Vacation

School's finished for the year! Let summer vacation commence!  As a teacher, summer is particularly delightful because I don't have to work for a few months. I fill my time with reading "big people" books, taking the kids to the pool, and enjoying weekday activities such as lunch out with friends, trips to the park, and basking in the summer sun. Of course the most anticipated part of the summer is "THE VACATION."   This year, we are going to the beach. My parents have 2 condos on Belleair Beach which is just south of Clearwater, FL.  The vacation produces a variety of emotions related to the anticipation of the trip.

• ANXIETY - This year, my first summer as a single mom, I will be traveling with my kids solo. This means I will be navigating the airport, going through security, and balancing my 3 year-old, plane tickets, and carry-on luggage by myself.  Lee, my 3 year-old, either has a hearing impairment or a following directions impairment. He runs, will not hold hands, screams when denied anything, and demands the impossible:

1. "I fly plane." - Sorry you have not obtained your pilot's license yet. 
2. "Gimme chocolate milk." - I was not allowed to bring liquids on the plane and your options now are soda or a Bloody Mary. 
3. "Go that way." - I would also enjoy going that way as that is the gate from which the next flight to Hawaii is going, but no matter how loud you scream, they will not let us on that plane without tickets. 
4. "Let me down." - I'd love nothing more than to take a snooze while you roam the plane, but people frown on strange children crawling between their legs, grabbing snacks off their trays, and insisting on a game of catch with Matchbox cars. 

• EXCITEMENT - I love the beach on the Gulf more than any place in the world!  The sands are white and cool to the touch. The waves are calm and a deep turquoise hue. Shells roll in and remind me of the smallest beauties of God's creation. Time at the beach is filled with the relaxing sound of the sea caressing the shore. Family laughing and enjoying each other's company. The tropical smell of sunscreen, and the salty mist of the ocean. 

Ahhh . . . as my mind drifts to that beautiful place, the cherished memories from the past, and dreams of future ventures, my anxiety is squelched and only the excitement remains.