One of these days

English below
Bheul anois. Tháinig an lá mhór faoi dheireadh. Ní raibh oiread is deor amháin idir sinne nó ár mac is sine inár dteach nó ag geata na scoile nó ag doras an seomra ranga ar a chéad lá scoile. Bhí an t-ádh linn go raibh sé ag súil go mór leis, bhí an seomra ranga feicthe aige cheana agus bhí sé tar éis buaileadh le Múinteoir M, bean óg, lách, agus cheanúil. Dúirt sé liom ar maidin agus muid ag geata na scoile agus coicís faoina chrois aige, "I like Múinteoir M!"

Bhí sé ag súil leis freisin mar tá sé de nós aige bheith i gcomhluadar pháistí eile agus táimid buíoch as gach éinne i gCranford Creche i Ráth gCearr as an tús mhaith a thabhairt dhó. Ach is buachaill sóisialta neamhspleach é freisin agus sheasann a phearsantacht stuama leis. Tá fhios ag éinne a léann an blag seo go minic (agus seachas an rud nach mbíonn mórán nua le léamh ró-mhinic) ní bean mhór maoimh mé ach bhí mé an-bhrodúil as an lá sin.

Tar éis a dhara lá scoile chualamar a chéad focal Gaeilge a tháinig gan bhrú uaimse. Bhí sé ag déanamh cur síos ar bróga cailín sa chreche. "You know those shoes that have a toy in them? [Me: blank look. Him: continues unphased] Well when she took them off there was a madra in them! A madra!" Mar a rinne Himself cur síos ar san Irish Times an tseachtain seo chaite:

Vinny, whose first child started in a Gaelscoil this week, describes the mix of emotions parents feel. "I was a little nervous. I thought he would be upset, but he was great, and I was dead proud of him when he went in," he says. "And when he described a dog in Irish at home, he reduced his mum to tears of joy."

Tá G ag gabháil timpeall ag canadh amhrán a bhfuair sé ar scoil freisin. Tuigeann mise céard tá á chanadh aige ó tá na hamhráin ar eolas agam ach tabharfainn duais don té a aithneodh focal cheart Ghaeilge iontu! Rud eile a dúirt sé anocht agus muid ag comhaireamh na cartanna dearga ina leabhar mór de focal Ghaeilge a chur ag gáire mé ná "God mum, your Irish is really good!" Ba léir go raibh an abairt seo chloiste aige ó duine eigín eile. Gach seans ag baistiú inné.

Agus ba lá mhór é don fear is óige freisin mar gur thosnaigh seisean sa chreche nua. Thaitníonn sé go mór leis an mbeirt acu agus tá na mná sa chreche an-tógtha leo agus go háirithe le cé chomh cainteach is atá an duine is óige. Ar ndóigh toisc gur dearthair é tá sé luath ag caint, is ag caint, is ag caint! Nós atá aige faoi láthair ná deireann sé i nguth an-cheisteach, "What's that airplane?" agus bíonn ort rá, "Em an airplane?" agus bíonn sé sásta leis an bhfreagra sin.

Agus ba lá mhór é ar ndóigh do Himself. Mhothaigh sé uaigh iad i gceart inniu mar b'inniu an chéad lá nach raibh air G a phiocadh suas ón scoil ó gur dhéan G lá iomlán scoile agus phioc an bhean ón chreche suas é. Lá mhór fhada a bhí do Himself ach beidh a dhóthain ar a phláta féin i gceann coicíse so b'fhearr a scith a ligint a fhad is a bhfuil an seans aige.

Well now! The big day arrived at last. There wasn't a wet eye in the house or at the school gate or at the classroom door. We were lucky as he was really looking forward to it; he had already seen his classroom and met Múinteor M, a lovely, pleasant, young woman. He said to me this morning as we arrived in school with two weeks under his belt, "I like Múinteoir M!"

He was looking forward to it as well because he is used to the company of other children and we are grateful to everyone in Cranford Creche in Rathgar for giving him such a good start. But he is an independent, sociable little chap too and his level-headed personality stood to him. Anybody who reads this blog regularly (apart from wasting their time as I don't write regularly) I'm not a woman to boast but I was very proud that day.

