Hello! We are back from our annual vacation to Wildwood Crest, NJ!
It was a good trip, and of course, it’s always nice to have some extra time with family while we’re there. We lucked out with some really awesome weather, and spent almost everyday out on the beach or at the pool.
Our typical daily routine would be wake up, make coffee, and have breakfast while relaxing in the house for a bit.
From there, the boys would play, we’d get snacks and lunches packed, everyone would get on suits and sunscreen and we’d make our way down to the beach!
Both of the boys loved the sand and the water this year, and they even made some friends a few different days, which was so nice to have something (and someone!) else to keep them entertained for a bit.
I’d say the biggest hit of the beach would have to be the little makeshift pool we ended up making.
We definitely can’t take the credit for this one, since it was a family that was set up next to us who we saw do it first and got the idea from. Thankfully, we found a shower curtain liner at the house we were staying in so we were able to use that to make our own.
The boys absolutely LOVED it!
After a couple of hours of playing, the boys would usually have their packed lunches, and I can’t say enough about these Bentgo Kids Lunch Boxes.
I’ve had one for Lucas for a couple of years now, but just purchased a second one for our trip so I’d have one for each of the boys. They’re super handy!
And, of course, there was the occasional treat from the “Fudgy Wudgy” carts going up and down the beach.
After lunch, I’d bring Alex back up to the room for his afternoon nap, have lunch, maybe squeeze in a little HIIT workout (I managed 3 while we were away, all on Fitness Blender!), or just lounge out on the deck.
We did do one stroller nap day, which was a nice, hour-long walk for me, but the kiddo won’t stay asleep if we stop moving.
I didn’t really mind the break from the beach, so since he got better sleep inside, we just stuck with that for the rest of the week.
By the time Alex was up from his nap, the rest of the fam had typically migrated back up to the pool for the afternoon. This has basically always been our vacation schedule (morning beach, afternoon pool), and it worked out well for everyone. Some days we’d have snacks and a few adult beverages, too, which are always fun (and necessary on vacation, in my opinion).
Right now, the boys are at the ages where vacation absolutely wipes them out (specifically Lucas, since he won’t nap), so by the time dinner rolls around, they’re pretty much done. I never see Lucas as tired as I do when we’re on vacay! So we’d typically cook dinner at the house, hang out on the deck for a bit, put the boys to bed at their usual bedtime, and then the adults would hang out on the deck for some drinks or snacks. I’d love to be able to keep them out later and be able to do some more stuff in the evenings, but right now, they just can’t hang. Eventually!
Our vacations are usually pretty low key, which is honestly fine by me, but we did still have some fun outings. Our first night there, we hit up an awesome beach bar right down the beach from where we stay (The Star Beach Bar), and the boys loved running around and playing games.
We attempted a morning of mini golf with me, Jay, and the boys, but that was pretty much chaos from the minute we stepped on the course. Thankfully, Jay and Lucas were at least able to play while I chased Alex all over creation.
That same evening, we also had a really awesome time on the boardwalk (which also happened to be the one and only day we got Lucas to nap so it worked perfectly!). Alex was just tall enough to go on most rides that Lucas did, and I just loved watching them having such a great time!
We were originally going to try and make it over to the Cape May Zoo like we did last year, but vacation always goes so darn quick that we didn’t get the chance to get there this time. We were also running out of time to make it to The Sea Shell for our massive ice cream sundaes, so we had to slightly improvise this year and Jay and I ran out to pick them up to bring back one night after the boys were in bed.
Mannnn, those things are huge. And I’m not ashamed to say I ate all of it, with the exception of about three bites. Gimme alllll the ice cream!
And even though the boys didn’t get to partake in the massive sundaes, we did bring them out a different night for some of the good stuff.
This picture is from our walk back to the house that particular night, and goodness gracious, I love it.
Jay and I were also lucky enough to get a kid-free night out, and we ventured over to our favorite spot for the third year in a row, Bandanas, for a late dinner.
This year, we remembered that the restaurant is BYOB, so we grabbed a bottle of wine to have with dinner, which included our favorite Mexi sampler…
I went a different route with a filet burrito of some sort, which was good, but I wished I had gotten those delicious tequila fish tacos again like last year. Next time!
