First Family Beach Trip

We had our first family beach trip this month, to Myrtle Beach, SC. It was incredible just to watch the boys frolic on the beach.

The second we arrived we were so excited to let the boys see the ocean that we piled out of the car and immediately ran out onto the beach fully clothed – no bathing suits, no towels, no cameras, NOTHING. I wish I had pictures. I’ll never forget it – the tide was low and the beach stretched forever. The late afternoon sun made everything glow, and the slight crisp chill in the salty air kept most other people off the beach, so we had it all to ourselves. It took about 2 minutes for the boys’ little matching polo shirts and khakis to be covered with sand . Cole was fearless. We rolled up his pant legs to mid-calf so he could wade in the surf with us. Silly us. Next thing we knew he was up to mid-thigh in freezing cold water, pants sopping wet, just laughing. And then next thing we knew the tide pulled at his feet and he tripped and fell into the shallow water, completely soaking himself and laughing hysterically the whole time. He is a maniac.

The next day we were more prepared – with matching bathing suits and camera charged and ready. I took a zillion pictures, ‘cause there’s nothing cuter than babies on the beach… especially MY babies. I’ve done a lot of things that I’m proud of in my life, but the pride I got as I watched Cole and Graham frolic and had people stop to watch them too and tell me how cute they are is a different kind of pride… not pride in anything I did or earned, but pride in the incredible gift I was given in each of my baby boys. Any idiot can be a parent, but every parent hopefully will see their children as the miraculous gifts they are. There was something about watching them run (and crawl) on the beach that made me feel so lucky to be their mama.

Even though it was a little chilly and windy, we managed to get the kids on the beach every day. They loved it.

Graham loved eating the sand, eating shells, eating seaweed. When his hands weren’t shoving something he wasn’t supposed to into his mouth, he was digging. He really loved digging holes and then splish-splashing in the mucky wet sand. Graham utimately got pissed at the surf because it kept hitting him with cold waves while he was trying to play. The first few times the waves got him he was okay, but once he realized how cold these surges of water were, he wanted to be no where near them and cried for me to carry him when we were down by the water.

The little man sure did work up an appetite. This trip marked the first time that Graham ate more than Cole at meals. He’d sit in the high chair for an eternity and eat second and third servings, then when Cole didn’t finish his food, he’d eat whatever was left on Cole’s plate. Can’t wait to see what percentile he falls into at his one year weigh-in!

Cole, always wanting to be like Mama and Dada, commandeered our beach shoes when we took them off, and did a surprisingly good job of walking in adult-sized flip-flops. So I bought him his very own first pair of toddler flip-flops. They are the most impractical purchase ever, because they don’t stay on his feet too well and he is continually giving me his trademark "I need heeelp" when he wants my assistance putting them back on. But he was so proud to wear them each time we walked to the beach that is was worth it.

The most endearing thing Cole did the whole trip was randomly and without solicitation start belting out "My Wish." I do sing this song to him sometimes, because it is the perfect parent-to-child song, and I guess he's been paying attention. One night while everyone was hanging out, Cole just sang out the first line, "My Wish...."

Dan and I weren't sure what we heard, and we looked at each other and looked at him, and then he belted out the second phrase, "For You...."

Then there was a pause and he started humming the rest of the melody. The song brings tears to my eyes as it is, but imagine hearing your little 2 year old sing it... now THAT's a tear jerker. I need to fire up the video camera and capture it, because it is priceless.

All-in-all it was a great trip. It’s amazing how different "vacations" are when you’re the mommy. I was so busy every day that at night I’d have one drink and pass out. We went with our good friends the Mednicks, who also have a 16-month-old, Ian, and we didn’t end up getting as much adult time with them as we’d hoped. But the daddies at least managed to golf and the mommies managed to squeeze in a massage.

Most of the time we were chasing, dressing, feeding, watching or cleaning up after our beach babies. The memories on this kind of vacation, though, are so much more poignant to me. I’d choose this kind of a vacation over a lazy one every time.

Even Dan did his part to make special memories, doing things that are usually completely out of character for him, like letting me dress him all matchy-matchy with his boys, and then letting me take multiple pictures of them.

I love ALL my boys! I can't wait until our next adventure.