As a kid I always looked forward to the school holidays. 6 long weeks of holiday. Not being at school. Bliss!
Even as an adult, I still look forward to it. I think I have this image in my head of a long warm summer, of playing in the park, of holiday trips out and that idyllic scene of the perfect family. How quintessentially deluded!
And yet, despite my eldest offspring recently turning 11, I continue to try and delude myself that summer will fly and that before we know it, it's school time again. Perhaps this year, it was a bit of a crunch year, the eldest is going to secondary and the middle child is joining year 1. Perhaps it is holding on to this fictional vision in the attempt of overcoming the rest of life's challenges.
This year, and for reasons of money among other things, we went camping! eeek!
Camping! Well that was my reaction. I have never slept under canvas, and after having stayed at many hotels, caravan parks and other such things, and have never felt the need to experience such things. Tails of flooding, being washed away, hairy showers, smelly toilets etc have really put me off. However, Wifey always overcomes such things, she books it anyway!
A new romantic image surfaced, of the family camping, cooking on an open flame while huddled in our sleeping bags filled my mind. (Anyone starts humming Kumbyah, I WILL find you!)
I think I need to stop reading Enid Blyton.
The reality was very different and thank God we had good weather or else I would have been a miserable so and so for the whole week of camping. By Tuesday (we got there Sunday) I had accepted that this was my lot and discovered that 2 ales of an evening very much helps a good nights sleep and that this was likely to be the only holiday I have this year so make the most of it.
We were camping with a group of friends and the evening socials were excellent and really made the holiday.
The romantic idyll it was not, but a very enjoyable experience it was! (would you like some sauce with your hat?)
Back to home though and the rest of the holidays and the dream was still there for days out with my wonderful family, not a care in the world, just enjoying life and the blessings we have.
Of course the harsh reality is nothing like the dream. The washing, cooking and cleaning still needs to be done. I still have to work, childcare needs to be sorted for when wifey works - in fact holidays cause us more bother about the childcare than school times. So, with 2 weeks to go, 3 kids who are climbing the walls no matter what we do with them, I am now very much looking forward to when school starts again!
I wonder how many parents are thinking the same?
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