We swam. We played in the sand. We soaked up the sun.

The boys’ first trip to the beach was an anomaly as we would later find out, but the first day was full of smiles as these boys scampered along the beach clutching their shovels and falling head over heels only to return with their faces caked with sand. I’m not sure I would recommend bringing a 15-month old to the beach. They still suck on their fingers and are challenged at deciphering between food and non-food. Not a good combination when it comes to the beach. I think they ate more sand than they played with. Taylor tried to munch on a shell and, on several occasions, they literally sucked the sand off their fingers. We would bring them home with their diapers filled with sand and sleepiness in their eyes. Oh the trials of packing up sand-coated toddlers. But with a pool back home, it was easy to give them a quick dunk and cart them off for nap time.

Later in the week we would travel to the beach again. If it wasn't for the loud surf, our twins might have distracted the competing surfers with their high screeches and their long, energy-draining cries. In fact, the surf was so loud that Troy was oblivious to the sounds of my struggles at keeping two crazy boys…well, not crazy. At least, that was the story when he returned to the beach to provide a helping hand. (A big thanks to the wonderful lady who jumped at the chance to flag him in. I think she felt sorry for me.)

On some levels, it seemed as if the boys had completely forgotten how fun the beach can really be. Benjamin was refusing to touch the sand with his hands. He would fumble around in a sitting position, hands in the air, as he tried to figure out how to master the art of standing without touching the ground. All attempts ended with a fall; face first, into a nice mound of sand.

Taylor was a wild card. One second smiling and laughing, the next second clinging to your leg for dear life. We did get some giggles out of the kid as we played keep away from the ice-cold, rolling waves. But every toddler has their limit and once you see the crash coming, it is important to make your getaway as quickly as possible. No one wants to see a family in meltdown mode. The sand, the beach toys, the dirty towels make this getaway increasingly difficult, but somehow we managed to get them back home, fed and in bed for the longest nap of the vacation.

Nap time is definitely important for the kids, but I think that it can be argued that it is equally, if not more, important for the parents. As the kids settled in for naps on the last day of the vacation, we enjoyed some high quality adult time out in the sun. Sipping on a cold beverage, listening to some tunes. Ahhhh…that was the life. Till next year.