Last night before the voyage I was super anxious; snapping at Mark, stressing about getting the kids to bed early so I could get all the chores done and shower AND pack. Mark had to make me take a 5 min break I was so wired. So it ended up that this morning I was rushing around printing education stuff for the voyage, packing and showering. I said goodbye to Mark and the kids as they headed off to the ferry and got ready. As I walked around to the Spirit I gave myself a little pep talk about what to get out of this voyage. I looked around but there was no crew yet and my anxiety set back in as the first crew member I saw was an unfamiliar face and then another. Could I do this alone? Soon the regular faces showed up and we began simple introductory chat of who we were and why we were here. I got a bit choked up explaining how hard this voyage was going to be for me without Adam as my watch leader, boson, first officer... whatever. The fact was he was not doing to be there, and not because he was off at school.
Once the students arrived and we got through all the introductory stuff and headed underway I felt more relaxed and I had plenty to keep my mind busy. All in all, a great first day with an exceptional group of girls (although I may be a little biased because I taught them when they were in M1 2 years ago!)
Spoke to Mark and the kids (well Marley anyway) before I finished up work as the educator for the night and his play by play of the day sounded about as normal as my days at home are. He is not off completely but he is being Super Dad of the Year for the week. It started with a BBM pic from one of the mommas in my BBM mommas group who bumped into him and the kids on the ferry this morning. Her caption was Dad of the Year! He dropped the kids to Nana who met him at the ferry in town and then they all headed off on their own ways; Marley to school with Jacob and Nana and then Mark back on the ferry back to work. Tonight he caught the ferry from Dockyard and picked the kids up in town again from Nana and then headed back to Watford Bridge. Since he left from Dockyard he had to walk back from Watford Bridge (about a 25 min walk) He had planned it that way and way excited for the wind down time with the kids (much like my morning walks are with them). However Mark is the kind of person who never wants help from anyone but EVERYONE wants to help him. So as he was walking to of our friends from Dockyard who were traveling in the opposite direction turned their cars around to take him, the kids, and the jogger stroller back home to Dockyard. I can just imagine him there at the side of the road with not one but two cars lined up behind him begging him to get it. His play by play of the encounter is much funnier but he was thankful for our generous neighbours as the sun was getting low and Marley was refusing the skateboard ride which makes a walk like that twice as long. They sound good and don't seem like they miss me such yet. Although one sweet thing that Mark told me about when they were coming in on the ferry (they passed Spirit that is anchored just off Watford Bridge) Marley told a lady without any prompting as they approached "My mommies there on the Spirit ship!" The lady conversed with her some more and asked Mark how old our shining daughter was... he replied with a proud "3" and she said how she felt like she was talking to an adult! Bless them, love them. Will post pictures when I get home on Friday.
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