Family

It’s beginning to look a lot like…

20 November, 2020
Posted in: Cork, Family, Ireland, Princess, Twins, Youngest Child

Normally I am very against Christmas starting much before December 15 and certainly not in November, however, this year is different. I have bought my Christmas teas and I am liking them. This week I took delivery of a Christmas jumper for herself. She really likes it. “I might get one too,” I said with, possibly, excess enthusiasm. “Don’t do that,” she said, “because then I would have to burn this one.” My tentative proposal for family Christmas jumpers have been definitively nixed. Perhaps for the best.

In other news, Michael’s classmates had to give presentations on a topic of interest to them and one boy did his grandmother who died a couple of years ago and almost everyone was in tears. I love this for a bunch of 15/16 year olds.

Alas, the boys are tired of cinema night and want a break this weekend. Is next weekend, when I get to choose, too early for a Christmas film? Suggestions on family Christmas films welcome.

And finally, I was talking to my father and, inspired by a podcast I was listening to on aviation, I asked him when was his first flight. “1936, when I was 11,” said he. There was some kind of air show in the field where they subsequently built Cork airport and, in exchange for a fee, I suspect, people were taken up for a short flight over Cork. He enjoyed it very much, thanks for asking and even after 84 years he continues to sound pretty enthusiastic about the experience although he did temper his enthusiasm by saying that had he known then what he now knows about plane safety in the 30s, he might have been slightly more wary.

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

18 November, 2020
Posted in: Family, Princess, Siblings

My sister called me the other day to tell me that she had been tidying up; she had organised some of my mother’s jewellery: and did I want a necklace which I had given my mother? I said I did and she said, “Well, I’m warning you that I’m posting it up to you.” “Warning?” I asked. “Well, you might be upset,” she said. Ludicrous excess of sensibility thought I but it arrived tonight and I was a bit sad actually so there you go.

In other news, herself had a zoom session with the children’s laureate which she enjoyed. She’s working away on a short story in Irish.

And today’s final and, frankly, most exciting piece of news. Herself tells me that a classmate who was with her in primary school has told her that I was the best-looking mother in primary school and, said she, there were murmurs of agreement from the other classmates. God, I’m delighted with myself although I know that to do so is to buy into the values of the patriarchy about women’s worth and value being measured in their looks; also, that was 6 years ago; a bunch of 12 year olds are not the best judges; and, finally, it is not, I fear, remotely true. Still very pleased. Judge away.

Insights from Old English

17 November, 2020
Posted in: Family, Princess

Herself has started reading bits of “Beowulf”. I don’t know, maybe it’s helping her German? Anyhow she was marvelling at how the Normans arrived and English changed. “How many generations did it take?” she asked. “I mean,” said she, “it might only be a relatively short period. Would they even have know that their great-great-great grandparents spoke such a different language. Look at how English usage has changed since the middle of the 19th century. No one corrects you now to say that you’re not speaking correct Victorian English.” Pause. “Except Cork Grandad.”

In further news, she held a students’ council meeting over zoom yesterday afternoon and all of her committee turned up. She was delighted with herself. It all went very well, even though one of the second years still hasn’t learnt to mute herself and they all heard her mother giving out to her for using 4G instead of wifi.

Sunday, November 8

8 November, 2020
Posted in: Family, Middle Child, Mr. Waffle, Princess, Twins, Youngest Child

I fell off the wagon again and stayed up until 3 in the morning looking at my phone. Why, why? I’ve been pretty good generally at putting it away in the evening and not going back to it but once I do, disaster. I blame Joe Biden. As a result of my late night, I got up relatively late and then, with pretty limited enthusiasm threw myself into work.

Herself helped Daniel with his physics work for this Thursday course outside school that he’s doing which was terrific as his parents are absolutely useless to him. Then he cycled up to GAA training. When he came home, he asked me whether there was a cleaning rota and I said, “No”. “Well,” said he, “I’ll hoover the house anyway, it needs it.” What a hero, in fairness, and his father did the bathrooms again so we are approaching clean. Very gratifying.

Herself spent the afternoon in an endless hideous zoom call with a national student representative body. After some consideration she decided she had enough on her plate and that she wouldn’t put herself forward for office. Good call.

