The Kids Meet Optimus For The First Time

It’s one thing to try and explain to yourself why you are driving half way across South Africa to go and get a campervan – it’s a totally different thing trying to explain it to your kids.

At first they were totes keen for the vague idea of it.  I mean who isn’t up for a cool new experience even if you aren’t entirely sure what that’s going to mean.  But this plan wasn’t one that just sorta happened.  It’s something we analysed months  and months over and so we had a lot of time to chat with them about it.  And they’d flit between being so excited and absolutely not wanting anything to do with the idea. 

Well, that was the girls anyway.  Knox on the other hand was TOTALLY in.  Like so in he kept asking when we were going and when we would leave Cape Town behind – haha.  Eventually just before we left they all seemed on board and backing the idea.  But I suspect it’s mostly because they got to spend a night at each set of grandparents and so it was like a little holiday for them.  Even better that our drive took longer than anticipated and so they got to stay a whole extra night too.

So when we finally got back from Kimberley we knew that the best thing ever, would be going to fetch them in the campervan.  It would also give us a chance to show Seth’s parents.

And obviously I filmed it because it’s one of those moments that you will just never be able to recreate, no matter how hard you try.

This is how it went down…

I don’t know if you can see it but Knox was literally shaking with excitement.  His whole body was vibrating.  I swear it was like he’d literally swallowed about 5 cups of espresso.  He was SO over the moon when he got in.  We haven’t seen him like that since he finally got the Paw Patroller that he was pining over for years at his last birthday.  Maybe this is the campervan version of the Paw Patroller of his dreams.

Their reactions really did help to make the whole thing so much more worth it.

Even the girls were sold on it, packing their toys into all the available shelves.  Little do they know that when we do eventually go out in the thing, they will have to cut back on everything they bring.  But we’ll break that news to them a little closer to the time.  We want to keep those good vibes for a while still.

Good old Optimus really has become part of the family.  Sort of like those dogs that sleep outside, but much more loved.  Talking about dogs, even ours got to meet him at the end and I think they approve.