For all you yummy mummies out there, toddlers aint nothin' . . encourage your kids to bring their friends home. Learn to be invisible but to check on them now and then. Provide sustenance and learn the names of the bands they listen to. (You might be surprised, even I like Dead Letter Circus and Alexis on Fire). Put up with the 'language' because that's all it is. Be cool but omnipotent. Listen to their conversations . . you will learn much! Sometimes a little more than you care to.
OK they're not kids anymore, they're 23 an 25 but still .. this trend started at 14 and now they're at the end of the parenting plan and all of us are comfortable playing together.
On a quiet Saturday, fun is made out of mowing golf fairways and rough holes before a tournament of champions, beers in hand, heat not withstanding. Then a barbecue where I do nothing more than clear the plates and of course ending in poker whilst making Wookie noises with Slipknot playing in the background. . . I chose to watch bobsled's crashing . .
Paparazzi repellers . . . It's a bitch living with camera woman. Yes that's my son flashing his bum and my daughter giving me the finger. "Respect"
Some of the putting techniques are less than 'orthodox'
Negotiating a dog leg
Chip it . . chip it good!
Found it! She's good at finding balls in the rough(even on five acres the ball lands in the neighbour's yard!)
Someone . .not I, will be picking these up for hours tomorrow morning!
Poker and Wookie calls . . Right, time for bed, they're into night golf GAH! They're now playing at 11pm in the dark. Poor horses.
Well, my only weapon when I play poker is my Maths skills. I love probability calculations and I can make them in mind.
ReplyDeleteyou have the most precious of things...a good relationship with your children - smart lady.
ReplyDeleteWhat fun. I hope that when my children are your children's age that they will allow me to be "a part" of their parties even as the Camera Woman!
ReplyDeleteGolf, Barbeque and poker sounds like a grand time.
What camera do you use?
ReplyDeleteIf my friend has a yard like that, I'd go live there too:)
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful daughter.
You are a beautiful Mum and your children are too.
ReplyDeleteI love your garden and want to live there too :)
Enjoy what's left of the weekend.
We're roasting here... it's 9.45pm and 32c :(
xx Ribbon
Life is one long party at your place. I wannnnna go there!
ReplyDeleteWe are so fortunate to be invited to share in the games and lives of our offspring. Long may it last!
Stella Artois!Wow, somebody has expensive taste. They have an ad campaign going over here in the States that says something like "Drinking the best is worth paying extra."
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great way to spend a Saturday!
great fun as always :)
ReplyDeleteHet, that's a point. How DO you stop the poor horses being walloped on the nut by a stray golf ball?
ReplyDeleteI so miss the family poker games! Hope you can manage some sleep with this lot round, yes?
ReplyDeleteYou really seem to have such a great family dynamic, but then dynamic people usually do!
ReplyDeleteNow, THAT is a great group of kids! Way to go, Baino!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of fun! It sounds like you have a great relationship with your adult children, and I loved the flipping off/bum picture.
ReplyDeleteYou are an excellent mum.
ReplyDeletewow. i wanna come...that looks like a blast! smiles.
ReplyDeletegreat that they congregate there instead of off in traffic sk
ReplyDeleteYou really seem to have the best fun on weekends. I need to come out for a visit. I wonder if my free ticket on Southwest Airlines will get me to Sydney.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that my big girls have their friends to our house. I eavesdrop and laugh to myself at their conversations. 3rd grade girls are extremely silly.
Hahaha! Poor horses indeed - I hope they're not within range of the flying balls! LOL!
ReplyDeleteSounds like you've done a more than decent mothering job there, Baino. We followed the same protocol. Ignore that which is unimportant, let them have a few things that don't matter against which to rebel, let them bring friends home and let them have freedom and they (and you) will get through those difficult years almost unscathed. And my boys, like your kids, regularly come home for fun. Can't be better than that, huh? ;)
The family that plays together stays together. Good for you, Mom, knowing what the priorities are.
ReplyDeleteok that settles it; all your TT buddies are showing up at castle Baino for golf and poker. Have some cold ones ready for us.
ReplyDeleteDrums? A drum kit in your house?? Wow. You ARE an awesome mother...and out the back looks like the freakin' botantic gardens!I loved having my daughter's friends around, one wouldn't even bother getting out of her sleeping bag for Sunday breakfast, would just caterpillar down the hallway in it, in that "I can't be stuffed' adolescent way. Hilarious.
ReplyDeleteDear Baino,
ReplyDeleteYou have living proof of just how fabulous you really are---two wonderful persons who share their mum with friends!
I wish my parents had shared your philosophy. Sadly for me, they did not...
I do hope the horses don't get beaned by golf balls!
Good for you Ropi! I imagine you have a good poker face too? How are you with a golf stick?
ReplyDeleteI do Mim and not a day goes by that I don't value it even if I am a nag!
The trick is to be inclusive from the start Jill. Mine just don't think there's anything weird about a parent hanging about although i don't tarry long.
Unstranger, very basic digital SLR and I'm still not very good at the settings. Canon 400D with standard shop lens or a 50mm occasionally for macros.
It's a pretty awesome place to raise kids Ocean but also quite lonely for small children. I think that's why my two enjoy each other's company also, they've had to 'play' together as small children.
Thanks Ribbon. Trust me. I make it look good. The camera does lie! Plus recent rain has helped, everything's nice and green for a change. Nice and cool in Sydney more rain next week!
