Camping, Cows and "Kleilat"

Last weekend we went camping with a couple of friends.  It was marvellous and magical in a meaningful way ... 

I think as a mom you get to experience things like this in a different way.

The glint in your child’s eye when you first mention the fact that we are going, the excitement when they have to sort out their things that they want to take along... and then getting them to pack half of their room’s content back.

The actual journey to our camping destination filled with ... “are we there yet”

My kids love camping trips – like I used to as a child (and the inner child in me does love it still).  I am not sure what it is about camping that is so magical because, let’s face it, it can be a bit uncomfortable cooking meals outside and fighting off the insects although that is some of the magic as well ... cooking outside and playing war with bugs...

Camping to me is getting away from all that is ordinary ...  It is like the rushing world has come to a stand still for a while where you can really just be – you enter into a world of adventure.

It’s cosy sitting around a fire just chatting with excited kids reliving their day of adventures filled with giggles. And later when all the activities are taking its tall and the kids start falling asleep on laps there comes a different quiet peace.

You hear so much more - distant weather rumbling, the crackling of the fire, the night sounds of owls and if I’m lucky the cry of a jackal (love that sound),

You see so much more – the soft light of the flames on our friends faces, the contentment and the easy conversation under a sky filled with stars like it’s rarely seen ... and the little phrase that always comes to mind on nights like these:  “Starlight starbright- first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might – have the wish I wish tonight ....  

  

The place we went camping is like a piece of heaven for kids – complete with cold and heated swimming pools, bicycle tracks, hiking trails, farmyard experiences, entertainers that play games like treasure hunting, coin dives and of course “kleilat”.  I really thought long and hard for the English translation with no success (let me know if you have it)

Anyway, kleilat is a game that I used to play as well, growing up on a farm with two brothers.

Basically it is slinging a mud ball from a stick ... aiming at a target – which usually ends up to be one-another... great messy, sometimes a bit painful fun!!!

I think these photos explains it best:

Then there were the farmyard experiences for the kids (and me reliving a small part of my childhood) -  Milking a cow ...

It was a good week end filled with the stuff that I love ...!!!