Do You Remember When You Didn’t Have to Pack to go to the Beach?

The girls and I decided to hit the beach for some Vitamin Sea. It was pretty last minute so there was no advance planning. I made the rookie mistake of not packing for the beach the night before. It was going to take light years for us to get out of the house now. I remember a time in my life — pre-motherhood of course — when all I needed was a towel, suntan lotion and my keys.

Now, with two young kids I must pack a mobile pantry and some luggage. Why do we bring so much crap with us? First, there is the gigantic, monogrammed, Thirty-One tote bag you bought at a party and wondered, how will I use this? I’ve got it — I am going to stuff this bad boy full of towels, a change of clothes, sun shirt, hats, lotions and sunglasses. While I am at it, let me toss in some wipes and a back up bathing suit. Adriana is five but you never know accidents can still happen and with my luck they will. Sand and poop would be a beach side natural disaster.

I will also prepare for the likelihood that I am victorious and get her to use the restroom and not the ocean. So I packed the rest of my potty-training toilet seat covers. We both have a bit of a phobia about public restrooms, and the beach bathrooms make me want to hurl. Let’s keep the booty germ free. Am I over prepared? Yes. I have tried to chill out and whittle down the supply list, but I inevitably need the item I didn’t pack the most.

Time to hit the kitchen and prep the snacks. I washed and cut up strawberries and apples, grabbed chips, granola bars, drinks, etc. We could be there for two hours or two days, who knows. Apparently, the thought of being at the beach all day triggers the fear of starvation. Ella and Adriana are in charge of packing the toys. They packed two pink buckets, shovels, sand toys, noodles, bubbles and a soccer ball.

Oh, and don’t forget the chairs! Thankfully this mama bear’s chair is in a case with a strap. I head down the driveway with our cooler and luggage. It looks like we are heading off on a road trip to the five-star vacation of our dreams, not an afternoon at the local beach.

One great thing about the beach during the week is the plethora of parking. I was pleasantly surprised to get a space at our favorite location on the beach. The girls waited patiently as I opened the trunk and pulled out our beach day inventory. I tossed my chair over my shoulder and grabbed the tote bag. I tucked the kids’ chairs under my arm and reached for the cooler. I made the kids carry their toys; they can help with something. We descend to the ocean and I realized I am a beach bound mule carrying entirely too much stuff. We quickly found the perfect spot and got settled in.

Just as I was feeling freakishly over prepared, I saw another momma with three kids and her entire house in the sand. Girlfriend must have had a U-Haul to get her supplies to the shore. She had all the same stuff I did plus a beach bed with canopy for the baby, pool raft, music, and a small library for herself. Let me just say, if you think you are going to read at the beach with small children in tow you are in La La Land.

As I scanned the beach, I found validation. There were several moms like me. Who started this mule packing trend anyway? I say we minimize the stress of planning and packing and just wing it like all the moms did before us. Let’s get back to the basics with sand and a shovel.