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.

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!

I sat at home and worked out mortgages!

*marks the day in the 2008 Calender for the Fitz*

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.