Haha it must look that way Grannymar but not really. It's a good venue for the kids to muck about though.
Nah, cheap as chips here Roy and far from the best or so my beer officianados tell me. I don't touch the stuff.
Yep. Wuffa .. although my doggie has pulled up a bit sore this morning! Too much chasing of the soccer ball!
Haha! Fortunately Nick they didn't venture into the paddock and chose to wack unripe oranges all over the bloody garden! Boys!
Yeh wasn't too bad Subby. All done and dusted by midnight, they started early!
Small but fun Cat, mind you they make as much noise as a party load.
I do Janice. They are very disrespectful sometimes! Then I'm constantly poking a camera in their faces!
Thanks darls. You are too! At least I can do ONE thing right!
Well Brian, you know where we are! Long way for a poker game and a chip shot!
Sandy, I've always encouraged them to bring friends home. I don't always like the friends they bring but at least I know who they're hanging with. Actually, I've been lucky. Most are great kids.
We make fun Heather. We're all a bit poor for socialising so it's cheaper to do stuff at home and bring the party over! Keep it up. You'll learn a LOT and like I said, sometimes things you'd rather not!
Too true Jay. I save the rough talk for serious issues these days.Although I still get my knickers in a twist over Adam's room but really . . it's not that important but man does it piss me off!
True that Darlene! Although one day they'll fly the coop!
Tom there are always cold ones over here!
Haha . .Pam that's one of two kids but the other is in the shed. Yes, I live with a drummer. Used to be hell but he plays well these days. Yep there were a few bodies around this morning but all cleaned up now.
Aww thanks e. I'm not fabulous really, I enjoy their company immensely. They keep me young! Nope, no 'beaning' that I'm aware of although the place is littered with green oranges! Naughty boys.
good post, Baino. I bet you are a super good mom. I have my sons' love and they do bring their friends home...a bit too often when they lived here full time. I couldn't figure out why they had to have sleepovers in their teens. now, we're living in Grandma's house (my MIL) and we're all kinda reluctant to have our friends over. Talk about full circle!
ReplyDeleteYou've got to hand it to them for being creative with their parties - I've never played golf (nor wanted to) but I would at your house!
ReplyDeleteNight golf? Are they playing with glow-in-the-dark golfballs?
ReplyDeleteI second what Mim and several others said, your family relationship is pretty special.
When my kids were younger our house was the one where all the kids came to play, especially on days when I'd been baking. I think it was the brownies that drew the most kids.
Looks like a fab time... lovin' the respect photo ;)
ReplyDeleteTsup*!* Baino Tsup*!*
ReplyDeleteHaha I like your security style casual walkabout with camera in hand.
Stella Artois on tap by the pint in 1977 underage drinking in a country pub ... happy memories over my mug of tea right now*!*
Nope, I definitely see two golf balls in those pictures, and no unripe oranges....
ReplyDelete:-)
ReplyDeleteso nice to see a bit of your offspring. well done you, you must have such a good relationship for them to want to hang around AND bring friends home.
they look like great kids. bums and fingers notwithstanding.
PS - I'd like to aspire to this with LG, in a few years time. except of course in not such good weather....
ReplyDeleteI love the time we spend with our children and their families! It is great and we ar blessed to do so just about every weekend. Good to hear you have such a great time with yours too.
ReplyDeleteI want to go to there!!
ReplyDeleteaww hells, you have taught your children how to play and how to love their Mother playing with them.
ReplyDeletei am always so impressed and delighted by the relationship you have with your kids.
i too always made sure i knew jess' friends, and they were always welcome at our house or table. and you are so right about easedropping. just listen and you'll learn everything. :)
my weekend flew. too much paper-work.
oh, by the way, if i were to say 'i love you' to a friend and mean it, i would surely say it to you. hee hee
Looks like a great arvo! Its beer o'clock here, and now I'm dying for a Stellar!! Have a great week :-)
ReplyDeleteWatch Out For Tigers !
ReplyDeleteYou should feel really proud of your gorgeous kids, Helen. You've raised them well and they're also fortunate to have grown up on a beautiful property with lots of space to run around. And who is the drummer in the family, then?
ReplyDeleteThere's nothing like a good putt... and I'm speaking as one who cannot play golf for toffee!
ReplyDeleteHere's the best link I can come up with for learning French free online it's BBC and they're the very best
http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/tv/
They've done numerous French courses (which are shown in the early hours of the morning for dedicated people to video) over the years and I can't remember specific titles but if you follow the links there or type them into youtube you should get some very high quality stuff absolutely free ;->...
Dur my stupid face always gets line-shunted:
ReplyDelete;->...
Crap! I have neglected you. I owe you a very long visit and see what you have been up to these past weeks. I shall return again and read when I have more time. I am finishing call and getting ready for Monday. I have a major project implementation next week and so on, I am not going to bore you...
ReplyDeleteThese kids are so good looking. I wish I was young and single again and so I can fly down there and party. No I won't give you the finger or flash my bum.
Your kids are something else but they are beautiful and it is obvious they love you and you them.
Tsup!
I have played mini golf only. :D
ReplyDeleteBrilliant - its good to see kids including their Mum as a friend!! Mine have always brought their parties home too.... I am keeping the photo's for blackmail purposes!! :-)
ReplyDelete