Daniel

A Further Week in February

21 February, 2021 3 Comments
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Family, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess

Monday, February 15, 2021

I bought daffodils at the weekend and Daniel asked, “Are they supposed to look like asparagus?” Oh child of little faith.

I listened to a podcast about Amazon’s resistance to unionisation and felt smug. I haven’t bought anything from Amazon for a number of years. Herself made us boycott it because of their unsatisfactory labour practices. Although I do miss the convenience of one click a bit (I can’t lie), I am sustained by my inner smugness and the knowledge that I am making a conscious effort to buy from Irish shops gives me an additional smug glow.

I forgot to bring my wallet to work and I didn’t even need it. Everything I might need seems to be on my phone. This is a bit unnerving but handy, I must confess.

My friend in Vermont sent me pictures of herself and her sons skiing (at my request) and it filled me with joy. And the sun shone which was great but it would be even better if it hadn’t rained all weekend.

Tuesday, February 16, 2021 – Pancake Tuesday

My sister sent us up a package. Great excitement. It contained, inter alia the €90 jumper which I had bought my father for Christmas and sent to her for safekeeping. Unnecessary in the event. I gave it to Michael as he was the only one of the menfolk it would fit and while I wouldn’t necessarily have spent €90 on a cashmere jumper for Michael, he does look very nice in it and has worn it voluntarily of his own accord. I am sure that my father would have been pleased.

The weather was positively springlike. There were exciting Gategate developments. The gates were installed and I was given a fob. Meanwhile in the whatsapp group a message appeared from one of the opponents asking ominously, but perhaps not unreasonably:

Hi all – I noticied that two sets of lane gates have been installed (one set seems permanently shut). What news about key fobs/pin code/cost and payment?

Everyone in the whatsapp group ignored this message.

We had pancakes after dinner.

Wednesday, February 17, 2020 – Ash Wednesday

The weather was beautiful again. The bishops told us to burn last year’s palm to make ashes but appear to have forgotten that getting to mass/getting palm last year was a bit problematic. We went ash free but I did notice some colleagues with ashes on zoom calls during the day; clearly they had access to some kind of underground supply (insert your own jokes here).

Follow-up message from ignored neighbour re Gategate arrived:

Henry Kissinger once asked: “Who do I call if I want to call Europe?” I might ask similar of access to the lane for say garden maintenance/delivery person etc. ….Access should not be arbitrarily decided.

The group admin (who I suspect really regrets setting up this group now) suggested that irate neighbour contact another neighbour to which he replied:

The problem is that we are not sure about anything concerning the lane gates. It must be asked “Why so?”

The brilliant though perhaps headstrong and impetuous neighbour who installed the gates himself and intends to collect money afterwards replied at length to which irate neighbour replied:

At long last! When can we expect fobs and code for the closed gate? We should not have to seek you out.

This caused the rest of us, craven but grateful, to pile in and say how pleased we were with the gates and how it had been perfectly obvious that they were being installed over the previous month. Irate neighbour replied that while the gates were good (!) he had been left out and

Bush Telegraph is just not good enough in this day and age.

Anyway, the upshot is a new whatsapp group for the lane. I dread to think what the reaction will be when irate neighbour discovers that the new gates are going to cost each household money. Meanwhile I’ve been sailing in and out on my bike, clicking away on my fob. The lane is delightfully clean.

Patrick Kavanagh’s poem Epic springs to mind.

I have lived in important places, times
When great events were decided; who owned
That half a rood of rock, a no-man’s land
Surrounded by our pitchfork-armed claims.
I heard the Duffys shouting ‘Damn your soul!’
And old McCabe stripped to the waist, seen
Step the plot defying blue cast-steel –
‘Here is the march along these iron stones’
That was the year of the Munich bother. Which
Was more important? I inclined
To lose my faith in Ballyrush and Gortin
Till Homer’s ghost came whispering to my mind.
He said: I made the Iliad from such
A local row. Gods make their own importance.

In other whatsapp news, my firstborn child is definitely well ahead of me in matters literary. I had the following exchange after listening to a podcast.

