to the boat.  With three kids under three.

Bold? For sure. Insane?  Maybe.

Of course some of you will call us crazy/stupid/selfish...etc, but we think our "plan" is actually pretty good.  Heck, I'd even venture to call it a little conservative.  But then again, you're talking to a girl who moved to Tanzania, East Africa by herself when she was twenty-four.  Crazy and conservative are relative terms in my book.

But I digress...

Flights have been purchased for the entire family to fly down to the British Virgin Islands (BVI's) January 2015.  We have rented a condo at the boatyard where we will stay for two weeks while Scott recommissions s/v Asante.  My mom will be with us during that time (after this past winter, she is positively thrilled at the prospect of the tropics in January) so she will help me with the girls while Scott gets our boat ready to splash again.  Once the boat is a "go", we'll move aboard and spend the remainder of the season lazily cruising around the British Virgin Islands.  << This here, is the "conservative" part.

We are going to take baby steps.  After sailing with Isla for twenty months, we learned a thing or two about cruising with kids.  With her, it was pretty seamless and easy for us, but we also know that going from one to three kids is no joke (like, for real...no joke).  We will be outnumbered and that alone ups the ante on the difficulty scale, not to mention the twin factor which pretty much puts that ante up into orbit.  Any parent of multiples will agree, twins are a completely different ball of wax.  So when we were making this "plan", we took stock of what we learned with Isla, and are omitting the aspects of kid cruising that were the most difficult, namely (in no particular order):  1) really long passages 2) overnight passages and 3) rough weather.  Obviously we cannot control the weather, but the BVI's are relatively easy peasy sailing; no passages longer than 4-6 hours, no need for any overnights, and relatively protected waters where rough seas and the need to watch the weather are significantly less than elsewhere.  In fact, it's kind of like sailing in a (really expensive and very crowded) bathtub.  Kind of.  

While this plan is in no way "fool proof" or a guarantee that this transition will be smooth sailing (pun intended), we think that this will give us a good shot at actually enjoying ourselves on the boat instead of simply suffering through it.  With this plan we have options... If we find that we have a good handle on things, we can be more "adventurous" and head to the US Virgins and even the Spanish Virgins and Puerto Rico.  If we discover that short day sails are our max, in the BVI's we will stay.  Our girls will still benefit from the same gifts that a life aboard gave their big sister (intense family time, living with less, majority of wake time outside in nature...etc), but without the stress of passage making, overnights and rough sails.

"But you will be outnumbered!" you say.  Yes.  We will.  But what I have learned thus far with three kids is the fact that if you have two adults on duty, it's totally manageable.  While I can handle all three kids by myself (it is not easy, mind you, but do-able) - it is so much better with another adult so we can 'divide and conquer'.  The fact that Scott and I will be full-time parents while on the boat is exactly what makes this plan viable, which brings me to the next part...

For the foreseeable future, we plan to cruise only part-time meaning that when hurricane season comes around, we will return to the states.  There are several reasons for this:  1) our families are here and we want to see more of them 2) sitting more or less idle during hurricane season was never very fun for us 3) summertime in Chicago is amazing and...oh yeah...4) someone needs to work, and at the time being while I am basking in babies, that person is Scott.

While the captain's gig with Island Windjammers worked out great for us in the past, it is just not realistic for Scott to leave me for a month at a time alone on the boat with three kids under three while he honor his rotation.  Being a single boat mom to one child was totally do-able, but three babies?  No thank you.  So we are putting our ducks in a row so that we can come home and make money during the summers and then cruise/travel as a complete family unit during the winters.  

So there you have it.  The "plan" as it exists right now.  Obviously all of this is subject to change and there are lots of things to figure out (namely our sleeping arrangement for a family of five in a two cabin boat), but for now it feels really good to know we will be heading south for the winter.  It's all about baby steps over here, in so many ways.

>>>>Below are some pics of our last time in the BVIs when Isla was about 13 months <<<<

There are actually PARKS for kids in the BVI's (these are as rare as unicorns in the islands, fyi!)

Swimming off the back of the boat is always fun

There are LOTS of little ones in the BVI's too, which is a big plus (also note: tropical slushy rum drink in mom's hand) 

Dinghy rides! 

Cane Garden Bay was one of our favorites 

Swimming in the bubbly pool

Boat baby :) 

Exploring the Baths

Leary of a squall on the horizon