One of the very many things that changes when you have children is your experience, and therefore expectation, of holidays.  I categorise it in the list of changes that you hadn’t 100% signed up for when you decided to have children.  Sure you knew from friends who had gone before you that holidays wouldn’t be the indulgent luxuries they had once been but I hadn’t realised just how much holidays with children looks almost exactly like normal weeks with children!

There are some subtle, and very welcome differences though…you get a sleep in until 8.30am every other day, which in turn gives you freedom to stay up past 10pm a few nights in a row.  When one or both of your children have their daily tantrum on your local supermarket floor there is another with you to share the humiliation and in fact will carry out said child so you can finish your shop in peace.  You get to be more imaginative with what you do in the day and can pack it out with not one but two trips out of the safety of your back garden, although this can still be too much for your little munchkins as we learnt yesterday on our afternoon trip to the beach!

So we as I prepare for the first back to normal life tomorrow I look back on the last two weeks with fond memories and here are just a few of my favourite things…

Minnie hanging out with her buddies.

Jackson determined to have fun no matter what the weather.

Exploring beaches.

Spending time with daddy.

My children learning to have fun together.

Getting to relax when my children are around (instead of putting them in front of the TV so I can cook dinner).

One thing holidays do still do…remind you how much you love being with your family.