View From Condo
I love it when a vacation comes together like that. Even the airplane rides went better than all previous trips. It really helped having my friend Michele with us to give me a hand. It was the first trip I have had with Abby where I had an extra set of hands on the plane, and it made everything just a little bit better.
Every day was the same. Beach all morning. Lunch and nap in early afternoon, and pool in the late afternoon. It was just great. No beach trip is relaxing with a toddler, but I knew that going in. We stayed in Miramar Beach area which is very close to San Destin and a little less populated than in the heart of Destin.
It was semi-crowded over Labor Day, but once that passed, we had 5 days on the beach with relatively few people. It really helped that we waited until after school started to go there.
Michele and Abby
Abby loved, loved, loved the ocean. I couldn't keep her out of it. She had a blast riding the waves, and laughed hysterically each and every time. There is nothing better than listening to your child laugh knowing that this moment is the BEST moment they have had in their short life to that point. She played in the sand for a New York minute every day, but then she would point and say "Mommy, water, water" and beg to be taken in the ocean.
Abby Playing in Sand
Look, Ma, No Legs!
I could not believe it. Destin is the perfect swimming beach. Little teaser waves, crystal clear water, and smooth sandy bottom. She loved seeing the fish up close, and she also got to see a few dolphins as well. You won't see too many pictures from our trip because I was always in the ocean with her (and I am not keen on pics of myself in a bathing suit going on a blog either :). I was so waterlogged by the end of the trip.
Abby and Mom
If she wasn't in the ocean, Abby would sit on the beach, but only if she could eat Cheetos. Ok, it was vacation. She got her fill of Cheetos every day and then some. Wow, this kid digs her some Cheetos.
Breakfast of Champions
Abby's other obsession in Destin was the public bathroom. Gross. We had just started potty training, and so Abby used this trip as an opportunity to check out each and every public bathroom we came across to do her business. Of course, I encouraged this, but she had to check out each and every stall thoroughly before selecting one, so each trip was a little mini adventure. I couldn't even get her to "go" in the ocean. Oh well. I guess that is kind of a hard concept to explain to a 2 year old.
Abby turned an even more beautiful shade of brown than she already is during the trip. I put 70+ sunscreen on her religiously, and she never burned, but she can get tan in a hurry.
Abby @ Baytowne Wharf, San Destin
So many people came up to me and told me how darling and cute she was (duh!), but they don't call the northern Florida panhandle the "Redneck Riviera" for nothing. It is a well earned nickname. I saw my share of confederate flag boogie boards and mullets. But, the question I heard that summed up everything was a question that I got from people who obviously were trying to figure out Abby's ethnic background. Ready for it. OK. "What is she mixed with?" Had never heard that before. I hope I don't hear it again. I rarely if ever get any questions living in Texas about whether Abby is adopted or what race she is. But, when I travel, I occasionally get a question about where she was born or if she is adopted. But not, "what is she mixed with"? spoken in slow, southern accent. I don't understand how people feel compelled to ask that at all let alone when you haven't even spoken to them before that! How I respond really depends on how people ask, whether we have had a conversation beforehand, and what kind of mood I am in . Sometimes, it opens up a conversation you don't really want to have with a complete stranger. I hope to get better at addressing these questions so that when Abby hears me respond, she always feels loved, wanted, and confident in her own skin. That is all that matters.
