Going to the beach Ain't what it used to be...

A friend of mine went to the beach this weekend for their 6th wedding anniversary; leaving their 4 children at home. Just she and the hubby off to enjoy a much needed weekend just the two of them.
This got me thinking... you know what happens when I think! a blog.
We took the kids to the beach for Memorial Day. I love the beach and I enjoy my children but I don't very much enjoy my children and the beach together.
Now, I have come to terms with the fact the going to the beach now that I am a parent is never going to be the same but I can still reminisce about the good ole' days just me and the stud muffin boyfriend (who is now the father of my darling devils)catching some rays, skim boarding, taking a nap on the sand, long walks... we used to bring two towels, two water bottles, a skim board and tanning spray and stay from sun up to sun down. We used to go to the beach every weekend in the summer time. Bikinis and board shorts, flip flops and a football... what fun!
Now, we have to pack what feels like an entire bedroom for a day long trip that involves lots of work! Once we arrive at the beach it is sunscreen, buckets, shovels, towels, umbrellas, snacks, plenty of bottled water... then there is no laying on a towel to tan (who wants to wear a bikini anymore anyway, the zebra print bikini is now a dark forest green tankini!), it is chasing babies around the sand, filling up buckets of water, building sand castles, preparing sippy cups and continually rinsing them from the sand that they are dropped in. I remember how I hated to get sand on my legs, you know it totally messes up your tan. Now I feel like I am covered in sand. I plop right now in the sand with my 'tankini' and dig in the dirt with my little ones. We have made some amazing sand castles. Last time Tony dug a fort for the kids to play in. It was a big whole with dirt mounded up on the outside so when the waves came it wouldn't splash onto the kids.

If you would have told me 9 years ago that I would be sitting in a muddy sand fort with a little boy splashing mud in my hair and a little girl feeding me mud cake I would NOT have believed you. Now, I love my little darlings but going to the beach is a far cry from what it used to be.
I hope my friend and her husband had a great weekend, laying on the beach and drinking margaritas.. but yes, today it is back to work and back home with her 4 children under age 6!! AHH!! Talk about a much needed break.
Hope you had a good time girl!