I was in touch with her as it was, yet another, critical week for news in relation to Leaving Cert 2021. The solution which may yet founder is quite good she thinks with a combination of teacher grades and exam grades and you get whichever is better.

The Junior Cert has been cancelled and I asked my sister-in-law how my nephew was taking the news. Apparently he has told her that every day between now and the end of next year is Friday afternoon, so he is pleased, I think.

Thursday, February 18, 2021

Another beautiful day. Herself thought she might try reading Dante’s Inferno. She was trying to find an online translation and came across a link to a site which said, “Dante’s Inferno, Best Available Tactics, 9 hours”. She had never heard of reading tactics before and she was curious so she clicked through. Apparently Dante’s Inferno is a video game as well. Who knew? Anyway, it turns out that the Inferno consists of 8 books of 400 pages each so she’s lost interest a bit. It looks like a lot more than 9 hours even with best available tactics.

I was going to give up instagram for Lent but herself said that she would put a limit on my phone so I couldn’t use it after 6. I’m delighted. I’ve given up biscuits again instead.

Mr. Waffle has bought a new bike and hasn’t yet disposed of the old one. The shed now looks like this. We have 8 bikes for the five of us and I’m thinking of getting a new bike myself. Is this wise?

Friday, February 19, 2021

Having just completed quite a bit of paperwork to stick with Ulster Bank for our mortgage, I wasn’t entirely delighted to hear that they are pulling out of the Irish market. “How can they?” said herself, “Is there an Ulster somewhere else?”

Having been beautiful all week, the weather turned and it started to rain.

Saturday, February 20, 2021

The weather was shocking. I managed to put my neck out while swinging my now irritatingly long (last cut December 2019) hair out of my face. An idiotic injury. Two of the kids on the road got surrounded by a rough bunch of teenagers in the local park and had to leg it home to safety. Not a particular cheering day. My neck basically wedged stuck during cinema night (“Little Women” not bad but not universally popular) and I went hunchbacked to bed.

Sunday, February 21, 2021

We woke up to sunny weather. What a delight. Mr. Waffle and I went for a really lovely long cycle in the park. Although my neck was still really sore from my hair flicking injury, it seemed that the angle for cycling and resting my weight on my hands worked really well. I went for a brief walk with herself in the afternoon and the boys and I watched “The Fellowship of the Ring” which we had all seen before but enjoyed very much. In short a much better Sunday than Saturday. Alas, my neck is still a bit sore – you should know that I am writing this with my chin pointing at my knees which is sub optimal. If I’m not better in the morning, I suppose it’s the physio for me. Alas.

Another Week of Fascinating Doings and Derring-Do*

14 February, 2021
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Dublin, Family, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess

Monday, February 8, 2021

Daniel and Michael have been set a series of tasks by their Transition Year co-ordinator for this week. One of them is to walk 10,000 steps each day from Monday to Sunday. As I pushed my bike into the shed, at about 7 in the evening I was nearly given heart failure by Michael jumping out and saying “Boo!” He did his 10,000 steps in circles in the back garden in the dark, in the rain. I am not sure that this was what was envisaged.

Herself finally finished Middlemarch after an epic struggle. I read it when I was about her age and absolutely loathed it. I read it because some smart young man in college said to me, “Oh lots of people read Silas Marner and then they never read any other George Eliot because Silas Marner is so dreadful but Middlemarch is wonderful.” Note that we’d all read Silas Marner because it was on the Leaving Cert English course. I wanted to love Middlemarch but I did not. Then when I was about 24 another young man said to me, “You must re-read Middlemarch it’s so wonderful about relationships, you would love it, you were probably too young to appreciate it at 17.” Age of grey beard recommending this course of action: probably 25. But I was flattered and I read it again. Like a fool. I learnt a number of valuable lessons in this process. I won’t be reading it again anyway.

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

We had some very mild snow. It was cold though. I dressed myself up like Paddington and cycled in to work. This is probably the nearest I will get to skiing this year. Sigh.

The cousins, who live near the Dublin mountains, went cycling in the snow. There was loads of snow in the mountains and it looked excellent although my nephew was wearing shorts which must surely have been freezing. I mean what is it about teenage boys and their love of shorts?

