When people in Germany ask me what Ireland is like for a holiday, I am always keen to make it clear that if they are looking for a beach holiday they can forget Ireland. “If you don’t mind the weather, you can have a great holiday in Ireland” I tell them. After this year’s holiday… Continue reading Beach Weather
We all have these fleeting moments when we find ourselves, however briefly, purely happy. Just as it dawns, you have a few seconds to think to yourself “I am happy. Nothing else” and then it is gone again. Nothing in particular brings it on, I find. Why we suddenly feel elated or simply perfectly content… Continue reading The Moment You Find Yourself Happy
Sometimes I wonder at the things my sons say. To listen to them, you would think that they were being brought up by a male chauvinist and a real girly-girl SAHM. I’ve started to wonder if their apparent sexism is inborn. OK, so their Papa is a big, strong man who fishes and shoots and… Continue reading Sexism – Is It An Inborn Thing?
One Sunday in October 1996 I packed a bag and left for Dublin. At the time I didn’t think much about it. I was starting university that week and was heading off to my digs. I was 17. The thought that I was leaving home didn’t enter my head. Since then, the longest period of… Continue reading Home Came In Stages
Travel is and has always been something I enjoy a lot. A love of travel and an appreciation of different cultures and countries is something The Bavarian and I are very keen to cultivate in our children. While they haven’t travelled terribly widely, the boys have already been to several European countries as well as… Continue reading Travel Kids Club Review
July began with the 8th anniversary of my becoming a mother. Life has been a fantastic rollercoaster ever since and I wouldn’t swap it for anything. That said, it has been a busy, busy eight years with a lot of thinking of others and not so much thinking of me. There have been times when I… Continue reading A Girls’ Night Away at the Athlone Springs Hotel
It is merely a matter of hours till the six weeks of school summer holidays begin. With that will begin Number Two’s countdown to his first day of school. Numbers are a big thing for him this year. We permanently have some kind of countdown on the go. “How many sleeps is it till we… Continue reading A guide to preparing your child for school
You know how sometimes you do something slightly different to the usual way you do it and it turns out to be way better? You find yourself wondering “Why did I not think of this before? Why is this not THE way to do this?”. Well, we have discovered a new thing and it is… Continue reading The Middle-Of-The-Day Birthday Party
As a parent, whether working outside the home or not, is can be easy to become temporarily overwhelmed. Overwhelmed by the juggling of the various aspects of family life. Overwhelmed by keeping on top of the housework, the garden and relationships. Overwhelmed by work, the children’s hobbies, dog walking, bill paying, play dates and the school… Continue reading Beating That Overwhelmed Feeling in 6 Easy Steps
I have spoken before on the blog about Number Two, my pre-schooler, and his interest in learning. In recent times that interest has interest has manifested itself in experiements. We’ve been following Science Wows over on Facebook and have been having a go at the experiements Naomi and her junior scientist have been carrying out.… Continue reading Volcanic Rock Candle Experiment for Children