After his second day of school we heard his first unprompted word of Irish. He was describing the shoes of a girls in the creche. "You know those shoes that have a toy in them? [Me: blank look. Him: continues unphased] Well when she took them off there was a madra in them! A madra!" As Himself described in the Irish Times last week:

Vinny, whose first child started in a Gaelscoil this week, describes the mix of emotions parents feel. "I was a little nervous. I thought he would be upset, but he was great, and I was dead proud of him when he went in," he says. "And when he described a dog in Irish at home, he reduced his mum to tears of joy."

G is going around singing songs that he got in school. I understand what he is singing because I know the songs but I would give a prize to anyone who could recognise even one proper word or Irish in them! Another thing he said to me that made me crack up this evening when we were counting red cars in his big book of Irish words was "God mum, your Irish is really good!" He must have heard someone say it, probably at the christening we were at yesterday where he was showing off to all the ladies by counting in Irish!

And it was a big day for the little fella too because he started in the new creche. Both of them really like it and the women in the creche are very taken with them especially with how chatty the little fella is. Of course because he is a little brother he was an early to talk and talk and talk! A habit he has at the moment is to say in a very questioning tone, "What's that airplane?" and you have to say, "Em an airplane?" and he's happy with that.

And of course it was a big day for Himself as well. He really missed them properly today because it was the first day that he didn't have to pick G up from school because he was doing a full and the woman from the creche was picking him up. A big long day for Himself but he'll have enough on his plate in a fortnight so he might as well take it easy while he can!

Labels: clann, family, oideachas/ education, páistí/ children, scoil/ school

And there it was, as they say, gone! We arrived home from a pleasant afternoon strolling around the Curragh and the army barracks (and that's a story for another day) and Himself says to me "Where's your bike? Did you leave it in work? Don't think you'll fool me with that look. [I must have been looking just slightly more dazed than my previous "I've-just-woken-up-from-a-hangover-induced-car-sleep] C'mon where is it?"

I rang the local gardaí who came around straight away pretty much and took a statement. I am now known to the gardaí because the really tall local guard and I recognised each other from my last visit to the Garda Station. This is because I made himself and his colleagues search the whole station for an Irish Language version of the passport form and then when they couldn't find it and he filled out the English version for me he did it in the wrong colour pen. We really bonded that day.

That evening the doorbell rang and there was a man who we had never seen before. He lived nearby and told us that he'd seen us coming in and out of the house with the bikes and the kids on the bikes. In the wee small hours of the previous morning he had been on his way home from his holidays and what does he see up the road but somebody chucking my bike at a street feature (a big rock) and then into the middle of the road. According to him, my local friendly guards also happened to be passing at the same time and kept on passing! He stopped, picked up the bike and put it in the back of his car. Himself (who is totally nerding it up here beside me with his new Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet PC) went to pick up the bike and it was destroyed. Poor old bike.

However, I am now the owner of a lovely shiny new Trek with a fancy saddle and a clever stand. The issue with the baby seat versus the back carrier continues and the babyseat is currently attached to the post of the seat as opposed to the frame which is a little bit dodgy but the only way to do it. Here's a link to my new bike although mine has a motorbike style stand which makes it much easier to load a child onto the back.

Speaking of bikes we rented two bikes while on holidays in Ile d'Oleron. The bikes weren't great but we rented a trailer for the boys (at the elder's insistence) which they LOVED! Not so easy to cycle with though as it feels like it is constantly pulling and pushing the bike. I would never cycle one here though: cyclists are treated with tremendous care and respect on Oleron and there are plenty of bicycle ways to explore.

I will add photos soon. I dropped our camera on Saturday evening and now it won't switch back on. I am so popular.

Labels: bicycle/ rothar, campáil/ camping, clann, family, pobal/ community, páistí/ children

Now if I could only find the why-did-you-not-damn-well-bring-me-some-water equivalent I would be a less stressed individual. Check outthis is why your server is cranky on passiveagressivenotes.com to see how some people deal with those little day-to-day stresses.

I tell you what else is stressing me out: I added an Irish Language spellchecker to my Firefox but now it's telling me I can't spell in English. Nach mise atá demanding!

