Every year, my family loads up and heads to the beach. Sometimes it’s Marco Island, sometimes Sanibel, sometimes it’s the Keys. They all live in Florida so it’s nothing but a few hours drive. This year, everyone rented several condos on Englewood Beach. The water was beautiful and this specific area of beach was empty because it was exclusive to the condo renters. Last year, I didn’t feel comfortable flying Grady down. He would have been just shy of 1, and I don’t think it would have been very enjoyable: for him or I. This year, with Grady approaching his second birthday, I made the flight down. Like any toddler, he had his moments, but for the most part, it was a blast. For Grady, it was a vacation. For myself, it was a trip.
It took him some time to get used to the sand. And the saltwater. And the waves. Luckily, there were plenty of cousins to keep him preoccupied.
PLENTY of playmates! There was never a dull moment!
Grady seemed to enjoy low tide the best. The sand was firmer and not as many shells around.
I used to vacation in Englewood when I was in middle school and I don’t remember there being as many shark teeth as there were this trip. I came home with a bag and will probably put them in a globe to make an ornament for the Christmas tree.
The fireworks over the beach were beautiful, although I didn’t stay up long to watch them. Grady was in bed by 7:30 so he saw nothing. I’d rather him go to bed and not watch fireworks than deal with an overtired toddler. He can watch them next year.
Swimsuit // Cover-Up // Flip Flops // Hat // Dress
Swim Trunks // Hat // Sunglasses // Surf Shirt // Striped Shorts // Sandals // Slip-on Sneakers // Food Truck Shirt // Linen Shorts
Grady was totally off routine and it was chaos but these things helped with our transition for the week. It made naps/bedtime a little smoother.
- Blackout Shades – Grady has four blackout shades in his bedroom. I had my husband take down 2 and folded them up and packed them along. When Grady goes to bed at 7:30pm, it’s still bright and sunny. I’m glad I brought the shades because I was able to really darken the room AND cool it down a little. There was already a curtain rod in the room at the condo and I was able to just drape them over.
- Pack and Play Mattress – Since my cousin was driving, she was able to throw a pack and play in her car and bring it for Grady to sleep in. We actually have purchased 3 of these pack and play mattresses. We have 2 in Florida (one at my mom’s and one at my mother in law’s) and we have one here in Maryland. Grady seems to sleep SO much better when we have one in the pack and play. It’s light and my mom just threw it in her car and brought it with her.
- Crib sheets – I brought a set to put over the mattress. Just to have something that smells like home. I also brought his blanket and teddy and by the second day, he would point to the pack and play and say, “bed.” He knew it was his space.
- Lastly, we used this travel bag for our car seat and checked it on as luggage. It has wheels and it’s able to attach to your suitcase so you can drag both at the same time.
When mom dropped me off at the airport at the end of the week, I was exhausted. Yet, it was worth it to drag my kid on a plane to see my family. He even got to spend time with MY grandparents, and that in itself is worth the hassle. He had so much fun playing with his cousins and he got to experience a place where I grew up. I’m excited about our trip down next year. Notice I said trip…not vacation…