Almost daily diary!

Saturday, June 06, 2009

Get a grip.........

This weekend Small Sprog has departed for his first Cub Camp. He left at tea time yesterday, bag packed and excited to go. I, on the other hand, could feel that nasty anxious feeling welling up inside me. I told myself to 'get a grip' but it didn't work well.

He's only in a field just up the road, less than 2 miles away, but it's his first time away, under canvas, with people in charge that I barely know. Strange isn't it? I mean he's 9 and a half now, but to me he is still my baby! I am worried about him being cold, uncomfortable or hungry. I even did the classic line as he left of 'have you got a hankie?'! Can you believe it? I can hear you giggle, I mean, where did that come from?!!

Luckily he took no notice at all, humoured me and set off with what looked, impressively, like a sense of adventure, leaving his worried mother behind. 

How many more times will he pull at my heart strings?

Meanwhile I woke at 6am this morning to what sounded like almost biblical amounts of torrential rain bucketing down from the sky. I had visions of him wet and cold, lying awake in his tent. I had visions of the very basic, hole in the ground, toilet facilities overflowing and pouring down the hill (not even sure he's on a hill!) and into his (and only his!) tent. Then I think how he might, in consiquence of the vast amounts of sewage (they have been there a little over 12 hours), catch some dreadful disease and die. 'Get a grip' I told myself, but it didn't work well!

It's 9 o clock now and still raining. 

Tall Girl and I have a full girly day planned, an art exhibition and then shopping at her request. I am looking forward to spending the day with her. It's been a long time since we've had a whole day together with no one else around. She is my big baby giraffe! We will have a good time. I just can't quite relax about the weekend................

For goodness sake get a grip!

17 comments:

BS5 Blogger said...

Hello!

I am sure he will be a happy little chap and will enjoy the rain with his pals!

Enjoy your girly giraffe day at the shops!

Laurie said...

Greetings from Bath! I saw you on Owen's Magic Lantern Blog - have a great day out!
Best wishes
Laurie

PS Boot Camp for Cubs? Phew! Tough!

Eternal Worrier said...

Hey Sub don’t worry too much. I bet he’s having loads of fun. When I was a bit older than Sprog I went on a school trip to Guernsey. I was having a great time but the postcard that I wrote back to my mum worried her so much that she thought about getting a plane out there to fetch me back! Nooooooo!!! I would have died of embarrassment!

Elizabeth said...

This all sounds pretty normal to me

Steve said...

I'm sure he'll be fine but with all this rain you might find his enthusiasm for camping might be more than a little dampened in future...!

nick said...

I went on a scout camp aged 13 and it poured with rain almost non-stop for a fortnight. The campsite was a sea of mud and it got more and more miserable. However, I survived the experience and didn't go down with anything nasty. And SS is unlikely to get more than a few days of rain. Nothing to worry about, I'm sure!

Rose said...

I'm sure he will be just fine, but your reaction is a typical mother's one. I still worry about my "baby" when she's on a trip away from home--and she's 23! Thanks for asking about me--I've been much better the last few weeks. And have a great girly day with Tall Girl--sounds like fun!

Jennysmith said...

Its always harder when the little one becomes independent. Its different with the first one really.

Do sympathise xxx

Maggie May said...

This is so typical of being a mum, Its what it is all about really.
Now I find myself doing the same with the grandchildren. If I could have a £1 for every worried thought, I really would be rich.
Your little boy will be fine.
I woke up with rain pouring onto the tin roof of the scaffolding that covers the kitchen, just praying the rain wouldn't flood it out again. Fingers crossed for you and for your son! (And me!)

Fi from Four Paws and Whiskers said...

I have been there as a mother... but I was also a Cub Leader for many years... and we did make a point of planning fun activities, keeping them busy, and prowling to watch for the ones who needed a bit of mothering to make sure they were actually safe, dry and warm. We also fed them well and regularly as empty tums make them miserable ;)

Mums always worry - we are programmed to - and I still do even though my youngest is 18 this week... but hopefully the people with SS are caring parents too...

Lakeland Jo said...

dont talk to me about getting a grip- my fourteen year old has been in Melbourne (10,500 miles away for eight weeks!!)
I will be so glad when I get him back. What you are doing is good practise. First time he went away at ten was to a residential goalkeeping school. He had a ball. I was so upset when we had to leave him I sank an entire bottle of red wine in a local italian interspersed with sobs.
As you say- they are our babies- and always will be

Anonymous said...

Worry not.

Alexander has been runnng the cubs since he was 14, (he did it for his D of E award and never stopped) and he's 26 now.

They're all properly trained and police checked and the cubs have a whale of a time.

Have plenty of hopt water ready for when he gets back, you'll smell him before you see him.

GG

Furtheron said...

Good grief - the memories. It seems in one way so long ago that he first went off to something like that and we wondered how he'd cope etc. Then he was hooked and off to all sorts of capers with the scouts, canoeing the entire length of the Medway in 3 days for example, climbing in Snowdonia etc...

Now he is this tall lanky man with a girlfriend, too many possessions and my obsession for music and guitars and huge problems for us to find the right balance of being parents to someone at his age.

Life --- too short.

Working Mum said...

I would be exactly the same. In fact, my husband wants to take daughter camping this summer and I'm full of reservations about him taking her; talk about needing to get a grip!

Liz Hinds said...

I bet he had a wonderful time! Mine loved it.

Akelamalu said...

I bet he had a great time, but it doesn't stop you worrying does it? :(

Wanderlust Scarlett said...

So fleeting, these sweet days... like spring time blossoms on summer wind, so swiftly do they fly away.

Enjoy it all, as I can tell that you most assuredly are.

HUGS

Scarlett & Viaggiatore