I finished working about 3.30 and myself and Michael and Mr. Waffle went out for a cycle to the Botanic gardens. Michael is sick of the Botanic Gardens but is resigned to his fate. We saw lots of squirrels. I love a squirrel, very exciting.

The Irish Times produces this magazine called “The Gloss” every couple of months. It’s strangely compelling in a dreadful kind of way. Herself was reading it this morning and announced that she is not going to have Christmas dinner outdoors. Apparently this is what all the cool kids are doing.

This evening we played online games with the relatives in London; reasonably successful. Uncle A in London is good at finding games that work for all ages which is not easy.

Finally, and this could be my most boring factlet to date (and worse, one which I may have already shared), I bought a woollen throw for the end of the bed and I am absolutely delighted with it. Pulling it up over the duvet at night is like slipping into a warm bath. I should have got one years ago.

Finally, finally, I mentioned previously that Heather is blogging every day and you really should have a read. Her posts are a delight. I particularly enjoyed today’s post.

Neverending

18 October, 2020
Posted in: Family, Middle Child, Mr. Waffle, Twins, Work, Youngest Child

Monday, October 5, 2020

After the nation nearly getting heart failure at the prospect of a move to level 5 (maximum lockdown), the Government decided against following the public health advice. General feeling – relief.

Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Daniel had an earache and I finished off the Calpol on him. “Better buy some more,” I said to Mr. Waffle. “It may be time to move on now that our youngest is 15,” said he. Fair.

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

I got absolutely sodden on my cycle home from work. Daniel is volunteering in a charity shop on Wednesday afternoons as part of his Transition Year experience. It’s been a really good experience so far, I think. He’s met lots of people from different countries (Irish volunteers seem thin on the ground) and he’s learnt how to manage a till. A man came in to the shop and asked whether he could barter for new clothes and they had to turn him away as they have a cash only policy and Daniel was a bit upset. As well he might be but what can you do?

Thursday, October 8, 2020

I have no recollection of anything that happened. Alas.

Friday, October 9, 2020

We moved film night to Saturday. Exciting times.

Saturday, October 10, 2020

On Saturdays I like to go around the house chucking out any flowers which have died and going out to the garden to pick new ones. At this time of year it’s mostly berries but it’s still nice to have some greenery around the house. I went out to the garden with my secateurs in hand to tackle the bush at the end of the garden which is berry rich. What did I find, lying on top of the bush, very dead and with one wing in the air? A large decomposing pigeon that’s what. I went squealing to the house and everyone had a good laugh at me and Mr. Waffle disposed of the corpse in due course. I had noticed a lot of pigeon feathers on the path earlier in the week but I remain unsure as to how the corpse ended up on top of a bush. Disturbing.

For cinema night Mr. Waffle picked a French flick called “Bienvenue Ã Marly-Gomont” which was supposed to be feel good and funny but we weren’t so sure. The French are a bit less saccharine than their American counterparts.

Sunday, October 11, 2020

Herself continues to have interesting anxiety dreams. She arrived downstairs to tell us, “Last night I dreamt I went to Iraq and forgot to tell you guys.” Her father said, “But then you rang your mother from Baghdad to tell her you wanted a lift?” She left in what Myles na gCopaleen calls “that lofty vehicle, high dudgeon.”

We went out to Dun Laoghaire for a walk on the pier and saw the cousins afterwards which was very pleasant.

Monday, October 12, 2020

Michael and Daniel started their first week of work experience. They were supposed to be going into a friend’s office but, obviously, offices are not really a thing at the moment. Daniel’s charity shop agreed to have him in for the week and Mr. Waffle took Michael in with him. The latter arrangement succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. Michael quite liked working with his father and he carried out all the tasks assigned to him with an efficiency which startled both his parents. When I came home he proudly showed me a 35 page list of references which he had updated and amended. The only slight problem was that Mr. Waffle had expected the task to last all week.

Tuesday, October 13, 2020

We got an unsurprising but nonetheless disappointing email from Daniel’s Thursday course organisers that the course would be online for the remainder of the term. It’s really not the same.

Herself, in her role as grand vizier and major figure on campus, has featured in quite a good school video and we are very proud. She is concerned that she has made some terrible error in relation to the tuiseal ginideach and cannot enjoy her triumph.

