Once upon a time, B.C. (Before Children) my favourite day at the beach would include the following:

1. Wake up to the roar of the beach, leisurely dress my self in a pair of bathers, sun dress, beach hat, sandals, sunglasses and my tote bag would be packed with my iPod, favourite novel, towel, coke, wallet and mobile phone.
2. I would leave the house to walk through the national park around to the beach. Walk to the water, have a swim before retiring on the beach to read my novel in silence as I watched the world walk by.
3. Occasionally after another walk I would find myself at a favourite café where I would treat myself to a cappuccino and brunch. Then I would wander through the boutique stores and second hand book stores before returning to the house to sleep away the day until a lovely evening starts.
   

   Me with Adelaide and Moana braving the beach. Don't try this alone.

Now. I have Twins. I thought I would share my favourite day alone with my girls. So on Saturday was the following random day at our house at the beach:

Time 6am.

I am out of bed, the girls have fresh nappies and bottles in the lounge. A coffee for me has barely been sipped before commencing breakfast – while trialling food after food while the girls decide what they like to eat that morning. I decide to go to the beach. Alone with them .

I wear the usual – bathers, sun dress, beach hat, sandals, sunglasses (missing)

I pack the nappy bag. It contains: iPod, favourite novel, towel, wallet, mobile phone, sunscreen, 4 nappies, wipes, plastic bags, water, fruit and biscuits.

1. Collect Baby A – dress in full piece bathers, sunscreen, hat.
2. Repeat step 1 with Baby B.
3. Once I am fully dressed. Pick up one baby. Carry to car. Unpack double pram. Buckle Baby A in pram. Run back to house. Pick up Baby B. Carry to car. Buckle Baby B. Forgot to lock the door. Run back to house. Lock the doors. Run back to pram. Walk to beach.  ~15 minutes Later~
4. Decision Point. Look at lovely beach. Decide to tackle the sand with stroller by dragging backwards. Once on hard sand argue that it will be easier. Do the above.
5. Push pram to the patrolled flags.
6. Safely park pram. Unbuckle Baby A and sit baby on sand close (but not too close) from waters edge. Run back to pram. Unbuckle Baby B and sit baby next to her sister. Run back to pram. Get buckets and water.
7. Sit with babies and play in sand. Offer water to drink. Try to keep on hats and stop babies from eating sand.
8. Pick up baby and tentatively go knee deep in water while watching second baby play in sand. Get baby feet wet.
9. Repeat step 8 with Baby B.
10. Offer strawberries. Drop strawberries in sand. Sand in mouths. Unhappy babies.
11. Return strawberries and buckets to pram.
12. Wave comes u
    

    Don't try this alone at the beach with Twins

    p to sand. Lifesavers run to save babies. “Please move your babies away from ocean.”

13. Pick up Baby A. Buckle Baby A back in pram. Hats on. Shade cover on.
14. Pick up Baby B. Buckle Baby B back in pram. Hats on. Shade cover on.
15. Stare across at stretches of beach while trying to work out how the hell to get pram off beach. Notice public staring at me too.
16. Turn pram around and walk back shortest stretch of sand. Commence dragging pram backwards of beach. Nice old man saves us and helps us to the stairs. Thank man.
17. Go to beach showers. Unbuckle Baby A and try to wash sand off. Return Baby and unbuckle Baby B and watch sand off.
18. Offer biscuits.
19. Walk to shops.
20. Go to health store. Buy a takeaway energy juice. Look at another mother with a singleton in a carry pouch while pushing an equivalent branded single pram. “Did you breastfeed both of them together?” she asks while sipping on her health juice, dolled up in her gym wear and contented sleeping baby at her chest while looking at me strangely like twins are a freak. Can’t come up with a comment retort fast enough.
21. Go to bakery. Buy a Cornish pastie. Walk past the boutiques and look in the window. Find a seat in the park. Offer water and parts of the bakery to the girls. Contented.
22. Decide to miss the park swings today.
23. Decide to walk home.
    

    Strawberry Fields

24. Head to the hill we need to climb to go home. Start the treading and pushing. A surfing couple leave their house and just stare as I push the girls up the hill.
25. Finally arrived home. Repeat step 3 but in reverse.
26. Run bath. Undress Baby A and put on floor in bathroom. Collect Baby B. Undress and put in bath. Wash baby. Find fresh nappies and clothes. Place Baby B on floor. Pick up Baby A and place in Bath. Wash Baby. Dress Baby A.

Time 10:30am. Just another day in life of me with Twins at the Beach.