Bennets Abroad

August 12 '09

Friends thought she was mad to take five little girls to Spain, but Mrs Bennet thought it was just as mad to take them out anywhere in the summer holidays. It was quicker to fly to Valencia than it was to drive to Liverpool. And at least she had Mr Bennet's arms and legs to call on for extra support. And anyway it was a Bennet adventure. Mrs Bennet liked challenges. Even if they were at 35,000 feet calming down two two-year-olds who couldn't work out what had happened to their ears and why there were clouds below and alongside them when they were usually up in the air. Miss Naomi Bennet had just turned three last time she has ascended and Miss Emily a mere seventeen months. The whole flying experience through the eyes of five little Bennet girls made it all the more interesting. Miss Naomi impressed by her airport surroundings couldn't help but utter a "wow this is amazing!" Miss Emily, the time-keeper of rhe family exclaimed every few minutes, "are we going to miss our flight?!" Miss Megan, who didn't like having "hurty" ears, kept shouting out, "I've lost my voice and it's not coming back?" as she couldn't understand it was her hearing she'd lost. Mrs Bennet tried to get her to pop her ears by holding her nose and blowing hard or swallowing. Miss Megan knew about the potential ear problem from a Topsy and Tim book. But they had been given a sweet to suck by the air hostess. Miss Megan was quite upset she hadn't so Mrs Bennet tried to save the day by providing the glucose. It only served to upset her offspring more as Miss Megan swallowed it before descent. "Oh no, I've eaten it!" she announced panic-stricken, a state of mind which stayed with her until five hours later when the "pop" happened and her "voice" returned. The little Miss Twin Bennets just saw the airport as a new playground, somewhere to run and explore. Miss Rosie was understandably distraught however when her precious bunny was taken off her to be scanned and then her pushchair disappeared on a conveyor belt, in her eyes, never to be seen again! As for Mr Bennet? He enjoyed his single seat taking off but Mrs Bennet insisted he swapped for landing. Being the filling in a twin sandwich had its own taste of turbulence! He also wished he had booked a bigger hire car. A seven seater car with no boot space with seven bennets, two pushchairs, five lots of hand luggage and four suitcases to fit in, left him dripping with sweat and his wife praying for a miracle that somehow they'd achieve the impossible and get everything in. Somehow they did and somehow they managed to find their villa. Were they mad? Yes but it was worth it to have the adventure..... and a chilled bottle of beer sitting on a balcony overlooking a huge expanse of Mediterranean sea. Mr Bennet looked good after a day in Spanish sun, jumping waves and messing about with his little women. The cacophony of giggles after endless splashing in the pool was music to Mrs Bennet's ears. May be turning forty wasn't going to be too bad.