We have been promising a beach to Millie for what feels like 4 months, and today we finally delivered. We kept putting it off because the weather here has been unseasonably rainy. She woke up at 6:45, put on her bathing suit, and begged us to take her. We insisted on breakfast first but she ran off. I watched her running up and down the sand in the distance while we ate.

After breakfast she did some porch painting while waiting for us to finally get ready and pack everything for the beach.

We then proceeded to spend 9AM – 6PM doing nothing but alternating between the beach and the pool.

Nick took her swimming and snorkeling. They built a sandcastle while I read my book. Actually reading without being interrupted, what a gift!

We switched off and I took her to the pool. We swam a bit and she made a little friend from Italy. Or at least I think she was from Italy. She spoke Italian with her parents and perfect English with us. She told me she was born in Bangkok and now lives in Lesotho. So either a very global child, a liar, or a tiny spy.

The new friend got an ice cream and Millie was so jealous that I had to get her one too. She didn’t get an ice cream two days ago for ICF, so today was a belated one. They sat together on some swings, chatting and eating their cones.

Her friend left and we went back to the beach. Millie went swimming alone in the ocean which freaked me out. She is fearless and went really far out, chasing a ball. At this point I hadn’t been in the ocean yet so I was convinced she was being pulled out to sea and made Nick go and rescue her. Turns out she could stand the entire way and when she realized he was coming in after her, she said “Dad, I am fine. I was just thinking about how beautiful it is to be out here.”

When I finally got in, the water never got deeper than my waist and there wasn’t a single bit of current or wave. It’s a perfect beach for an over confident newly 5-year-old.

We went back to the pool, and then the beach, and then the pool again. Millie had barely eaten all day and hadn’t stopped moving. We were getting up to order her some food and she insisted on going to ask for it herself. She tried to order a “fruit bowl” but something got lost in translation and a sweet server came back with a rubber ball saying “sorry we don’t have a football but you can play with this.”

We eventually got fruit and sat by the pool as the sun started to set and everything turned orange. She played a game with Nick where she says “freeze!” and then moves him into funny positions and then unfreezes him.

We watched the sun go down. It was a crazy sunset and the sun looked huge. We saw it slowly inch down and then disappear behind the horizon.

We had an early dinner at the same hotel restaurant. Ordered the same fish. I said to Nick “it’s so nice to finally feel like we are on vacation” and felt how preposterous and utterly ridiculous it sounded before the words even left my lips. But it’s true, it was nice to have a day that felt effortless. We didn’t have to make any decisions about where to eat or what to do. We didn’t have to drag Millie around or travel from point A to point B. And Millie was completely happy to just play, and didn’t get bored once.

After dinner we came back to the room, washed all the sand and salt and sunscreen off of us, and had Sunday movie night. Millie could barely stay awake.