Back in 2003, I switched jobs at work, and took on something that was way out of my comfort zone. One of those “feel the fear and do it anyway” moments, where the outcome is supposed to be life-changing and wonderful and so, so worth it. I had imaginary conversations
I asked my three-year-old recently how he would do things if he ruled the world. Because he can’t fully articulate this just yet, I observed him in everyday life and wrote it down for him – I think this is pretty much what he’d decree if he was in charge: Playtime at 5am is permitted
I am literally (not literally) the last person in Ireland to discover running. For years now, it has been the go-to option for people all over the country who want to stay fit and healthy. And we all know that it has become particularly popular since the recession, when people ran out
I’m guilty of feeling guilty. Too much. Worrying about the time I spend away from the kids. Worrying that because both of us work, they’re missing out. Worrying that I’ll regret it all some day. I know that I have to work for the income, but I also know that I like
Recently, I asked my seven-year-old if she remembered Sequoia Parc, the campsite we stayed in, two years ago in France. “Of course I do – it had a dragon pirate ship thing beside the pool,” she said. “No,” I said, “That was Clarys Plage, last year.” She was sure I was wrong.
I’m delighted to introduce a first ever guest post on Office Mum this week; Kate Gunn is a mother, blogger and freelancer. She spent her 20’s travelling, her 30’s getting married and having babies, and is now hitting her 40’s newly single and back living in her old home town in Co.
A package arrived. Excitement was high. One child almost fainted, such was her need to see what was in the big cardboard box. “Relax,” I said, “It’s probably something boring for dad, or for me.” Secretly hoping it was for me. I opened the box. Four heads peered in. “It’s
Do you like knowing what other people cook and eat? I do. Partly for inspiration, partly sheer nosiness. Last year, the lovely Sinead from Bumbles of Rice ran a Week in Dinners linky, where participants shared honest details of what they cooked and ate in a given week. I took
1. Look out the window, see that it’s raining, and announce a cinema trip. 2. Consider spending two minutes booking online, but decide to wing it instead. Who’d want to forfeit the adrenaline buzz that goes with rushing in to the cinema at the last minute, risking that it’s booked
We are being very brave this summer; we’re getting on an actual airplane with all three kids. We’ve never tried it with three before, and we may never try again either, depending on how it goes. But in a bid to see something further away than a ferry journey allows, we’re
Monday morning 5.10am Pitter patter. Toddler footsteps. All the way around to my side of the bed. “Is it morning mummy?” “No, it’s not morning, I’ll bring you back to your bed.” 7.33am Same footsteps, more resolute attitude. “Me getting in your bed now mummy, it morning-time.” Resistance is futile.
I really like a good list. And ticking things off lists. And sometimes adding things I’ve already done so that I can tick them off. The satisfying swoosh. Tick, tick, tick. And I like new year’s resolutions. But only ones that I a) really genuinely want to achieve and b)
Does every family have a golden child? The one who gets away with everything? Maybe due to being the only girl, or the only boy, or the youngest? We have one. He’s our only boy, he’s our youngest child, and to complete the picture, he has golden hair. And he gets
The house went dark. It was like that scene in a scary movie when the baddie cuts all the wires. I look out into the hall – no baddie. Well as far as I could see in the pitch blackness. The kids were all screaming, pretending to be petrified but
“Why are there never any pencils in this house? If I could have one thing from Santa, it would be a working pencil,” I said to my daughter as I tried to tick off her homework. She gave me a look that said “Right….you go ahead and ask for a pencil,
We were twenty-five minutes late leaving the house. Not a good start. Dun Laoghaire to Malahide is long journey. But Sunday morning means light traffic. Or so we hoped, as we made our way towards the M50, promising the kids we’d definitely make it on time – that there was no way we’d
I’m afraid to say it out loud, so I’ll whisper it: My baby is sleeping through the night. It’s been happening for a few months now, but saying it, or even thinking it, could tempt fate, so I’ve told myself it’s just a phase. But this morning I realised that I couldn’t
Like everyone else, I’ve read the statistics – up to a third of food that we buy ends up in the bin. It’s not good – it’s a waste of money and it’s bad for the environment. Anything that helps to cut down on food waste has to be a
I get to be a stay-at-home mum once a week, so I know exactly what it’s like. No, not really. In fact not at all. My one day per week of SAHM-dom is Friday, so it’s not quite a representative example of true stay-at-home parenting. On Friday, the traffic is
I have two little girls (and one little boy – but he’s the easy one in this story). For the two little girls, everything must match. The water in their glasses must be to precisely the same height, and is measured accordingly. I’m dispatched to the tap, to even things