The brooding skies frowned an omen hard to miss as we loaded up the van and shoe-horned in the kids. “Where’s my mp3 player and my cd my curling tongs and straghtener?” The middle girl was on a roll, Lord knows there’s no placaten’er! The youngest gave an outraged scream from somewhere down the rear trapped below a pillow scrum with a handbag in each ear. Ignoring all the squeals and shouts and things that clunked beneath us we rolled the van from off the lawn and whispered prayers to Jesus. Looking back our feelings mixed with guts tied in a knot we waved to those we left behind and things that we’d forgot! Cranking up the stereo we drowned the straining motor Weird Al sang ‘The biggest ball of twine in Minnesota” “Mum, stop the car” came the yell From the eldest girl of three “I know we’ve only gone an hour or so – But I really need to pee!