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| Photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash Be prepared |
The run is only three shows over the weekend and opening night is full of problems, but by the third show the cast and crew have it under control.
My daughter loved it and did it for 8 years.
However, to be part of this grand spectacular you had to be a member and attend the weekly meetings. Each week during term times I would dutifully drop her off every Wednesday evening and collect her a couple of hours later.
For the first half of the year rehearsals are held for Gang Show on another evening and weekends, so again I dutifully dropped her off and collected her.
Once Gang Show is over and the high subsides it’s time for the annual camp. Always in winter, always freezing cold, and generally some one-hour drive in the wilderness. So, one year she wants to go on this camp.
First, I don’t camp. I have no idea what to pack other than a vague idea of a tent and sleeping bag.
I had to enlist a friend to help me purchase the items listed in the checklist.
Of course, on the list was the obligatory bring a plate — we lived in the country, bringing a plate is what they do. However, I learnt the hard way, when asked to bring a plate shortly after arriving in this country town from the bright lights of the city and I turned up with an empty plate. No one told me I had to actually put something on it.
Second, I was a working mum with a stressful job, and as the camp kicked off on a Friday night with them returning on the following Sunday night, I had to whip up a batch of something the weekend before. I like to be organised. I pulled out my standby chocolate slice recipe, baked it, then packaged it in a plastic container (easy transportation — thinking ahead) and froze the weekend before. (more thinking ahead) as all working mums do.
Came the designated Friday night my daughter who had packed (with my help) all her stuff the night before, we bundled her in the car where she reminded me of the chocolate slice, so I dashed inside, collected it and stuffed it into her camp bag. We then dropped her off at the designated stop (a bus was hired to take them all up at once), wished her a good trip and went home to commence the weekend duties that all working mums do.
Sunday night I arrived to collect her from the drop off and she was excited about the camp. She had never camped before and was almost frozen from cold as it had been such a cold weekend.
I asked about the chocolate slice — she said she didn’t see it. Since chocolate is always popular, we surmised it was gobbled up as soon as it went out and I felt rather pleased about that.
We returned home to a piping hot soup. My son wanting dessert (as soup never fills him up entirely) raided the freezer for some ice cream.
He pulled out the container and it made a loud noise. He looked at me. I looked at him. He started to smirk, then grin, then burst out laughing.
By this stage I too was laughing.
I looked at my daughter, she began to laugh too as she realised what had happened.
"It was not the chocolate slice that I had sent along with my daughter — it was ice cream."
We laughed so hard at the thought of those Guide leaders opening the container and seeing slushy ice-cream.
The following Wednesday at the Guide meeting I had to fess up and apologise for my mistake. They did wonder why someone had sent along melted ice-cream.
They could see the funny side to it.
I guess all working mums could relate — trying hard to ensure your kids don’t miss out and trying hard to get it right.
As a family we still laugh about it.
What stories are family folklore for you? Share them with me.
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| Chewy Chocolate Slice |
Here is the recipe for the chocolate slice. My son used to make this slice often, especially for school bakes.
Except the time he added 2 cups of cocoa powder instead of 2 tablespoons….
Note: My writing accountability partner (friend first) Colleen and I both wrote about a funny thing that happened in our family. Read her story on her blog.
