The Fresh Salt Air

The sunshine and salt air just transforms me and my family. Each year we make our way to Cape Cod for a family vacation. Big Daddy and I started going there 6 years ago and have been back every year except one. My parents have fallen in love with this tradition and have kept our family vacation alive by renting a big beach house so that we can join them. (THANK YOU mom and dad!!).

When I was in my early 20's I scoffed at the lack of creativity shown by boring old people who would habitually return to the same damn place every year. Now I delight in the simplicity of the 'same damn place' every year. All I really want is the beach and salt air. When the best kid beach ever has been found, why shake that treasure up? Because so much of the time, life with kids is unpredictable, it is nice to at least be familiar with the destination.

Both of my kids are May babies. When we return each August we can really take a step back and look at how much they have grown.

Last year, Man Puppy was weeks old and the two of us suffered in 100+ degree heat and humidity. We spent a lot of time in a cold bath with a fan pointed at us. He was also recovering from a bout of thrush and had a bright purple face from being treated with gentian violet.

This year he was thumping his big Man Puppy feet up and down the wooden floors of the beach house. He was diving into the salt water with the unbridled joy of a toddler without fear. He would cry as we carried his shivering self up to our spot in the sun to warm him back up as his purple bottom lip trembled in sorrow at being pulled from the cold waves.

Diva Child is now more cautious at the ripe old age of 3. She is less fearless of the rolling waves and wily seaweed. She was preoccupied with the existence of jellyfish (I didn't see one while we were there). She enjoyed clinging to me or Big Daddy in the water so long as we promised not to let go and put her down in the water for her feet to touch the pebbly sand.

There were great times visiting with our Natty Uncle from the Mountains. Diva Child was smitten with his head full of dread locks and charming smile.

Man Puppy was 15 months going on 17 as he sat side by side with 'Antz' as he has taken to calling Natty Uncle from the Mountains. He took big giant baby gulps of Uncle's Vitamin Water...he was throwing high fives in a way that was less baby and more teenage boy than I could take!

At the end of the week I am always exhausted by the whole wonderful experience. There is sand that will stay in my car until next year when we return. I have a pile of salty sandy towels waiting for me to shake out and wash. Despite all the work the beach creates, I always return home deeply refreshed.