Daniel tells me that he is the only boy of his age (in the world?) who wears jeans because I buy them. Everyone else is in sports gear all the time. Could this be true? To clarify, Daniel is in lycra almost all the time but he does have a couple of pairs of jeans.

My friend from Belfast tells me that his first cousin was the baddie in “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Because Ireland is like this, I am only mildly surprised.

Michael walked 10,000 steps in the bedroom, like a frantic prisoner pacing in a cell. He appeared to regard it as a more satisfactory alternative than Daniel’s solution of running 12 km outside.

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

The Wifi at home was intermittently poor all day. Herself rang me at lunchtime at the end of her tether having been kicked out of her online classes four times. Ireland’s broadband providers are useless. We’ve signed her up for unlimited data on her phone so that she can at least go to classes via her hotspot should the need arise. Honestly, my poor children, they have enough problems to cope with.

As part of their Transition Year challenge, Daniel and Michael had to make brownies. Daniel went out to buy eggs but said, dolefully, on his return, “I could only find these tiny ones.” He’d picked up 24 quail eggs from the Moldovan shop around the corner. Michael announced that he wasn’t going to make brownies. “Why are you still doing your 10,000 steps per day then?” I asked. “Sunk cost fallacy,” he said gloomily.

The Princess is entertaining herself by reading one star reviews on goodreads. Today she read reviews for No Bones by Anna Burns. I haven’t read it, but herself is a big Anna Burns fan and tells me that the book is set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles. The reviewer wants to know why the author constantly refers to the Troubles but never explains what the trouble is. Oh how we laughed.

Thursday, February 11, 2021

My friend in Brussels sent me three prints out of the blue for no reason. How lovely it is to have kind friends because February is proving trying. I was delighted.

Friday, February 12, 2021

My sister is underwhelmed by my Bohemian Rhapsody story. She tells me that her friend from Blarney is Freddie Mercury’s second cousin. Honestly, it’s true. The father’s first cousin married a Cork man and he brought her home. Now so.

The kids have mid-term next week. We rejoice. We’re all sick of online learning.

Saturday, February 13, 2021

We spoke to the London relations and my English brother-in-law said that he once sat on Anita Dobson’s lap at a pantomime. I am practically a member of the band at this stage; I plan to ignore anyone arguing that these are tenuous Queen connections.

Herself and myself walked to Tesco and tried out our new masks from We Make Good (recommended) and I bought myself some flowers. Thrills.

We had Date Night for film night which was forgettable but not unfunny.

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Mr Waffle bought me flowers for Valentine’s Day. As he said, you can’t have too many flowers.

We went for a walk around the block together (4.19 kms- everyone is counting steps now) in the lashing rain. There’s love for you.

My friend who lives in America rang for a chat and we spent an hour exchanging every iota of news we have which is almost none since we last spoke just after Christmas. Sigh. At least she’s been vaccinated.

Ireland lost in the rugby again. Alas. While Dan and Mr. Waffle were watching the match, Michael and the Princess and I went out for a forced march in the afternoon (Michael still making up his steps) and it was relatively pleasant as the rain held off. Small wins, lads.

I trust your own Valentine’s Day passed off peacefully.

*This is a lie, I’m afraid, but you’ve probably worked that out already.

Yet Another Round Up

7 February, 2021
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Siblings

Monday, 1 February, 2021

Honestly, less and less seems to be happening all the time. It’s St. Bridget’s Day, the first day of spring and my mother’s birthday. Rain continues. I think of the poem my mother always used to quote at this times of year but it feels quite inaccurate.

Anois teacht an Earraigh
beidh an lá dúl chun shíneadh,
Is tar eis na féil Bríde
ardóigh mé mo sheol.

Tuesday, 2 February, 2021

The parents’ council zoom meeting was cancelled. We rejoice.

However, absolute highlight of the day is the whatsapp exchange below with Mr. Waffle. He’s hilarious.

Wednesday, 3 February, 2021

The weather is finally springy; I feel heartened. I absolutely love seeing the Guards doing the Jerusalema challenge. I am feeling less curmudgeonly than previously.

