A Day in My Life

It's the 14th again, so Jenny is hosting A Day in My Life again.

We're not at home today. And, it isn't raining!

The day technically started far too early, at 1AM, when Mog decided she needed attention.

Thankfully though she did settle back down again eventually and we had a bit of peace until both girls woke up at 6.30. Far too nice a morning to waste staying in the tent trying to get back to sleep again, so we went outside to admire the morning sun.

Sadly Mog was really not happy this morning, so after a long hour of utter misery finally her painkillers kicked in, and she went back to the tent for a rest
Whilst Little Fish spent some time setting out the chairs for the other campers
and I made use of possibly the world's cleanest campsite bathroom.

Across the site little groups like thiswere sitting around enjoying being togetherand having fun making new friends.

Now some people have mastered the art of relaxingand others prefer to stay busy.
Some people in a big truck arrived and pitched this marqueeready for the Special Kids in the UK annual family day. And some husbands put together a smaller versionso that they wouldn't get bored sitting around doing nothing incase the forecast rain for Saturday doesn't put people off coming for the day.

We spent the afternoon doing nothing enjoying each others' company and laughing at people on the space hoppers . Balls featured quite heavily in the day's activitiesJust as all that rest was starting to get a little too comfortable much, thispulled up outside the tents, with plenty of space for all the children, including those in wheelchairs, to have a ride. Fun times!The train dropped us off back at our tents in time to cook tea

Chicken supreme. Tasty... Although one day I will remember to bring something to strain the rice. Time to do the washing up
and then maybe a spot of light readingas some of our friends failed to play with the space hoppers againAnd then suddenly it was way past the girls' bedtime once again. Pyjamas and cardigans and vests, sleeping bags and blankets and more blankets. Now Little Fish is sleeping sweetly. Mog, having finally woken up properly on the train ride, is now grizzling quietly at my side, resisting sleep with every fibre of her being. Matt Redman is playing quietly in the tent; she's not overly impressed but prefers it to silence and I forgot to pack any of her other music.

Outside older children are playing quietly with glowsticks and poi, smaller children are in bed or not in bed but need to be , adults are chatting and finishing up later meals, mellowing quietly as barbecue coals die down. Slowly over the course of the day the field has filled with more tents, and tomorrow even more friends are expected, ready for 200 visitors on Saturday itself.

From my spot in the tent, facing the girls with my back to the circle of friends behind me I can see two small heads peeking out from sleeping bags and a pile of clutter , and the silhouette of tall trees from the tent's skylight. I can hear the hiss of the gas lamp, Mog's breathing which has thankfully switched from gentle grizzle to snore, and the wheeze pant of Little Fish's ventilator. I can't honestly say that the ventilator is a noise from my own childhood, but the gas lamp's hiss is definitely a sound I have fallen asleep to for many years' family holidays.

It's not a bad life.
Tia