Tag: kids

License to Drive

Posted on by mfregien6c146e4539

Today Seth got his driver’s license. A rather unexpected turn of events for me. He is our kid who got his permit when he turned 15 1/2…went out driving a few times…and then had zero interest in ever doing it again. He…and I…were feeling pressure from all sides because it “would make life so much easier if Seth could drive”…but he wasn’t ready and I stopped pressuring him. I knew he was under a lot of stress with his Dad being sick…and driving just wasn’t going to happen.

Well, at Jason’s Memorial Service a tennis friend of ours came up to me and offered to help Seth learn how to drive. Seth decided he was ready and went out with Jim a few times…maybe 7? Last night he sat down at the computer with his permit to schedule his driver’s test and discovered that there were either openings for today…or February…I was all set for him to schedule it for February and he surprised me by saying “oh well I’ll just do it tomorrow then”…like it’s no big deal. And he passed! So now instead of driving the boys back and forth to tennis…I can sit at home and worry about them out there driving…there’s always worry…now I know bad things can always happen.

I feel so many emotions. Overwhelming pride for my kid who put his mind to learning how to drive and totally nailed it. Worry about him being out on the road where there are so many unpredictable things that can happen. And of course sadness because Jason isn’t here to enjoy this proud moment with me. These moments of the kids’ where he is not here are just horrible. I hate that he is missing out on them, and that they don’t have their Dad. It’s not fair.

Gotta Brag On Our Kids

Posted on by mfregien6c146e4539

Jason would be so proud of our kids right now. Anna has been back at UW-Eau Claire for 3 weeks now and is having a great start to her year. She has already had several marching band performances and made it into symphony band again this year. She also figured out what to do when your windshield wiper “goes flying off” when you’re driving your car. Guys working at auto parts stores are very good at helping teenage girls with such problems.

Seth..our Peter Pan kid…you know…the one that just doesn’t want to grow up…is really stepping up to the plate. He just started a job…his first one! And is learning how to drive thanks to a friend of ours who volunteered to teach him. He is such a great young man and I am so proud of him. He is also usually the one that remembers that Wednesday night is garbage night…why is that so easy to forget??

Levi…complete opposite of Seth…can’t wait to grow up…is starting high school this year. He’s the most social of our kids so he forces me to get out of the house and see people even when I don’t really feel like it. He is also a huge help around the house. He helps make dinner a lot and other chores around the house…like mowing the lawn.

Then there’s me. I feel like if Jason were here he would be very unhappy with my lack of being able to get anything done. He would be very agitated that I haven’t really made a single phone call. He would be on me every day to call life insurance companies, banks, etc and get things squared away. I just can’t. Part of it is time. I’m at work from 8am-4pm every day and then come home and get dinner going and the boys to their stuff. Most of it is…I just can’t. It feels like taking a huge eraser and smudging out everywhere it says Jason Fregien. I like it when his mail still comes to the house. I like that all of his things are still here…right where he put them…where he liked them.