After many weekends of rainy weather we took advantage of the sunshine and warm weather today and headed to Caloundra for a day at the beach. Golden Beach. Unlike most of the beaches along the Sunshine Coast it is protected from the surf and the calm, clear water is perfect for children. It's also perfect for parents who are more interested in encouraging their kids to swim with confidence instead of coxing them into pounding waves and then yelling at them to jump over the swell or dive under it to avoid being dunked. Daddy likes Golden Beach too. I think it reminds him of the Mediterranean Sea where he grew up.
I bought you a new swim suit at the start of the summer. You've used it regularly, swimming at friend's pools, the occasional trip to the beach and weekly swimming lessons with Daddy. Today it seemed to give up trying to hold itself in the form of a swimming suit - the elastic in the fabric swam out to sea and didn't return leaving you in a stretched out pink floral thing that sank down to your ankles instead of your knees. Every time you came up out of the water your little buttocks were eagerly cupped by the clingy fabric. As the swimming, castle building, beach snacking and sunscreen slapping progressed your swim suit continued to deteriorate.
With the complete lack of awareness of a toddler you carried on. In and out of the water, practicing your big arms and kicking with daddy. Squealing with delight when we splashed and frolicked with you. Telling daddy 'I don't want it again' when you'd had enough of the '1, 2, 3 - under' game. Running up the sand towards me, calling out for a honey sandwich. Earnestly collecting your bucket and spade and filling it with sand only to flip it over too slowly, losing the intensity required for a successful sand castle formation. Daddy quickly gave you a lesson and you soon had a little community of castles, twigs poking out from their roofs in defiance.
We had a hard time convincing you that it was time to leave the beach. With a belly full of sea water and tap water I was worried that you might be car sick on the ride home (it seems that whenever you drink too much before a long car ride you sometimes get car sick so we've taken to working on the dehydrate before we drive theory whenever possible). I needn't have worried. The swimming, sea and sun all took their toll and before we hit the highway I watched you nod off and fall asleep in the rear view mirror.
Today reminded me why my sisters and I loved going to the beach for our summer holiday when we were girls. There is something completely uninhibited about hanging out at the beach. It's the simplicity of the sea, the sun, the sand and the pleasure that the combination of all three provide. It's not really appropriate to spend all day at the beach under the Australian sun anymore, but there was something healthy and natural going on when you finally stripped off your collapsing togs and lay down to dry naked under the sun.
I think we need to try and find the time to go to the beach more often.
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