When the kids were younger we spent hours and hours on the beach. Now after a bout of boogie boarding (and too many shark attack reports this summer), the kids have to be forced out into the great outdoors after the first day or two of beach week. We enjoyed walks on the beach at night when it was not so hot.
Actual swimming (laps) in the pool, learning to do flip turns and "pool-lates" - my blend of aqua aerobics and underwater Pilates.
Mostly the kids want to lay around and watch Disney Channel episodes over and over.
Natalia cranked out two puzzles
Mostly the kids wanted to lounge in the wi-fi in their jammies until time to eat again.
Time for an intervention!
The Davis family tries to learn how to play pickleball (sort of a cross between tennis and ping pong) with interesting results. My brain kept thinking my racquet was longer so I whiffed a bunch of them, but it was fun (for me) trying.
In the same park as the pickleball courts is a new parcours with machines that use fluid body weight resistance. I loved these as a great addition to walking laps in circles in the adjoining track.
Only two of us are any good at the jungle gym
Okay, maybe not forced family fun, but hopefully fruit-producing.
We also liked trying the Bahamas Breeze restaurant with in depth nutritional informational on the menus. This helped our kids to understand that yes, that pasta dish looks tasty (but it's also 1500 calories) which is too much for one sitting.
I have enjoyed reading Lysa Terkeurst's The Best Yes in preparation for all the decision-making that every new school year brings. I love having a week of down time, not only to play, but also to think and plan. She gives the example of standing before a river (a potential commitment that you are thinking of making) and following the river through it's course before jumping in. Once you have jumped in the river, it will carry you along where it is going, and it's much harder to navigate.
We try to have one date during beach week where we can talk about the direction our lives and family are going. The last few years we have enjoyed going to breakfast on the pier and talking about what commitments we will be making in the fall, and the state of our union address. More soul care for A needed!
