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
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
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
“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
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 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,
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
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
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
One day, when I was eight, my teacher asked each of us to stand up and sing solo, one by one. I still remember the fear, standing up to sing the song. And I still remember the sting of humiliation when the girl beside me burst out laughing at my terrible singing.
I remember it so clearly. I was driving down the Quays, towards the Samuel Beckett Bridge, heading home from work, wishing for an email. Not any email – one particular (in my head, at least) life-changing email. Begging the universe. If I could have just this one email, everything would come
We made it to mid-term! So, short and sweet, here are a few things that got me through Septober relatively unscathed – or at least less scathed than usual: Slow Cooker My slow cooker changed my life. I’m kidding, it totally didn’t. But it’s great for that one day each week
“I think all mothers suffer from Mammy Guilt at one time or another – you’d want to be made of steel not to. I don’t think that should stop women going out to work though – many women need to work for their mental health too. I certainly do. I
It’s October 13th as I write this, and I’m thinking about what I was doing this time fifteen years ago. Checking the weather forecast (still rain). Checking the dress (still there). Checking the mass booklets (still not done). A last lunch with my first (and hopefully last) husband-to-be. The mood? Surreal.
Once upon a time, six years ago this month in fact, I spotted a newspaper feature on an old school pal. The article was about her career – she was and is a successful Qualitative Researcher with three kids, a husband, and a home in San Francisco. What struck me though,
Facing into a bout of temporary solo parenting, I had one and only one worry on my mind. It probably should have been mornings – how I’d get them in to school on time. My husband does most of the morning stuff while I amble from room to room telling various children
Back at the turn of the century (the turn of this one I mean, I’m not here since the 1900s, despite what my kids think) I was working in my first job, and at the time, there was a preoccupation with productivity. Predicting it. Measuring it. Improving it. You can’t
Five years ago when we first went to Tayto Park, I admit, I was confused. Was it a playground with a zoo attached? Or a zoo with a playground attached? Our kids were too small for any of the rides, and I don’t remember seeing any rollercoasters – I was too busy trying
We’re half-way through. It’s a bit soon for jumping to conclusions, and I’m tempting fate by writing this, and it’s all going to fall apart this week just because I wrote this down. But then again, if I don’t stop and acknowledge that it’s happening, I might never believe that it
“We’ll fit loads in over the next few weeks,” I’d said to the kids two weekends ago, not wanting to say what I really meant, which was, “There are only twelve more days left of summer holidays, let’s make the most of it.” Because I didn’t want them on the