Day 13: need a holiday?
Its approaching the end of the 7 week holiday for the children and this week, thanks to my mum booking them in and paying, the children have both been on a swimming crash course. Its been great...they've loved going every morning and its really fun to watch them at their differing stages both in the same class through the glass window of the little balcony. Holly is really confident... she was confident before but totally clueless about how to swim... so a confident drowner, Elijah on the other hand will not let go of the side or his helper so he just natters away to whoever gets stuck holding him all lesson. Today was amazing as we saw Elijah actually swim away on his own and with a huge grin on his face whilst Holly got moved up a group and swam with no armbands...also with a huge gappy grin on her face which probably allows gallons of water into her mouth! But as the end of the week looms so does our holiday decision. We've not been away yet, we've got to do it next week or not at all and we're so indecisive about what to do. Counting every penny at the moment even a campsite is pushing the boat out... at £15 a night is is worth doing? Its a funny one- holidays - where did they come from? They've never been a necessary part of human existence yet some people just can't imagine being able to survive without a holiday.
I realised today the pressure resting on me about the holiday situation is simply the fact that Holly is due back at school to a brand new teacher...and that teacher has asked the children to bring items in to show her about their holiday. I'm feeling the pressure of not following the direct instruction of the school letter...now, having realsied that, I can sort that out... The fact is it doesnt matter, her teacher just wants them to take something in to help them to talk... we can do that another way.
I don't actually feel we're deprived in any way if we don't have a holiday... and for the past few years (since having children) I've found holidays are very guilty of false advertisement. Whilst your family home is full of all the gadgets, props, gismos to keep small children safe and contained as well as all their favourite varying toys... a holiday is more of a trial to see how you cope if everything helpful is taken away for a time ... with a select few things you have managed to bring along are jammed in your head for a long journey. My personal highlight was pitching a tent at Soul Survivor that we'd borrowed, which had no ground sheet, in a swamp of mud whilst Elijah was just learning to crawl. I remember holding my wriggly baby, facing the swamp beneath me because the tent was too low to stand up and crying. It was cold and getting dark and SO MUDDY. By the end of the night we'd pegged down ripped open carrier bags and that was our floor for the week. Don't get me wrong though.. it's those memories, however you feel at the time, that make family life special and its those experiences that make us who we are... and we are now campers... though part of our credit card debt is the second biggest tent you can buy with 2 ground sheets and a carpet! So we're still weighing it up... is it worth it? Can we get the same sense of time together and funny memories if we stay at home and make some days out in the country side? Maybe we'll sleep in the playhouse, maybe we'll make a den and sleep in the lounge or maybe we'll just spend that £45 to go off somewhere... jury is still out
I realised today the pressure resting on me about the holiday situation is simply the fact that Holly is due back at school to a brand new teacher...and that teacher has asked the children to bring items in to show her about their holiday. I'm feeling the pressure of not following the direct instruction of the school letter...now, having realsied that, I can sort that out... The fact is it doesnt matter, her teacher just wants them to take something in to help them to talk... we can do that another way.
I don't actually feel we're deprived in any way if we don't have a holiday... and for the past few years (since having children) I've found holidays are very guilty of false advertisement. Whilst your family home is full of all the gadgets, props, gismos to keep small children safe and contained as well as all their favourite varying toys... a holiday is more of a trial to see how you cope if everything helpful is taken away for a time ... with a select few things you have managed to bring along are jammed in your head for a long journey. My personal highlight was pitching a tent at Soul Survivor that we'd borrowed, which had no ground sheet, in a swamp of mud whilst Elijah was just learning to crawl. I remember holding my wriggly baby, facing the swamp beneath me because the tent was too low to stand up and crying. It was cold and getting dark and SO MUDDY. By the end of the night we'd pegged down ripped open carrier bags and that was our floor for the week. Don't get me wrong though.. it's those memories, however you feel at the time, that make family life special and its those experiences that make us who we are... and we are now campers... though part of our credit card debt is the second biggest tent you can buy with 2 ground sheets and a carpet! So we're still weighing it up... is it worth it? Can we get the same sense of time together and funny memories if we stay at home and make some days out in the country side? Maybe we'll sleep in the playhouse, maybe we'll make a den and sleep in the lounge or maybe we'll just spend that £45 to go off somewhere... jury is still out
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