Flying to/from Cancun

Our kids are excellent travelers and traveling by plane is their favorite. We prefer trips where we don't have to bring the car seats though. Our car seats are made for travel and fold up. They are reasonably easy to get on and off the plane, but traveling without them is much easier. Our trip to Cancun didn't include renting a car so we didn't need car seats. We used our favorite CARES harness so the kids were still in a full harness, not just the airplane seat belt.

We love the CARES harnesses.

We did have a bit of trouble at the Cancun airport on the way home. They have this mascot walking around. He/She is a tequila bottle with reminders in English and Spanish reminding you to check anything over 3oz of liquid. My kids saw the mascot and became excited. They asked us what its name is so we told them "tequila" and snickered. Then the kids started saying, "Come back Tequila! We want to see more Tequila!" Everyone around us was laughing.

Tequila!

I did have to explain this entire episode to the kids' teachers. Kids often say things that are strange out of context, but asking for more tequila really deserved a little warning.

Resort Restaurants

The resort had a few different reservation only dinner restaurants. We tried the Italian one that had great reviews on Trip Adviser and weren't impressed. The next night we decided to try the Spanish one. We were in Mexico after all!

The restaurant was truly Spanish, i.e. food/decor from Spain. It was one of the best experiences we had at the resort. The food was great and the staff was outstanding.

 

First, they brought out hats for our kids to try on and play with. I should note we had the only kids in the entire place and they were exceptionally well behaved.

Then they brought out the best table game ever. A lime with a napkin on top. The corners of the napkins are twisted and it forms a shell over the lime. The waiter sat it down and gave it a little push. It waddles across the table and made everyone laugh. They let each child play with one. Such a simple idea, but it kept the kids entertained while we waited for the food to be prepared.

 

Even after bringing the food, the staff continued to offer special attention to our kids. They brought out shot glasses filled with something clear. The kids seemed nervous, but took a cautious sip. Then they were hooked and finished drinking the rest of the shot. It was Sprite, for those who are wondering. It was the first time either of our kids tasted Sprite. They now refer to Sprite as "an adult drink" which does cause some interesting conversations, but I like the concept. haha

At one point Sweet Daughter dropped her shot glass on the floor. It shattered and she was upset. The staff rushed over to clean it up, apologizing for giving her glass. I was apologizing for her dropping it. She was just upset and thought she was in trouble. We all assured her she wasn't in trouble. There is a reason we don't give glass to 3 year olds.

Exploring our Resort

During the Cancun trip we stayed at the resort next door to the one the rest of the family was staying at. This gave us a chance to explore both hotels and see the differences. Ours was rated higher and we enjoyed the restaurants more (come back on Thursday to read that post). Theirs had the kids' club and a playground.

The kids' club was not impressive and we wanted to keep the kids with us anyway. (I walked in and walked around the room and the worker didn't look up or acknowledge me in any way. There were no other kids there at the time.) We did play on the playground a few times during the trip though. It would have been nice to have something like this at our resort, but it was just a short walk between the two.

Across from the resorts was a small mall. Most of the stores were closed or empty. The kids found this frog and we had to stop and take a photo. Sweet Son is wearing "frog green" and Sweet Daughter is wearing an outfit with a frog on it. We did find one store that had some wooden 3D puzzles and the kids each picked out one to bring home. He picked a shark and she picked a princess. The sales woman suggested she pick a princess with lighter skin to match her own and Sweet Daughter refused. Such a simple thing, but I'm thrilled that Sweet Daughter didn't judge based on the color of the skin.

Playing in the Ocean

We spent some time every day playing in the ocean. It was colder than the pools, but it's a much different experience feeling the waves and sand rather than just sitting in a pool.

The water was clear and beautiful. You can't not love the private Cancun beaches.

Sweet Daughter is riding on her Aunt's back. Sweet Son is riding on his Uncle's back. Not to be left out of the fun, Wonderful Husband jumped on my back. You know, in case I might get used to not having someone attached to me at all times. haha

Resort Pools

The infinity pool was warm and had a great view. We spent time in it every day and never regretted a moment of it.

 The four of us looking out at the ocean.

The 8 of us enjoying the water.

This side of the pool had a large ledge so the kids could crawl/swim around on their own.

Here is a wider picture of the same ledge on the pool.

After the first day playing in this pool, Sweet Daughter declared it was her pool. She was kind enough to share with everyone, but she kept asking to go back to "my pool" and we couldn't convince her that any of the other numerous pools at either resort were as good as this one.

Family Vacation in Cancun

With family spread across the continent, we try to meet up with Wonderful Husband's family at least once a year. This time we agreed to go to an all inclusive in Cancun. Then something came up so that the four of us wouldn't be able to go. At the very last minute we were able to join them for a shorter trip, but their resort was booked. We booked the resort next door which was owned by the same company.

 The 8 of us together for the first time in more than a year.

While everyone else had already been there for a few days, we had just arrived at our resort when this photo was taken. Most people would comment on how tanned they are and how white we are, but to be honest, this is how we looked when we left as well. Some of us take sunscreen more seriously than others.

The kids enjoyed relaxing while waiting on the elevator.

Our room had two beds, a couch, and a stocked bar. When the kids would go to bed early, I would hang out reading and order room service. Wonderful Husband got a few extra hours with his family and we were all happy and relaxed. It was actually my first time ever ordering room service at a hotel. I felt fancy. haha

Walking to breakfast

We ate breakfast at our resort since the kids woke up earlier than anyone else wanted. Lunch we would eat at the other resort with the full family. For dinner we would make reservations and eat at a more formal restaurant.

Headed to dinner

We took this photo at least a dozen times and this was the best we could do. If you sat in any of those chairs in the lobby, someone would come by and give you a drink. If you didn't like what they were offering, they were happy to go get what you wanted and bring it back. I could get used to that, yet when I came home no one offered me a drink. In fact, when we got home they expected me to cook and clean and there was no pool, much less an infinity pool. You know what that means... time to start planning another vacation.