Sam arrived home on Saturday afternoon, I was really looking forward to having him home again. He had only been gone for a week but when he got off the coach he seemed taller and more grown up than I remembered. His face was tanned and he looked happy to see us, his first question was fairly predictable - "What's for tea?" The luggage was unloaded from the coach and we headed home with Sam's huge case bursting with enough washing to keep me busy for a week! In fact the only thing that remained neatly folded was the black bag that I had given Sam to put his dirty washing in. Typical boy!
I had taken advantage of Sam's absence to sort out his bedroom, to reorganise his clothes storage and to remove all the clothes that he has grown out of. So many things were crumpled or out of place that by the end of the week it felt as if I had laundered every single garment that he owns. It is so frustrating to see how many things no longer fit him, it seems as if I only bought some of them a few months ago, but at 13 he is doing a lot of growing.
He said he had a good time in Austria, and I think he was quite pleased that he was better at skiing than he expected. Interestingly he said he wouldn't want to do it again, but that doesn't matter, it is nice that he has had a chance to experience skiing. He said the food was really bad, but he is not very adventurous when it comes to food. It is great to have him home again.
Showing posts with label Austria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Austria. Show all posts
Thursday, 13 March 2008
The Painstaking Process of Packing. 16.02.08
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.
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.
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
To Ski or Not to Ski. 14.11.07
I think Robbie must have had a marginally better day at work today. I didn't really get much chance to talk to him because we had to go to a meeting at Sam's school about a ski trip that Sam is going on in February. Laura went on a ski trip a few years ago, but I don't think she enjoyed it very much. I am not sure what Sam will make of skiing, but I think he will enjoy the experience of visiting different places and trying new things.
I don't understand why all the men in my life are so obsessed with clothes and shopping. Even Sam loves shopping, the highlight of his evening seemed to be reading the ski wear catalogue and selecting his favourite hat's, goggles and bags. He has a fascination with bags, just like you know who. No doubt he will need a hat and goggles, maybe a bag too, but I think we need to start with more down to earth stuff like a ski suit, thermal socks and gloves. On second thoughts, perhaps we need to start with a second mortgage!
I don't understand why all the men in my life are so obsessed with clothes and shopping. Even Sam loves shopping, the highlight of his evening seemed to be reading the ski wear catalogue and selecting his favourite hat's, goggles and bags. He has a fascination with bags, just like you know who. No doubt he will need a hat and goggles, maybe a bag too, but I think we need to start with more down to earth stuff like a ski suit, thermal socks and gloves. On second thoughts, perhaps we need to start with a second mortgage!
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