Overall, it was a really nice trip, and we were so incredibly grateful to be able to go! BUT, I’d be lying if I said that this vacation wasn’t TOUGH. I always appreciate honesty, and you know I’m all about transparency, so I’ll also add that Jay and I were definitely ready to return home by the end of the week. The majority of our week involved a super cranky, overtired, and particularly defiant older kiddo, while my littlest love decided to go into full out separation anxiety mode. Like, to the point where I now need to stay in the room with him while he falls asleep, or else he loses his mind. I also couldn’t leave his eyesight for pretty much the entire week, without the poor kid going into panic mode. And he’s not dispersing the extra love to both parents, just mom…which makes things rather challenging. But hey, just another phase, with some bad timing!
All of that said, we wouldn’t take back the experience of the trip at all, because that’s what life with littles is all about. Just learning to embrace and navigate the chaos…and making sure you’ve got enough wine and sangria on hand. ; )
I love your honesty!! Vacation with littles is TOUGH! So much fun, but whew, mama needs a vacation when it’s over! 😉 Your family is adorable, glad you were able to make some sweet memories!
Thanks so much, Nicole!!
Glad you guys had a great vacation overall! I used to go to Wildwood as a kid every summer, this made me miss those days! Hope the seperation anxiety thing eases up for you, poor kiddo.
Thanks, Nikki! Hope all is well :)
Vacations can be tough! I went to visit my parents with my 2.5 year old. She forgot how to fall asleep on her own while we were there, and I had to lay on the floor each evening to get her to sleep. When we returned home my husband was able to take over and remind her that she is a big girl and falls asleep on her own at home. It took us a couple nights, but knock on wood she is sleeping better than ever now!! Of course, we leave for a family vacation next week. I can only imagine what we will encounter! Haha.
Haha this sounds EXACTLY like our situation!! We’re making some progress, so fingers crossed it keeps going that way! Best of luck on your family vacation next week, Michele!
Looks like a great trip! I understand the craziness of vacation with littles – I’m somewhat dreading our vacation next month with our three year old. I know it will be a blast, but being out of our normal child-proofed home can drive a momma crazy! We are expecting Baby #2 early next year, so I’m planning to soak up all the time with our little girl this year. :)
Ohhh, congrats on baby #2 on the way, Jo!! And best of luck on this year’s trip – soak in all that one-on-one time!
Vacations always ruin my children’s sleep!! And it takes a couple of nights for my kids to even think about going to bed without screaming for hours. It must be a hard adjustment for the kids to adapt to a strange place, so I try to be patient but it is hard! And we only made it to the beach twice during a 9 day trip so I am impressed you were able to get there that much. I feel like once the little one hits 3 it will calm down a bit. My 4 year old is definitely much easier these days. But you are right- that is why they make wine! :)
Whew, you’re not kidding!! Thankfully, we’re definitely making progress, but we never had this issue with Lucas (I guess we were lucky!) so this is new territory for us :)
Back when our kids were super little, my husband and I would always refer to our getaways as “family trips” rather than “vacations”. Yes, they were super fun, but NOT always relaxing and just a ton of work. But to give you a little hope, now our vacations truly are vacations and sooo different (my kids are 11 and 9). I can actually relax and read a magazine while the kids play in the pool, etc. You’ll get there!
YES!! We say trips too, haha :) There was a family by the pool a lot when we were with older kiddos and seeing how she could relax the way you described totally gave me hope, lol!
Glad to hear your trip was fun! I can totally relate to “vacations” with little ones. Ours was so stressful this year with a 1, 3, and 5 year old. We had a pontoon all weekend and the 1 year old decided to HATE his life jacket and cried anytime we left the house because he knew that meant he needed his life jacket on. But it is so rewarding seeing them laugh and enjoying the experience and makes the sleepless nights and attitude worth it.
Whew!! I can’t imagine it with 3, major props to you, Kelly!! But you’re right, seeing them having so much fun DOES make it worth it <3
Your vacation looks so fun! I so appreciate your honesty! We are leaving Saturday for vacation with a 5 year old and a 1.5 year old and while I am super excited, I am prepared for parts of it to be just plain hard! Between new places to sleep and lots of eating out, I know the little one will be thrown off a bit. Fingers crossed that he just follows suit of his big sister who is usually really well behaved. Wishful thinking, I know! First step will be getting through the long car ride there with the little one!
Thanks, Janelle! Hope you guys have an awesome time (and best of luck on the car ride, that’s one of the toughest parts sometimes!)
