Friday, March 23, 2007

UN WEEKEND EN FRANCE



Next weekend my son and a group of friends are off to la Clusaz skiing. A weekend of 'Ride and Ragga'.

I haven't yet discovered what Ragga is - when I ask if I could listen to some, the reply is invariably 'You'd hate it Mum, not your style at all' - translate as 'You're much to old to listen to Ragga'. This is probably quite true, but is part of 'keeping the dialogue going with your adolescent children' scheme of things, so instead of listening to some on the Internet I try and get my son to lend me his iPod for a couple of minutes to hear what Ragga is all about. So far, this hasn't been successful, but I doubt Ragga will turn my life around, and my hearing will stay intact for a few more years if I don't have an earphone plugged in whilst I hoover or take the dog for a walk!

What has amazed me is that the boys have actually managed to get their act together and organise everything. Although I have a fairly organised child, I still get things like 'I need such and such a book for tomorrow for the lycée'; this at 9 pm. (just go and get a shop opened up for me) and recently 'I need a passport size photo - can you do it for me tomorrow Mum?' HOW? Okay, this is boring stuff - a weekend away skiing with a group of friends is far more fun!

So for the princely sum of €100 per person, they have got a coach to ferry them there and back (one of the boys' father has a coach company), they have negotiated their ski passes by getting group rates, accomodation in a Youth Hostel and food. I'm sure it will be more than basic, but they will have a wonderful weekend as they have organised the whole thing themselves without any parental intervention. I reckon Sunday night he will be back, totally 'starved', with a rucksack full of smelly socks and teeshirts and with enormous bags under his eyes through lack of sleep!

So, proud as I am that he and his friends have managed to organise something by themselves, I realise suddenly that my 'baby' is no longer so - and that makes me feel a little sad and a little older! Pass the earphones!

2 comments:

Gigi said...

Oooh - I know all about babies growing up...my eldest is 18 so she IS grown up but the other two (14, 16)are theoretically children, but you wouldn't know it. How did it happen so fast, eh? It seems they only need me as a taxi/cash point service...still, I suppose it happens to the best of us!

Louise said...

Mmmm - know the feeling. Cash appears like magic through the slot in an ATM and we have our own personal petrol pump in the garden.