Until recently, apart from lighter traffic on the way to work, the October mid-term break meant nothing to me at all. But since the kids started school, and once I realised that taking the mid-term week off work was the thing to do, this time of year has taken on
One day last week, Clara looked a little sad coming out of school. The kind of sad face most of us see from time to time – the one that makes you think “Please let this be because she didn’t like her sandwiches and not that she’s decided she hates
So Facebook and Apple are paying for female employees to freeze their eggs, to enable them to continue working for longer before having children, according to NBC news this week. It’s billed as the latest in a series of benefits provided by the corporate giants, as part of what’s termed a
This time ten years ago, Facebook was just a baby, Twitter didn’t exist, and a new show called X-Factor was appearing on our TV screens for the first time. In Ireland, we were sucking up the smoking ban, we were queuing overnight to buy houses from plans, and Niall Horan was just eleven years
I’m working hard to teach my daughters that they can be anything they want when they grow up – astronauts (“really?”), footballers (“no way mum, I thought only boys could be footballers”) or business-owners (because they’ve both decided that’s what they want to be – as opposed to my job in
I wasn’t going to write anything about this week, but I’m sitting here drinking champagne (the not-champagne type), and that seems like a reason to write it down (or maybe it’s the bubbles talking) As work-life balance goes, this week has been rather one-sided. Work has been busy and difficult. The
What do you miss about life before kids? That was the question on an online forum recently. I sometimes miss sleeping when I like, and socializing when I like, and spending (ish) what I like. And I also miss curry. I really do. I used to make curry at least twice a
Ray D’Arcy was in the playground. I glanced at him, looked away quickly, then casually glanced over a few minutes later. It was definitely him. Was Jenny there too? Yes! There she was! I had a sudden urge to walk over to the two of them and say hello. I
Driving along the coast road, the September sun is filtering through the white sky. Mixed weather is what the forecasters call it. Silence from the back; a Saturday football roundup on the radio. Tired after running all day, three small faces are watching but not watching. The sea stretches out beside
6.30am. The pitter patter of little feet. I can guess which feet. My early bird four-year-old. She climbs into bed to snuggle, and asks me what we’re doing today. “Well, daddy is bringing your little brother swimming because he never gets to go normally, when you girls have classes. And
When my first child started school two years ago, everyone said it would be a big change. I didn’t exactly disbelieve them, but really, I thought, how big could it possibly be? Unsurprisingly, I got it completely wrong. 1. School is just the next step after crèche, right? What I
Tiny grown-up girl, wrapped up in swathes of burgundy, you smile out, from deep inside. Oblivious to the over-size, just happy to finally be there. It’s a hand-me-down from your big sister, but you don’t mind. You’ve waited two long years to follow in her foot-steps; to follow in her uniform.
We’re getting braver. This summer we took five day-trips. Not too adventurous and not too far from home, but a step-up from last year. Baby-steps – or toddler-steps as the case may be. So here’s a quick review of five destinations – all within an hour of Dublin: 1. Clara
Down you come, bump, bump, bump, step by step, laughing hysterically each time you crash into me. Then back up the stairs to do it again. I make a slight move towards leaving my half-way-down-step, and am told “No mummy! You stay!” Then down you come again, stair by stair.
“…while being at home with your kids is great…it isn’t easy, you don’t get a break, you can barely get a chance to pee in peace! It is very rewarding in other ways but it is in no way glamorous” This week I meet Sara Delmer who is a twenty-eight
“Mum, why do you never wear dresses!” asked my six-year-old this morning, for the eleven millionth time. “I do wear dresses – I wear them to work and on nights out don’t I?” I replied, but Clara was unconvinced. It’s a conversation we’ve had many times before and it always goes
All the talk after the first kids’ club visit was about Darragh-from-Dublin. Or Mr. Pilkington as he was known by those in the know. Emmie had gone on her own for this first visit, but her enthusiastic stories of painting and treasure hunts and Darragh-from-Dublin were enough to convince Clara
My six-year-old has been talking for months now about an idea she has – she’s planning to open a theme park when she grows up. It’ll be covered snow, there will be sledding, ice-covered slides, and reindeer carousels. You can stay overnight there – like glamping she says, only in
Every year, bright-eyed and innocent, I look forward to going away on holidays – to reading and relaxing and resting, and to getting lots of sleep and sun. And every year, I am yet again taken by surprise to find that the holiday isn’t quite the chilled out, easygoing, restful
“Thinking of taking the ferry to France?” I said. “Here are some tips!” I said, like a girl who knows a thing or two about driving to France. Then this year happened. It started out really well – too well really. We were more organised than ever, and managed to