But I kid: we have been having some real stress here lately with G's health. He has been sick for at least a week every month since midsummer. Pneumonia, gastric problems, a chest infection last week and, yesterday's diagnosis by a doctor in the Children's Hospital, tonsilitis. S and, as you know from all me moaning last week, I have been feeling a bit under the weather recently too. Hopefully this will be the last of it for a while because everytime G gets sick he stops eating. He will disappear soon. It's a real worry.

Labels: clann, family, sláinte/ health, tinneas/ illness, tuismitheoireacht/ parenting

If only I could be half as creative as GF (right) during this "downtime" I'd be doing well. I've just been invited to this exhibition "...scape" and very appropriately my friend GF has this piece in the exhibtion entitled Day Job. Appropriate because today is my first day as an officially unemployed person. Abs reckons that the fact that I had my letter printed today, even though I wrote it about a week ago, is a good omen. She is very positive

This morning I was in a place that I never thought I would see again: the driver testing centre on Orwell Road. Abs had her test so I had to be her fully licensed accompanying driver. Unfortunately she failed but it was her first time and for someone who's only been driving since August she's pretty good. I reckon she'll get it next time. Nerves are an unpredictable quantity.

About six people took the test at the same time as her and only one of them passed. Those odds aren't too good. No wonder there is such a long waiting list. It would be interesting to see how many re-tests are on the list at any one time. If 5 out of 6 people failed even one exam on the Leaving Cert the teaching methods, the curriculum and the exam would all be overhauled. There is something not right with this system and certainly you have to question the training if 5 out of 6 people can fail. And then drive away...

Labels: clann, dífhostaithe/unemployed, ealaíon/art, family, motoring/ tiomáint, Éire/ Ireland

I've just finished baking 2 of these: one for Garman's birthday in the creche tomorrow and one for his birthday tea at home. Hope he likes it. If it tastes half as good cooked as it did raw, we'll be doing well.
This recipe comes from The Austalian Woman's Weekly Cakes and Slices Cookbook which I love because it has loads of different and some really unusual recipes (Chocolate Zucchini cake anyone? And don't laugh the chocolate potato cake in this book is one of my favourites. Potato and Chocolate hmmmm)
However I substituted chopped dried apricots for the glacé cherries because can you believe I had no glacé cherries. Believe it - they are a culinary abomination. Think of a fresh cherry, think of a glacé cherry. How can they both be called cherries?

Enough! Here's the recipe. I chose it because half an hour before our party started last Saturday I exclaimed to Himself "Ohmigod! I've no dips." and sent him off to buy ingredients which I had no time to whip into hummous etc. so I was left with a ton of sour cream.

125g butter
2 teaspoons greated lemon rinf
1 cup castor suger
3 eggs
1/2 cup sliced glacé cherries (see above)
1/2 cup sultanas
1 and 1/2 cups self-raising flour
3/4 cup of plain flour
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 lemon juice (the juice of a lemon)

Preheat oven to 180 deg C.
Grease a 14cm * 21 cm loaf pan. (they say line base with paper, grease paper. I say life is too short.)
Cream butter, ring and suger in small bowl with electric mixer ntil light and fluffy; bet in eggs one at a time, beat until combined. They say transfer mixture to large bowl. I say start off in a large bowl, save on washing up. Stir in fruit, then half the (sifted - you decide) flours with half the combined sour cream and lemon juice, the stir in remaining flours and lemon mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 1 1/4 hours (Mine took 1hr 10 min at 175 in a fan assisted oven.) Stand for 5 mins before turning on to a wire rack to cool.
G and I will be decorating ours anon - photos to follow.

Labels: baking/ bácáil, breithlá, clann, dífhostaithe/unemployed, family, feast, food, páistí/ children

Mo chéad lá mar dhuine "ar scith" agus seo mar a thosnaigh mé: ag breathnú amach ar radharc álainn Bhinn Eadair ó shléibhte Áth Cliath. Thug mé síob do Lilbro who is recording the soundtrack for Lance Daly's latest feature "Kisses" in this amazing gaff up past Kiltiernan. I met two other members of the post-production crew. Lovely people who are enjoying the seasonal splendour in an amazing location and getting paid for it - lucky suckers!

