HESFES
What a great week – even if we are home early! Where to start?

Well – the weather was great all week so i am glad i didn’t get the waterproof trousers but the girls seemed to survive without sunsuits even so. My “Portico clothes policy” of pack then remove half seemed to work very well, i even came home with a crate of unused clothes mainly due to Moo wearing a pink velvety sparkly dress ALL week with only 2 brief exceptions! I had “nearly” enough bedding although Ammi refused to go in the travel cot so a bit of rearranging was called for. This year we did discover the chip shop which took the heat out of cooking, if you pardon the pun, but still managed to do various combos of beans, pasta and rice most nights. No one got sun burnt, scalded, abducted or any of my other paranoias and Moo only got properly lost once. Slightly bizarrely the person returning her had apparently said “she was heading for the top field but i figured she was too clean to belong there” And this was before i succumbed to peer pressure and washed them!!! Camping in a puddlers group seemed to work very very well – it was great to have people about to share the effort with and i really appreciated the watching eyes for washing up/loo breaks and the fateful afternoon where lack of sleep caught up with me and Joyce adopted Ammi!

So what was good. Well both Fran and Moo got a bit more freedom than last year and managed going to and from the playground and main marquee area very well. Fran also changed hugely in terms of what she would do; went shopping in the little shop, attended a yoga workshop on her own, managed money and so on, so i was really pleased with her. I don’t find having them out of my sight in that environment very easy but i coped and after all its not lie i have teenagers attached to my apron strings, they are only 4 and 6!

I got to attend a few more talks, particularly the Murphys Breakfasts which i really enjoyed and a couple of conference items on legalities, home educated adults and “personalised education”. The HE’d adults were fab – a really positive listen and i particularly liked the girl who when asked what parents worrying about “what was being done” should do, replied “oh go get yourself a hobby!!!!!”

The muddlepuddle friendships of both adults and children really grew too i think and all in all the week was a pleasure. It was still right to leave late last night as all the girls were wacked and tearful by thursday and i was glad to be home at midnight last night to a comfy warm bed. Still, i think i count as a HEFES veteran now :~)

Unfortunately i forgot to do any pics at all so you’ll have to see what everyone else produces – i will try to do one of the girls in the (highly successful) jamas though!