Thursday, 4 February, 2021

Back to the endless rain, alas, yesterday’s temporary morale improvement was clearly only a blip.

Friday, 5 February, 2021

I joined Revolut and feel like a trendy young person.

It was my brother’s birthday and as we had the screen up for film night, we decided to talk to him on the big screen. Not as satisfactory as you might expect. He seemed in great form anyhow.

We saw Bohemian Rhapsody and it was, aside from firmly held views on both sides of the question as to whether you can sing along to musical numbers in a film, broadly successful.

Saturday, February 6, 2021

Like much of the world, I have become fascinated by the Handforth Parish Council meeting. Herself and Mr. Waffle say it is a bad thing and feel sorry for the people involved. I know they are right but, it’s just irresistible. My personal favourite parody is the rendition as a musical. One of my colleagues is going to try to include some of the lines in a meeting next week and I am quite excited at the prospect.

Given the amount of time I appear to have spent looking at viral internet content, I probably needed a break. I went to the park for a walk in the rain with a friend. I mean more nice than not nice but walking in the rain just isn’t optimal and I don’t want any of this “there’s no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing” commentary.

I washed the kitchen floor. It was time. Everyone in the family thanked me. I felt like a super-hero. The tiles don’t show the dirt at all which is broadly a good thing but has its drawbacks.

I had my Monday night zoom book club (yeah, I know, on a Saturday, the world’s gone crazy). We were almost all there and none of us had any news. We’re all fed up. We’ve decided to read a book for next month; we’d kind of given up on book reading lately but are now throwing ourselves into it with renewed enthusiasm.

Sunday, February 7, 2021

Herself went for a cycle in the park with her friend and came back two hours later frozen to the bone. The boys, Mr. Waffle and I went to the Botanic Gardens yet again, looking for signs of spring (they are few, I can tell you). It snowed on us on the cycle home.

Mr. Waffle and Dan watched the rugby. Ireland lost. A Cork man became the first ever Irish person to get a red card in the Six Nations. Hard to be proud of this one.

I found this chutney at the back of the press and had some with cheese this afternoon. I’m still alive.

Lads, are we there yet? Townmouse said at one stage in a comment, that if you live through historic times, you might as well record them and I agree. I just didn’t realise how spectacularly dull it would be. Alas. I trust there are better times ahead.

Weekly Round-Up

24 January, 2021
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Dublin, Family, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Work

Sunday, January 17, 2021

Our friends from the other side of the city cycled round and had tea in our front garden. It was nice to see them. They had cycled to the beach that morning and gone for a swim. What is this madness? Not one, but two people in my book club are swimming daily in the sea. So is my sister-in-law. Mr. Waffle saw his first dry robe in the wild the other day when our neighbour hopped out of her car sporting one having been off for a swim in the sea. To clarify, it is freezing here. We’re all going crazy.

I discovered sea shanty tik tok and I am now driving my family bananas by insisting that we sing the Wellerman all the time. My menfolk have very deep voices and it sounds amazing. They are not amazed.

We had a zoom call with the Mr. Waffle’s siblings and spouses which was successful. We might even try again. Is it too early for the zoom quiz 2021?

Monday, January 18, 2021

I have recommended this diary anthology before. The other day I came across this entry from Noel Coward on September 3, 1939:

Six years ago today was was declared. Now we are starting again with officially declared peace and the world in physical and spiritual chaos. History in the making can be most exhausting.

Fair, Noel, very fair.

Tuesday, January 19, 2021

Virgin came to see why our wifi remains unsatisfactory. They put in a new cable. Spoiler alert, it remains intermittent. Sigh.

A former colleague sent flowers for my father. This is my father-in-law’s birthday, he died in October 2018 which doesn’t seem a very long time ago. The children have been steadily shedding grandparents since and only my poor mother-in-law is left and she is, alas, not very well. Maybe I will do a post on ten years of decline. Do you know what? Perhaps I won’t.

Wednesday, January 20, 2021

I was stopped by the guards on the way in to work. I’m not sure that they were any more convinced of the necessity for my physical presence in the office than I am but I had my letter and was waved through. As I sat in my office later surveying my empire (not a soul on the floor), the arm fell off my chair. Is it a sign?

