Lots of people are worrying about the clocks going back and babies waking early, Here's my take on it: My baby wakes around 6am - he will wake at 6am tomorrow morning, though it will be considered to be 5am due to Daylight Savings. So I'm not going to change my clock back tonight. When he wakes at ...
From sandals to boots overnight - summer is a goner. And we're all fine with that; as a nation we've agreed that we can't complain, because the summer was just so good this year (by nation I mean three real-life conversations plus the general consensus on Twitter)I'm thinking back on the highlights of my summer, and was ...
You stepped silently down the stairs, gliding almost, and quietly joined us in the kitchen. The skirt that grazed your ankles a year ago when you first wore a uniform is now swishing around your knees. You slipped wordlessly into your seat, entirely focused on breakfast to the exclusion of all interruptions it seemed. Including ...
Two weeks ago, the toddler discovered television. And I am so happy. I know it's not good for him, I know at twenty months he is too young for TV, but my happiness outweighs any anxiety or guilt I might have about this. For the first time in six years, I can make dinner in the ...
Just before teatime: “Mum can I use the big scissors to cut some paper? please say yes, mum please, just say yes” from my five year-old. My instinctive response was “No, I’m getting the tea ready now, I can’t let you use the scissors on your own” But I stopped myself, and said “Yes, let’s cut out ...
Mommy-wars. Or since we're in Ireland, let's say Mammy-wars. I can't stand the term, but it's the widely-used name for the phenomenon of mothers judging mothers on every element of parenting, originally coined to refer to mothers working outside the home versus stay-at-home mothers. Newspapers love the SAHM/ mothers working outside the home debate, as do radio shows, ...
This is not a light, self-deprecating, jokey post - I really lost it with my five year old today, and I'm feeling bad about it. I shouted at her, marched her up the stairs, and told her that she wasn't going to the party that she was invited to this afternoon. Of course within minutes, or ...
It's hard to fit everything into the working day: morning rush, getting kids ready for school, getting self in somewhat presentable state for work, long commute catching up on e-mails and texts, work for eight hours, sort out optician appointments for kids, do online groceries or submit health insurance claims if there's time to take a lunch ...
So it's the end of the Easter holidays and parents all over Ireland are breathing a sigh of relief - some because they are at home with their children all year round and it's a little more difficult to keep everyone entertained during school holidays, and some because they're at work and find it a challenge to arrange childcare ...
It's Good Friday, and I haven't thought about work once today - I love that. We took the kids to Powerscourt House and Gardens - well OK, the House followed by an "adventure" exploring the trees and grass verges on the way back to the car, via the garden centre. To be fair, we were willing ...