What a week it’s been! Full of new experiences, learning opportunities and celebrations.
On Wednesday we woke the kids up around 5am so that we could wish Sebastian a very, happy 14th caravan birthday before Warren left for work. He’s the first one in the fam to celebrate in our new mobile home and I believe he truly enjoyed his special day. Gifts were slightly different this year (and the same will be true for Christmas)-there’s no space for the usual ‘knick knacks’, every item had to have a specific purpose or fulfil a need and to be completely honest I wouldn’t have it any other way.
We settled on a hamper (Aiden’s idea) and filled it with all Sebastian’s favourite goodies-a selection of cheeses, crackers, motorhome Christmas socks, gel to keep that impressive coiffe in place and a couple of pounds to save or spend as he sees fit.
As a family we are learning what is truly important the more time we spend in our caravan. It’s an important lesson to learn (at any age) and it’s great to be sharing this experience together. Sure, like most children their age they covet things but I believe they are getting to a point where they can appreciate the difference between quality and quantity and wants as opposed to needs.
Birthday celebrations out of the way we woke up on Sunday morning inside our very own snow globe. Surrounded by 8 inches of untouched, resplendent, powdery white snow. To describe the day as magical would be an understatement. Being one of only two caravans on our site the kids had it all to themselves. Snowball fights, snowmen and lots and lots of wet clothing were the order of the day. After the excitement of the morning activities were over we headed into St.Albans-explored the city, walked around the Christmas market and enjoyed a hot chocolate and bite to eat.
The day wasn’t without it’s challenges…Luckily Warren noticed the snow bearing down on our awning. 8 inches is a lot of weight no matter how strong your poles are and these awnings are not designed for permanent use in extreme conditions.
So, armed with caravan steps and a closed umbrella (don’t ask) we managed to figure out a very labour intensive strategy to move the snow.
From inside the awning Warren stood on the caravan steps and pushed up against the canvas trying to ‘bounce and shift’ the snow down. Once it moved down it was my job to do the same a little lower down and knock the snow off the edge-not an easy job. It probably took about half an hour but felt much, much longer.
The second issue we faced was filling the onboard water tank….luckily a friend had given us an insulator for our aqua roll…unfortunately the mains water wasn’t as lucky and it took a little while to get it flowing.
Another first, and probably the most exciting of all, is we get to take part in our very first volunteer experience this coming Friday. We will be helping to serve Christmas lunch at a local assisted living center. The kids are a little nervous and unsure of what to expect but I’m hoping this will be a positive experience and inspire us to keep going with our volunteer project.
Well that’s enough rambling for one day….if anyone has hints, tips or advice of any kind for these first time caravanners heading into their first winter-PLEASE get in touch and if you’ve enjoyed reading my posts please like and share.
P.S. Did I mention we are kinda enjoying this simple life?!
Our Travelling Family 