Vacation

I'm on vacation and it feels so good. We're one block from the bay and two blocks from the beach. The weather is delightful. We're in a "No shirt, no shoes, no problem" kind of town. I'm writing this, only two days into our trip, so that I don't forget by the end of the week, when patience is low because exhaustion levels are high, just how good it felt, if but for a few days, to be on vacation.
Technically speaking, we will be "on vacation" for a whole month. We're not returning to Cincinnati until early August. We've started our trip in Stone Harbor at the beach for a week. Next we will head to Philadelphia, with a sidebar trip to Hershey, where I have a date with a good girlfriend and the Spa at the Hershey Hotel. We will wrap up our month-long vacation extravaganza in southeastern Connecticut before heading back to the midwest early next month, hopefully refreshed.
The lead up to this trip was a bit hectic. We needed new swimsuits and towels, sunscreen and water shoes. Medications needed to be ordered and shipped to arrive at the right place at the right time. I needed to coordinate schedules and hold the mail and pack a lot of stuff. So far, I'd say it's been worth it.
I've taken each kid for a walk, alone. I honestly don't think I've done that since my 6yr old was my only baby, and that was for a mere 18mo. We walked and talked, holding hands and making plans. We discussed favorite parts of our trip, which range from watching Frozen in the car to playing in the ocean with Pop Pop. They've each picked out a new hat and bough a little treat. I'm seeing how different they are individually than when they are together. I wish I had more time to dedicate to this. Often when I have an errand to run in the evening or on the weekend, I grab one kid to take along. This time we are spending together at the beach is different, because we've nowhere to be but here. We're just walking, exploring the island, and I love it.
I'm sure that by the end of July we will be ready for our own beds and our regular routine. There's something settling about falling back into your routine. There's also something real nice about being able to break out of it for a while. Cheers to vacation.