The art of holidaying with small kids continued...

Well nearly time to go home, just as we were getting the hang of it. We bought a lilo today, realised we should have bought a dingy, but still much fun had by all with it in the pool. (total disaster in the sea as both kids got floored by a huge wave, even sitting on it on the sand, they really are strong currents). Full morning and early pm at the beach then back to the villa to swim. We are refining our list of what we need for a perfect family beach holiday. Trouble is next year they will be a whole year older and wiser and the list will change again. My OH reminded me that it's not forever, they will be entertaining themselves soon and won't need constant supervision. For me that the hardest part of being here-it really serves to remind you how life was before kids, how lovely it was to lie uninterrupted on a lilo. How lovely to get drunk on dodgy cocktails and sleep it off all day on a lounger. Or maybe not.

It is harder work doing stuff with kids in the heat - suncream, sunhats, changing in and out of costumes, blowing up inflatables, cleaning up melted ice creams and removing sand from everything. Today though I felt we began to perfect the art of less is more, aka how to look after the kids in the heat without breaking into a sweat. The lilo was a big help, I soon found I could lounge on it while they played at the edge of the pool, previously I had been hovering doing aquarobics moves to try to keep warm. And when my OH and I took turns to entertain them we both got a chance to sunbathe.
I have that lovely warm relaxed feeling after a day in the sun and sea. Although we have spent most the day in the shade. In fact I am very proud of the complete lack of tans, much as I would love to look less pasty I don't want to take the risk with the sun anymore.
I could do two week though, it would take a large amount a psyching myself up I think, which is scary-I think we are so much more trapped in our lives these days that it's harder to leave them. But we must, it so good to chill out. Next time I want to leave iPhone with it's email and facebook behind and totally go AWOL!
Two weeks really is the perfect time, it doesn't matter what you do, if it rains a bit or you have a non day, a bickering day or a day that never starts. It doesn't matter if you waste a few days getting your bearings, going to the worst cafe or missing the perfect beach. There is time to catch up and then there is still time to get into a lovely holiday routine. We all pretend we go on holiday to escape routine but I don't think that's true. We escape our old routine and then spend all our time seeking out new rituals. Mojitos at dusk. A dip after dinner. Paella by the beach at lunch. Ice creams at half three.
The other lovely thing is hanging round half naked. Obviously good for couples. But I am thinking more in terms of skin to skin contact that we are told is so important to babies. I think our little ones love it too and thereby something lovely about snuggling up together after a swim on a sunbed. We rarely see the kids naked for more than a second at home, it's always cold. But it's lovely to see them for who they are, for the little bodies I gave birth to. There's something simple and bonding and not at all weird about your own naked kids. Although at the beach we were surrounded by old men, probably lovely respectable fathers and grandfathers themselves, but you feel you need to protect your kids. I took some pictures of Mr G in his highchair, he doesn't have one at home anymore and he loves the one here. He was only wearing his nappy and it was lovely to capture his little tummy, his pudgy arms and and his little legs. If only to embarrass him when he is 18.
I love holidays. They are definitely the secret to keeping our family happy together.

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Just a bit of light holiday reading

4.30pm
Full of cold. Why does holiday spell immune system breakdown! Decided this holiday must have been more needed than I realised. Read about Eat Pray Love in OH's rejected copy of The Times. I am a Guardian reader normally so it takes a bit of getting used to, but some good articles. Can't believe the whole Eat Pray Love book/film/merchandise opportunity has passed me by. Majorly interesting. Especially a point about our grandmothers not having the choices we have now, and so not having the neurosis that goes with 'should I have gone to art school' type decisions. In some ways life is simpler without so much choice. Although my Grandma worked, I always felt she was better at finding pleasure in simple things cooking, gardening, crosswords, than my generation will ever be.

I keep typing Eat Sleep Pray instead, what does that say about me- hungry and tired? (Finding vegetarian food here is ok, lots of egg and chips. Salads are great though. Wish paella was more often found in veggie format).

Also read great article in Company mag about full time mums. Not my usual read either, but loved seeding a celebration of those who choose to mum and not chase everything or 'juggle blackberries and baby bottles' as the caption ran. It really is rare that' just being a mum' is celebrated and glamorised. OK so we know it isn't a glamorous job really, but I really think the photos and profiles raised the profile of mothering. Some gorgeous shots of mums and their kids who were really loving their time together. And the message that it is fine to just be a mum, that it is a positive lifestyle choice, if that's what you want of course. I particularly liked the profile of the ex journalist who used blogging as a creative outlet. But the message seemed to be that you needed an outlet as well as motherhood, a social network, virtual or otherwise.
Fully aware that these things are very personal choices. My own views on motherhood change weekly, sometimes I love not working, other days I feel like I am missing out. Last month I would probably have flung an article like that at the wall, this month it made me feel really positive about my status. (I am studying, after four years I decided I couldn't just be a mum. But those four years were brilliant).
Both these articles raised different issues for me about the status of women in society and the complex new ground my generation negotiates on a daily basis. Hmmm, might try and find a trashy novel, this is meant to be a holiday after all.