When I got home, a new phone which my kind husband had bought me was waiting for me. Updating was spookily easy. I’m waiting for the arrival of my new protective case before I actually take it out of the house.

Michael made dinner which was very satisfactory. V excited about involving the children more regularly in dinner production.

Thursday, January 21, 2021

I got a puncture on the way into work. A pain.

I had a great chat with a colleague about family camping holidays in France in the 70s/80s. We were both complaining about how we never went to restaurants even when they weren’t very expensive. My father used to say, “everything multiplied by five is expensive” (I now know that to be true, actually). We went to France for a month every summer (lucky us) and we went out for dinner once at the end of each holiday. I remember in the early years, my mother didn’t order on the basis that she would eat what the children left over (always lots). My colleague whose father was in the army reminisced about how one night when there was heavy rain, his father got out in the middle of the night and dug a trench around the tent. I vividly remember camping in Liechtenstein (on our way to somewhere else) and the rain hurtling down as we put up the tent in a sea of mud. Then we all crouched over the little primus stove while my mother heated up packet soup. It was a low point. That which does not kill you etc.

I got home to another flower delivery from a colleague. I was really touched. The flowers were beautiful but quite funereal. They’re in the hall as I write making our house feel vaguely like a funeral home.

We got news from the nursing home that my mother-in-law has been vaccinated. Good news at last.

Friday, January 22, 2021

I was cycling home from work on a Dublin bike (my own still with the bike shop) and eating a sandwich while cycling – not optimal, I concede – and I got the wheels stuck in the tram tracks at the bottom of Grafton Street and fell off. Many anxious pedestrians rushed to my aid and I was absolutely mortified but unhurt aside from cut knees and wounded dignity. My sandwich, alas, did not make it.

I swung by the bike shop on the way home and picked up my bike with shiny new tyre. €50 people. Honestly, the cost of bike repairs.

Herself and myself cycled to the park to check out a new coffee van (this is how our thrills look now) and test my bandaged knees. Both knees and van were fine.

I’d ordered a fancy dinner from a city centre restaurant. It was pricey and, to be honest, fine cuisine does not really lend itself to assembly at home. Are we downhearted? No, we’ll try somewhere else next week.

Saturday, January 23, 2021

Mr. Waffle and I cycled out to Chapelizod. At the start of lock down one when I first discovered Chapelizod, I thought it was a charming and delightful little village and I said that after lock down the five of us would cycle out there and have lunch. Honestly, at this stage I feel if I never saw Chapelizod again, it might be too soon. That said, we went for an exploratory wander to the former Guinness houses at the top of Knockmaroon Hill and they are worth a look. The houses are on either side of a busy road linked by an ugly concrete walkway above the road (it replaced the original walkway relatively recently – the original could not have been worse). One of them is an arts and crafts pseudo Tudor yoke and the other is an enormous Italianate thing that dominates the approach road. Both present their backs to the road but interesting all the same. They have, I imagine lovely views out to the Dublin mountains and the larger of the two (the Italianate one) has huge grounds sweeping down to the river which I could see by hopping up on the wall. Who knew that there were still things to see within our five kilometres?

For cinema night, we watched “Fight Club”. Daniel selected it and assured us that it was certified 15s. The first half is both horribly violent and quite dull. I was in despair. It picked up in the second half but I still wouldn’t call it a family film.

Sunday, January 24, 2021

It snowed in the morning and Michael ran out to explore but, alas, it did not stick.

Out for a mild walk (met loads of the neighbours- we all see a lot of each other these days) and some frisbee playing, a trip to Tesco to pick up supplies and then home to watch “The Devil wears Prada” which has held up pretty well actually.

And how was your week?

