We travelled from our home on the East Coast to Perth, Western Australia, to visit our youngest son, Steven, his wife, Julie, and their three energetic boys, Joshua, Liam, and Nicky. To our delight, our eldest son, Craig, surprised us by joining us from Canberra, along with our eldest grandson, Noah, and his girlfriend, Eliza.
Suddenly, we found ourselves gathered as a complete family: two sons, Julie, and four grandsons, all under one roof.
This rare family reunion brought everyone together for the first time in years, filling Julie and Steve’s spacious house with laughter, energy … and, of course, a bit of chaos.
Joshua’s 16th birthday was a significant milestone, though it arrived right in the thick of his final high school exams.
“Let’s hold off on celebrating,” he insisted, determined to focus until the last paper was done. Two days later, as soon as exams wrapped up, we brought out the cake, gifts, and cards, and all headed out to his favourite spot for dinner.
Admittedly, burgers aren’t my top pick, but there was no way I’d say no to my favourite grandson (though we all know you’re not meant to say that out loud). My gentle soul, always thoughtful and eager to lend a hand, Joshua, who was once a tiny bundle in my arms, now stands over six feet and towers above me.
Liam, now 15, is our fiery livewire and the family heartthrob. The girls are already swooning, but he doesn’t give them a second glance; his heart belongs to the ocean and every creature in it. He’s the one who inspired my first children’s picture book, ‘Liam Shark Boy’. His energy seems endless, and I often find myself dizzy watching him go.
When I asked what the last day of school held, he grinned and said, “It’s Retreat Day, Nanny.” Typical Liam! Despite not returning home any calmer, his teacher assured me he hadn’t caused any chaos. Walking him back to the car, I found myself surrounded by a giggling entourage of admirers; he might be a teacher’s favourite too, though he’d never admit it.
Nicky, as Julie fondly puts it, is her “alien child”, a gentle soul who seems to march to the beat of his own drum. At just 10, he’s brimming with kindness and individuality, quietly excelling at school and showing off an impressive badminton swing. He’s not one for rough-and-tumble footy with his brothers, nor is he fussed about basketball, but challenge him to a game of Scrabble and he’ll likely leave you for dust with his sharp spelling. Watching “The Bad Guys” together has become our little ritual. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve sat through it, but with Nicky’s infectious enthusiasm, it’s always good fun, because as he says The Bad Guys are so Good!”
That brings me to my eldest grandson, Noah, now 21. Quiet by nature and never one to make a fuss, Noah tends to let the whirlwind of family life swirl around him while he remains calm at the centre.
He’s passionate about all things sport, surfing is his favourite way to unwind, and he’s currently wrapping up his final year at Uni, studying sports science. In addition to his studies, he works part-time at a local gym as a personal trainer, helping others reach their fitness goals.
Both Noah and Eliza, his lovely girlfriend, seemed to navigate the family hullabaloo with grace, often staying above the fray. And on the rare occasions they did weigh in, it was usually to play the role of peacemaker, always fair, never taking sides, and managing to restore harmony with just a few calm words. Their steady presence was a real blessing amidst the lively chaos.
Julie decided she’d treat herself to a rare bit of rest and relaxation, with a glass of wine, while Steve was roped in to drive Joshua to his basketball game. “Alright,” he agreed, and off we went. Naturally, I wanted to see Joshua play.
Halfway there, about 25 minutes out from tip-off (not even counting warm-up), Josh pipes up: “I’ve got my sports shoes on, but not my basketball ones. Coach probably won’t let me on the court.” Time to turn back. Would we even make it in time? “Call Mum and ask her to bring the shoes to the game,” he suggested. Oh dear, I thought, she’s not going to be thrilled about this detour.
Steve, ever the problem solver, had another idea. “Ring her and ask if she can meet us at the fork near the highway with the shoes, we’ll do a quick drive-by pick-up.”
Sure enough, we pull up, and there’s Julie: shoes in one hand, wine glass in the other, and a definite frown. We wind down the window; she tosses the shoes through, gives us a not-so-subtle thumbs down, and, with a turn on her heel, continues sipping her wine.
We couldn’t help but wonder, do we even dare go back home after this?
At 6 am, Liam was raring to be dropped at the beach, surfboard in tow, before school started, keen as ever to catch the early waves while the surf was up.
A bleary-eyed Julie dragged herself out of bed and loaded the car, ready for another of Liam’s morning adventures. Meanwhile, Steve had an early meeting in the city and was already off on the train.
After dropping Liam off, Julie returned home to tackle the school lunches before heading back to collect him.
Liam bounced towards the car, tossing his gear into the backseat and appearing to put his board on the roof, at least, that’s what we thought, as we spotted him climbing the ladder on the back of the four-wheel drive.
Back at home, we quickly realised: no surfboard. “What were you doing on top of the car, Liam?” his mum asked, exasperated.
“I was keeping an eye out for sharks. I saw one coming in!” answered my little Shark Boy, without a hint of worry.
So, it was another dash back to the beach, where, thankfully, his bag and board were still safe and sound. He wasn’t exactly in Julie’s good books; no treat in his lunchbox that day.
But I reckon, with all his charm and his legion of admirers, if he pulled a sad face, one of the girls would’ve slipped him a goodie.
Oh, Liam. Love you to bits.
We’re hosting a family BBQ tomorrow, Sunday, with the grandkids’ other grandparents joining in. Julie’s got the whole household in gear, handing out jobs left, right and centre. “Nanny, you’re on lamb chops, marinate them, will you? And you can whip up the salad and coleslaw too.”
Steve pipes up, “Hang on, what about my spuds? There’s a whole bag from the Spud Shed that needs using.” Nanny grins and promises, “Don’t worry, love, I’ll make as many baked potatoes as your heart desires.” He is, after all, her lovable madcap son; if you need evidence, just read his story below.
But Julie’s having none of Steve’s antics as he dances about with the broom, chasing after his youngest. With a full house, ten of us, not to mention her parents and the rest of the aunts and uncles arriving for lunch, she’s quick to rein him in. Realising he’s on thin ice, Steve stands to attention. “Alright, what am I allowed to do?”
Julie doesn’t miss a beat: “Mow the lawn, sweep the patio, pull the weeds, clean the barbecue, get moving.
“Yes, ma’am!” Off he goes, hoping these chores will earn him some brownie points and a spot back in his wife’s good books.
Love that son of mine!
Meanwhile, Grandfather is in his element, teaching the two eldest boys how to play carrom, an old favourite from his own childhood. Julie watches them, smiles, and quietly lets the boys off the hook from their chores.
Nicky, ever the spirit child, is singing songs to little Shiloh the cavoodle, who is more than happy to be serenaded.
And naturally, my eldest son Craig can’t help but chime in with his trademark quip; he always has to get the last word in, to keep us all on our toes. It wouldn’t be a proper family gathering without his witty one-liners.
He leans back with a grin and declares, “Typical, put Steve near a spud and suddenly it’s MasterChef; give him a broom, and it’s Swan Lake!”
That’s us; full of laughter, a touch of cheek, and plenty of love to go around.
Life with family is chaotic, noisy, and absolutely wonderful. Wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thanks for reading, dear friends ღ.
© Stephanie Roberts
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This post was previously published on medium.com.
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Photo credit: Adrian Appalsamy On Unsplash
