It's school camp, but for a month!!!

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Welcome back to another episode of Am I A Bad Mom?

Podcast?

As we slide slowly towards the school holiday, not slowly at all, We're speeding down there.

We're almost at the end of term too. Yeah, that's crazy, man.

You know, if.

One's going on about how fast the years are going.

At the moment, you know why why?

Because we're always on our phones and we're always entertained. I really think that's got something to.

Do with it.

That's the reason why we're going, Oh my god, like it's literally been a year since, you know, because we're never bored, we never have time just to sit. We're doing too much as we do.

I think. Also, there's that other part of you that just goes when your kids hit school.

We laughed about it, and I remember being so wrapped up in wanting them to get to school so fast because everyone was like, no, no, no, Once your.

Kids get to school, it'll fly by.

And you go, that's just what everyone says to make you feel better, because toddler years feel like they're the longest years of your life. And then all of a sudden, you really are in school and life is going way too quick. And then all of a sudden, you're halfway through the year.

We've got two years left of school. That's it. You think about how fast a year is going.

I know is left at school. I've got a high schooler next year.

I'm not meant to be a mum of a high schooler. No you want to I don't look like a high schooler's mom.

No, someday. I'm not sad about school being done. Absolutely or not.

Your fees are running out one hundred percent.

You're stoked for it.

I don't blame you.

I'm just starting that shit. Am I a bad mum for not being there to say goodbye? Where did she say?

I have a child whom has been counting down The days she has been counted down, like the minutes she's been that excited. Gracie girl went off on her grade six senior camp.

So the last camp of primary school? Yeah, she is pumped. How many camps has she been on? It was last year? The first one they do grade three or grade four.

They do a sleepover at school that's there, like technically their little sleepover three Yeah, and then they go to.

School five six?

Yeah?

Where do they sleep in the big multi purpose shelter. It's indoors, like a whole type thing.

God, that would be a nightmare for those teachers.

Imagine all the kids in that one room.

Did the teacher sleep.

In their day? I wouldn't know. Sounds I wouldn't attend it sounds horrible. That's when it starts.

This is the big one, and this is the big finale, because you know, being a senior going into high school, she was off to camp.

So they're going to Tellabudra.

The reason I asked how many camps she's been on is because so she's still enjoying going on camp loves. That's so good because I remember the girls went to their first ever.

Camp in grade what five five?

Yeah, and the next year they were like, oh, we don't want to go too good.

At home, that's the problem. Yeah, Gracie is pumped for it.

She's been pumped for it. We've had the forms since the start of term two.

And it's finally here.

Just she's beyond excited, like riding me every day to sign that you haven't signed it.

You haven't signed my consent form. I need all the medical forms I need.

I said, I know. When they do back like it's very rare that I do know anything about.

School, but she she knows you.

But I was like, I know, I've got another two days. But now we came the full circle. I've let her go do the packing because we've discussed this, right. You did this one year where your girls wanted to pack their own bag or did something like that, and they went without a few things because they didn't want your help.

I remember this. I don't know because I came up with it.

So I read out the list, ye, and I said, have you got a waterproof jacket? No, we're not taking a waterproof jacket? Really, what's this on the list? You're supposed to take a waterproof jacket. No, no one's taking it. They're not cool. So it turns out it rained. Everyone else had a waterproof jacket. They didn't. They got wet. Yeah, I was like, what'says some there take a waterproof jacket?

Just take it. So here we are, Katie.

Flip that and now I'm doing the same thing as you. Now had you in the back of my head, and I was having a bit of a giggle because we were packing like we'd gone and pre bought the things that we needed to so we were organized, but the actual physical packing. I was like, we're not doing it till the day before. You do not need to pack it any earlier. And so I said, here's the list. Take it to your room, put it out, lay it

She lays it all out.

The one moment though, O Katie that I was laughing at was like she had the wet weather jacket out.

Don't want to take it, You've got to eat it. It says something of that.

And then it was like strictly like no tortures, no makeup, no this, no that. I open her toilet tree bag and she has got what's that smelly stuff that they all love that you you know, the.

Four of them in there.

