Vacation?

I plan on writing about my vacation and posting some pictures, but first I want to talk about the whole idea of vacation. . . with a one-year-old.

Does it really count as a vacation?

I spent half of my week at the beach slathering the spf on my little guy (he has really good olive skin but I was still worried about burns) and carting a ton of junk to and from the beach. Not only was I flying solo because my dear hubby couldn't take time off from work, but I have the most rambunctious one-year-old on the planet. He was not afraid of the water at all. As soon as I set him down on the beach he took off towards the ocean. And I chased him. I probably could have lost five pounds while I was away had ice cream not been served for desert every night :).

So here are my tips on how to make vacationing with young children a bit easier:

1. Plan ahead-make sure you bring everything you think you could possibly need. Don't be afraid to over pack. Kids to better when they are in familiar surroundings so don't be afraid to bring a ton of their stuff.
2. Relax-don't spend too much time worrying about the baby eating sand or making sure you get the perfect tan. It is a vacation, you are supposed to have fun, but at the same time life is different now, you will be playing more than sun bathing.
3. Let people help-I am lucky enough to have a wonderful Aunt Jodie who was dying to spend a day with my son, so while she played grandma (she has four children, but not any grandchildren *ahem*), I drank some mommy juice, worked on my tan and conversed with my dear cousins.
4. Safety 1st-don't forget that you are in an unfamiliar place for your child, always be on the lookout (much more than you are at home where everything is baby proof and you know what is safe/not safe). This might not be the time to read your new book, wait until the little ones go down for the night.
5. Have fun-Remember, you're on vacation. Have fun, relax and enjoy yourself!