Can I just say, "I love the beach." For more reasons than I can count or even understand, I am simply drawn to the water. As a kid we would load up the Plymouth Horizon with luggage, spam, Phisoderm, and towels headed for a week of paradise at Pensacola Beach. Each trip we came home with some type of rotting sea creature (usually a starfish), 2nd degree sunburns, and a major entry into the scrapbook of life.
Fast forward 25 years and little has changed. The beach is just as magical as ever. The water is just as emerald, the sand just as white, and the sunsets just as magnificent. But, the magic of a trip like this is watching your kids have the time of their life.
Dylan (age 7)- He is a fish. He spent hours with a pair of goggles face down scouring the bottom of the sea for aquatic life. Every few minutes he would pull up his net which had captured a fish and brought it to shore, showing whoever showed the slightest interest in his personal "Discovery Channel Documentary."
Micah (age 4)- Water? Not so much. Girls? Oh yeah. While Dylan was pulling off a good Steve Irwin, Micah was on shore building sand castles and attracting the girls. It was crazy but every time we turned around Micah was encircled with these little girls who were watching him build castles, listening to him talk about Dylan's fish, and feeding him grapes.
Lily (age 2.5 months)- What a princess. There were a few things that happened on this trip that may turn out to be classic Lily. First, she and I bonded. My younger sister Rebecca went with us on the trip and made mention that Lily cried each time I held her. (I don't think that is actually the case, but I took it as a challenge). We spent some major time talking about life, singing John Denver tunes, and eating Olive Garden's chocolate mints (don't tell her mom). Second, she hates being wet or dirty. And, when I say hate.... I mean HATE. She also doesn't care for riding in the back seat of a car for four hours either. We tried every trick in the book to get her to settle down and only one thing worked. We skimmed through our music selection and came across a techno version of "Kiss the Girl" from the Disney classic Little Mermaid. As soon as the beat started she would get quiet and listen to the entire song. But, as the song ended and the BeeGee's came on with Stayin' Alive she commenced to her screaming fit. (Come to think of it, when the BeeGee's started we all went into a screaming fit.)
Shauna (age 29?) - loved the waves. Looks as good as ever. Made a lot of people on the beach very angry when they found out she had a baby less than three months ago.
Me (age 34) - enjoyed life. Especially enjoyed throwing pistachio shells off the seventh floor at the little man in the speedo sitting in the hot tub.
Vacations serve a purpose that goes beyond taking a break. It is about forging memories with the ones you love, in an environment that doesn't seem possible in the routine of life. For those few days they are the center of your attention and affection. I know they don't understand the value of eating spam sandwiches in a hotel, suffering through sunburned feet, and the joy of sand in every crack and crevice of your body... but, someday they will.... they will.
