OK, so to most people, we were absolutely off our trolley to go on a camping weekend in a rally field, in the torrential rain with 20 odd adults and 40+ children none of whom we had actually met before!!! (edit: I had met one mum and her 4 children previously
here)
A fairly stressed Friday putting up the tent with the help of Kris's husband before he went back to work saw us two mums sat under her awning watching as our "little" (compared to Kris's monster camper van) tent started to let in water... wondering if it was such a good idea after all!!!
Going back home to pick up the big boys who had been performimg in cricket matches, singing in class groups, getting into the football final.... we wondered whether we would manage to get back to our tent with many roads being affected by fairly serious flooding....
Tom was protectively wary of being in a field with internet acquaintances but was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the husbands had the same problem getting their wives off the computer when chatting on the forum!!!!
We got there and the weather took pity on us.... other than the occasional shower we managed sunburns in most of the family groups.... the adults were well behaved and the children all got on.... what more could we have asked for?
Leah showed signs of being claustrophobic and freaking out when put in the tent!!! but did sleep through the night (when she eventually settled!) Matthew got gripped by his book and was lost in the world of dragon riders... but did make the odd appearance to join all the other children in many a football/cricket match.....
The younger ones went around with makeshift bows playing at Robin hood and the littlies congregated on the picnic rug area outside our tent to play/ read whatever I managed to fish out of the bus.... (It's official: the Tourneo may BE a transit but it IS a tardis!!!)
Saturday was lovely lazy, lounging around , eating the multitude of home made biccies and cakes our forum motherly "non camper"Karen made for us, eagerly awaiting the next arrival of a forum member as the rally field was soon overtaken by the snaking line of MPV's and minibuses!!
A birthday celebration for one of the children in the group and then a BBQ in the rain, but food enough for all (feeding whatever children happened to be passing by your tent as you dished up...), made for a unique and fun weekend.
Saturday ended late for us as we stayed with the late night lingerers and drank a little more than usual....
Sunday morning and no one wanted to get up, let alone pack up camp..... but Tom had an appointment in church with the sunday club children and his guitar so we we were home in time for the family service....(mummy's head had by now got worse so she begged off and crawled into bed instead, shamefully)
An event to repeat?
Definately!!!
Master of his new domain.... David in his bright and airy room looking onto a nice green garden....
The change has seemingly sparked David back to life and we are seeing his humour coming back. Today we went to visit and as the weather was glorious we strolled into the town and enjoyed ice creams together with the children...
introduced to the world by his big brother...
And today enjoying a breakfast cake!
A happy celebration, an affirmation of love...
visit from John over in England for work, and baby brother Mark giving his Porsche Boxter a run, saw us enjoy our first barbecue of the year.
the abandonned school pond, in the hope of revamping it and getting the children involved.... when the site is health and safety approved!
Come on! give us a break! There were only four of us and the pond DOES look better emptied of all the rubbish! Slow but sure that's what we are aiming for...We'll be getting together every Weds morning to clear the site little by little...
in leafy Woodhall Spa as we pop in to visit David's soon to be new home. Together with Mamine and Papytail who had joined us for four days...
