I suppose it would seem obvious that kids ages 3 and 6 would spend a spring break trip in Grand Cayman in the water, but where Taylor and Ella were concerned, I wasn’t so sure. Without going into too much detail, suffice it to say that we waited a little too long to get Taylor into swimming lessons, and we’ve been playing catch-up for a few years. Not so much the case with Ella, but she would certainly follow her brother’s lead on what, where, when and how they played on vacation. So when Taylor mentioned at the airport that he wasn’t planning on going into the ocean, claiming, “that just seems really too big,” it made me wonder exactly how the trip would unfold. Would we be spending our time convincing them that water play was better than IPad play? Much to our delight, both kids were little fish from the moment they set eyes on the pool and ocean alike. Full days were spent in the sun and in the water, with Ella breaking for much needed naps each day and Taylor playing so hard that he passed out at the dinner table the first night. There are a lot of pictures in this post – just think if I would have brought the camera out on more than a few occasions!

Ella’s swim gear details and links: Hanna Andersson swimsuits (ice cream here and floral here) and floral swim hat | i play white hat | O’Neill pink rash guard | Speedo swim vest
Taylor’s swim gear details and links: Hanna Andersson swim trunks, surfboard rash guard and swim hat | O’Neill long-sleeved rash guard | Speedo swim vest
Kerry’s swimsuit: Kate Spade top and bottom (one piece version here)
Trevor’s swim gear: O’Neill swimshirt and Rayban sunglasses

The kids had grown out of all swim gear from last summer, so I spent an inordinate amount of time looking for things to take along for the trip. I was really happy with everything (the Hanna suits were great, and now on sale, too!), but by a mile the best purchases were the two O’Neill rash guards I found at a dive shop across the street while in Cayman (shown in the pictures below). I couldn’t keep up with the sunscreen on those two little ones. Prior to this trip such rash guards always looked to me like they would be too hot and uncomfortable, but when they kids are in the water non-stop the shirts actually help them stay cool – and certainly protected. On the top of the list for next year are a few more long sleeved versions.

“Water skiing” with dad.

Trevor’s and my workout for the trip.
Ella would have cruised around on her pink “noodle” for hours.
We even squeezed in a little night swimming.
Reality Check. The kids have swimming lessons on Tuesday nights, so last night I said excitedly, “we get to go to swimming tomorrow!” Ella’s eyes immediately welled up with tears and she said “I don’t wanna go to swimming.” What?! I suspect if she could elaborate on her feelings it’s that she prefers lounging around in the ocean over a crowded indoor pool where she is being told what to do. I don’t blame her.