Trifter

I love going home to Austria, to visit my family. This was one of those trips, and the first time, that we all went (my hubby, my son and me).

My son and me went alone at least seven times, but that year I planed for all of us to go. We did a lot of walking, and I showed my hubby all the cool stuff, like the castle “Hochosterwitz”, which is still privately owned.

My son got really bored and tried to find stuff to do. He climbed around on the cannons and looked into every hole.

If you have ever been to one of those castles, you know, that there are no security chains or any other safety things, because it is very uncommon to sue anybody for anything. If you would sue a company for falling in their store, the lawyers just laugh at you and tell you, that you should have learned to walk in your toddler years. You should take responsibility for your clumbsiness.

I totally agree with that, but it is a little scary, when you have a very agil child, who wants to explore every corner of every place.

Did I mention, that at the castle Hochosterwitz, there are huge holes on the outside walls of the castle, ment to fight of any enemies, by pouring hot tar down on the enemy.

If you look down those holes, you are looking at a vertical drop higher than a 12 story building!

My mother speaks very little english, and the english she speaks is british english, so needless to say, she really doesn’t understand much of what my son says to her. But she has the habit of saying :”ja,ja…” to every question he asks her.

This day was not different, so he asked her :”Oma Anni, can I go over to that hole and see if I fit thru it?”

At this point, if he would ask to burn her house down, she would probably give him the :”ja,ja,….” without knowing, what he really said. She tells me, to let him explore on his own, but what she keeps  forgetting is, that he has AD/HD and he sometimes doesn’t think about the consequences.

I love her to death, and value every wisdom, she shares with me. We Austrians have a very different aproach to raising a child. We don’t lock our doors (I remember, that at my grandmoms house, even the neighbor kids just walked into my grandmoms house, when they were thirsty, and she loved that)

Here you have to lock your car, when you drive it!

To get back to Hochosterwitz, I seen him go over to the hole and almost had a heartattack (I am a little overprotective of him, it’s because I pretty much raised him all by myself, without having help by my family, they are 5000 miles away. And my hubby is a pilot and gone 180 days out of the year)

After I jelled :”Oh, no!!!!! Get over here NOW”, he was a little irritated, because grandma told him that he could.

So, this picture was made right after that little incident, and you can read his mood on his face!

Everytime I look at that picture, I have to smile!