Beach Baby

When I was little my parents didn't have tons of disposable income, so we never really went on any extravagant vacations.  I honestly could have cared less, at 3-8 years old it didn't take much to impress me.  Year after year we went to the same hotel at the same beach and I loved every minute of it. Mornings at the beach, afternoons in the pool, and evenings on the boardwalk. My parents were probably bored out of their skull with the monotony of my daily wishes, who really wants to watch their kids swim in an indoor pool for 3 hours?  But they would indulge me by playing Marco Polo, doing swim races (can't tell you how many times I kicked my dad in the face), and whatever made-up games I could imagine.

We could only afford to go for a few days, but I was always over the moon.

As I got older, my parents financial situation improved, and our vacations increased in length.  We still always went to the same place. We walked the same streets and boardwalk, played the same games, rode the same rides (with the exception of a new one every few years), ate at the same places, fed the same angry aggressive geese (which I was scared of, but still insisted on going to see).  These places became such a part of me. Some of my best memories are from those vacations. I remember so vividly the sounds, sights, and smells. I always dreamed of the day when I would be able to have my own family, and do the same things.

As I got older, our family situation began to change, life changed, vacation changed. Every summer I still thought of my favorite beach. Even though the family that used to drive 2 hours listening to The Beach Boys on repeat, wasn't what it used to be, I still clung to those wonderful moments that I had been blessed with. 

*****

My birthday was this weekend, and so last minute the husband suggested we head to my favorite place for a few days to relax and celebrate.

The weather was perfect, and little G soaked up every minute of everything we did.  The poor kid was so pooped at the end of each day. He played in the sand, and jumped over waves with Dad (his new favorite game). He got to walk on the boardwalk, play a few games (he is still too little for most of them), swim in the hotel pool, eat ice cream (which we don't do at home), and stay up late.  One of his favorite things was playing with the mini fridge in the hotel room (doesn't take much for an almost 2 year old).

I could look in his eyes and just see him taking it all in.  Every sound, smell, and sight. It was like a dream for me. On our last morning, we went to breakfast at my favorite little breakfast/ice cream parlor.  A man and woman were sitting behind G, and he kept turning around to say hi (pretty sure he's going to be a politician when he grows up the way he says hi and waves to everyone).  The woman turned to talk to him (she also said she had 3 older boys, and wanted to steal G because she missed having a little boy around), she was really sweet to him.  We chatted for a few minutes, and she turned to go back to her meal. Before she did she looked at our little family, and at me and said "You are so blessed".  I looked at my table and said quietly, "I know". I went back to my pancakes (a special birthday treat), and tried my hardest not to cry.  Being pregnant, I cry pretty easily these days, but I'm pretty sure I would have teared up even if I wasn't.