Rite of Passage

I just saw Bumblebee off for his first School Camp. They're heading to Cooba (not Cooma), just out of Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains, for three days of orienteering, rope fun, mud pits and dirt buggies.

They looked so grown up, all the year fives. And the year sixers! I don't even want to think about it.

I started to get lumpy in the throat, started to fuss over B as he was milling excitedly with his mates.

Luckily I was brought back to earth when he and his seat buddy got on the coach, snaffled the very front seat (it's always been as cool as the back seat for B, who likes to see where the action is), and then gesticulated wildly at me.

I went up to the door and asked what the problem was. He & his friend looked at me desperately.

'We've got nothing to do! What will we do???!!'

What could I say?

'Talk to each other. And look out the window.'

They looked at me blankly, as the teacher behind me started snorting into her list, desperately trying to maintain some kind of composure. I winked at her and walked to the car.

Photos, as promised:


Bumblebee, glowing with excitement as he told me about the things he hoped they'd be doing at camp...


...so excited that he couldn't stop running, hopping, fidgeting, all morning.


And this is Bumblebee with his mates, the ones sharing a cabin with him. I hope they're still this jolly by the end. A couple of them have wicked tempers!