A Very Different Panama City Beach- part 1

The last time I set foot on Panama City Beach, I was a Senior in high school. Several of my friends and I somehow talked our parents into letting us go spend the week there for Spring Break.  It was fun, but looking back, I wonder what my parents were thinking. Quinn went right before, and I mean like the weekend before, we started dating so his last time there was just as wild as mine.

This year, we decided to give PCB another go, but under very different circumstances. I traded my string bikini in for a very conservative one piece and Quinn's cooler of beer was now full of Capri Suns and bottled water. 

My little OCD boy lining up his animals in the room

The family vacation started off like most family vacations-chaotic. Trying get everything ready stresses me out, and getting everything packed in the truck stresses Quinn out. But we got it together and were on our way by 10:00 Sunday July 17.  We stopped in Tallahassee to eat and feed Levi. I noticed that nursing was really painful and told Quinn that if I made it through the trip, I may wean him when we got home. Later on I noticed white patches in his mouth and realized we both had thrush. Great-haven't even made it to the beach yet and already there is a problem.  I called nurse triage at SGMC and they were wonderful.  Called us in some Nyastin to a pharmacy there and we just kept on trucking.

excited about the beach

Not so excited about the beach

Before we could check in, we had to hit up the grocery store. Again, something very different than 10+ years ago happened. We weren't buying junk food and cigarettes. We were buying milk and gogurt snacks.  Finally, we made it to our room and didn't waste much time getting to the beach. Bennett has been to the beach many times and has finally gotten used to the water (he has always loved the sand) This was Levi's first trip, so we didn't know what to expect. Well, I was very suprised that he didn't like the sand more. He actually cried when I put him in it and didn't want anything to do with it. The water on the other hand, he loved. I had to muster up everything in me to take him out there in all that seaweed, but I did it and he loved splashing around and watching the waves. 

We went to Pier Park for the laser show that night. Everything was so crowded that we ended up eating a Buffalo Wild Wings of all places, but when your kids are hungry it's not wise to wait 75 minutes for a table.  Bennett had the best time with all the attractions. Again, Levi was in the sling so he was just along for the ride. About 9:30, the laser show started. I tried to record a very hilarious Bennett dancing to the music but I couldn't get the lighting just right. He had so much fun.  Levi went to sleep.  Walking back that night, we passed all kinds of young kids and college students making big party plans for the night. We were just ready to go to bed. 

watching the laser show with daddy

a very sleepy boy

One of Bennett's favorite parts about the trip was that we had a king size bed in our room. We told him he could sleep with us as a sort of treat. He has never slept with us at home, and doesn't even want to, so it was kinda cool to snuggle with him.