10.25
Very snotty, have a full on summer head cold yuk. Have been sleepy, grumpy and irritable all day whilst trying to pretend it's no big deal. Sorry lovely family. Still happy times and a reality check or two. Kids don't like Spanish food so why bother, kids need a routine or they can't cope. Tomorrow will see sandwiches, fruit snacks and no three hour hanging round the villa trying to pretend we don't have kids to entertain! So weird to be on this kind of holiday with two kids. Have seen lots of couples with one under five but very few with two. Are we therefore mad? OH leaves for mid holiday business trip tom, feeling slightly apprehensive, mainly about the steep incline from beach to villa with kids and beach bag, but like anything I set out to do on my own with the kids, it will prob prove to be a really special bonding adventure. (In other words, a day of bribes and anything goes to survive ;)
Nearly lost all our swimming costumes to the washing machine today after I managed to pull the handle off trying to open it. Fortunately OH rescued the situation with a coat hanger and a torch.
Still working my way through the paper. Read about the pope, still trying to work out how I feel about his comments about atheism. Also the position of women and homosexuals in his religion and the safeguarding of children. The Times finally went in the bin after OH knocked wine over it. Not before I read about the spy found in a holdall. Blimey, poor bloke having his autoerotic sexual practices on page one of The Sunday Times. Wierd world. Anyway enough serious thought for one holiday, it really was time for The Times to leave my brain to mariande in sangria and trashy novels.

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The art of holidaying with small children

While on holiday I decided to experiment with blogging by email to my phone. These are the resulting ponderings.

12.30pm All still learning 'how to holiday'. As always this involves balancing everyone's needs. Miss L wants a bucket and spade, sweets and an ice cream, Mr G wants whatever he cant have and OH's company is featured in the times so he wants to find a copy of The Sunday Times in Spain. I just want to lie still on a sunbed uninterrupted for ten minutes. The bucket spade and ice cream are easily solved and occupy L and G initially. OH's needs are more complex. It turns out The Sunday Times doesn't have the supplement my OH needs in the Spanish version. So my ten mins goes something like this:

Miss L: Mummy G hit me with a spade.

G: Dumps sand on my chest
OH: I need suncream
Me: In the bag
Oh: How am I supposed to do my back?
Me: Perhaps if you get it out the bag first? (OH is afraid of the 'Bag', like the cupboard under the sink it is impossible to find anything easily, particularly if you are male and prone to looking once then giving up)
Oh: What's the plan then?
Me: Lie here and try and get some peace?
Oh; Oh, OK. For how long?
Me: I don't know
Oh: Just wondering what we are doing.
Me: Why don't you try and read the article online?

Would anyone give me five mins to read the trashy magazine OH had thoughtfully bought me at the same time as The Times? After the first page I was clear it's demographic was 50 plus women (articles on empty nests, interviews with the woman from Birds of a Feather and an article about male impotence) but still I was determined to read it. And it was actually quite interesting to read from an another, older woman's perspective. Most of the resort is dominated by retired couples and our kids were the only ones on the plane over. But everyone has doted on the kids so far, even if they are being less than angelic.

3pm

We abandoned the beach for lunch sensing food might calm everyone's nerves. Lovely avocado salad for me and egg and chips for kids and OH. Waitress was fab with kids pretending to be a cat trying to steal their ice creams. Tried to run off with Mr G to the bar to get his juice but he wouldn't have it. By the end of the meal he was all smiles. OH: reckon you've pulled G!

Much calmer after lunch Miss L made a castle covered in pebbles and Mr G filled buckets full of sand. Back at the villa for a siesta for all. Kids now playing together while OH naps and I type. Getting into holiday spirit ;)

8pm
A mojito by the beach was all it needed I am officially feeling the holiday spirit! Nerja is beautiful. Higgldy piggldy houses perched at funny angles on the cliff with a lily pond half way down to the beach and a lift. G entertaining everyone. Ran straight into a stream leading down to the shore after his dinner, fully clothed. Went home in his nappy. Then he found a little open window at his eye level in a gap under some steps, he chatted to a woman who I am guessing from the lovely smell and shower sounds was in her bathroom, who blew him kisses. Little heart breaker.
Miss L colouring for ages at the dinner table, funny to think a few years back it would have been just us getting drunk and watching the sunset, now we have colouring books and kids. But it's still magic to be on a 'proper' holiday. Glad we came out of season/end of season, its just hot enough any more would make everything an effort.

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