Gradual Return to the Salt Mines

16 January, 2021
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess, Siblings, Work

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

Herself has decided that she might like to go to college in the UK. I am a bit ambivalent but there we are. The process which she undertook and organised on her own was arduous and lengthy: a personal statement; predicted grades from her school; a reference from a teacher; a piece of corrected work from a teacher; an entrance exam; and two interviews. Anyway, after all that, she got offered a place on her preferred course, subject to getting excellent results in her Leaving. I told my sister. She said, “So, basically, she’s just done the equivalent of filling in her CAO form?” Sadly, yes. She’s going to apply through the CAO as well and, in the end, may stay at home, but she might go too.

Related: Herself tells me that the New York Times predicts that by 2030 two thirds of identity theft victims will be people whose parents posted too much about them on the internet. Alas.

In other exciting local news, the Council has decided after much local debate that bollards at the end of the road are to be made permanent. I cannot believe how delighted I am. My middle-aged soul rejoices.

The return to home-schooling has been a bit fraught as there were some teething problems but definitely better than last time.

Due to my extended period of leave and with Mr. Waffle at work and the children at school, I am fully up to speed on domestic admin. In what I can only call, a triumph, I managed to open new bank accounts for the boys online (their old ones are in a Cork branch and don’t come with a bank card and, at this stage, they need one and a Dublin branch). Another middle aged thrill, I can tell you.

Wednesday, January 13, 2021

This was my final day of leave before returning to the salt mines. It felt like the ultimate Sunday night.

I bought an antique mahogany coffee table online using my father’s Christmas cheque. I bought it online even though I know that I have to see things in the flesh before I buy them or things go very wrong. It turned up. I was not delighted. It reminds me of one of those low tables in a pub. I can see in my mind’s eye, people struggling across to it clutching pints and packets of crisps. It’s handier than what went before and it’s growing on me slightly. It looks much better in the picture than it does in real life which is why I bought it in the first place, I suppose. Mr. Waffle bought the tulips which fill my aged, wizened heart with joy.

Home schooling went much better. The new app the children are using lets them see the day’s schedule for online classes and homework assigned and due dates. “We are on top of this,” I think joyfully. Like, I have to ask, why does the universe always slap you in the face when you think this?

Thursday, January 14, 2021

The return to work was absolutely exhausting. I returned home drooping with fatigue. Happily, Daniel made dinner.

There appears to have been an “incident” with online schooling. Someone gave out a link and someone unpleasant turned up and shouted at a teacher. All quite nasty. The principal sent out an email saying that online classes would be suspended while they looked in to upgrading security. Sigh.

Friday, January 15, 2021

Delighted with myself that I decided to make my first week at work a short one. We had a fancy assemble at home Mexican take away for dinner. It was alright but, to be honest, not as nice as the burrito which my first born makes from time to time.

Saturday, January 16, 2021

A Saturday after working part of the week is infinitely better than a Saturday on holidays. I bounded out of bed full of limitless enthusiasm and slightly exhausted everybody with my tidying and planning. And here we are, half way through January already lads.

New Year, Same Me

11 January, 2021
Posted in: Boys, Daniel, Dublin, Family, Ireland, Michael, Mr. Waffle, Princess, Siblings

Friday, 1 January 2021

We celebrated the first day of the new year by restricting our movements. It was fine really. We went to the Botanic Gardens. January is not the most exciting time of year in the Botanic Gardens.

For those of you following Gategate, a gate has definitely been installed at one end of the lane but it is open and no sign of anything at the far end. Mysterious.

Jigsaw puzzle work continues.

And here we are, back at level 5 but hurrah, schools are to remain open [spoiler alert: they do not remain open].

Saturday, 2 January, 2021

Our fuel was delivered to our door. Rejoice, we can light a fire. Jigsaw work continued apace.

We had a slightly underwhelming walk – locally, obviously.

Sunday, 3 January, 2021

With a view to improving our walks, Mr. Waffle and I venture out with the Pevsner guide to Dublin in hand. I got Cork from Mr. Waffle for Christmas. V. thrilling and, as yet, unused.

Understandably, the children refused to join us for a damp and chilly but architecturally interesting tour of North Great George’s Street and environs (Hardwicke Street church is a delight). Their loss. One of the boys from Dan’s GAA team lives on North Great George’s Street with his family and I experienced distinct house envy though I imagine upkeep is a nightmare and the houses are always cold.

