School holidays

[DarwinStrings]

Two days into the school holidays and my kids are already driving me nuts, thank god for the shed.

Jim

[Nick]

Seems that children have lost the art of self entertainment these days Jim (Not a comment on your own as I don't know them), but unless facebook is up & running on the 'puter or the Xbox/playstation thingy isn't switched on, they're "Bored".
I used to get a rap over the swede and told to "go play outside" & if I came back in before the sun had gone down, there was a repeat of the previous statement . But I had a shitload to do during the holidays & hated it when I had to back to school.
But I feel your pain, as you say....Thank Christ for the shed. Can you lock it from the inside?

[DarwinStrings]

I guess that is part of the trouble Nick, they are happy to sit indoors all day. I just dragged them out for a good long walk (my singlet is soaked and I was hoping it would start chucking down the rain) and I patiently listen to them asking "can we turn back now". I have to go turn off the playstation etc in order to get them out of the house. I can lock them out of the shed but they still stand outside it and ask if the playstation can go back on yet. I am thinking a sound proof studio should be next on my list of things to do.

Jim

[Kim]

Sounds like you need to spend some quality time with the kids Jim. Sit them down next to you in front of the PC and get them to help you draft up an item description for listing their playstation/Xbox on ebay. Do the entire process right up to setting the start time for the auction and then save the listing...they will quickly get the message to self regulate more effectively when they better understand the pending solution that intervention by the bloody minded dictator will bring and that message will be amplified in the knowledge that deliverance is now only a mouse click away

If you really want to put the wind up them, you could even activate the auction at some time.....the cost to cancel or even win your own item and then pay listing and commission is chump change when compared to the shock and awe.....I am a sweet ol daddy...but my kids really think twice before push'in too many of my buttons

Cheers

Kim

[Allen]

Hmmm....I vividly recall being young and any free time was definitely not spent in the house. Saying you were bored just got you 8 hours of chores (more like hard labour). My dad knew that a sure fired way to cure boredom was to work us so hard we made sure we had something to keep us occupied from the break of dawn until we were called back for dinner.

He's still like that. I can't go for a visit without him having a couple days of work lined up for me. If I can only get him to hop on a plane and visit me I'm going to make sure that there is a bit of payback.

[DarwinStrings]

Kim's book of raising children, think I'll go get myself a copy.

Allen sitting on the veranda with a cold one in hand while his dad digs a hole in the tropical sun. "You can have a beer as soon as you've finished that hole dad".

Jim

[Allen]

[DarwinStrings]

One positive that has come out of the holidays so far, for me, is that my 13 year old boy finally picked up a guitar and seems keen. He has been learning trumpet and over the last six months has been resisting and doing his best to skip practice. As the ogre of the family I have told him music is as compulsory as maths is and so offered him the choice to drop trumpet if he picks up another instrument. He has been totally converted to "folk" music (much to my pleasure and surprise) thanks to those talented guys from Mumford and Sons (he plays them over and over. Yesterday he says to me "could you teach me how to play "Winter winds" by Mumford and Sons (boy did I grin). I promptly sat him down with that little 1920's parlour and taught him G, D, Em and C chords. Now I find him picking it up with out having to bash the thing over his head. Also at his recent school awards night (where he was one of six in his year to get a award for high academic achievement, can you tell how proud I am?) two year 9 lads got up and with their dredies plugged in and did a good job of a couple of covers, I think the attention they received considering there were some big hoots from the girls, was another factor in his decision. If he keeps it up I will be for ever grateful to theses guys with their banjo, suits and vests....


youtu.be/

Jim

[Nick]

That's good news Jim, it's good when a band can get children into learning an instrument, I hope he stays enthusiastic about it & I think learning 'modern' tunes that they like helps keep their interest up too rather than "hang down your head Tom Dooley" or "Country Roads" (My first tune ). If he likes Mumford & Son's he should also have a listen to the originals (the Pogues) I'm listening to Mumford's abit lately but you can't beat Shane McGowan in full cry!

[Allen]

I must live at the end of the earth because I've never heard of them, but I really like. Thanks for posting the vid Jim.

[DarwinStrings]

Try their "Little lion man" Allen when you get the chance.

Jim

[Nick]

I must live at the end of the earth because I've never heard of them, but I really like. Thanks for posting the vid Jim.

Cairns end of the earth? Hmmmmmm
If you get the chance check out "little lion man" Allen, it's their 'big' & certainly most catchy hit (whoopsy, Jim's beaten me to it! ), it's got the 'F' word in it so goes down well with our yuufff but altogether they've put out a good album & certainly has that 'Pogues' vibe.

[DarwinStrings]

My 8 year old love to sing that one Nick. As much as I love the Pogues I prefer those other lads as role models over Shane McGowan.

Jim

[Nick]

As much as I love the Pogues I prefer those other lads as role models over Shane McGowan.

Jim

True Jim.

[DarwinStrings]

First catastrophe of the school holiday, hmmmm catastrophe may be a exaggeration. Unknown to me my kids decided to open the doors on my spray booth, not really a booth as it is not enclosed but it has paper solids filter and activated carbon filter to knock out the solvent smells, just so when I spray it doesn't stink out the neighbours or leave plumes of spray cloud hovering around. When they opened it they did not shut it again and the rain destroyed the paper filter, not such a bad thing as I just have to staple another 2m of new filter in and it is not too expensive. Still this is only week one and this lot always seem to start small and work their way up

Jim

[Nick]

Still this is only week one and this lot always seem to start small and work their way up
Jim

Sounds a bit like that old old show "The little Rascals" Jim!

[DarwinStrings]

Yep a bit like that Nick. On the up side though I had the 13 year old boy help me move around and roll over a chunk of Khaya today to get it ready to quarter with the chain saw. It is about 1350mm long and 750mm dia, at a guess about 350kg or so still green. Without him I would have been stuffed and watching him grunt, groan and sweat a bucket along side me was a huge pleasure.

Jim

[Allen]

My Dad would be proud Jim.

[DarwinStrings]

More holiday fun, in about twenty minutes night will fall and I will drive the family around the suburban streets of Darwin to oow and ahhh with childlike eyes at all the houses decorated with glowing Santas, reindeer sleighs, fairy lights and snow covered pine trees. We get out of the car and walk some streets where the resident go all out with lawn parties handing out lollies to anyone who passes.

Jim