Morning Campers!

The sun's shining the sky is blue and not a cheep can be heard! Yippee!  That must mean that everyone got some sleep last night! 

Getting the children up this morning has been a little harder than on previous days - the tiredness levels reached a new high last night!  I have to say that waking them up is not my favourite job.  Partly this is because my few minutes peace are about to be shattered, partly it's because I know they could really do with the sleep (having been up far too late for three nights, taken part in some really physically and emotionally challenging tasks, and being more excited than Olympic spectators watching Mo Farah), but also because the rooms STINK! Some rooms are worse than others although the worst ones are not exclusively full of boys!  Some of the girls have a heady concoction of perfumes, deodorants and pungent shower gels!  It's no wonder I forget what I'm meant to be doing after visiting them!

Two children have just passed me to line up for breakfast.  On the first monring there were almost all of them by this time (7.54).  Breakfast is at 8am sharp.  The tables were laid by the children last night (everyone takes turns to be a server, laying and clearing tables).  They have lots of toast and cereal and then a hot roll, this morning is bacon - highest take up so far!  After breakfast the children have to organise their own lunch.  Despite the fact this only involves them taking prepared items from boxes this has caused some difficulties!  They also need to remember to take their lunch and water bottle with them - even more of a challenge!  Oh, the line of breakfasters is longer and louder!  Still not as excited though.  Dinner time is a choice that is made the previous night.  Sometimes there's a starter and other times there's a dessert.  Again the servers collect the food and serve their table and then clear it all, making piles of empty plates, cutlery and left overs - remember this for when they get home and all of a sudden can't do anything!

You may have read about the midges.  They are here - what could we expect up north?  Sometimes there's lots and other times it's not too bad.  In the main, the children have worked out that covering yourself in repelent and keeping covered up is the way forward - there were as many midges through the day yesterday but less children looked spotty!  Despite the wee beasties everyone is managing to have lots of fun, try a new challenge and push themselves and their team mates on.  I think they sometimes forget the fantastic overwhelming feeling of pride they have when they've just completed part of an activity that scared them.  But I also think these feeling are hard to describe, especially when you're very very tired!  The whole group have achieved an anormous amount, together and as individuals.  You might only get it out of them in dribs and drabs but everyone has a series of stories to tell and some fabulous memories - but you'll need to get past the terrible tales of midges first I suspect!