Anyone who knows me knows how much I love and look forward to my family’s beach vacation to Sea Isle New Jersey every year. My family has spent a week at the beach together as long as I can remember, and I cherish this time together. In the past this vacation was spent with my butt in a chair on the beach. I would read, chat, listen to the ocean and just relax. Once I had a kid that ALL changed! Although our little man came last year on the trip, nothing was like this years vacation. This year I had a little boy with constant energy, who has a mind of his own. By giving up pure relaxation I got to see my favorite vacation through my sons eyes, and it was completely fantastic.

Even though we live by the beach, this trip marked our first trip to the beach this year. That means, even though my son was at the beach last year, it was like we had never been before because lets face it….a 19 month old does not remember what they did at 7 months! So the first thing he did was throw himself into the sand. My son has no fear of getting dirty and loved every second in the rolling in the wet sand and making an absolute mess of himself.

Even though he loved the beach, we had a bit of trouble the first few days with his schedule. I’m not sure what it is, but he decided to jump back into two naps. It could’ve been he was still recovering from the week before when he was sick. It could’ve been that so much stimulation exhausted him. And it could’ve been a ton of other things but either way…for this mom who loves a schedule…we didn’t have one. So I did my best at “rolling with it”, and the little guy slept under a tent on the beach or in his stroller when he got tired in the AM for the first few days.

I know it’s hard to keep to a schedule on vacation, but I know how much better both Christian and I behave when he gets his naps. Those that know him know that he is a very pleasant boy if he is well rested, and fed. Those are my goals during the day, and even though this particular vacation allowed for me to keep to my schedule more than any other….the little guy had different plans. What am I to do?

Luckily I had a lot of help during the week with everyone in my family all wanting to shower Christian with attention, but since he is going through a bit of  “ma ma” phase, I was on call most of the day. That meant my butt didn’t see much of my beach chair. It’s all good though. I would sit my behind in a sandy "uncle made” pool on the beach any day to watch the joy in his eyes. I would roll in the sand in the shallow end of the waves to just watch him laugh every time he got knocked down. Thank goodness I like the beach because I am not sure how mom’s who don’t take their toddlers to the beach. Maybe pass on the play time to dad?

Now, the week I look forward to all year is over. It was such an adventure! I never thought I would describe my beach vacation that way, but it truly was. An adventure filled with sand, ocean, rocks and kites. My little man is all boy, and we all live in his world.