Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Letting Go of the Strings

Lachlan and his latest possession! March 2009


Another view of his new car!


Humans are funny - you can't wait for you kids to grow up and be independent and when they start to actually do it it is a lot harder than you think! Just like you can't wait for your kids to walk or talk and then when they do you wish they hadn't done it so soon as you are either running after them to keep them safe or answering their endless questions





6 months ago Lachlan had had his learners permit of about 16 months and hadn't really done anything about getting his licence. Half the time we felt he should get of his butt, stop being lazy and do something about it, the other half the time we felt at least we know where he is and don't have to worry about him hooning around town. With Lachlan to, we always knew once he was motivated to do something he would do it, till then there probably wasn't much point nagging.





So come the Christmas holidays he started having driving lessons, before we knew it he had his licence by mid February - motivating factor - learners permit expired in April and he would have to pay for a new one and sit another test! We thought that was pretty good, another of life's milestones ticked off. So you sit back and think, well done, we have helped our son- but just when you are feeling smug and comfortable he asks one Saturday - "What are you doing today mum?" You think to yourself - "how nice, finally he is making conversation rather than the usually grunting". That thought only lasts a second till you realise there is an ulterior motive- "Can I borrow the car?"


"What do you need to borrow that for, just because you have your licence now, does not mean you have to drive does it?" Stupid question!


So the negotiation commences, times worked out for being home, cost of borrowing the car, and the final reminder as he walks out the door with car keys of how much excess he will need to pay if he has an accident.


Can't sleep till he gets home - now it is waiting up till they get home, instead of getting up to them in the middle of the night!


We survive that hurdle, things seem to have quietened down, until he wants to show me something on the Internet! It turns out for months now he has been watching cars on all classifieds and one that he has been watching for a while now has been re listed at a lower price.


"What do you think of this one?"


"No idea - go ask Gordon, the mechanic next door"


He does, and unfortunately Gordon reckons Hyundai's are a good little car - pity he didn't think of the them the same way as he does Kia's.


Before you know it he has rung up, organised his father to go over with him, seen it, talked to Gordon again, negotiated a price and bought a 1992 Hyundai S Coupe - a car almost as old as him and with the best sound system in the family.


So now he doesn't have to borrow the car any more and we have a third car in the driveway.


At least 80% of the time we should know where he is, either in front of his computer or working in a part time job to pay for the cost of running a car!


Monday, April 13, 2009

Riding - One of my Passions

I love to go cycling, I love the feeling of being tired at the end of the day from physical exercise, I love it that I don't feel so guilty when I eat chocolate, or cakes or yummy food after riding hard. I love being able to sit down at a cafe with my friends and have a skinny hot chocolate! Autumn is a great time for riding, the weather is great, usually not to windy and today I got to ride. Instead of going out with the usual Monday crowd I went for a ride with Bill and some of his friends. It did mean I had to be up early - up at 6am to leave at 6:30am. We rode out to Lake George and back, stopping at the Italian Bite to refuel. I rode 120km and average 28km per hour which wouldl be my fastest time for this distance. I really felt I had accomplished something and kept up with riders I would not normally ride with- I did get pushed up one hill by Bill and they waited at the top for me on the other steep hill ( but not for too long) but the rest of the time I held my own - so I was pleased. By the time we got home - just before midday Lachlan had only just emerged from bed and Amy had been up for a bit, but enjoys being able to spend time at home without a mum telling her what to do!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Good Friday Easter Picnic

For about the last 4 or 5 years we have had a Good Friday Breakfast Picnic at Lennox Gardens by the shore of Lake Burley Griffin with my brother Simon, his wife Bindi and there kids Charlie and Mia. This year we had to go it alone as they have been posted to Vienna and declined our inviation for them to attend - how rude. It wasn't quite the same without Uncle Simon to stir up the kids but we had fun anyhow. We cooked bacon and egg rolls, panckaes and hot cross buns on the BBQ, had an easter egg hunt for the little kids (had to convince my 15 year old daughter Amy, that she was really to old to hunt for the eggs this year - she could hide them. We had the easter egg rolling competion, won by Lachlan - his prize was to have all the little kids throw their eggs at him!
Lachlan and Lucy

The easter egg rolling competion

One of the tastefully decorated eggs used for the egg rolling competion


Andrea a friend of Amy's



We had to convince Amy to make sure we got some ordinary photos - usually she takes 100 shots of blades of grass and swan beak close ups and only 2 of the people actually there!


Lachlan was the winner of the easter egg rolling competion. His prize was to have the kids all throw easter eggs at him!


























Not sure what this was about, but it is quite an animated photo of Lachlan - with Lucy - his sometime girlfriend!


















Frost Family Blog Launched

Welcome to the Frost Family Blog - Don't really know what I am doing but I have enjoyed keeping in touch with others via their blogs so I thought I better start my own So welcome to the blog version of the Frosty Frolics