With Wombat in the sun

School holidays are a strange twilight time for us and the dilemma of how to manage our time with Mole, Hedgehog, Beaver and Wombat looms large. As (like thousands of families) we are priced out of going anywhere, I tend to plan our holidays between stays with Granny Purple Hair in darkest Wales, and ‘staycations’ with outings planned and unlimited ice cream.

For example in May half term week we stayed at home with some brief glamping at the start, some interesting days with confiscated devices in the middle and Hedgehog’s birthday celebrations at the end. 

Having all four of them in the house all day was an interesting shock to me, which was probably made worse because of my postpartum sleep deprived state. incredibly I survived it. I did consider getting a pair of ear-defenders to guard against the whining, which comes mostly from Beaver. However I also need to hear certain sounds, like when Wombat wants me or when one of them actually has something intelligent to say. 

The glamping went off very well. We stayed at a place just outside Oxford near Shotover Country Park which was incredibly beautiful. It was also near to where I grew up so it felt like home. When we arrived, the campsite man joked that the bell tents had blown away so we would have to stay in the half built yurts and get rained on. Beaver burst into tears and we had to reassure her that it would be ok. Once parked up, Mole, Hedgehog and Beaver were beyond excited with the bell tent, being very concerned about what type of beds they were getting. I was more chuffed with the indoor wood burning stove, plus the fact that we didn’t have to put up the tent for a change. It did rain for one afternoon, but the bell tent was so huge that it was still comfortable. This was the more basic end of glamping, as the bathroom was still shared with the rest of the campsite and the kitchen was a case of bring-your-own, but just having the space of the bell tent was a game changer. Separated from their beloved chromebooks, Mole, Hedgehog and Beaver morphed into the nature instead. They found a tree swing, ran in the long grass, played ball games and endless frisbee. It was most satisfying to sit back with Wombat on the sunlounger and enjoy the view.

Back at home there followed some days of being inside the house, running between children, hiding in the loft, or dragging them out for dog walks. Domestic work and whining seemed to dominate, interspersed with peaceful snoozes on the bed feeding Wombat, evening films, home-made wine drunk every night and a buffet of snacks set up on the kitchen table to see us through. The chromebooks were confiscated for 48 hours at one point, as Mole has begun a habit of sneaking off with my phone to give herself unlimited time on it via my family app. So I locked them in the shed, (the chromebooks not the children), and noticed that they went out to the park a lot more, or practiced their rollerskating on the driveway, which seemed healthier. 

It’s all faded into a sleepy haze now, but one memory sticks out as the walk in our local woods that lasted for several hours, owing to the new tree swing that we found near our favourite stream spot. The dog was happy zooming up and down like a bullet, splashing water everywhere, while Mole, Hedgehog and Beaver were occupied with the swing and large stick den. Wombat and I sat happily together and no cleaning was necessary. It was a magical few hours.

Towards the end of the week we had Hedgehog’s birthday, which involved the making of cakes, opening of presents and a trip to our local lido. There followed a bigger birthday bash at a local swimming pool with all her classmates. I think Hedgehog was suitably pleased with the birthday arrangements, so I was happy, but I did make a mental note to tone the parties down next year. Having a few besties round for jelly and cake is actually just as enjoyable for Hedgehog, and not nearly so stressful for us. It was fun showing off Wombat to the parents at the poolside though, he flirted with everyone. 

Now we are a few short weeks away from the long Summer holidays and I’m trying to plan things out so that we have enough to do but with plenty of down time. There will feature a stay with Granny Purple Hair in darkest Wales, plus the staycation with outings and unlimited ice cream. Top on the list for outings are dog walks, lido swims and visits to the nearest splash park. For rainy days I suspect we will stay home and amuse ourselves, with Beaver making the bulk of the mess. I’m hopeful that in time she will acquire the tidy habits of Mole and Hedgehog, but I won’t hold my breath. 

So overall I’m optimistic for the holidays and whatever happens, as long as there is wine and chocolate, I can handle anything.