On Tour With the Kid

Chloe O'sullivan | On Tour With the Kid

I'm Not Out; I'm at Work.

I am in an industry that is at its busiest in Summer. When people have free time and can get around, it is the perfect time to have an event. Recently, I ran into a friend who said, "I see you every time I'm out". Yes, you do. The difference is that when you head off for your second wine and a relaxing seat, I am heading back to deal with the logistics of what helps whatever you are there to see look good to the crowd. That's not a complaint.

I actually love it.

For us, and how I structured my work life, it has always included the kid. I have been lucky enough to work with (and for) people who understand that we are all away from our families too much. I'm in a unique position. You can't do that at every workplace; you can't even do that with every kid. Mine was aware early on that we were in a work environment and that Mum had things to do. Now that she is older, she thrives in that environment. It made her very confident.

We have done amazing things together because of my job. In the last 12 months, we have been to Uluru, she has helped out on stage at Summernats, been backstage for countless shows, events, and national media calls, and had a photo she took published overseas. I love that we have got to share all those moments. I'm also aware that she might not want to do that soon. As she gets older, no matter what I do for a living, it won't seem as fun to her anymore. She will want to spend more time being independent and with her friends, and those moments we shared will become memories.

Having always had ear protection on her at shows, I vividly remember her backstage at a Boy George concert with her big industrial headphones on. Her huge smile and her cute dance moves were silent testimony that she was having a good time.

The summer holidays are always interesting for us. My social feed is filled with photos of friends in Bali or off lying on a beach. It's tough to plan when you are working back-to-back weekends, but we have become very good at making the most of those moments in between. Thankfully, we live in one of the most beautiful areas in the country, so a day trip can easily become a complete family adventure.

Recently, we picked what seemed like the hottest day of the summer to head out to the Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Light Spectacular and took some of the kid's friends (it’s already begun; a night with her mother wasn’t going to cut it!)

Given that it was still 35 degrees at 6pm, we thought we would stop somewhere for dinner and found a surprising gem in Cessnock. The Vincent Street Kitchen used to be the old ex-service club. They are the perfect example of catering for kids and Vincent Street does it beautifully. The pool table and the cornhole set were in this beautiful area that I could see from where we were sitting, so I wasn’t constantly getting up to check on them, which meant I could relax.

Kids ate free with every adult meal the night we were there, so five of us with a few starters and meals only cost just over $100. The food was spectacular. They had a baked Brie on the menu that was mouthwatering. The kid's meals were huge, and I know this seems weird to be excited about, but the salad was one of the best I have had in ages, and I have been craving it ever since. The Christmas lights were, as always, sensational and between the eye rolls, the occasional smile back to me when her friends weren’t looking made me realise we still have a few adventures left together.