All there ever was, is, or shall be

Is packing. Packing the clothes, packing the food, packing the medicines, then unpacking to double check, then repacking again in case something got left out in the first repacking. Packing the tent, and realising the bag was strangely light. Searching the house, and the parents' house, and finally finding the poles lurking in a corner of a bedroom. Packing the bedding, and losing the chairs. Packing the purse, and realising you've spent the money you were planning to hand to the carer. Packing the sponge bags, then needing the toothbrushes.

The bus is now packed to shoulder height, and that's without children, C's belongings and tent, and limiting ourselves to one wheelchair per child. Countless electrical equipment will need to be sorted into it in the morning, and our Bond villain camp chair needs tracking down. There's a freezer full of frozen tummies to squeeze in somewhere; a small child who might want some kind of toys at some point, and the tins of food piled high on the passenger seat need shuffling into cubby holes at the back so C can sit down.

How can a Mercedes Sprinter not be big enough to take four of us camping? How have I three times now completely cleared the laundry pile only to turn around and find more things to wash? What will I forget this year? Where is LF's iPod? Do the girls need to take bibles when they can't read? Why is MetCheck predicting six days of rain and the BBC only one? And can I be loyal to the BBC please?

We're off first thing in the morning - or as close to first thing as we can manage. We may have bloggability; if not, then have a good week and please think of Joshua training busily, and various friends whose children are very sick right now.

See you when we get back
Tia