As promised

a camp blog 🙂

First things first, I really enjoyed it. I love being on holiday, taking the laptop with me, but not feeling any need to get it out, as the vast majority of the ppl I’d be communing with online were there irl. At least, I assume that’s why I didn’t feel any need!

My children seem to rather like camping too – and they don’t seem to particularly care about the weather either way. Small started off being unimpressed by the puddles (they both slept through the storm that caused them) but once he’d seen a few of the larger boys jumping in them, he was well away 🙂 I believe there are many pictures of Big with sun dress, kagoule and wellies as well (which is just as well, as I barely got the camera out of its case all week).

Let’s see what I can remember about the where and when of it all. Packed on Saturday morning and departed about 2, for a scenic tour of Newark looking for the Cane Store so that I could buy replacement cane for the kits that hadn’t arrived. The owner was very helpful, even to offering rather better directions over the phone than mapquest had come up with. So I left Newark and went to Long Bennington instead 😉

Rest of the journey wasn’t much better. I don’t enjoy long stretches of road with little opportunity for overtaking, as the lunatics try to overtake anyway. I started off keeping a list, but there got to be too many registration numbers to remember 🙁 I can see why it’s a red route.

Evening got much better when I arrived to be greeted by Layla with a jug full of Pimms with strawberry. Probably not the most sensible option when I hadn’t eaten since an early lunch, but made me feel a lot better about chucking the tent up!

Sunday, hm, fairly sure I met lots of new ppl and reaquainted myself with several older friends, but couldn’t tell you an awful lot more than that. Think that was the day Kris provided much amusement by taking her caravan for a walk, although I could be wrong. Big and Small were thrilled to be amongst so many friends again – Big hooked up very quickly with Jenny‘s Carys

and Chris and Helen‘s SB for many games of dolls. Fairly sure that we went swimming, as we did most days, even dragging Tim along despite his disdain for the water.

Evenings gathered around a hookup light and then moving into the communal tent were rather nice. Wasn’t nearly as cold at night as it was last year, and the little extra shelter of the tent made sitting out positively pleasurable.

Monday, we had a craft day. I had intended to prepare basket bases, but almost as soon as we settled down to do that, in Kris’s rather splendid awning, we got a steady stream of visitors wanting to weave. It seemed to go down very well, which was excellent. Took a break part way through to go for a photo shoot for next years brochure – suspect someone from mp is almost bound to be in the pics as the photographer had also taken pics of Kirsty and James with several children running around in front of their tent. He did complain to me that the children had been too well behaved – he wanted shots of them playing like children, but he asked them to run around in a circle, so they did! Had to do a spiel about home ed on the back of that 😉 Once he’d taken shots of us wandering in and out of the gate he wandered off to the pool – wonder who he found there?

The basket making went on all afternoon, which meant I didn’t get to take Big swimming, or try out the rag weaving. Might have been the only real downpoint of my week, as I hate disappointing Big, especially over swimming!

Tuesday most ppl went on the wildlife trip. I ferried Merry up there as she was carless and then Kris, Alison and I went and dunked our children in the pool. I think. I apologise in advance if I’ve got any of this out of order, but I didn’t make notes during the week. I’ve absolutely no idea what we did that afternoon I’m afraid. Was that the day of the yardarm? Ahah, having got to Weds morning, I’ve now remembered. We sewed up make poverty history bands!

Rather think it rained a little Tues night 🙂 Was very glad that I took the time beforehand to clear everything off the floor, as despite the seamseal, my expensive Vango tent still leaks. I’d not be putting their name all over this blog if it were not for the fact that they don’t answer emails either. 😈

Weds, loaded the children into the car and trekked off to Southwold to post the Make Poverty History bands. Also posted yet more crochet squares, and Big spent some of her pocket money on a really horrid new born baby doll. Small chose one of those snake things that wiggles. We had a wander around the town, as Jan had commissioned us to buy her a mug, and it was a really pleasant day out. I took the children for lunch in a cafe and they behaved impeccably, we also went in some charity shops and Big bought herself a Drina book.