Monday, 4 January, 2021

I began baking bread every day. Welcome to Lockdown 2. Daniel and I began our quest to watch all the Harry Potter flicks.

Mr. Waffle and I, building on our previous day’s success, took Pevsner to look at Mountjoy Square. So beautiful; so rundown. Mr. Waffle says it’s much better than in the 80s but it still needs work. Imagine, this in the centre of town in what was once a fine Georgian Square. A bit depressing. You can’t tell from the photos but the ground floor windows are broken and the curtains are swaying in the (very nippy) breeze.

The grass on the flagstones is a particularly gloomy touch.

Tuesday, 5 January, 2021 – The Magnificent Evan

Before Christmas, Michael announced that Evan from his class said that schools were closing for January. I indicated that I felt that I might be a little better informed than Evan. Apparently not. The Government announced that schools would be closed until end January other than for Leaving Certificate students and special needs students. Herself rejoiced as she is tense about the Leaving.

This information was out of date when we stuck it on the radiator as later on the Government announced Leaving Certs and special needs children would not be going back to school after all. As Mr. Waffle said, they were just waiting for Evan to be available before they finalised matters.

Mr. Waffle and I continued our architectural tour of Dublin with a visit to the church of St. Augustine and St. John. Lofty.

Meanwhile Mr. Waffle found out that “The Great Gatsby” is going out of copyright and exchanged views with Herself (Ireland’s greatest Gatsby fan) on the family group chat.

My father gave me a large and generous cheque for Christmas. I decided I had better cash it before his accounts were frozen. Could I find an outside lodgement ATM? I could not and I couldn’t go into the bank as I was restricting my movements. Alas. “Could I not do it online?” asked Daniel. I explained that it was a last present from an analogue era. My father was the only one left who sent me cheques as presents.

Wednesday, 6 January, 2021 – Women’s Christmas

To celebrate Women’s Christmas, I ordered in an afternoon tea from the Cake Cafe. It was satisfactory. It was mostly for herself and myself as the women of the party but we let Mr. Waffle and the boys have some of the leftovers because we’re good and kind.

Thursday, 7 January, 2021

This was supposed to be my first day back in the office after the Christmas holidays but I took an extra week’s leave as, to be honest, the first week of the holidays did not pan out as we had planned. I am slightly dreading going back as everyone is, understandably, going to say, “How was your Christmas?”. And I will have to tell them.

It snowed.

Herself wondered how “emergency remote teaching” was going to work. “Is it help, this function’s eating me; I need to collapse it?” Funny at one level but not really. I see a long five months ahead of us until the end of the school year.

Friday, 8 January, 2021

Back to the Botanic Gardens. Still nothing much growing but it didn’t rain and I got to balance a foot on the frozen pond.

Saturday, 9 January, 2021

God, it was so cold. Mr. Waffle and I did our architectural tour – Parnell Square this time – and we both thought we might die from hypothermia. V pretty though and largely car free.

And we got a chance to test out the new cycling contra lane on the way home. It doesn’t get more exciting than that.

Sunday, 10 January, 2021

We played a surpisingly enjoyable game of frisbee with the children in the park. We were all very excited at the prospect of ending our restricted movement and being able to go to the supermarket in person again.

My sister emerged from her Covid period of self-isolation. Happily she was entirely symptom free throughout.

Also, we had more jigsaw. This was sent to us for Christmas by my friend from Cork. The children approved of the picture, I’m less sure.

Monday, 11 January, 2021

We finished our period of restricted movement. Hurrah. If we got Covid, we were all asymptomatic which, I suppose, is possible but more likely that we didn’t I think.

The children cycled into school to collect their gear from their lockers. Here we are, remote learning again. The children have assembly online at 8.30 every morning and dire consequences are threatened if they do not attend. “What are they going to do?” said Herself, “Send us home?”

Mr. Waffle and I went out to purchase a take away tea and a bun and found that a local cafe which closed in March and we thought was gone has reopened. We rejoiced and brought home buns for the children to enjoy in a break from their online learning which they are not loving. Except Michael, he likes being at home.

Are you online schooling yourself? How’s that going for you?