Ready, steady, cook!

'Now where were they when I needed a hand in the kitchen today?'

The 'Red Tomato' was the clear winner in today's cookathon in preparation for DW. The 'Green Pepper' put in a brief appearance in the Bolognaise sauce, but the tomato was streets ahead with 5 tins of them plus a tube of tomato puree included for good measure.

Quite clearly, this was enough cooking (along with a serious dose of flapjack baking) to feed a small army, not just a rather hungry 18 year old son for 3 nights. The whole family were on the receiving end of a tomato and pasta based meal tonight, and there is plenty for them whilst I am supporting Alex for DW. Oh, and there's enough for a meal for 4 in the freezer on our return.

Well, the boxes and bags are just about packed, the roof box goes on in the morning, and when we load it all, I will probably discover that I just about have enough room for one change of clothes and a toothbrush (if I'm lucky!).

Time for a good night's sleep now, and the fun will start in earnest tomorrow... .

CM

Fasta Pasta!

So, you're ready to go then, son?

The preparation is about to start in earnest... . Alex has asked to be fed more from now on - and actually admitted to being thoroughly full up after supper tonight. Result! As long as I don't get tempted to increase my food intake as well... ! So it's pasta all the way from now in our house, lots of fluids (excluding alcohol, naturally), more pasta and more pasta.

Following last year's experience with the delights of Travelodges, etc, I discovered that the kettles are woefully tiny. I had to boil ours 4 times on the first day to be able to fill one flask for coffees! So I am adding a cheap kettle to my shopping list for tomorrow - it will come in handy when Alex goes to university in the Autumn for his tea parties (he does like a good cup of Earl Grey).

So a good night's sleep is needed before a day of preparation, packing and cooking tomorrow.

CM

PS I wonder if there are any pasta-based breakfast cereals so that we can keep up the carbs at every meal?

Is anyone list(en)ing?

Today is the day of the list. In fact, it is the day of the list of lists.

The list of lists is as follows:

1. List of things to buy (to be continued after yesterday's impressive start)
2. List of things to pack for Alex (teenage boy - suspect it may go horribly wrong if I leave it completely to him!)
   
3. List of things to pack for me and rest of the support crew (I pretty much forgot about us last year, but managed to muddle through!)
   
4. List of things to do (such as check the tent, put roof box on the car, to name but a few)
5. List of things to cook
6. List of paperworky things to take (such as Travelodge & Premier Inn reservation details - I do like to live in the lap of luxury for the weekend...)
   
7. List of things to find (following on from Lists 2 and 3!)

and finally,

1. List of things to do following Easter Monday (relax, put feet up, get pampered, etc.)

Well, a girl can dream...

CM

Full moon... half moon... total eclipse!

'Are you sure that all of these are for use by serious athletes, Madam?'

Major excitement for all DW parents! Our local 'One Stop' convenience store has triple packs of proper Jaffa cakes for sale at HALF PRICE!!!

Get yourselves down there immediately, and stock up fast before they all run out!

I never used to get terribly excited about Jaffas, but they are such a staple for events such as DW that I am always on the look out for good deals. I did get some serious questions at the till about the volume that I was buying though - for some bizarre reason no-one ever believes the response that they are for use by some serious athletes!

The shopping list is taking shape nicely. I includes the following items (but no Jaffas now that they are safely purchased, ready to be packed):

• Lots of blister plasters - for Chris's hands, if last year is anything to go by
• Several gallons of Lucozade Sport (although I will be trying out the DIY recipes as well)
• Numerous big bottles of the cheapest still water that our best supermarkets can provide
• Paracetamol and ibuprofen (but I promise to tell teacher if they are needed by the paddlers - do you think they need to know how many the parents take?)
• Tins of rice pudding and custard - my son, Alex, rather likes these for evening snacks
• More than a few bags of chewy sweets such as fruit pastilles (more funny looks at the till)
  
• Sterilising tablets or liquid - a long time since I visited the baby department of a supermarket, but Milton is very useful especially if your paddler has gone swimming with their Camelback on!

This list is by no means complete, but will be worked on for the next few days until I get more funny looks at my local supermarket... .

CM

PS I wonder if McVities would consider sponsoring the team one year???

DW minus 6

Who do they think they are? Teachers?

Welcome to all who want to find out what it is like being a parent of a DW paddler!

Today's briefing by the marvellous double act of Messrs Menday and Thompson will have either:

a. Reassured you that you are confident and capable enough to support your offspring through what is probably the toughest challenge of their short lives,

or

b. Left you wondering what on earth you have let yourself in for!!!

If it is any help at all, 12 months ago I was definitely in Category B... . Here I am in 2010 feeling confident that I can do the best for my son, and actually enjoy the whole event this time around.

So with 6 days to go before the start of the main event (yes, only 6 days), what happens next. Well, my bedtime reading will be the fantastic guide put together by Mrs Myatt (many thanks for this wonderful, informative booklet, Jane) and I will be writing my shopping list tomorrow.

My question as I toddle off to bed is this:

Who supports the support crews???

CM