This was written on Thursday morning.
The packing for Austria continues, I think Sam is more or less ready now - and I am totally exhausted! Last night I labelled all his clothes and got everything folded ready to be put into his case, I still have a couple of pairs of jeans to turn up and a few things to iron, but that shouldn't take too long. Last night I took Sam out to buy the ingredients for his packed tea, etc. He is surprisingly rigid in his ideas about packed food, if it should be hot he will not eat it cold, so that rules out sausage, sausage rolls and all sorts of other things. He likes BLT sandwiches, but not unless they are very cold, the same goes for yoghurt, and similar things so we can't pack anything like that. In the end he bought a couple of cereal bars, some wholemeal snacks, some fruit and a jelly. According to Sam the only thing that will stay at it's optimum temperature on the coach is honey, but he can't bear to eat it in sandwiches, so today I have to pop out and get him a mini pot of honey and some Rivita and he will have to take a knife and do it himself! I don't suppose he will starve, so I'm not going to worry about it.
His school is making the arrangements excessively complicated. I have to deliver Sam in full school uniform with his luggage and his regular school bag. He has to do a full day at school but he can change into his own clothes at lunchtime, I then have to wait outside school at 3.35 collect his school bag and school clothes. It is potty, it is all about putting ticks in boxes so that the school can meet the government's mindless targets, there is no consideration for parents or pupils.
Saturday morning.
Well, my hopes of being almost ready for the trip proved very wide of the mark. Sam was allowed to take a rucksack and a small pillow as hand luggage and the rucksack needed to contain his packed food. He had packed his own bag and it was already bursting at the seems before I had even attempted to pack his food. I had to investigate but when I attempted to move the bag I could hardly lift it. I removed assorted unnecessary 'essentials' but I was speechless when I found that Sam had packed his safe complete with combination lock! I have worked with enough probation clients over the years to have picked up a few 'skills' and managed to open the safe to reveal to pens, a lip moisturiser stick and a selection of sweets. Much to Sam's disgust the safe was 'grounded' but he took most of the contents. He and I conducted a bit of a war of attrition regarding the packing, I packed, he re-packed, I put it back as I left it and he modified it again. This continued several more times, the main argument centred around a a 4 gang extension lead, three jars of honey and a years supply of Lynx toiletries that Sam was determined to take! He is so like Robbie sometimes! We also had a bit of a performance regarding his passport and health card, but finally he and his luggage was safely delivered to school. I returned at the end of the school day to collect Sam's school clothes and bag and as I left the boys were boarding the bus ready for their very long journey to Austria.
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