Vacation - an extended period of recreation, especially one spent away from home, traveling

Vacation with Kids - a trip to a different city, but with the same responsibilities as home

Now that we are unpacked from our most recent beach vacation, I can honestly admit that this trip was the first with kids that was enjoyable, entertaining, and downright “easy.” Don’t get me wrong – I love my kids to pieces – but a beach vacation with them seems to be more work than pleasure. It wasn’t all unicorns and roses this year, but we didn’t have to navigate sleep schedules, highchairs, or pull-ups. Now that we have officially left the baby/toddler phase of parenting and entered the school-age kid phase, beach vacations have entered a new phase as well.

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane about vacations then and now:

Then: You got an average of 3 hours of beach time each day due to nap schedules and the fact the your toddler hated touching the sand.

Now: You go in for a quick bite to eat for lunch, but spend the majority of the day at the beach (and also the pool).

Then: You never got to see the sunset at Sunset Grille because your kids’ bedtimes happened before sunset.

Now: Sunset Grille definitely lives up to it’s name!

Then: You packed every piece of baby equipment in your house and transported it to the beach. You barely had room for your chairs and towels.

Now: Beach tent – check, beach chairs – check, giant cooler – check. Wow, there is still a ton of room left in the back of the car!

Then: It took more effort to go down to the beach than it was worth.

Now: Once you set up the beach tent and area, you are good to go for the week!

This last trip was so much fun. We played mini-golf, rode go-karts, swam, went crabbing, fished, stayed up late, and watched an outdoor movie. I didn’t have to worry about nap times or baby food or sand-hating toddlers. While I cherish those days and memories of my two as little bits, I sure enjoy this new phase and the perks that come with it! Take a look at the pictures from our first versus most recent beach trips.

So much has changed, but the best parts have remained the same!

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