One week

Two weeks ago my daughter was going to a Christian camp.  This was known about well in advance and planned for.  She was to be a tent leader.  My son had been offered the opportunity to go as 'crew' (helping with preparing and serving food and probably several other tasks as well) but had refused.  The phrase "there is no way I am getting up that early in the mornings" was heard on several occasions.   Daughter having been on camp last year decided that she wanted to make it a little more civilised this year and wanted to take a tent with a sleeping compartment which would be a little warmer and would also keep the bugs out (she is a complete wimp when it comes to bugs).  She was sharing this tent with her fellow tent leader and good friend. When she announced that she wanted to go a day early to get her tent set up and organise herself before the onslaught of the campers I thought this was a very sensible idea, until the realisation dawned that she was intending on sleeping in the tent on her own for the first night.  This I did not perceive to be a good idea, it is not just the bugs she is a wimp about.   I knew that she would be petrified in the tent alone at night, especially if there were bugs, more especially if there was lightening, even more especially if she heard footsteps of the night watch staff around the camp - she would have convinced herself that it was a deranged serial killer on the prowl.  It would be more likely to be a starved cereal hunter but the mind plays tricks in the dead of night - sorry poor choice of words there.
I insisted that she had to have someone in the tent with her on that first night.  When she eventually gave in she was heard to admit that she "would be a bit jittery" on her own - hah - a bit?!!!  Having tried all other avenues to find someone to share her tent that first night she finally climbed down from the high horse she had mounted over the subject and asked her brother, very nicely, if he would spend the night with her.  Being a loving brother deep down (very deep down) he agreed.  Consequently I delivered her with a bag packed for at least three weeks, a tent and a brother accompanied by an overnight bag.  I can't tell you how much I was looking forward to a peaceful, child free evening on my own.  I was not however surprised to receive a text an hour after I got home saying "can I stay?"  I then had to scramble around to find sufficient clean clothes, that is clothes which weren't draped stylistically over the carpet, chair, desk, bed and any other available surface in his room, or stuffed into corners, under the bed and in places I hadn't even thought of.  No wonder the boy complains that he never has any clothes.  My much anticipated peaceful evening was shattered but it was to be replaced by a calm, relaxed, childfree week - bliss.  Having got everything packed and delivered to the minibus which was collecting the campers I was FREE. 
For the next week I tidied and cleaned the house and it stayed that way.  I ate only when I was hungry, I cleared away my cups and glasses as I used them so that the place was neat and comfortable.  I read, I crafted, I relaxed - it was bliss and I savoured every moment.  I made lots of cards and tried out lots of different ideas and played around somewhat with card and paper.  I caught up on making several cards so that I shan't have last minute rushes for the next couple of months at least.  Did I miss my offspring?  Only until they walked through the door and started squabbling again and making mess, leaving laundry all over the floor for me to clean and iron.  At that point I could have wished them right back on camp in the wind and rain.
My son didn't go on camp as 'crew' assisting the activities leader instead, but he did end up "getting up at that time in the morning" and he loved every minute of it even though it meant sharing a ridge tent without an inner tent with other staff members.  He has learned a lot, made a lot of new friends and I suspect he will be keen to go next year.