Beach Bum No More

Beach Vacation Before Kids
Voluntarily, wake up early, go for run on boardwalk, come home and get ready for the beach.
Bring towels, beach tag, chair, and some books/magazines.
Arrive at beach by 9:30.
Except for some lunch on the boardwalk, spend all day lounging, taking at least one long walk, sleeping, relaxing and READING!
Leave beach around 6 PM.

Beach Vacation with 3 little ones.
Wake up early to cries of a little one (or 2)
If another adult is around and awake, go run on the boardwalk.
Come home and get ready for the beach.
Find dry bathing suits to dress kids. Attempt to apply sunscreen on all three children because doing it on a sandy beach is nearly impossible. Chase 2 year old through house as he screams NO at the top of his lungs as you try to smear lotion on his body.
Make sandwiches for everyone, pack drinks, make bottles, gather swim diapers and regular diapers, plus an extra pair of clothes for everyone just in case they're needed.
By the time all this is done, it's now naptime for the toddler who was up late the night before and the 5 year old is now hungry and begs to eat his sandwich early. Let toddler sleep and 5 year old eat or bring crabby children to the beach.
Gather beach toys, large sheet, umbrella, beach chair, towels, beach tags and load everyone in the car or make long walk to the beach, balancing everything.
While on beach, keep baby from grabbing and eating sand, watch 5 year old do dolphin dives in frozen salty water while witnessing 2 year old pile handsful of wet sand on his head. Guard sandy sandwiches as children eat to stop seagulls from snatching the food directly from their hands. Keep 2 year old from running onto everyone's towels while preventing 5 year old from chasing wind-blown soccer ball 1/2 mile down the beach while keeping infant in shade. Admire 2 and 5 year old's interest in jelly fish without screaming while they lick the clear blobs, as baby sleeps under umbrella.
Absolutely no relaxing, reading or sleeping.
After 2 to 3 hours of playing watch dog, find all buckets and shovels strung out in sand, rinse all items, try to clean sticky sand off 2 year old who screams bloody murder as you force him in the ocean. Try not to get completely annoyed as 5 year old runs to water for the 3rd time to wash off sand, only to run back into the dry sand, and plop entire body down in it in order to put on shoes. Drag tired, crabby, hot, sandy kids back to the house for baths, dinner and maybe a night of rides on the boardwalk.

THANKFULLY I've been blessed with a wonderful family who helped out a lot. So I was not alone. Between my mom, dad, sister, and various aunts, uncles and cousins, I had some assistance with my little beach beasts! I still couldn't relax, read, or sleep. But the days were doable, and I was able to chat and enjoy the weather without pulling my hair out in complete frustration.

It will be quite a few years before I can be a Beach Bum again in Ocean City, NJ. But it's still fun with the kiddos, and I look forward to the annual summer visits with as much anticipation as always.