\vā-ˈkā-shən\

va·ca·tion

1: a respite or a time of respite from something : intermission

According to Merriam-Webster, this is the official definition.  I, however, believe if you have kids, your definition is a little different.  Something less like "respite" and more like this: 

1: a time in which you (and not teachers) are responsible for all of your kids and all of their entertainment, whether at home or away from home, in which you work your tail off to provide lasting and special memories for your family, even if you can't accomplish anything other than walking to the beach every day :  see also, random disasterousness. 

This family vacation business is tough work, and I feel like every time we take one I have to remind myself that this isn't a vacation for me at all - it is a different (and hopefully more fun?) way to be a parent.  Because I assure you, my vacation doesn't come with a 5:30am screaming alarm who wants a bottle. My vacation is curfew- and alarm-clock-less, and involves more wine than whine.  Somehow, even though I'm five years into this parenting gig, MW's definition is what I think of each year when we pack up for Florida.  I am always quickly reminded of my vacation delusion.

Having said that...I really can't complain. 

When this is what I see out the front door:

...and I sit on the back porch and snap pictures like this:

...what is there to gripe about??? 

When I get to walk across the street to do fun things like...

...dipping toes in the ocean AGAIN...



..and putting fingers in Mimi's Gulf sand for the first time...

...is there anything sweeter???

When walking uptown to lunch at "The Greeks" (Plaka, daily!) gets smiles like this:

chocolate disaster!

...she even hands out shell treasures!
(if you give her a dollar, but whatever)...

...can I really be so bothered? 

When playing on Mimi's beach gets smiles like these:

a brief moment of sisterly love

sand swimming is all the rage

that boy LOVES his rake!

see the rake again?

  

...and memories like these are made:

every day, Tanner pulls the toy wagon and Ellery pedals her trike to the beach.  Every.day.  You may think you've seen cuter things, but I assure you, you haven't!

Daddy's boy!

Mimi helps Elle with shoes.  Or shells.  Or something...

Daddy & Ellery, on a shell hunt

Nana and Ellery, headin' "home" from the beach

they dug a hole to put Cooper in.  Weird way to have fun, if you ask me...

...And if, at the end of the day, you have good food and family to share it with?

I mean, really - it's no-contest to the daily hustle and bustle of school, work, and life, right?  It's worth a few missed naps, 5pm meltdowns, and skipped routines, right?

I think the answer is YES, even if it takes looking back through pictures to remind me.  Because at the end of the day, I hope my kids have the most wonderful memories of Fort Myers Beach, FL, the way I did when I was growing up, and the way my mom did when she was growing up.  This place is legacy to us, no matter how many temper tantrums are thrown or frustrated sighs are huffed.  I hope my kids don't sense and/or remember all the effort and frustration this business is, because I know I never did - I just remember the feeling of the warm sun and soft, white sand each winter.  I only remember respite.  I simply remember vacation.

So later today, when we're headed to the uber-fun public pool, may I be blessed to remember that greasing them up over and over, dragging toys to and fro, and enduring the heat and sun WITH A SUN-POISONING RASH (I mean, srsly?) is all worth it in the end, even if I do end up huffing, puffing, and throwing a temper-tantrum at the end of the day.

:)