We are busy(ish) packing up the camping car for our summer hols.
When we first got our home on wheels this operation was conducted with military precision, lists and a clip board - a certain auntie would have been proud of me.
The result was that I became an exhausted nervous wreck and fell out with everybody, ruining the first week or so of the holidays.
Nowadays we follow a different pattern.
1. Wander round the house, picking up useful things and putting them in a big bag at the bottom of the stairs.
2. When bag is full, take to camping car and put away in cupboards.
3. Repeat until a) camping car is full, b) time to leave.
4. Repeat hourly to spouse and children for a week before you leave, " If you want to bring it put it in the camper yourselves.
5. Ignore 4. and secretly sneak in all chargers, board games, books etc. that you know they will whine for the minute the engine starts.
6. take clean pants for Son, he will only remember to take the ball.
So, there you have it, camping car packing for beginners, yes, stuff like washing line, sponges, plates are useful, but to be perfectly honest, apart from the bottle opener, everything else can wait a day or two and be bought from a local supermarket - makes great holiday souvenirs too.
This year's dilemma, however, is my trusty netbook. Since January she (it's pink so obviously a girl) has been my faithful sidekick, to a point where Son is having reoccurring nightmares that he's being eaten by monsters while I call out " Not now darling, mummy's busy on the computer".
TN (trusty netbook) has helped me set up my blog, accompanied my endless webwibbling, and especially fed my amazon addiction to a point where I'm facing bankruptcy, but at least if I go down I'll have plenty to read while I'm inside.
Can I manage a fortnight without her? On previous holidays I've always done so, but that was a preblog, pretwitter life. In my defense the children were younger and actually wanted to play with me as opposed to hanging out with friends.
Hubby and kids will be expected to live without TV during our trip, I do realize it's quite easy for me to gayly claim "NO TVs on our holidays" as I never watch the thing anyway, so maybe it's only fair to make my own sacrifice too.
Not books though, obviously.
So, what do you think, should I do it? Could you do it?