I made everyone sit down to watch “Brave New World” which I thought the boys and I, at least, would enjoy and then the woman intoned from the box: This contains scenes of a sexual nature, violence and strong language right from the beginning. Why, I mean why?

Wednesday, October 14, 2020

In view of his Thursday course going entirely online, Daniel had organised online fun with his classmates for them to get to know each other. One girl took one look at him and asked whether he was related to the Princess. Apparently they had known each other in some Youth Parliament. Daniel was a bit surprised by this development but was unconcerned. Sometimes I think she knows every child in Dublin through her constant committeeing.

I was rather pleased to be applied to by herself for my management expertise in dealing with her student committee in school. I gave my advice unstintingly (it is always so much easier to give advice than to apply it, isn’t it?). I was pleased to note that it worked too.

Thursday, October 15, 2020

One of my colleagues announced at the start of an otherwise entirely unlovely meeting that he and his girlfriend are having their first baby in February. I met a friend for lunch outside. Small thrills.

Friday, October 16, 2020

A lovely colleague got promoted. It is so nice to see competent, pleasant people getting ahead. I rejoice. I had a very busy working afternoon so got take away for dinner for everyone. I feel a bit bad but as my mother used to say, “I can’t find grief for everything”.

Her little cousin in London recorded a message for the Princess and it was really sweet and touching but it made me feel so sad as well. London is so far away now, when will we ever see them again? It’s a full year now and that is a very long time in the life of a little girl.

I had to work in the morning so I decided that I would set the alarm clock before going to bed. It was a new alarm clock and it was not intuitive to use. It made a loud beeping noise every time I pushed its buttons. I was on the landing with the light on and Mr. Waffle marched out of our bedroom to demand what I was doing. Daniel turned up at his bedroom door and glared at me. Eventually I went downstairs with the leaflet which my loving husband threw at me.

Maybe we’ll be going to level 5. I’m past caring.

Saturday, October 17, 2020

The morning brought a further discussion of my nocturnal alarm clock setting. I have never seen the other four members of the family quite so unanimous about anything. I think of myself as bringing the family together.

Sadly, I was working all day and I saw as I battled through work debris that several of my colleagues were also online. What can I say, it’s a busy time.

Daniel went in to volunteer at his charity shop for the afternoon and met the weekend security guard for the first time. He’s an Indian guy who played junior cricket for India but now is in Ireland studying data analytics during the week and working at weekends. Apparently he has no time for cricket which seems a pity but I suppose it isn’t really cricket season.

I realise that I am really not looking forward to the people who will describe, in due course, all the wonderful things they achieved in lockdown. Bruce Springsteen was first up in today’s paper talking about his new album and his daily swims. Blah.

We had â€œBlackkklansmanâ€ for cinema night. A bit unnerving.

Sunday, October 18, 2020

I dutifully worked all morning and then went out for a cycle with the boys and Mr. Waffle in the afternoon leaving herself to labour over her homework. It was a lovely day and the park looked absolutely beautiful, so that was nice.

Over a cup of tea, Mr. Waffle asked whether I had seen his letter in the paper the previous day. It was then that I discovered, to my great chagrin, that, not having read Friday’s paper on Friday I had read it on Saturday thinking it was Saturday’s. Am I losing my mind?

I did a further hour’s work and called it a day. Ho hum. Hope your weekend was cheerier than mine.

Knee Deep in the New Normal

4 October, 2020
Posted in: Dublin, Family, Hodge, Ireland, Middle Child, Mr. Waffle, Princess, Twins, Work, Youngest Child

Monday September 21, 2020

Mr. Waffle and I went to a nearby cafe and sat outside for breakfast. I’ve had worse. “It’s like skiing,” said he. You’re cold, you’re all wrapped up, you’re outside and it’s surprisingly sunny. Sun cream was unnecessary though. That’s as close as we’re going to get to skiing for a while, I’d say.

I ate my lunch in the park and that too was surprisingly pleasant.

Herself finally interviewed her person in the arts for her artistic school project. She really enjoyed this project and put a lot of work into it and her interviewee seems to have enjoyed it as well. We’ll get to see the finished project on the organisation’s website later in the year. Small thrills.