Coming back from An tOireachtas in Westport at the weekend(roinnt grianghraf ag Oireachtas 07) I realised that Autumn is past her best and the winter is on her way. Autumn is my favourite season and it was great being driven across the country because as a passenger I was really able to drink in the golds, reds, yellows, oranges and browns. The last dance before the long sleep.

Today is the beginning of a new era for me. The first time I have ever been unemployed since I had half an hour to get from my last Drama Studies exam to my first job in RTÉ. That is not to say that I am going to spending loads of time blogging. Small matter of a large thesis due at the end of January. This change in circumstance couldn't have happened at a better time.

So obviously I have been doing a lot of thinking about my strengths and my ambitions and while chatting at dinner the other day I had a terrible realisation. When I arrived home at last from An tOireachtas, the boys were all watching "Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back" which was quickly followed by some very creative Lego work, resulting in three spaceships. At some point Himself pointed out to G that there is no up or down in space which is the reason why many astronauts get spacesick and the bottom fell out of my world. I suddenly realised that all my plans to be the first Gaelgeoir in outer space would come to naught as I wouldn't even be able to make it on the bus to the spaceship without puking on my colleagues shoes. So now what am I going to do? I suppose I can still work on that "extra in Star Trek" plan... Are they still making Star Trek. Maybe I should aim for Dr. Who or that other one they're making in Wales which wouldn't involve too much travelling. Although the ferry OH GOD. It's never going to happen, is it?

Back to reality. A few people have been asking me where to get StarLittleThing's new album "It's Easy to be Alive You Just Are". Apparently Tower Records off Grafton Street have been restocked or you could try Road Records on Drury St (or is it Fade St. It is.) in Dublin. And for the virtual among you it can be bought at www.myspace.com/starlittlething or on ITunes. Now I don't mean to be rude but would ya ever stop reading and go and buy your copy now!

Oh no just one more thing: like a total sheep I've given into peer pressure and joined Facebook. You're the experts you find me.

Labels: blogging/ blagadóireacht, ceol/music, clann, dífhostaithe/unemployed, Facebook, family, gaeilge/ irish language, obair/ work, StarLittleThing, Éire/ Ireland

I was just asked by my lovely Kiwi friend to take part in a recipe exchange. Basically it was a chain email which normally I don't agree with but as you all know I love to cook and bake so I thought this was a really practical to get tried and tested recipes. I sent the inevitable Chocolate Fudge Cake and another staple from our kitchen.

Marcella Hazan's Tomato Sauce
This is so simple and so yummy and it's a lifesaver. Real comfort food.

• 1 14oz tin of tomatoes (she specifies whole tomatoes but we use whatever is in the cupboard)
• Half an onion
• About 60g butter - a finger sized chunk

Put all the ingredients into a pot, leaving the onion unchopped.
Bring to the boil, allowing butter to melt.
Cook for about 20 minutes

Cook pasta according to taste/ packet instructions. Drain. Put in a bowl.
Remove onion half (can be retained for stew/ ratatouille/ whatever).
Pour tomato sauce over pasta. Mix well and serve with a good dose of good parmesan.

Labels: clann, family, feast, food

Friday night was Culture Night 2007 in Dublin City. I apologise to the very cultured people who were being shown around the inner sanctum of Lord Powerscourt's, Richard Wingfield 3rd Viscount (1730-1788), city centre abode. I barged up to their tour guide and asked "Is this the way to the Loft?" There was no way on earth that I was missing another StarLittleThing gig! I have had no luck so far and I know I'm missing their album launch on 5th October in Crawdaddy so I was damned if I was missing their single launch. I needn't have worried: I was there a fashionable half an hour late and they were an even more fashionable hour and a half late. We were kept amused by all the free beer and based on the nonsensical conversation I had with the young girl serving the free booze she had also kept herself well amused.
It was brilliant. I know I'm completely biased but the energy in the room when they picked up their instruments completely changed, notched up. I, of course, danced. I can't believe there were people there who didn't.



