Saturday 7 September 2013

Extreme packing

I am unashamedly a worrier and a list maker - I plan and over think to the nth degree so why oh why did I choose last night  (or should I say the early hours of this morning) to wing it?

Today we flew to Scotland from our sunny island to start the Dunnottar to Dunvegan Daunder - a 230 mile walk across Scotland in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support and in memory of my Mum who died last October after fighting breast cancer for 8 years.

We are going for 3 weeks; camping with a 3 year old and a 9 month old; Mr S decided he would do each day in a different costume so he could raise more money and we have to take all our camping equipment and stay in the airline weight limit.  Instead of lists and spending last week washing the required clothes; laying everything out so nothing was missed; checking our suitcases were actually in full working order; finding our passports and considering how to keep the munchkins entertained on the flight - I procrastinated; I ate chocolate; I nursed vomiting children (who then had to miss the rest of the week of nursery - further compounding my lack of preparation); I painted mugs and biscuit barrels; I made grass heads with monster munch; I went out to dinner; I went to the wine festival (twice) and then to top it all off on Friday evening I accidentally got a bit tipsy.

When I woke up at 11pm on Friday (we were flying under 12 hours later), Mr S was at work (having not selected his 'fancy dress') and the house looked like an explosion in a laundry and a toy shop combined.  My head hurt and I was knackered and the house had to be tidied before I could even attempt to pack.  After some further procrastination on face book (and a cyber waggy finger off The Dad) I started.  I then realised that we live in 30 plus degrees and we are going to Scotland in the summer so are bound to be cold and miserable and the munchkins only have swim shorts and sunhats.  Mini munch has been given the monster's hand me downs (here's hoping they fit) and I managed to unearth a pair of Thomas the Tank jogging bottoms, a rugby shirt with a dodgy stain and a pair of shorts that will be slightly too long for the monster munch so may pass as 3/4 length trousers!  I can only hope the local Tescos is 24hrs and has a clothes department.

I vacuum packed the fancy dress box, put what I think is the tent in a bag, found some walking boots and a wicking t-shirt and eventually went to bed at 3 am only to sneeze and wake up mini munch who then screamed for an hour.  Got up at 6am, got to airport, fed the munches chocolate brownies, drank coffee by the bucket and the (luckily) we all passed out on the aircraft (thank god for BA and G&T) and woke up at the hell that is Terminal 5.  Two and half hours of queuing later (and fishing mini munch's boarding pass out of his mouth) we made it to our connecting flight.  All I can say is thank heavens for a good British curry on arrival at The Dad's house.

If you would like to sponsor us on our fool hardy misson we have a just giving page:

http://www.justgiving.com/DDDaunder

or you can text LJTH58 to 70070 and donate £5.

Jen xx

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