okay so there are some very cool elements of camping. Usually for example you are in the middle of nowhere and for us city dwellers that means no light pollution so you get to see the sky in all its amazing glory. um…that is..so long as its not throwing it down with rain…then its pretty much the same.

teamjames

We discovered a park on a cycle path one sunny afternoon earlier this week and it was deserted. 

Summer holidays, thousands of kids across the city off school and no doubt looking for something to do…and this park was empty, save for us. 

Makes me wonder, how actually so many kids could be unaware of it even existing because it took a bit of finding, a bit of adventure, a bit of effort. 

Sadly, in so many cases now, it seems that young kids expect a fast entertainment, instant access, no effort based lifestyle. Life isn't the same for them as it was for us. Thats okay and probably exactly how it should be. But its sad that there is fun and adventures to be had and on a sunny inner city day such a great resource was lying idle. I guess when it comes to it every generation has their own story but it seems that, especially in light of recent events here in the UK, there is not much enthusiasm to begin writing it…unless that is, its going to get done in less than 5 minutes and come with a complementary blackberry messenger. 

But we enjoyed the park. Even though J spent most of the time stuffing large parts of wood in her mouth…

teamjames

when in your mind you glimpse yourself as one of those desperate, heartbroken parents longing for news of their missing child…

that happened to me this past week when we went to the beach. Our lovely bloody stubborn,  strong willed daughter decided that she knew the way to the beach and disappeared on us. Beaches are big, yes..large spaces, this one has lots of sand dunes..so it wasnt a looking out straight to the horizon type of beach. She vanished…Ben left me and the other kids waiting on a path while he went off to look for her.

While we were waiting I heard her shouting and assumed that Ben had found her, only to turn round and see her running across a sand dune in the distance being followed by two older girls…and if it wasn't for..you know..the heart being an involuntary muscle..i think it may have just stopped.

I shouted with just about all the breathe in my lungs but the wind carried by voice away and i knew i was going to have to try and get to her as quickly as possible. A split decision made as i had the two older kids and toddler..to leave them standing together and run for all I had up the sand dune to see if i could get to her. 

Running up a sand dune, now that is a work out. i pretty much willed my legs the last bit and almost felt sick from the effort. 

Spinning frantically around i couldn't see or hear her. More panic. 

Running onto the beach was easier as it was downhill and rounding the corner I saw a large group of kids and adults and behind them in the distance..there she was…walking between two older girls who where heading towards the car park. 

Screaming as loud as i could and waving my arms like crazy, the girls eventually heard me over the wind and turned and then it was over. 

She was in floods of tears, i was fighting with the two polar opposite emotions of wanting to throw my arms around her and of wanting to unload a stack of anger at her for being so stubborn and refusing to come with the rest of us. I went for a bit of a mixture i have to say in all honesty. 

Dragging her back up sandy hill to the others, Ben met me half way up the sand dune with the other three kids i had left at the foot of the sand dune all safe and happy. 

Then i sat down, hyperventilated a bit and thought wildly over dramatic thoughts. 

Best thing about kids? That 2 minutes later she was behaving the same way as if nothing had happened whilst i felt like i needed a two week break at a spa. 

i took this about 10 minutes after we found her….

when my hands stopped shaking and my heart rate dropped below 500!

teamjames

when we actually have houses?…..

not so much a holiday but more of an 'experience' 

The children LOVE it, as you can see by some of the pictures. I think some of the parents actually revel in the fact that things are so basic you can let the cleanliness issue S-L-I-D-E big time for the week. Im happy to go along with that to an extent but one thing we learnt about camping this year was a crawling (non-walking as yet) baby is going to get OH MY GOODNESS filthy for the moment you put her down. I don't even want to mention much the fact that if she was left unattended she would go ahead and second lunch on the discarded food in amongst the grass..ick ick ick. 

We had fairly incredible weather which lets face it is where it all stops with camping as far as im concerned. There was one point when we were all sat outside in the evening and it was actually about 27degrees. Course, looks like that was the summer…

Lovely week, but by the end of it i was wanting my bed, my bedside light and a toilet that didnt involved a short trek…but it was fun. For us, the fun finished with an impromtu tour of WIgan at gone midnight on the way home…..best let Ben tell you about that 🙂

teamjames

a la lift/elevator/hold music although wa-hay cooler.

We found this guy on youtube when looking for tracks that the girls were dancing to. Now they are addicted to his youtube stream and ask for it all the time. Sadly this fact means the inevitable distain and dislike i will have for him is now an absolute certainty….even though i initially have shared their excitement and fascination with what is an incredible talented guy. Listening to the same thing over and over and over is enough to make the most ardent fan yearn for some other music or maybe even some…dare i say….

quiet….

hahahahhahaahahahahaahaa..

ha

ha.

So anyway Mike Tompkins, go follow him on twitter or facebook 🙂