Just your average day: 9 am: It's time for PE with Joe. We are not good at being organised for 9, so I pause the screen while one child gets dressed and one child asks me if he takes part in the PE class, does that mean less enforced outdoor exercise later. You know all those kids ...
One week in. It is surreal to think that a week ago, the kids were still at school. Things have changed so much since then, in ever decreasing circles of things we feel comfortable doing. So where are we now? It changes every day. Every hour even, as we all try to find our rhythm. Then it changes ...
Date: February 28th 2018 Time: 7:15 am Sound: Earsplitting shrieks This is a little story about the snow that led to a very different story about the snow. We'd gone to bed the night before, wondering if it would really, really happen this time. The promise of snow. Or depending on where you live and work, the threat of snow. ...
Deirdre Spillane first featured in the Office Mum interview series in May 2015 - almost five years ago! - you can read her original interview here. Back then, Deirdre was working in commercial finance in the telecommunications sector, doing a busy four-day-week job, and taking parental leave on Fridays. She had two children at the time. ...
"This week is crazy," I said to my husband. "It'll calm down next week," he said, and I nodded. "Who are you kidding," said the little voice inside my head. "You've been saying it'll calm down next week since 2007, and it still hasn't." This is true. I've even blogged about it before I think (here) and I've ...
This time last year, as I unwrapped the snowman and put him on the mantlepiece, I wondered where he'd be going next time round. We were Sale Agreed on our old house but hadn't found somewhere new yet. I tried to picture what the new mantlepiece might look like, in the new living room, in ...
The smell of wood-fire smoke. The curl of blue from the chimney. Will Santa be able to come down? Don't light the fire on Christmas Eve, okay, Dad? The sparkle of frost on grass. The shine from the holly bush. The clipped branches strewn in corners, on hearths. The crisp, bright mornings. The walks in the ...
Last year I put together a list of 28 books or series my kids love. This year, I'm adding their favourite books of 2019, along with the original 28, so if you're buying books for kids, this list of 50 may be of use. For reference, at time of posting, my kids are 12, 10 and almost 8. ...
I am glum. I have no excuse. No reason to be glum. I mean, yes, it's been raining for 457 days solid now, so that might have something to do with it. This morning, for the first time this week, we could walk to school again. Such joy in that walk. And then back came the ...
Maria Rushe is a Donegal Mammy of two little girls. She is married to Emmet, teaches English in Letterkenny and is also a Fitness Instructor in their family business. She blogs as The award-winning ‘The S-Mum Blog’ where she writes honest and funny memoir of her life as she tries to keep everyone between the ditches. ...