By LIA SPENCER
CAMPING has always been one my of favourite ways to spend a holiday.
Some of my best childhood memories took place around a campfire – bonding with my sisters, telling ghost stories, playing games, roasting marshmallows and laughing until our tummies hurt.
So I was pretty happy when I married into a family who also loved camping. Michael’s extended family organised a trip this past long weekend with about 19 adults and 15 kids.
Before we had Isla, Michael and I were pretty care-free – able to put our feet up after a long day of swimming, fishing and tanning.
Our only worry used to be about whether the drinks were cold and the sun was out. This time was very different. It was still fun, but we were constantly keeping tabs on our little adventurous Isla.
Luckily she was not one of the few that received minor injuries during our trip.
One adult got a shock of his life when he stepped on a bull ant’s home, then, when he sat down to mend his foot, the chair broke.
Two kids were bitten by wasps in separate incidents.
One was bit by a wasp who had hidden in her bed, and the other was bitten when she was swimming at the pool.
One teenager had a quick trip to the hospital when a hook snapped off in his arm after a fishing mishap.
Luckily the only thing Isla suffered from was a bout of over-tiredness mixed with early symptoms of what I could only guess to be the terrible twos… (she should still be six months off).
Here are some of the said “symptoms“ she had had over the three days….
1.Cracking it when I wanted to change her out of her pyjamas.
2. Cracking it when I wouldn’t let her play in the toilets.
3. Cracking it because she didn’t like her tea.
4. Cracking it because she wanted to eat the tea that I took away.
5. Cracking it because she wanted out of the shower.
6. Cracking it because she wanted back in the shower.
7. Cracking it because she wanted to go to bed.
8. Cracking it because she was in bed.
Little tantrums aside, Isla had a blast.
She loved running around in the great outdoors.
She took to sleeping in the big bed of the new caravan like a champ, only falling out once (onto a pile of cushions we stacked there in anticipation).
She stayed away from the nearby river and didn’t mind getting her hands and feet muddy from the early morning dew.
I look at her and the sheer happiness she had and understand why my parents put on a brave-face to take their five daughters camping several times a year.
I can’t wait for the next adventure…
