Just a quick update on our camping trip with Lucie. Despite it being her first time without the (in her mind) life support systems of wifi connection and TV, Lucie did good. We went to Kendal for a couple of nights and it was gorgeous. The weather was kind and the forest site, just the thing. Lots of hooting owls at night and in fairness to the Caravan Club, their pitches are always well spaced out. The Caravan Club are also of-course famed for their rather old fashioned values; a throw back to the 1950s, when gay was just something you where when the sun shone and sex hadn't been invented yet. Good thing they didn't spot our tent then. It was intended as a bedroom for me (Mimi is a two person only campervan), but failed because the airbed we brought wouldn't fit in it. My fault - obviously. The tent's outside is emblazoned with the words - FULLY ERECT - and well, see below... you get the idea! We hid it behind Mimi and just hoped no retired colonel passed by too close!
The first night was magical. As parents of autistic children, we always say we don't complain about the extra difficulties, its more those 'special moments' we miss which hurt - the passed driving tests, helping with homework, exam results, etc. But just every so often.......we are rewarded and the first night was lovely. We all went for a walk in the forest and afterwards Lucie giggled away in the campervan. Owls hooted for us and we sat outside with some wine until it got dark. Even being huddled together in Mimi was fine - yes it was cramped, but with all the windows open, sharing the summer night air and listening to forest sounds was divine. Okay - Helen went for the longest tiddle ever at about 3am, but I'm a Creative Writing tutor, I just thought of forest streams and indulged in the feel-good-Disney fest a little longer.
Day two was decent too - although the spell had been broken - probably by the shopping trip into Kendal. Nu-look isn't very 'Disney' - nor were the crowds. But at least we'd had a good time and will always have the memory of that special first night. This is all we ever ask really - just the odd 'moment'.Lucie did enjoy herself, I am sure of that. But her summing up of the experience:
'Premier Inn next time dad!?' Oh well - at least I won't have to hid my embarrassing erection.......!
Thanks for reading.
Sounds great. I think you'd be hard pushed to convince any teenage girl that two days camping with their parents was cool, but you seem to have done it
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