New York Nanny Center » beach

Henry Goes to the Beach

Lindsay Bell — Wed, 23 Jul 2014 11:16:51 +0000

Every summer for over twenty years I have gone “Up North” to Harbor Springs, Michigan. Spending summers there is something I am very grateful for. I’ve made new friends over the years, catch up with old friends, experience new things, and, in most recent years, spend extended time with my family. This experience has become even more special since Henry has come into the picture.

Our family.. plus a little too much ice cream

Living in Chicago comes with many advantages. There’s an abundance of culture, people, and endless amounts of “things to do.” However, it can also be very busy, overly structured, fast-paced, and stressful. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE CHICAGO, but taking a break every summer is awesome!

Henry relaxing and enjoying a nice snack on the beach

Last summer was the first summer Henry was exposed to parts of my childhood. It was fun–he learned to walk, ate sand for the first time, and dipped his toes in the Michigan side of Lake Michigan. This summer is even better! Henry is sturdy on his feet and has said new words like “beach”, “watermelon”, “boat”, and “bug-gy.” His eyes light up when he realizes he’s on his way to the beach. He’s not afraid of the water, loves to chase the birds, and has tripled his vocabulary since arriving. I’m thankful for this time and sharing these new experiences with him.

Our little man goes kayak shopping

I am also grateful for my husband. Without his hard-work, understanding, and love for his wife and child, we would not be able to spend such a long period of time in Michigan. We are grateful when “dada” can be with us, but appreciate the sacrifices he makes so we can spend extensive time at the beach. We love you, Dada (Bob!). Henry is also lucky that he gets to spend a week in South Haven, Michigan with his Chicago family. He is surrounded by people who love him and want him to be part of old family traditions. Sharkball, Lobster Parties, and dipping your toes in the lake aren’t a bad way to spend your summer!

We’re so blessed in our life and look forward to all the new experiences and memories we will create as he gets older.

Happy Summer!

-Maureen is a Sitter2Mom, a working woman (our Chicago City Coordinator), and mother of Henry!

Girls’ Weekend

Lindsay Bell — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 12:02:32 +0000

I asked my bestie to accompany me to my daughter’s bachelorette party. I thought it would be more enjoyable to have a buddy my own age to pal around with. After some discussion, we decided to leave a couple of days earlier and enjoy the beach ourselves. After 35 years of friendship, we never took a vacation without kids, so the two of us it was. From flight to train to bus to hotel, we didn’t even get lost! We were so proud of ourselves. And it was wonderful to just hang out and do our favorite things– walk, shop, eat and enjoy ourselves in the sun.

You realize your age when the music across the street keeps you up all night and the smokey smell of a non smoking room is too much to bear. So instead of bringing kids, we talked about them. Some habits die hard. Thanks Bestie for sharing another special time with the family.

Love,

Mama Bell

Summer Vacation (Post-Baby)

Alison Gore — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 19:56:46 +0000

The two words teachers love the most are “Summer Vacation.” In fact, one of the reasons that I became a teacher was so I could enjoy two months of vacation from work. Every summer for the past 18 years I have gone to Harbor Springs, Michigan and had the best time. I could sleep in late, go play tennis, lounge at the beach and read fluffy books, and stay up with friends to the early morning hours. Well….things are a little different now with baby Henry joining me!

I wake up every morning by 6:30am, give Henry a bottle, take out the dog, play with the baby, feed the baby breakfast, change him and put him down for a nap. All before 9am! Then I have to make the decision if I’m going to go play tennis (while my saint of a mother watches the baby), take a nap, or be productive. Nine times out of 10, I choose to go back to sleep! Hey… It’s vacation after all!

When Henry wakes up I usually spend the next 45 minutes getting him ready to go to the beach. Swim diaper (please don’t poop!), sunscreen, rash guard-check! Beach toys, beach blanket, water, sun hat-check! Long gone are the days of meandering down the path with a magazine, beach towel, and sun screen. I feel like Mary Poppins. You’d be amazed at the things I’ve pulled out of my beach bag this summer!

FINALLY we make it down to the beach. It takes an army of at least 3 to get all the chairs, umbrellas, bags, coolers, baby, and other junk down to the beach. It’s quite an event! We are in walking distance to the beach, but the thought of having to trek back up to the house because I forgot something is unimaginable!

Me and Henry soaking up the sun

We sit down, Henry plays on the beach blanket for about 5 minutes before deciding he wants to crawl down to the water. Up I go! Following him around and wiping his face every time he decides the sand looks “good enough to eat!” Wipe, rinse, repeat! An hour later (if we make it that long) it’s time to take all the baby stuff back up so he can take his afternoon nap. At this point I’m exhausted and so very thankful I have my family there to help! I laugh at my unopened book laying in my beach bag. It leers at me like, “Ha! You thought you’d actually get to read me today?!”

Oh well…one look at my smiling baby’s face and I know all the hassle of packing and getting to and from the beach is worth it! Happy baby means a happy mommy!

Beach baby

(I really must give a shout out to my family, especially “Granny” for helping me all summer—I’ve managed to read a couple books and have some uninterrupted time at the beach!)

-Maureen is the LLD Chicago City Coordinator and a new mommy!

TGIF!

Lindsay Bell — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:48:00 +0000

We hope everyone is ready for an amazing 4th of July! Lucky L’il Darlings has put together our own little list of the Top 5 Family Fun things to do this holiday.

1. Have some fun in the sun! Sagg Main Beach in Sagaponack in the Hamptons is perfect place to spend the day with the kids. The beach there has wide open spaces so your little ones won’t be throwing sand on your neighbor’s blanket when they are trying to dig a hole to China – giving you a little time to sit back and relax. Maybe even read a book! Be sure to check if you need a parking pass before you head out, parking is difficult to say the least! And we all know there’s nothing like driving around in circles with your kids in the back screaming to get out and play in the sun. If you’re looking for a little seaside help, Lucky L’il Darlings babysitters will be in the Hamptons this weekend, ready to help out and make your weekend that much better.

2. Go fly a kite at the Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City! Who needs to buy a kite when you can just make one! From 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm learn how to make your own kite, for FREE. Use your creativity and make your kite come alive in the sky. This is a great activity for parents and kids!

3. Bring the whole family out for a day of fun at Belmont Park Race Track! Sunday, July 3rd from 1-4 pm in Elmont on Long Island, the Family Fun Day will feature face painting, a petting zoo and fun carnival games. What a fun way to spend an afternoon with the kids!

4. Chow down at one of New York’s best Crawfish Boils! For all you seafood lovers that want to try a Southern-Style Crawfish Boil, The Village Pourhouse on the corner of 11th street and 3rd avenue in NYC is the place to be. For $40 per person, you can enjoy 2 crawfish baskets, unlimited Southern Chicken Sliders, Potato Salad, Corn-on the Cob and other sides. This deal is open from 6 pm – 8 pm on July 4th, giving you plenty of time to catch the fireworks afterwards. To buy tickets check out this website: http://downtownnyc.villagepourhouse.com/?p=events&i=2.

5. Go see the best fireworks in town! Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks never ceases to amaze us. This year on July 4th, beginning at approximately 9 p.m., Macy’s will have fireworks being released from six barges in the Hudson River. This year’s theme is The Gift of Freedom marking the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, as well as the 235th birthday of the United States. The music will be performed in sync with the fireworks and you can tune in on 1010 WINS to listen.

We hope you like some of these fun ideas for this 4th of July Weekend. We wish you the best weekend ever. Have fun and be safe!