Four. I was like, for what, it's not a like share a communal salty Gennaro party. Take them out. It says strictly no makeup. Oh no, no, no, I didn't write this list.

Do what the list says.

And also because I go, you've got limited amount of space if you're taking four body sprays like you've got to think about what's practical.

I just said to it.

One is planning to go with your face wash and your body wash.

That is it.

She had in their eye patches for what face masks? She had both of those sid for what You're not stopping to do a facial at I take it out anyway, long story short, she did extremely well with packing, but there was like a moment where I was like, your pajamas are for summer.

These small Peter Alexander silk shorts just what you want taken to camp. I was like, you can't take those?

Oh what?

Because it's freezing.

The teachers even sent another email today on Sunday Tuesday, it is actually anticipating it to be a.

Really cold week. Please pack appropriately. Do you want me to show you the email too? I was like, just change it to some trackies.

Just trust me. I promise, I'm not leading you a straight I didn't see any of our underwear, so hopefully she packed some now I.

Think about it.

Fuck.

Then and there was two other things. One was a pair of.

White denim shorts. Yeah, I said, I don't think they're required. And then the other one was white cargo pants. I don't think they're required.

Why what's wrong with them? They're white. They're going to be trash, baby.

You okay with losing them after this because they won't bounce back from it. I saw the things that they were doing and I thought, oh gosh, and she was like, ugh, you're just trying to like, basically, she was trying to say that I'm ruining her life. Yeah, because she can't wear white cargoes at a grade six camp.

Yep.

So I have the same battle with the girls at their age about taking good clothes to school camp. I'm like, no, you don't take that because they like it. So if they've got something that you know, they have white fox hoodies, right, and I'm like, you're not taking those camp?

Why not?

Because they're nice? You don't take nice stuff to school camp. You have to take stuff that you're okay with getting wrecked belting.

Yeah, Because that's what I was saying to her. You need to be okay with the fact that.

If you were to a lose this or be trash it because it's some big rainstorm and you end up in the mud. You just have to be okay with accepting that. So that's where it's coming from I'm not trying to ruin your life in grade six, Okay, I'm just chill with that that's going to be parked.

Trying to make sure that you don't ruin your stuff and that you have a rain jacket.

But you have a range to wrap it up. And then had to break the news.

Once we'd packed, we put it all together and it looked great, Oh yeah, I'm not going to be there tomorrow morning.

Just sacred bye. She looked at me. I said, one minute, you can't even be bothered with me.

I was like, in the next minute, you want me there to hold your hand to see.

You want a bus to go to camp? Make up your mind. I said, I've got to be at work. I'm really sorry. She was devastated.

So I rang the morning of the camp and said, just ringing today quickly, good luck, a facetiming her.

She was like, oh, I'm so nervous. I said, you're going to be fine. It's a whole week. Yeah, but it's a whole week away.

I was like, she there for a whole week, Katie, Why is arschool camp only two nights a whole week?

Two nights Sunday to Friday. That's so good, is it? You've got a whole week.

No, I don't because I've still got second child and she's still there.

But I would have a whole week because I've got twins. They'd both be gone for a whole week.

That was why I wanted to sign my girls up to Saint Peter's. They go away for a whole month in grade nine. A month, a month of no contact. No, they go no screens, they go into like real life learning, real life a month. Yeah, but imagine in grade nine too, because it's such a big year of.

Change for all of them.

Apparently everyone that I've spoken to you is said that it's almost life changing for them.

It would be a month a month.

So there I am going, how do I sign up to?

I was gonna say how much that costs? And then I was like, whatever, don't Yeah, I paid whatever. You'd already one month. Imagine me, I'd have a whole month.

Imagine your girls with no devices for a whole month.

Even now when they go away to camp, they hate going to camp, the like trying to do everything to get out of it. I even made them go on their birthday that one day. Remember that year it's on their birthday like that. They were like, this is their worst birthday ever. A month ow, it's amazing.

What school of this? Saint Peter's Okay, Yeah, too late for your babe. They don't do that. I've still got time. You've already missed the boat. Are you going to move out school?

Yeah, I've already signed them both up, but they're on the wait list.

You need to be in the catchment area. That's fine, right the house