Have you missed me? Did you think I abandoned you? Haven’t noticed? No worries… we’re on VACATION and believe you me, good times are totally being had…. in a condo without Wi-Fi.
So, while I cannot come to Panera every day on vacation to update Mommy’s Still Fabulous, I thought it would be great to offer a glimpse into what our days are like with a 15-month-old on the beach.
Single ladies/girls without tots: Consider yourself warned.
I am a beach girl. I love the sun, surf and sand. I could literally stay at the beach all day, every day all summer. As long as I am armed with a good book, of course.
But this summer, we took two beach trips with the baby. And, as you can imagine, it’s been different… and difficult at times. If I didn’t have the abundant supply of helpers (i.e. friends and family) I don’t think – no, I know I could not do it alone.
Day at the Beach Before/After Baby
Before the Baby, this is what I brought to the beach:
After the baby I bring:
The cabana, not the family...
I wish I could say I didn’t need all this stuff, and that I’ve since pared down what I bring to the beach, but this is the pared down version.
Before the baby, I would get to the beach by 10 am. Oil myself up. Lay in the sand reading a magazine, or listening to the waves. I’ve run in the water when I got too hot… or had to pee… and I would play all day in the sun. Departure time? 4pm.
After the baby, I manage to get out of the house by 10:30. Trek to the beach. Chase a crawling toddler on the hot sand. Keep her from bothering other beachgoers. Bring her to the water.
Fear the waves will magically take her out of my arms and to sea, so decide to sweat it out on the hot sand away from the water.
Set up cabana. Try to keep baby in cabana out of sun. Put baby on chair. Get baby under umbrella. Stack toys under umbrella.
Try to keep baby from eating sand. Keep sand out of baby’s eyes. Keep sand out of baby’s mouth.
Get buckets of water for baby. Clean snot from baby. Reapply sunscreen.Reapply sunscreen. Fix sun hat.
Feed Goldfish. Stop from whining. Tickle. Dump sand. Dump water. Get more water from the ocean. Burn feet on way to water.
More crying. 11:30. Time to leave.
Clean toys. Clean baby. Break down cabana. Locate flip flops.
Wash off baby. Get sunscreen from out of eyes. Fold up chair. Sweat. Curse. Shower. Bathe. Remove sand from diaper. Remove baby from suit.
Breathe in the air conditioning.
Yes, friends… Before Baby is certainly different from After Baby… but you know what? It’s totally worth it.
Tomorrow, however, we will be a the pool.
See you next week!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I clearly need to start appreciating my single trips to the beach more.
Oh how I feel for you! Two years ago we did a beach vacay and while it was fun, it was so stressful at times. The three year old was constantly running to the water.
Oh and sunburn. I was under constant fear of the kids getting sunburned. If they were to get sunburned it meant I had destined them for a life of skin cancer. (this is one of the downsides to having a dermatologist in the family)
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No Wi-Fi?! Is there at least rum punch???
on our beach vacays, i make hubby stay w the baby in the house and i enjoy aforementioned alone time at the beach, at least for a little bit!
harmskills´s last blog ..Its Vacation Time
So funny and so true. I remember i used to wonder why on earth I bothered bringing a chair for myself when my ass never spent a moment sitting in it.
The first time we took our son to the beach was also our last, now that I think about it. He gagged on the sand he was eating and he had sandy poop for the next two days. But he did look adorable in his beach attire so…worth it sort of.
I just had to laugh at this post because I have totally been there. I too feel that the pool is the way to go.
Oh and have a great vacations
Oh, I can totally relate! It does get better as they get a little older, but it’s not going to be relaxing again for years, I don’t think. Unless I can go to the beach by myself….
It is crazy how much more stuff you have to bring when you have kids. We went camping overnight and our entire minivan was stuffed to capacity!! Things are alot funner with them around though!
I appreciate all cautionary mommy tales. I consider it to be part of my pre-training. Enjoy that pool! Hopefully that will be easier.
I agree the fun cancels out the stress. I took my daughter to the Maldives when she was 4 months and we had a blast. I guess it also because my parents and brother were with us (poor hubby had to work while we frolicked on an island for 2 weeks).
When she was one we went to a beach resort on the Coromandel coast and it was even better.
Not that you need one more thing to pack…but we always took a small baby pool with us (you can blow it up once you get down there) and filled it with buckets of sea water. My girls loved it and it kept them contained and under the umbrella…for a while anyway