While the kids liked the beach and the ocean, our first day on the beach, Nicholas tried to jump a wave and instead, it knocked him over and into the cold ocean water. He was a good sport about the whole thing and walked for twenty more minutes before asking to go and change out of his wet boots, socks and pants. Emily, I swear came from the sea, because she spent every beach walk going toward the water. Blair and I began to refer to her as "Emily of the Sea". If you asked the kids what their favourite part of Tofino was, Nicholas would say, the boardwalk trek up to Sunset Point (a trek that they made at least once a day), Claire loved the park in town and Emily, we can only speculate would say, the ocean.....or the park swing.
By 7:30pm each night, we were all exhausted. The kids were in bed and Blair and I collapsed on the couch with a drink and a movie. When we went to bed, we slept, soundly.
The place where Blair and I had spent time as a couple had become something different. This trip had become two separate vacations; one with the bigger kids, hiking and me, in the suite alone while Emily slept. My idealized vision for this trip was anything but ideal. After the kids melted down at a Sunday night dinner, I blamed the kids for ruining our holiday and was ready to pack up and leave, never wanting to take the kids anywhere again. But, of course, we didn't leave and had a beautiful Monday, full of warm sunshine. Had we left, Blair wouldn't have been walking up the trail to Sunset Point, heard the a young surfer calling for help and wouldn't have gone to his rescue. Leaving Nicholas and Claire in a safe spot, Blair scaled a rock face, water breaking up against him, reached down and helped the young surfer.
They returned to the suite, changed wet clothes and then headed back out to complete the trek that had been interrupted by the impromptu rescue.
Is it the holiday that I had envisioned? Not at all. Is it a holiday that the kids will remember? Absolutely.
I've learned something from doing this trip, Tofino is still a very special place to me and Blair and I cannot expect the kids to appreciate it the same way that I do. We will take the kids on another family holiday....not right away, but eventually. Until then, Blair and I will keep Tofino to ourselves....we're going back next year, without the kids.
