h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Trust me, none of this helps Reefgirl. I seem to have the tiniest bladder in the history of the universe. Which is only one of the many reasons I always hated camping. There are soooooooooo many more!


az

I know, I used to be up and down about 3 times a night before I had Alex but since then I can go through the night without getting up, also it may have something to do with the fact I have to leg it down 2 flights of stairs to the loo now Even my mum's noticed I don't get up as much as I did when I was younger

Middle children?

I'd seen so many middle children growing up with 'issues' that I was determined ours wouldn't. It helped that we had girl-girl-boy - I think it's more difficult if they're all the same sex.

I used to tell our No2 that she was the jam in the middle of the sandwich - when the slices of bread weren't listening, of course

peeing in campsites in the middle of the night didn't bother me - until I had to take the gruesomes who insist on putting the lights on. Then all the creepy crawlies come to get me...

And deffo there will be camping in the garden - heck, I love camping so much I'll probably join them! they have my old Force10 army tent, which we would have taken for them anyway.

I'm quite excited now - I am quite a fan of holidays at home.

TC - thanks for the positive spin

I was the eldest of 3 girls, and growing up all battles and arguements seemed to be 2 against 1. so partly because of that I made a deliberate decision to only have 2. One for each hand, i used to say hwne they were younger.

They were great company when they were about 8,9,10.

I hate camping - I'm too old for all that palaver. But am considering it in some form this summer just because of the money situation.

8 weeks of summer holidays is a long time to try to keep them occupied!

Aren't they old enough to do stuff on their own?

We've solved the entire summer thing for the Gradientlings.

#1 will be working. When she's not working, she's usually asleep.

#2 is being paid to babysit.

#3 has a grandmother who wants to have her visit for the entire summer. Yay!

#4 has decided she wants to go to summer school for at least 4 weeks. Since it's free and she wants to go work on her reading, she's going! Yay Youngest!

That leaves at least half of #2's days free, which is good.

Our biggest worry, as parents, is that we can't be around for the three months they have off. 12 weeks is a little long for a vacation, don't you think? Cursed be the American school system!

The only thing that keeps Mrs G's hair ungrey when dealing with the "I hate you you're a bad mom!" outbursts is the knowledge that they too will one day have kids that will do this to them. And on that day, she's planning to chuckle knowingly.

I cope with it thus: Yes, I'm a terrible, awful, monsterous father. Yes, you're doing as you're told whether I'm the world's worst dad or not. No, calling me names does nothing to help your situation. If you would like this to end in smiles rather than tears, do the right thing and stop griping.

Does it work? Often enough that it's still a viable strategy.

Another one I use is the "What? You think I like yelling at you? Yelling gives me a headache and makes me feel sick. Why would I do that to myself on purpose? Now, can we stop stressing each other out and find out what's actually the matter or do you want to carry on fighting?"

That works with #3 and #4 a lot.

Teenagers, however...Eldest gets "You're smarter than this. When you're done being emotional about it come back and talk to me." Her younger sister gets the "show don't tell" speech: "I want to believe you're trustworthy and reliable and honest but the way you're behaving right now says otherwise. So show me."

Ladies, go dig out your copy of "Voyage of the Dawntreader" and read the chapter "The Puddleduffs Made Happy" and see what the Magician and Aslan have to say about the Monopods. It's 'Raising Teenagers the Narnian Way', I swear it.

They are (or rather will be during the Summer) 15 and 13. Recent events have shown them to be untrustworthy when left alone

Some summer schemes and courses are avaialble, and I've signed up for at least 1 week of that. But they're not available all summer, and are also expensive. Plus Summer's an opportunity for the 2 of 'em to spend some quality time with grandparents and the like .

Does this mean your May trip to Seville is off?

I've just bought a new tent (you have to love the tradtion of discount supermarkets with their bi-weekly offers! it sleeps 8!!)

so hopefully me and the gruesomes will get a trip or two in, then all of us can go off for a few days during our holidays. (the Gruesomes decided we would have a holiday at home instead of Croatia this year!)

