We are visiting family in Cyprus at the moment. So far we have been very lucky with the weather and have been spending plenty of time at the beach.

Before I became a mum my favourite way to spend a holiday involved a sun lounger, a good book, and a rum cocktail (which btw is the best drink for a bikini body.Drink some,and I promise you won’t be able to focus on your bikini body much less care about it).

These days with two children and a baby I have to admit I still hanker after those lazy days on the beach. So, it was with this idyllic picture in mind that we all set off for the beach yesterday.

Gone are the days of strolling down to the beach with a book in one hand and a cocktail in the other. These days we needed a pushchair loaded to the max with buckets and spades, towels,sun cream, swim suits, goggles,picnic (No thanks to beach bar prices for fussy children), baby toys, and the kitchen sink.

So we dragged the loaded pushchair down to the beach (while carrying the baby for whom there was no room).Then we discovered the joy of a pushchair on soft sand (if you haven’t had this particular pleasure I would not recommend it).
We undressed two wriggly children and an even wrigglier baby and smothered them all in sticky sunscreen (perfect for sticking an extra ton of sand onto each child). At this point my husband suggested he take the boys into the sea while I sit and relax with the baby.

They had been in the sea for no more than two minutes when Robo Boy (my youngest son) declared that he needed a wee. My husband suggested to him discreetly, that he wee in the sea. I then cringed as all our neighbouring sun worshipers heard my son declare loudly “I don’t want to wee in the sea Daddy. I want to do it on the toilet!”

On his return we enjoyed some sand filled sandwiches (how do sandwiches in zip lock bags that are nowhere near the beach still attract sand?) after which baby Wonder Girl got a little fussy. Sensing she needed her lunch time nap, I heroically declared that I would take her for a walk in the sling and rock her off to sleep. Actually I had spotted a nearby beach bar and imagined I would head there with sleeping Wonder Girl “to keep her asleep”.

So I walked up and down the beach, wearing my bikini and my sling (having not had my bikini confidence rum cocktail to help with all the gawkers) and she drifted off to sleep. With my husbands blessing I headed up to the beach bar leaving him digging sandcastles with the boys. I ordered my drink, inwardly congratulated myself on my success, and relaxed into the sea view.

It was lovely, the sea was glistening aquamarine, the breeze was gently blowing, and it felt like my prior beach holidays. Unfortunately as I gazed out to sea I spotted Super Kid (my four year old) playing in the sea, fairly far out, on his own. I looked over at my husband digging merrily in the sand with Robo Boy oblivious and dashed down to tell him to get Super Kid out. My shouting and running awoke Wonder Girl early and she began to scream. Not very relaxing at all !

Now, some would think we would abandon beach holidays now we have children. Not us though. Despite these minor set backs we had a wonderful day. Super Kid spent hours jumping waves and making sandcastles. Robo Boy buried my entire bottom half in sand. Even Wonder Girl had fun kicking about on a towel enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the beach.
So we will definatley be making a return trip this week to the beach, but perhaps this time, we will take the kids to the toilet before swimming in the sea.