Got back to discover the bring and share bbq was back on, so ordered some veggie sausages and rice to be brought back from the supermarket trip, and took the children swimming with the Portico. Think therefore this was the first session that Big discovered she can swim, doing a very reasonable approximation of breast stroke, no floats, no unseen assists, and she did an entire width. I was well impressed. Small decided he didn’t like water and would not get into the pool – I ended up conning him in when he came over for a cuddle and it didn’t go down well at all. Bad mummy.

Didn’t see much of the bbq – shortly after I’d cooked my bit, Small decided he wanted to go to bed. Took an hour and three quarters to persuade him that he meant it though, so most ppl had disappeared before I reappeared.

Thursday was a bit wet. Agreed with Katy that we would go swimming nevertheless so we toddled up there in the rain. Small was having none of it and went off and climbed onto a chair and stayed there throughout, looking more and more glum. Turned out we’d arrived at float fun time, highly amused to discover that we were supposed to play with the floats in a specified manner and build a raft! Didn’t take very long though 😉 Managed to cheerlead Big through another unaided width, although I was having to bodyblock some of the larger inflatables out of her way as she went 🙂 Did sniffle somewhat as she did it though, and so did Katy 😉

Rest of thurs afternoon was spent hiding in the communal tent with Nic and Ady as it was raining, and our tent was leaking. Lovely.

Thurs evening, I think, was the evening I read to Layla’s C as well as Big and Small, for quite some time I think. Seemed to be remarkably successful. Big was almost asleep when C asked to be returned to her parents, and Small wasn’t far behind. I did spend a little time reading on – suddenly realised that I’d spent an awful lot of time with ppl, and I do usually enjoy spending some time on my own. This is where camp wins over Melrose – you’ve got your own space in a way you don’t have in a youth hostel, which means you can be more relaxed when you are mingling. Or that’s how it works for me anyway.

Fri and more crafts. To be precise, basket weaving and beading. Seemed to go down extremely well and there are lots of good piccies on various ppl’s flickr’s accounts. Tim arrived back (oops, did I forget to mention he went home on Monday?) round about tea time, just about the time that Kris reappeared with the fish and chips, which fortunately for him, she was happy to share 🙂

And then ppl started to arrive. In large numbers. It was quite a sight to see, kind of a shame that we had some gaps in our circle by the time they arrived as we were treated to a show by the demon walton family. Katy and Stef and Dawniy had already gone from the other field, leaving Nicola alone, so a gang of us went down there and bodily kidnapped her, raising a few eyebrows as we relocated an erect tent 😉 Hope that T forgave us for that.

And Saturday was pack up day. We went off to visit family in Felixstowe, and then took a scenic route home so we didn’t get back til late.

Today I’ve mooched – we’ve all been tired. I’ve got some washing done and on the line, another load waiting to go through tonight. Did enough shopping to get us through to tues, and made pizza for tea. So don’t feel I’ve aquitted myself too badly. Both children have got back into their IT studies with cbeebies for Small and Jump Ahead for Big (would have thought it would bore her, but apparently not) and must get back into the swing of things tomorrow.

Very soon to bed. Apologies to anyone I’ve missed out of the tale – it occurs to me that Merry barely rates a mention, which seems utterly bizarre but often at these events we are like ships in the night 🙁 But without you Merry, no event! And Joyce, I missed Hannah this week – obviously I’m happy that she had other things to do, but I had to chase Small all by myself! (Got much better once I confiscated his shoes so that he couldn’t cross the road so fast 😉 ) He did make a little friend all of his own though – it was lovely to see him and Fergus brumming cars together. And he adores the bigger boys, especially Janey’s, seemed to be mutual though, as she said they wanted to adopt him. That’s him sorted then, I can just post him randomly round the country to see his fans, and he can come back here for clean washing every now and then.

Hm, I’m getting a bit surreal, maybe it’s bedtime. 🙂

ooh, eta, forgot to say thanks to Dawniy for making a special trip to find Big to put a hair wrap braid thing in her hair. She’s thrilled with it, and it’s still going very strong. 🙂