Lazy Summer Beach Days.

A few years ago after my oldest graduated from high school and we were no longer beholden to a high school football schedule, we changed up our Sunday routine.

Instead of lazy Sunday at home in jammies, eating a slow pancake breakfast and catching up on the TV shows we missed during the week, we started spending our summer Sundays at the beach.

We packed up sandwiches, chips, cookies and snacks. Filled our water bottles. Slathered ourselves in sunscreen and packed the car up with our Tommy Bahama beach chairs and umbrella, a bag full of beach toys and a boogie board and drove 2 hours to our favorite beach at the time in Ventura, Tunnel Beach. Not the real name, but that’s what our youngest nicknamed it since we had to walk through a tunnel from the parking lot to get there. Most of our favorite beaches over the years have nicknames that only our family would get. The beach at Point Mugu where we used to camp in a tent on the sand is known as our Beach Front Condo. The beach where I jumped off the concrete steps and landed on sharp rock that was hidden in the sand and cut and bruised my foot will forever be known to my family as Hurt Foot Beach.

I digress.

That summer was one of the most relaxing in my adult life. I didn’t get to spend much time in the water because Lupus is a bitch, so I spent most of the day under the umbrella and wearing UV clothing reading the Chronicles of St. Mary’s on my Kindle.

I stopped occasionally to dip into the water with my youngest and to take pictures of them in the water and alongside their newest sand creation. My partner would play frisbee and boogie board with them. We would snack and chat and rest and it was pure bliss. The only thing that was missing was my oldest.

I’ve lived at the beach for nearly four years now and haven’t had any lazy beach days since moving here. There have been days during our annual holiday camping trip with friends, so I guess those count a little. But we haven’t just gone out and spent a day lazing at the beach. I miss those times.

I miss watching my little running from the waves and chasing the seagulls away from our spot while squawking with arms flying at their sides. I miss stopping on the way home to get our favorite frozen yogurt and fruits and veggies from the farm stands on the side of the road. I miss picking my sleepy, sun-kissed little up out of the car and wiping the sand from their booster seat. I miss taking the most refreshing shower and washing all the sand off then sitting down on the sofa in a sleepy but refreshed and calm summer haze.

It's the same feeling that I had when I was a kid and spent the day outside in the sun. That feeling of total body exhaustion but a calm that came from a long days’ exercise outdoors. I don’t feel that so much anymore, partly because I can’t be out in the sun like that now and partly because my body just can’t hack that much physical activity.

But I long to spend the day basking in the sun, riding the waves, my toes in the sand and salty damp beach hair.

I may not be able to get a lot of things back from my past, but I think that’s actually something that’s within my control. So for this summer, the very last summer of my youngest kiddo’s non-adult years, we’re going to head back to the beach.

We need to smell the salty air and feel the sand between our toes and take a dip in the icy water at least once a week. That’s good for the mind, good for the body and good for the soul. Beach days, no matter how lazy and self-indulgent are just self-care days afterall.