Vacation.

Nick and I really aren't "beach" people (we didn't even go to a beach on our honeymoon like everyone else I know), but we went to the beach again this year.  It is "work" for Nick, but we also use it as an opportunity for a family vacation.  Before you start feeling sorry for "poor Nick" it isn't really "work".  Nick goes to "class" from 8-12 M-W.  At class, he gets food, drinks and cool freebies (this year he had a bag full).  So, while he went to class Shayleigh and Mommy had fun. We went swimming and hung around the condo waiting for Nick to get out of class so we could go to the beach. (I'm not brave enough to try the beach with a fair skinned toddler and all the supplies needed to make sure she doesn't get burned...) Shayleigh LOVES the water. She is absolutely fearless when it comes to water (which is scary) and has been since the first day she was put in the pool. I bought her a puddle jumper this year and taught her to kick and now she can swim back and forth to mommy and daddy. SUPER cute!  Unlike her parents, she was a huge fan of the beach- especially the sand. I was prepared with a TON of sand toys. Most of them went unused, but I am happy to report that the bucket and some of the 12 million shovels were used. It was sooooo nice to get away as a family and just relax. We had absolutely no plans (which really kinda drives me crazy), but is nice every once in a while. I hope ya'll have been able to take some kind of vacation. It sure makes "real life" so much easier to handle after a few days away!!

Nikki