Muddle Puddle Camp
Thought I’d better get caught up and write about our week away before I completely muddle everything up it’s been so long ago. We don’t seem to have stopped since we left camp and by the time I have some computer time I’ve been too tired to blog.
Saturday
In the morning M had cricket practice so we all went to that as usual. We came home for lunch and to finish packing, but I had several things to finish on the computer that took me alot longer than the things A wanted to get done, so despite saying “we’ll take our time, there’s no rush” A was getting fed up about how long I was taking to be ready. We finally set off while the football was on and the roads were pretty much dead. It’s amazing how far you can get in Norfolk in an hour when there’s no traffic on the roads! It was hot and we were glad of the air con in the car.
Sunday
M had us out to the pool first thing in the morning so we did some swimming and it wasn’t too cold once you were submerged and moving. L came in and bum shuffled about in the shallow end until he got cold and tired and fed to sleep for a nap, wrapped up in a towel. M’s fairly new trainers fell apart at the heel on the way back to the caravan so in the afternoon we went out to Lowestoft to buy some new ones.
We got back late afternoon to hear that most people were doing sand castle building on the beach, so M wasn’t impressed that we’d gone out and missed it. We met Jax who’d just arrived and was erecting her tent, so A stayed to help her and I took Big and Small and M & L down to the beach. Got chatting with Tracy W on the beach and they came back for a drink I think. It was good to catch up again and have some time to have cuppas in each others statics and chat. John can wind me up so easily though, lovely as he is! He does it on purpose I’m sure LOL!
Monday
Monday was tie dyeing day. We ran this from outside our static - lovely long space with grass and a fence to stand all the dye buckets up against so they weren’t knocked over. At lunch time A went out to Lowestoft to buy more dyes because the popular colours had been used up. I hadn’t given much thought to how the dyes work but it was amazing to see how they came out of the water and just left buckets of no colour. I really don’t think it was anything to do with dampening the T shirts first - a few comments we got about how it all worked were rather wearing. I think most people enjoyed doing the tie dyeing. I found it a bit draining at times.
Tuesday
It’s become traditional to have a day out in Great Yarmouth when we go to Kessingland, so we decided to do that on Tuesday. But we didn’t pick very well weather wise, because half way through the morning it poured down. We were playing the pirate crazy golf on the seafront at the time and huddled beneath some scenery for the first shower and were just finishing our game off when it started to rain steadily. We ran for the American diner where we wanted to eat lunch but were soaked before we got there. So we steamed through huge club sarnies and fries and then came back to camp. I took M down the camp field to make his own kite and then we all went out to the beach to fly our stunt kite and look at the sea.
Wednesday
We went to Africa Alive with a lift kindly given by Steph - we were carless because A had driven home to go into work for the day and do a sponsored walk. His office were dressing up as Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs. Africa Alive was OK for a 3rd visit. We mooched about and M bonded with Steph’s boys a bit.
Thursday
We were up and to the camp field earlyish for Yoga which I dropped M off at, then I went back for needle felting mid morning. It was much easier than I thought it might be and I only stabbed myself a few times LOL. M made an abstract flat design and I tried to make a fairy.
In the afternoon we went out geocaching and walked through the woods, so we missed basket weaving, which I was hoping to have a go at. Still, A was desperate to go out and “do something” after sitting around watching L all morning while M and I crafted in the marquee.
In the evening M, L and I went to watch the cabaret in the marquee and it was very good. Lots of the children stood up to do a turn. I particularly liked Maddy’s singing - very impressed with her knowing all the words, singing in tune and standing there so long doing the whole song! M declined to take part.
Friday
This was our final morning because we needed to pack up and come home to go to the ABM conference in Birmingham. We chatted to people, M took part in some of Violet’s sponsored events and we got everything packed.
In Summary
Glad we didn’t do much Sparky this year. It was lovely to see people and to meet some newer home edders there. I still found it hard to chat properly to people - I think in a static we were on a different meal/bedtime type thing than the tents and by the time M and L were off to sleep I didn’t want to go out again and people don’t really come round your static for a cuppa if they are tenting. I was pleased to stick to using cloth for L in the day like we usually do at home - the weather was great for drying nappies though we didn’t go through them too fast. Having the organised activities and crafts made a difference because there were joint things to turn up to where you knew you’d catch up with people and you could feel less like a spare part wandering among other folks’ tents.
I expect we’ll be along next year to do it all again!
