Australia Day Pool Party / BBQ - Updated
Fri 26 Jan 2007
As I wrote the previous post, there was an enormous Australia Day Pool Party/BBQ going on in my back yard. #1 Son, Peter, has organised an Australia Day BBQ each year for several years now. This year it was bigger than ever as both Andy and Robbie were here with their mates as well.
Sundry Aussies in the pool!
Triple-J’s countdown of the Hottest 100 provided the music.
I got to wash lettuce, slice tomato and onion etc for hamburgers and, later on, fill two wheelie bins with empties.
What’s wrong with this picture? Too calm? A well co-ordinated bomb dive will fix it!
Update: 28-Jan-07
And speaking of Australia Day, you’ve just gotta love Sam…
Update: 1-Feb-07
Peter took a gazillion more great photos, Andy uploaded some to a flickr photo set, and John Blade recounts how much fun it all was…
January 27th, 2007 at 10:47
That looks like a most awesome Aussie Day party!!!
January 27th, 2007 at 10:53
Hi Boff, yep it was way cool. I think there are a few headaches about this morning, though.
January 27th, 2007 at 18:59
awesome photos. Looks like everything an Oz day should be (especially the dad cleaning up bit. heh heh)
January 27th, 2007 at 19:07
Thanks mez. #1 son was the photographer (as well as the BBQ chef). He has several hundred photos from yesterday. I managed to wheedle these out of him late last night just before he crashed.
January 28th, 2007 at 23:44
Looks like a fabulous Australia Day gathering
:) Thank you for the example of how a “normal” Aussie family may choose to spend Australia Day 
I wonder if it will keep growing and growing as the years go by? You might need a bigger pool 
Looks like you have a lovely home by the way 
January 29th, 2007 at 23:32
Thanks Mummy B. I know you have three young sons, so please excuse this advice if it sounds too preachy…
We’ve always encouraged our sons to have their mates around to our place, starting at a very young age. Sometimes it felt so unfair when we seemed to be the babysitting service for the whole suburb. Maureen and I used to dream of a Sunday afternoon nap, but it never happened. We were like a second set of parents to some of the other kids. One youngster was rejected by his parents as soon as he left school. Years later, we held his 21st at our place and he’s in one of the photos above.
But you get the hard yards back tenfold when they grow up and start to go out on Friday and Saturday nights. While other parents worry (or have no idea) about who their children are hanging around with, we knew their mates well and knew we could trust them not to do anything (too) stupid.
Funny story: Once while we were all away on holidays, there was apparently a huge party held on our driveway. Just for an hour or so. All the gang were going out one Saturday night and our place was the logical meeting point because everyone knew where it was.
January 30th, 2007 at 19:05
Doh!
I sat at home and worked out mortgages!
*marks the day in the 2008 Calender for the Fitz*
January 30th, 2007 at 19:50
Yeah Stuart. You should have been here! (M’kay we should have told you!) You’re on for next year!
January 30th, 2007 at 21:29
I appreciate all the “3 sons” advice you give Mike
Always helpful! To be honest…I’m pretty clueless on the boys front….being a girl and all…..and a girl who grew up without brothers (or a strong male role model).
I so terribly wish your suggestion could be carried out by Mitch and I….though I fear its probably never going to happen. Unless some drastic changes come about anyway…
As is, Mitch is always too tired from work to spend time with the boys. When he does spend time with us its on a tight schedule (he only has one day off a week….so he likes to fit in some hobby (warhammer at the moment) time etc.).
I dream of having a functional family where we spend time together on the weekends…and having the boys friends over sounds lovely (if not a little challenging)….I don’t know that I’d be able to cope with it alone? Or maybe I could…..I have terrible social skills though….so who knows! Play dates were a challenge for me last year…having to carry on conversation with the boys mothers! scarey stuff for a hermit like me
You and your wife have clearly raised your boys to be wonderfully well rounded and functional men
:) You should be so proud of yourselves and your boys (I’m sure you are anyway!).
So send any advice my way
Always appreciated!
January 30th, 2007 at 23:03
Thanks Mummy B. Although I cannot claim even half the credit. Mrs Fitz did a lot of the hard work when the boys were very young. I was often interstate or working late.
You know, I was inspired by a radio interview with Jim Kennedy. The interviewer introduced him and then reeled off an enormous list of achievments, building a successful chain of electrical retail stores, director of major corporations like Suncorp, political and government troubleshooter (famously the 1988 Kennedy review of the Queensland Prison system and later WorkCover), Order of Australia, honorary doctorate, and so on. The interviewer’s first question was “Of all your life’s achievements, which one makes you the most proud?” Jim’s answer was “Raising three happy and healthy sons.”
I thought “Wow! I can do that!” Not everyone is fortunate to be a parent. But those of us who are know that this IS what life is all about.
February 8th, 2010 at 10:12
[…] Day has always been big at our place and this year, it’s even bigger. #2Son will be back from Hong Kong and we might even be […]