School camp

My daughter is off to camp tomorrow morning, so today we spent the day getting everything she needed packed and ready.
True to female form, despite having a cupboard full of clothes she just couldn’t find anything she was happy to take along with her. We made a mad dash to our nearest shopping mall and spent a few hours shopping and laughing and came back with a few things that she was happy with. 
I’m so going to miss her and our girl time!! Our movie time!! Thank goodness it’s only two and half days!! 

The boys will miss her too I’m sure, so will her dad and all the pets. The house is sure going to be really  quiet. 

I’ve taken the morning off so I can see her off, I’m just hoping that I will not embarrass her too much by getting too emotional. Hurry up Wednesday!!! 

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The Power of Chocolate

Today has been a total blur, from the moment I woke up this morning I have not stopped. In fact as I write this now I am sitting in my car waiting for my son to finish his basketball training session. Fortunately I had the good sense to bring coffee in my travel mug, and a half eaten block of chocolate that my kids had left in the pantry, along as company.

Mondays are busy enough as they are at work, but today we had two meetings added to the mix as well. Needless to say it felt like I accomplished nothing today. There wasn’t even time for lunch, that’s how flat out it was.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not complaining. I knew well in advance that this week was going to be busy. I guess I just didn’t count on all little extras that have popped up like the two meetings today. I hadn’t factored in parent / teacher interviews, job hunting for my husband, and the upcoming festival which I am coordinating, that has quite frankly proven to be a lot harder than I had initially anticipated.

To make matter worse I seem to be fighting some sort of a bug, which has drained me of any excess energy, I might otherwise have had to draw on.

The soccer club my youngest son has just joined is in need of a coach and a team manager. Under other circumstances I would be the first to put up my hand (maybe not for the coach position as my knowledge of soccer is not very good), but the way things are I just can’t see myself being able to be of any assistance. We are new to the soccer world and as I don’t have an understanding yet of how much work would be involved, I cannot risk committing to something else that I may not be able to have the time or the energy to do justice. I feel bad that I cannot volunteer for the role but I have to be realistic.

It is not all doom and gloom. in fact far from it. My writing is back on track. Writers block seems to have lifted, and even if it is but a few minutes every night before bed, I have been able to consistently add to my latest novel.

My teenager who is inside training as I write, has done this 360 degree turn. The negativity that oozed from him the last few weeks seems to have lifted, and my sweet, cheeky, loving boy is back. Last night he even cooked us all dinner!!

Next week he leaves for camp – 7 days of survival at Mount Baw Baw- I am excited for him and at the same time a little nervous. Last year they went on a mini survival camp which he absolutely hated. It rained the whole time they were away. He came back cold, wet, and miserable. It took three days to recover from a two day camp. I am hoping the weather will be kinder this time around, and that the boys will have a great time and come back safe and sound.

I left work feeling like I needed a stiff drink. I now know that all I needed was a cup of coffee and a block or two or three of chocolate, and all is right in the world again. Never underestimate the power of chocolate.

Survival Camps for Boys

Who on earth came up with this idea that boys need to attend survival camps so that they can learn to be tough and to be prepared. Prepared for what?? I don’t understand how two or three or four or ten or fourteen days in the bush fending for themselves, carrying all their belongings on their back , sleeping in two man tents and living on two minute noodles is going to make them tougher.

How will this prepare them for life? Will it help them if they are struggling with their grades? Or if they can’t get jobs later on in life? Will it make them stronger so that they can face challenges such as relationship turmoil? does it prepare them for fatherhood?

Also why do we want tough men? I thought the aim is to raise decent men, caring men, real men. I’d much rather a man who is caring and supportive to one that can pitch a tent and light a camp fire. I believe true strength lies in ones character, it is things like sticking up for what you believe in, going out of your way to help others.

Today my fourteen year old son returned from his survival camp it was only a two day camp and despite the fact that it is spring here in Melbourne the weather this week has been cold and wet and miserable. He was drenched, freezing cold, covered in dirt, his shoulders sore from the weight of the backpack, his legs weary from hiking. I listened as he recounted his horrible experience, he had leeches on him, he couldn’t sleep because of the cold this was just some of what he shared. This survival camp has certainly put him off camping that’s for sure. I guess the one positive here is that yes, he did survive.