Meanwhile, the boys learnt how to use a defibrillator as part of their Transition Year school experience. Good to know, I guess.

To absolutely no one’s surprise, herself is now head of the student council and most powerful student in the school.

Tuesday, September 22, 2020

I forgot that it was my turn to make the sandwiches for school. Everyone survived and herself is vindicated in her decision to take over this work herself making ever-more elaborate vegetarian offerings.

Wednesday, September 23, 2020

I finally got to go to my dentist for my six month delayed check-up. My teeth are fine, I’m sure you’ll be delighted to hear.

I rang a pub where a former colleague and I often meet for lunch to know whether they were taking outside diners (permissible under our level 3 Covid rules). Yes, normally Thursday to Sunday but not, said the barman, the following day: “It’s going to be wet, so we’ll be closed, we’re like farmers now, relying on the weather,” he remarked bitterly.

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Dan had to do his transition year exciting outside school course via zoom from home which was not at all what he had been hoping for. Alas.

As the barman had predicted, it was very wet indeed and I got absolutely soaked cycling home from work. I passed miserable groups of people eating outdoors, coats on, hunched over their food trying to avoid the rain driving in sideways underneath the canopies. I’m not sure eating out this way in the winter will be sustainable.

Friday, September 25, 2020

I ended up, yet again, working my half-day and arrived home quite late – 7ish. This meant a delayed start to cinema night – Enola Holmes (alright) – and herself had to bail and go to bed before the end of the film as, lucky her, she had extra maths classes in the morning. Unsatisfactory.

Out of the blue, Daniel said he loved the time we made candles on holidays. This was during our holiday in Kerry in 2011 when he was 6. The day as I remembered it was characterised by driving rain and misery but it just goes to show, you never know what they will like and remember.

In other news, herself has found a website which calculates your Leaving Cert points and what courses they will qualify you for. She put in my results and her father’s and told us, “You could have got quite good Leaving Certs, actually.” Since we’re both 30 odd years out of school – and thought we had both got quite good leaving certs in the 80s when we sat our exams – this wasn’t the ringing endorsement it might have been.

Saturday, September 26, 2020

Herself confided at breakfast that she had had an anxiety dream (presumably inspired by the wretched Leaving Cert.). She had been on University Challenge and the picture round had been identifying French philosophers and she had buzzed in that the philospher pictured was Sartre but it was actually Derrida. I’m enjoying the quality of her anxiety dreams.

Michael and I picked some more apples, literally the low hanging fruit. Still a great number of apples in the upper branches of the trees. Alas.

I rehung all the pictures on the landing – on what a friend of mine calls the honoured ancestors wall – to include the two new pictures of herself that I got framed. It took a lot out of me but I am very pleased with the result.

Sunday, September 27, 2020

It was the boys’ 15th birthday. When herself celebrated her 17th birthday in lock down in April, I really didn’t think we would still be here in September. More fool me. Still we were readier for it and I think they had quite a nice day. We began with an elaborate breakfast and as we sat down and I looked around at my lovely family I said, “I really don’t think I could be happier and, obviously, I don’t want to die or anything but, if I did, I would die happy.” There was a pause and Daniel said, “Well, you know what Nana always said?” “What?” I asked. Himself, his siblings and his father chorused, “Always leave when you’re enjoying yourself most.” They’re hilarious.

My sister went to all sorts of trouble for their birthday presents and they unwrapped a blizzard of things from her to add to what they had got from their loving parents and their aunt and uncle in London. Lucky boys.

Mr. Waffle and I left them to play with their new video games and went off for a walk in the Botanic Gardens which was crowded but pleasant.

I began the process of making mint jelly (which is mostly apple jelly with mint added).

A birthday post on the boys will follow in due course. Something for everyone to look forward to, doubtless.

Monday, September 28, 2020

My office is freezing. Possibly the authorities have decided they won’t heat the building for the few of us deemed essential, at least we’re getting out of the house, what more do we want? I wore a green woollen poncho type thing to keep myself warm. I thought it looked fine until herself asked me why I was dressed like Paddington.

We gave away some apples by leaving a box at the front gate. Rejoice. In fact this turned out to be successful beyond our wildest dreams and we managed to give away a box a day until the weekend.

