belgianwaffle

Princess

4S4Ever


Posted in: Mr. Waffle, Princess, Reading etc., Twins, Youngest Child

I got an iphone 4S for Christmas from my loving husband. I am finding it less than entirely intuitive. The children, however, are very taken with Siri and herself has been cross-questioning the phone.

Herself: What’s your name?
Siri: Siri, but you knew that already.
Herself: How old are you?
Siri: How does that concern you?
Herself: What is the best smartphone?
Siri: Wait…there are other phones?
Herself: What is your favourite colour?
Siri: There is no word for it in your language. It’s like blue but it has other dimensions.
Herself: Do you like biscuits?
Siri: This isn’t about me, it’s about you.
Herself: What is the best iphone?
Siri: You’re holding it in your hand.
Michael: You’re a poopy head.
Siri: I am sorry I did not understand that.
Herself: Sorry about my idiot brother.
Siri: No problem.
Herself: Thank you.
Siri: Why, thanks.

If Only it Were in a Galaxy Far Far Away


Posted in: Middle Child, Princess, Twins

My son Daniel is obsessed with Star Wars although he has never seen it. I may have seen it once but I can’t really say that, despite my interest in sci-fi in general, it really held my interest. I think that’s because it was really bad. Daniel has never seen the film but, perhaps, over Christmas, that pleasure will be granted to him.

In the interim, he brought this tome home from the library. It’s a list of all of the Star Wars plastic figurines ever made. He showed it to me proudly and said, “I brought this home for you, Mummy.” “Why?” I asked warily. “Because you love Star Wars,” he said happily. We spent quite a while going through it. What can I say, if you love “Star Wars”, then the plastic figurines are endlessly fascinating. In other news, my daughter compared me to Jabba the Hut. You can see a figurine of him on page 146 along along with a piece of dialogue from the film which shows why it makes the heart sing: “There will be no bargain, young Jedi I shall enjoy watching you die.”

Utter Failure (Almost)


Posted in: Middle Child, Mr. Waffle, Princess, Twins, Youngest Child

Me (to children): What’s my job?
Them: To mind the house and be a housewife.
Me: And what’s Daddy’s job?
Them: To go out to work and make money.
Pause.
Micheal: And to do the laundry.

Need I say that we both work outside the home and split work around the house equally?

Ancient Rome


Posted in: Dublin, Ireland, Middle Child, Princess, Twins, Youngest Child

Herself is doing a project on ancient Rome at school. She’s really enjoying it and has already stripped our local library of its books on Rome and cost us a fortune in printer ink. So you can imagine that I was very pleased when this popped into my inbox last week:

My Museum: A Roman Invasion!

This Sunday, Legion Ireland-the Roman Military History Society of Ireland, will rally their troops and invade the first floor of the National Museum of Ireland-Archaeology! The R.M.S.I. are a society dedicated to portraying the Roman Army and it’s Celtic allies and foes in the first century AD. They use highly accurate reproductions of the equipment and dress of the first century Imperial Army and drill and display, through the use of Latin.

Drop-in to speak with them, try their swords and helmets on for size, explore our Life and Death in Ancient Rome exhibition or have a go at hand-to-hand combat and drill formations!

All ages welcome.

Free of charge!
www.museum.ie
www.romanarmy.ie

Kind regards,

Education and Outreach Department
National Museum of Ireland-Archaeology
Kildare Street
Dublin 2

We took ourselves off on Sunday. It was a qualified success with the target audience. She talked to the lads in their Roman gear and looked at their extensive kit. She played “Nine Men’s Morris” with a nice legionary and had a go rolling his bones. However, she didn’t have half as much fun as her brothers who spent a good three quarters of an hour in gladiatorial combat directed by a man in a tunic.

Not for Joining


Posted in: Princess

Herself is keen to drop out of tennis lessons. You will remember that she left ballet and that she no longer comes to GAA training. On the plus side she likes cycling and her swimming is improving. The coach has offered to give her lessons alone as he thinks that she feels that the other children are better than her and this is why she wants to give up. Incidentally, this is not the case, they are all quite dreadful. She has agreed to give this a go and we will monitor progress.

I am reminded of our friend M who said recently that when he was a child, he just wanted to read “Swallows and Amazons” in peace but his parents kept trying to drag him out for sailing lessons. Maybe I should leave her in peace.

Family Photos


Posted in: Family, Princess

I found this confirmation picture of myself the other night. The Princess has already condemned my dress sense, so there is no need to add your voice to hers -in my defence, it was 1981 and I was 12. What she didn’t notice was how like 12 year old me she looks. When you look at my picture side by side with this picture of herself from over the summer, I think you can definitely see a resemblance. Though I seem to have been happier and cleaner. And, also, I have a pointier chin.
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And here’s a picture of my mother as a little girl; it’s a bit difficult to make out but I think she looks somewhat like us as well. I’ve also posted the rather glamourous one taken of her when she got her degree – people, look, white gloves. I have never, alas, looked like that.
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And here’s a final pair: pictures of my paternal grandmother and my great aunt. In the older one, my grandmother is on the right (ah, the pointy chin explained). And in the other picture are the same women photographed by my father in the sixties; there, my grandmother is on the left and my great aunt is on the right. Isn’t that nice?
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That’s probably enough for you for one night.