Awaiting the campers.
No tears this time. We were so excited to pick her up from camp. Had a rushed Father’s Day breakfast and left Toronto at 8:30 am (still not quite sure how we managed that!). The pick up spot was noon at the Cache Lake landing in Algonquin Park. Camp Tanamakoon is on an island, so the kids are ferried to the pick up spot, while the parents eagerly await their arrival. When we got there, most of the parents were already waiting, gathered around the docks.
Then we saw it…a little boat in the distance. It was the barge with all the kids on it! As it neared closer and closer, all the parents grabbed their cameras and snapped away to document their daughter’s return.
The campers appear in the distance!
The part when they started unloading the campers was a bit of a blur. I remember squeezing my daughter tightly. It felt great to have her back!
She was so proud of herself. Showed off all her crafts, new name tag and freshly baked bread she made especially for Father’s Day (the little spirals are rotini noodles).
She loved everything about camp…”I swimmed in the water, and I looked for frogs, and I did crafts and I made things for Father’s Day!”
It was a tough weekend for me—more difficult then I thought. It was my first time letting my daughter stay overnight and in a new place. The drop off on Friday was especially hard and the entire weekend was filled with thoughts about how she’s doing and if she’s enjoying her time at camp…but the pick up made up for all of my anxiety and hesitations.
Campers find their crafts from the weekend.
My daughter was bursting with excitement to share with us what she did at camp and the friends she met along the way. She seemed a couple inches taller, had a smile from ear to ear and was filled with new confidence to take on whatever new adventures were ahead.
My very own independent little girl is starting her summer camp tradition!
Fresh baking from Camp Tanamakoon - bread with sprinkles, chocolate chips, and... pasta?
About Agatha Stawicki
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