So my boy survived his first night at beaver camp, and he’s home!
Thomas is only 7. He waited a long time on the waiting list to join our local beaver pack. Are beavers called a pack? So he’s been going every week now for a few months. This last weekend was his first camp. It was only for one night. I was nervous. He was excited.
I followed the advised packing list and tried to stay practical. There wasn’t much on it, the basics. A torch, sleeping bag, mat. Some utensils, clothes, wash items etc. I added a couple of extra bits myself which were: a half pack of baby wipes, some snacks (he gets hangry!) and a migraine kit for him. I’ve written before about his migraines. If you want to read about it the post is here. and as he’d had one just last weekend I thought it was wise to be prepared. I was hoping of course he wouldn’t get one but I just wanted him to be able to ask for help and deal with it early. It seems the earlier we get him some medicines the better he copes with it.
His camping night was Saturday to Sunday but we went up on the Thursday to help set up all the tents and let them get used to the surroundings. I did my parent bit and helped out.
It did make me want to go camping as a family though. I just need to save up for a tent! The one we really like is this one but its really expensive so requires lots of saving first!
When Saturday came I was nervous again for him, worried that my baby would be cold or lonely in the night and there’d be no one there for him. Obviously the beaver leaders were there but its not his mum. But I knew I had to let him go. Let him do his thing and go have fun.
Kit was packed, drop off looming, one last photo outside our house to remember the moment……..
….and off we go!
I got his bed set up and said goodbye, so thankful it was a sunny weekend!
Thank goodness for facebook. The leaders were able to update their page with photos throughout the day. I could see he was having fun.
When evening came , back at home we sat outside for dinner. I was sweltering. With my paranoid mum head kicking in I text the beaver leader to ask him to tell thomas that if it was hot to sleep on top of his sleeping bag. Since all I’d packed him were fleecy pj’s, fluffy socks, a thick sleeping bag and a blanket. As it turned out it did cool down. Why do I always forget that in the UK as soo as the sun goes down it pretty much cools down quickly. I always think it’s like Florida where it stays hot all night!
Felix wanted his own campfire at home, so we set one up and sat outside in the evening sunlight which was lovely.
And so after a sleepless night worrying about if he was ok, it was time to pick him up.
He was tired…..very very tired….filthy.. but happy. He’d had a ball! He was still in pj’s so I helped to pack his stuff up and tidy up the camp. We took him home and pretty much threw him straight into the shower! He even admitted himself that the shower felt good and he felt so much better after it. I’m not surprised the amount of dirt that came off him!
So thank you to all those that made the weekend camp possible. They all seemed to have an absolute ball! Roll on next years camp!