So our plans look like this:

first week of the holidays they go to the childminder on the days when is working. Hopefully they will go with him on their bikes, so they can play outside. I'll come home,jump on my bike & go and bike them back again.

Then my mum will come over to babysit for my month end madness () and take them to Blighty for a couple of weeks. Then mid-july when and I start our hols, we'll fly over, stay a few days & bring them back. A couple of days camping in Northern Germany (to show them the house where I spent my Moody Teenage Years) and to the bird park at Walsrode, then back home for day trips.

Then they go back to school on 8th August and the 'work-work-semblance of life outside of work' all starts again. Hopefully with a 4th and a 3rd grader.

It's all downhill from there to ballet exams in the Autumn.

Back to school on 8th August!

My plans so far are:

Week 1 of July - son at RAF camp, daughter up to my parents who live by the seaside.

Week 2+3 of July - I get some days off (it being Norn Irn...) and was thinking of tagging a full week onto that and spending 10 days or so touring Ireland. Daughter wants to see Cork, son wants to see Cobh harbour (Titanic's last port of call), I want to re-visit Westport, and we all want to climb some mountains in Kerry. B&Bs mostly should do it.

Week 4, and 1st week Augsust - may ask their pa to take 'em.
2nd week August - son at rock school and daughter at arts'n'crafts summer scheme.

Remaining weeks split between my parents and thier Dad. Possibly another long weekend away somewhere with me n Dai.


Oh, and Az, 2 weeks today we are on that plane to Malaga . Will be in touch to organise when we fit in a trip to Seville.

last day of school is 23rd June - they get 6 weeks, it just starts stupidly early.

Which means when they are in Blighty it won't be holidays so my dad won't be so grumpy about taking them places (because they won't be full of people)

My uncle is a teacher and he's on about taking #1 in for a day and handing her over to their lovely German teacher so the kids can practice on a "real live" German kid (the German teacher's idea) she's quite up for it - although it's a massive comp with a gazillion kids. She goes to a village school where most (if not all) of the kids are related to each other - there is one class per year, and there are only 120 kids in the whole school. My Uncle's school has more teachers than that!

#2 has been invited to the local (to my parents) primary school, with her best mate. They are interested (because they mostly live in my parent's 'village') in our wee school because the kids can't imagine things like: no uniform, breakfast break, school until lunchtime, and at least 1 hour of homework a day. She is fascinated by: school uniform, lunch at school and no homework.

Might be interesting for everyone involved if I can get it set up.

I have to say that I love it that they trot off to my parents with hardly a backward glance, and all 4 of them (even my dad although he only grudgingly admits it) have a fabbo time.

And of course, I have a great time! I can work late with impunity!

One of mine went to school for a day with a friend in London - I think they must have been about 9 at the time. I wish there had been more opportunities for that sort of thing.

You are all so organised, you lot. I have no idea when or where I'll be on holiday. My idea of bliss would still be three weeks at home with no one else there. I'm sure I've said that before. Having led a sheltered life (school, au pairing, marriage), I've never actually led my own life or been alone for any length of time.

Yet I would like to go to France again, like in the old days. You've all given me an incentive to have a look for something.

well, you know... we have to be organised, no choice about it.

which reminds me. I have to book flights.

<>



az

I'm not organised and never was. Mostly, we spent the holidays at my sister's, because I waited for ages for my husband to tell me when he'd be off during the summer holidays, only to find out that he never asked and hence couldn't get his holidays then, so it was too late to book anything anyway The boys loved staying at her auntie's though, so that was ok.

<> (TC)

And *all* of you are so organised that you actually *have* holidays! I've never had that sort of life.


az

I live by the sea so it's easy to keep Reefling happy, we'll be going camping in August (Excelsior has to take his hols when the Navy has leave) she'll be going to her dad's for a week and she maybe going to church camp for a week. If you ask her what she wants to do she'll always say go to the beach

I am doomed to having holidays at the peak season for the next 10 years until my husband retires.

Will you really not be able to take any time off, now, Az? And how's the business coming along?