My daughter is just a few days you get than Alex and is also going through MAJOR separation anxiety right now, with a side of new baby jealousy….so I feel ya!
Oh man, it’s SO tough!! Sending lots of positive thoughts and patience your way! <3
Okay, that ice cream though…. WOW. Ice cream is my favorite food, so I definitely wouldn’t have had an issue finishing it either. And I can’t imagine how hard it is to travel with kiddos! I just drove cross-country (moving from D.C. to L.A.) with two pets and there were days when I thought I wouldn’t even make it. Props to both you and Jay! But it’s awesome you expose your kiddos to vacations and also make space for adult time too. Props! – Kaitlyn | http://www.poweredbysass.com
Cross-country?! That’s awesome!! Congrats to you on your new venture!
It looks like you had a great trip!! I loved following along on your Instagram while you guys were away! :) I love your family and these pictures, so beautiful! My nephews are around the same age as Lucas and Alex and it seems like they have the same personalities and everything, they would get along so well with each other! Haha! I feel like whenever I read your posts about the boys I am just nodding in agreement because I know how it is with my nephews, it sounds like you are talking about them. Haha! I hope you are having a great week Courtney! Xoxo
Maybe have Lucas do quiet time while Alex naps? At least he would be resting a little if doesn’t want to take a nap.
Unless he actually sleeps, the rest time does nothing, unfortunately! :(
This is probably terrible, but sometimes on the weekend we let the kiddo (5 now) lay on the couch and watch some tv. We tell him he doesn’t have to sleep, but to take a rest. It definitely gives him a reset, because otherwise he doesn’t stop moving. His typical way to watch tv is dancing or building at the same time. He hasn’t napped since right before he turned 2 🙄, so that or an occasional car nap is as good as it gets.
We have friends with kids that will rest with books, but mine just won’t stay and “chill” long enough. He loves books, but when HE wants to read them (that sass! Uhgh.)
Oh my gosh, that is so NOT terrible!! Lucas definitely has days where he just needs some time to chill out. And if that means watching a couple of his favorite TV shows, it doesn’t bother me. It gives all of us a reset! The majority of the time, he won’t just sit and watch a show (like your guy, he’s always doing something else like playing with cars, running, bouncing off the walls… :-D ). So I say don’t have any guilt in that!
Love your honesty and I’m always reading your blog as I feel we live a parallel life! Our soon to be 5 year old, at the end of the month, Luca sounds just like Lucas. Our 2 year old Leo sounds just like Alex. We just went on vacation and the same thing happened with our 2 year old – would not leave my side and wanted to be held the WHOLE time. He is almost 30 lbs and only wanted to be held by me. I would go to the bathroom and he would freak out. It was such a long week and by the end of it, I just wanted to come home. You have a great positive outlook on things b/c honestly, I was so stressed during the trip, I forgot to see the positives. Thank you for reminding me that this is life and I just need more wine. Cheers! ;)
Wow, we ARE in very similar situations!! And cheers to that, indeed! ;)
I love your honesty! We just got back from a beach vacation with our three kids and while in many ways it has gotten easier as they have gotten older (like they can wade in the waves by themselves now), in other ways it is just as difficult (teenage girls and their various moods are no joke!) I was ready to head back to work for a break after vacation haha!
Haha Jay and I said the same thing, we were ready to get back to work! Go figure?! :)
Ha so relatable as we are on our first vacation with a little one in tow. I completely understand how vacation can be tough. Relaxing on the beach is now relaxing on the beach with anxiety that the baby might be getting too much sun. Hopefully easier years are on the horizon for you! I think we have a way to go yet…
Glad you had a fun trip!
Love visiting the shore in the summer! Looks like you had a great time, it’s so nice to go with extended family!
We went to Cape May for a few days this summer and my dad and stepmom joined for a weekend. It took us 7 hours to get there and 5.5 to get back 😬. The drive down was rough! Our son just turned 5 and he refused to go to sleep until at least 10, if not later every night. It was rough, because we were beat and wanted to relax a bit. Thankfully we had a balcony. We ended up sleeping in until 10ish most days to balance it out, or he (we? Lol) would’ve been a mess.
We’ve also been dealing with a lot of “sass”. So much talking back. We’re trying to nip that right now, but still in the throws of it.