Thursday 30 April 2009

Of Dens

Really, when it comes to fun, there is little that can improve on a den. Rain has halted outside play but luckily a clothes airer and blankets provide the same amount of fun as they did when I was little.
Only I never made my dens in the bath. Baths make for very cold and very hard dens but one folded king sized duvet later and everyone is comfy and agitating to sleep there that night.

Now I tried to sleep in a bath once. It seemed like the thing to do at the time (and yes, it was at the end of a convivial evening) and despite being rather immune to discomfort, courtesy of Mr Smirnoff, I remember it as being deeply unsuccessful. So my knee jerk reaction was to say no...

...and then I thought - why not? Why on earth can't they sleep in the tub if they want to? It's not as if I am forcing them to sleep rough in the bathroom. So I agreed, on the premise that if they found out that they didn't like it, that they would get into their own beds without waking me at 3am to give me the low down on everything. 'Kay? 'Kay.

And they did. And it was fun. And I asked them very nicely if they would mind not telling the teachers at school that they slept in the bath because I am already in the Headmistress's black books for feeding them nutella sandwiches. Poor woman, she probably was never allowed to sleep in the bath when she was a child.

10 comments:

Meg said...

I am 35 and have never slept in a bathtub. This fabulous post makes me think I must add it to my list of things to do before I am 40.

Nan and =^..^= said...

Wonderful post! Brings back childhood memories of the tents we used to make of a similar sort around chairs etc.

Deborah Godin said...

Just look at that dear little face, so excited! I, too, have slept (badly...no Smirnoff) in a tub, and surprisingly recently, too (motel room, forgot ear plugs, husband who snored like a jet engine). I think you're a wonderful mom, regardless of what Ms. Headmistress may think!

Debb Reid (Tawe Guild ) said...

Hello, Guild misses you, lost track of you for a bit there, took some trawling to find your blog. The fees right down this year and we've got the old clay room now, plan to take over the world still a bit slow!! I can see you're busy but pop in for Tea on a Tues afternoon aoon! I admire you for doing the F of G thing, and would willingly offer a loan of my books and patterns on TW, good to hear you,re up and at it, Debb

Technodoll said...

Most excellent - what a getup, it's just brilliant :-D

I miss being small enough to fit in the bath-cave.

Kate Quilts said...

My children, as did I as a child, used a blanket over the dining table to build our forts. If the neighbours kids came in we pushed the chairs out wider to make it bigger and loaded up with extra blankets. We adored those hours spent in our fort.

Ms Headmistress is probably just jealous (or maybe constipated)- a little unkind, maybe just a childhood deprived of fun. Perhaps just make an extra nutella sandwich and send it along to school give it to her for her play-lunch? Or just plain tell her to build a bridge...

My youngest boy would only eat fairy bread sandwiches until he was about 7. I could send him "healthy" lunches that would remain uneaten, or I could give in on the hundreds and thousands and he'd cheerfully eat two sandwiches. At least the bread and better was nutritious. He survived - and thrived.

Lorraine said...

Sian- Sounds like alot of fun, and if it's safe, why not?

There are too many things we can't do- and what's wrong with Nutella?

Patois42 said...

Truly, why not? What could possibly possess us to pick tub sleeping as a battle? (So long as it's not on a school night.)

Kati said...

So?? Did she make it through the night in her den?

Anonymous said...

The Head teacher is a reader of this blog????if not i will tell. i'm not afraid of you girls.
signed D.Flay.