Last weekend we took a trip to Auckland to stay with my parents for a night. It was so weird being back on an Airforce base after all these years, but oh so nice. I loved that Tui could finally see for himself just the sort of childhood I had - that it's so safe you wouldn't know where the key to the front door is coz it's never been locked, that you put your car windows up when you park, not because someone might break in, but incase it rains, that despite the fact that you could probably look every parked car and find the keys in the ignition, there's never been a car theft. Every house is modest, with huge backyards, big fruit trees, and a garden. Within 2 minutes walking distance is a free swimming pool, a gym, a playground, a fish n chip shop, and a dairy. The only noise you ever hear, other then birds or kids playing, is aircraft coming and going. That if you walk past someone you don't know, they work or have worked with your Dad at some point, so they know who you are.
How I wish my boys could have the same upbringing. The kind of lifestyle that encouraged and nurtured childhood adventures and imagination. We never knew about stranger danger, coz there wasn't any. Now I can't even let my son check the mail by himself for fear of something happening. Gone are the days I guess.
So, now that I've gotten all that sentimental stuff out of the way, we had such a good time. Dad took the boys for rides on his motorbikes, he took them to look through a bunch of different planes (they got to sit in the pilots seat and everything), I took Tui on a history tour, showing him my old houses, my kindy, my school etc. And of course we got to be with my parents. It was a short and sweet visit. We're trying to make the most of the time we have to do things with the boys, things that will be so much harder when there's a new boss in town who's needs will come before anyone elses.
No (no points for guessing who dressed them that day....)
This plan took off right after we moved out of the way, headed for Afganistan. The boys cheered and screamed and waved their little hearts out, thrilled to have a plane they'd just been in take off a few meters away.
This plane was the reason my parents lived in the states for a few years. Dad ran the project to have them modified to do something that I'm sure is important. They were the first in the world to do it. My Dad even got a special recognition and medal from the Queen for his work on them.
We have a photo identical to this, except I'm 5 years old on my first day of school. My how I've grown....
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