Summer Days: Then and Now

I am sure all of you mothers remember the days where it was just you, yourself, and maybe a hot fling (husband) on the beach during those summer days.  Sometimes it is even hard to remember these days.  Everyone told you of the ways that your life would change the second you had a child.  Who could have really believed how much, though?  One of the things that has really hit me this summer is the beach days.  We have a pool at our apartment complex and are surrounded by multiple beaches.  When the summer was approaching all I kept dreaming about were the days that my son and I would spend our days at the beach, or in the pool.  I would bring a book, an umbrella, snacks, and some toys for him to play with.  He would love this, and I would get the much needed sun and relaxation that I needed.  Sure enough, summer came.  We took our first trip to the pool...and then our first trip to the beach.  Sure we brough all of the things that I had planned but the day did not go exactly as planned.

Instead of reading, I was putting sun block on, over and over again...instead of sunning I was chasing after a crazy little boy who wanted to play ball with the college kids; instead of me staring blissfully into the water, I was staring blissfully at a little boy who wanted NOTHING to do with the beach that day.  He was much more interested in chasing the seagulls, or going to the park across the street.

I soon realized, this summer wasn't about me...it was about him, just like everything else in life.  It's not that we can't go to the pool, or go to the beach.  It's just that it's under his rules, and that's okay.  Watching him chase the birds isn't so bad.  Instead of going to secluded beaches we go to ones that are surrounded with playgrounds and sprinklers, ones with shade and no waves.  When I look back I am pretty sure that I'd rather remember these days...I just hope I can remember that on the days that little man throws a tantrum the second I finishing unpacking all of our stuff on the sand.