Camping Week-end without Camping

This past week-end was Griffin's class camp-out in Tulbagh. It was great fun!

The boys and I shared a cottage with another family, rather than the schlep of setting up camp and lugging a million things for 2 days and one night. Although I actually do like camping. I have a tiny car, only the bare minimum camping-wise, and don't think the effort is worth it for less than 2 nights myself. Ok, I am just lazy perhaps, but hey I have to do it all myself now! It was much more fun when all the hard work was done FOR me. Besides since we were sharing the cost was almost the same as if we had camped. Really a no-brainer in my mind!

Anyway, the cottage was lovely and comfy and had a fridge and all other necessities. So we were well sorted. We were close enough to the camping crowd to be able to stroll down and mingle with them as we wanted, and it really was perfect. It was a lovely break away from the city and usual routines and rat race and a nice time just focused on the kids.

I was the only single parent there and all the other adults were in their little groups being parents - on the side lines, sipping their spritzers etc

I, being me, decided I was one of the kids and leaped into the farm dam with them, raced them, dunked them, bombed them, had mud and algae wars* with them, you name it.

I played cricket with them for ages and then we switched to soccer, and played and played until we had quite a nice team going. Finally after too many kicks in the same spot and a kid jumping on my foot I limped off the field with the excuse that I had to go braai our meat.

I woke up on Saturday night in agony and my foot was in serious pain, I could not get comfortable at all. By Sunday morning I could barely walk at all. Flip it was sore! I was worried I had a cracked bone, but it must have been just really badly bruised right onto the bone. (Because now a few days later and after ice-packs, arnica oil, and anti-inflammatories it is much better, still tender but way better.) I guess I am not actually the kid I act like.


When I limped in to the camp site on Sunday morning one of the dads from the soccer team laughed at me and said, 'Ja well, you want to act like a kid'

*sulk*. Sometimes being old and brittle sucks!


* Quinn and another boy started throwing mud at each other and some splattered near me and hit my shoulder. They both got a fright and expected to be told off. Instead I gasped, grabbed a big handful of mud and flung it back at them, and then it was a free for all for about 20 minutes. Afterwards one of the dads commented on it and I said, 'You know sometimes you have to just do the unexpected, instead of moaning and yelling, catch them off guard and just go with it! It's fun, and there are far too many things to worry about already, so sometimes it's good to just muck in.' He said, 'Um... I think you need to have a word with my wife...' LOL