The only downside of the evening was when I was introduced to this older man and the first thing he said to me was, "You look like Bette Midler". All I could think to say to him was, "I'm so @#*&ing insulted!" Normally I wouldn't be so rude but I really don't like Bette Midler. I demurred a little bit but I didn't take it back.
Don't miss StarLittleThing at Crawdaddy 23.30 on €15 entry includes free copy of the album. A bargain.

Then we headed down to the Port House for a few pinchos and finished up in wagamama for noodles. A delicious evening.
I was feeling a little worse for the wear when I wrote this. I was at a hen on Saturday. Not my best work darling.

Labels: cairde, clann, craic, family, food, fun, StarLittleThing

My colleague tells me that there is flash flooding in South Dublin. You definitely heard it here first because I can't find anything else about it online.
I know I haven't posted in a while and you are not popping in now to hear me moan about the weather but it is depressing, really, really grim here at the moment.
However I found a blog (and you definitely didn't hear this here first cos he has won a ton of awards) which really cheered me up. Good on ye Grandad.

I nuacht eile blagadóireachta, tá mo sheanchara an tImeall tosaithe ag podchraoladh i nGaeilge arís. Maith thú, Imeallóir!

And speaking of podcasts, if you have nippers and want to entertain them at night or if you are like Abs and find children's stories extremely soporific, check out www.storynory.com. Garman was rapt listening to this on our last holiday and I have downloaded all the episodes in preparation for summer holiday no. 2. How very modrin of me!

Labels: blogging/ blagadóireacht, clann, family, gaeilge, holidays, holidays/laethanta saoire, nuacht/news, podchraoladh/ podcasting, páistí/ children

Will I still be the world's most lacklustre blogger? A question for future me. FutureMe.org

We are just back from a fabulous week of camping in Curraghchase in Limerick, Mannix Point, Cahirsiveen, Co. Kerry and Mountshannon, Co. Clare. We were completely blessed with the weather. (Right: bedtime in the tent)

Labels: campáil/ camping, clann, family, fun, holidays/laethanta saoire, motoring/ tiomáint, páistí/ children, Éire/ Ireland

I still haven't finished reading about paradigmatic controversies etc. but I have watched 2 episodes of DH. Now that's social research.
I must be doing something right though because I got another good result on my last assignment so go on the me.

We just had a beautiful weekend in Oysterhaven Co. Cork (the top right picture is me and the boys in Nohoval Cove - does anyone know anything about this place?) visiting and being visited by friends, hanging out on the beach, doing an egg hunt, surfing (Himself) swimming (me starting and early this year!), being brought all the way home from Cork in a tow truck (all of us). Oh yes our lovely car which we had just retrieved from the garage the previous Thursday after a week and half there (it went into a coma on the way home from Wexford last Sunday week), gave up the ghost again on Monday morning while we were on the way to visit friends in Nenagh. The photo to the right is how we felt while we waited 2 hours to be collected. As you can see the car is nice and roomy... Much to G's delight we came all the way home in a tow truck. Lovely. What should we do now? Watch this space...

Right I must get back to "The denial of children's rights and liberties in the UK and the North of Ireland"...

Labels: cairde, clann, cork/corcaigh, craic, family, feast, friends, fun, holidays/laethanta saoire, motoring/ tiomáint, páistí/ children, surfing

We bit the bullet and finally bought a new car today. We will own a shiny car with power steering and central locking for the first time. More technically speaking it's a 1.4l Renault Scenic Sportway. God help me with the parking. We get it on Thursday.
I haven't been able to work out the damage we'll be doing to the environment. I figured I would feel better after we popped in to Eurobaby & Eurocycle on the Long Mile Road to find a new bicycle seat so I could ditch the car in the mornings and evenings and get back on my bike full time. They only had one model with a fabric seat!! "We don't design em we just sell 'em" That's as may be but if I don't tell you that I think that they are a stupid design you might continue to sell them and I will never be able to find a decent baby seat for my bike.

GARMAN Garman asked me to type GUH for Garman G G G G g g g g

Labels: clann, family

Labels: birthday, breithlá, cairde, clann, craic, family, friends, fun