About Heather Camlot
A freelance writer, crafts junkie and mom of two, Heather Camlot is constantly on the lookout for that elusive work-life balance she hears so much about. Read about Heather's never ending search for five minutes to herself while trying to meet deadlines, make the school bus and raise two fantastic children.
I love the beach – the way the water laps against the shore, how the sand creeps between my toes, how the striped umbrellas dot the landscape.
And it seems this love spans generations.
When my parents met me and the kids in Prince Edward County – about two and a half hours east of Toronto, for the weekend, Sandbanks Provincial Park was at the top of the list to show them. The large dunes of fine white sand are just amazing. We packed the sand toys, the red-and-white striped umbrella, the beach towels, a cooler full of snacks and drinks, changes of clothes and all the other paraphernalia needed for a day the beach with kids in tow and headed out.
It was easier than I thought to find my way – Marc usually drives it and he wasn’t with us. When we arrived, we unpacked and set up camp. There was a cool wind blowing although the air was warm, but that didn’t make much of a difference. The kids pulled out the buckets and shovels and started to dig. My mother joined in and together they built sandcastles topped with feather flags, secured from danger with the necessary mote, and drawbridges made of driftwood so rock cars could cross.
After a snack-bar lunch and indulgent ice-cream cones, we returned to the beach for an afternoon of water play. Juliana has lost her fear of the water and had no problem walking in with her big brother, jumping the waves with her big brother, and running out with her big brother. When Alexandre decided it was time to make a mud castle and plopped himself down right by the shore’s edge, Juliana continued to go in and out of the water by herself, impressed by her daring to go up to her knees. I was impressed either of them went in. It's Lake Ontario – how do kids not notice how cold the water is?
My mom would later thank me for such a relaxing afternoon, something she said hadn’t experienced in a long time. Being at the beach and watching Juliana play in the water also brought back memories of her childhood and of mine. Halifax-born, she told me how when she was young, she spent lots of time at the ocean, running in and out of the water just like Juliana. And when Juliana faced the water, back to my mom, she said it was like watching me when I was that age.
As you can imagine, no one really wanted to leave. We only returned to the cottage at 6 pm (after making a much-desired stop at a local farm stand to pick up salad greens and multicolored carrots!), just in time to catch Marc’s call that he was leaving the city and hoped to arrive by 9 pm to put the kids to bed. The rest of the evening, Juliana and Alexandre kept asking if they could go back to the Sandbanks the next day, and I think my mom wished she could go back, too, even though she and my dad would be heading home the next morning.
Still, the few days together were fun and memorable. And the next time my parents visit us, I have a feeling I know what we’ll be doing. And we’ll all be game.