We had my Monday night book club by zoom and one of our members pointed out that our October meeting would have been our 20th anniversary. I wish we were meeting live. It’s been great, the bookclub. One of our younger members reminisced that when we started, we were all 4/5 years older than her and we were busy admiring door handles in each other’s houses (we were all buying or about to buy houses) and she thought how dull we were, but she stuck it out and as I pointed out gleefully, there’s not really any difference between 46 and 50 so it’s all evened out in the end. I do miss meeting people in person.

The children had the day off school, possibly because everyone has suffered enough but more likely because of a teacher training day.

We’re trying a new wifi provider. Mr. Waffle had some difficulty with installation and became annoyed with people who inadvertently threw out what looked like spare packaging but was a vital part of the new infrastructure. Trying times at Waffle Towers.

I finished making the mint jelly. It’s not green naturally you know. Commercial mint jelly manufacturers add colouring. Probably not the colouring I added.

Tuesday, September 29, 2020

My mint jelly did not set. Sigh. On the other hand, it’s perfect for Halloween.

A man came to look at our upstairs bathroom with a view to getting it redone. He is to send in an estimate – perhaps a new bathroom by Christmas. Thrilling.

Wednesday, September 30, 2020

We got a note from the school that there were three additional Covid cases in the student body, but we’re all to carry on, they’ve been inspected, all is well. It’s a bit unnerving all the same.

My sister got promoted. She seemed underwhelmed but I am suitably impressed. She has a very flash new title and more money to spend. What’s not to love?

Thursday, October 1, 2020

It was a really fine day and I had lunch outside a pub with a friend but it was a bit nippy. I should have brought my Paddington poncho.

We lit our first fire of the season.

Friday, October 2, 2020

Our saviours came in the form of an organisation called Falling Fruit which picks spare fruit and gives it to good causes. They got 83 kgs of apples from our trees. We rejoice. They gave them to a cider maker who volunteered to give â‚¬80 to a charity of our choice. We sent it to Threshold which was founded by my father’s cousin so that was pleasing.

They arrived as Mr. Waffle was about to tuck into a salmon bagel and he went to the front door to let them in. When he returned, it was to find the cat tucking in to the salmon from his bagel. We thought she didn’t like salmon but it turns out she likes it if it’s wild salmon. He was summoned away again by the Falling Fruit people and this time he put a cover over his bagel. When he returned, his bagel was safe but the cat was on the work surface tucking into salmon straight from the packet where he had, admittedly foolishly, left it. Still, a small price to pay.

Mr. Waffle and herself were talking about dinners over the weekend and he said, he was missing an ingredient. “Could you substitute Delia seeds?” she asked. An understandable error.

Mr. Waffle and I went for a walk around the neighbourhood and I was felled by a migraine half way round. I took some tablets and went to bed for a couple of hours but I felt a bit sorry for myself.

Michael chose Gladiator for film night which I rather enjoyed -partly because the muted colour palette suited my migraine – but it is both long and bloody. Herself had to bail early again due to the ongoing demands of extra maths classes.

Saturday, October 3, 2020

I went into town to pick up various supplies. Town was absolutely heaving. Loads of people eating outside. I quite enjoyed my little trip to what felt like normality but it does worry me a bit also.

Mr. Waffle and I went for a cycle in the park which, sadly, has been re-opened to cars and is much less pleasant than it was during lockdown when it wasn’t bisected by traffic. We ran into a neighbour in the park who remarked that he had seen us in Clifden when they were driving through in the summer. Incidentally, this is why Irish people can’t have affairs.

Herself spent the day undergoing cold turkey. She’s decided she spends too much time on the internet so has locked herself off internet on her phone and given herself 15 minutes a day on instragram, twitter and tiktok. Her friend has the code to unlock the internet and instructions not to give it to her. She is bereft.

The boys went to get their hair cut. The hairdresser asked whether they were cousins and Daniel said that no, they were twin brothers. She commented to Daniel that he should share his food with his brother which when reported back to his family made us all laugh.

The boys spoke to their grandfather via Skype to thank him for his generous gift to their (frankly overflowing) coffers. It does make me sad that they can’t go to Cork to visit him.

Sunday, October 4, 2020

I cannot believe that I am saying this but I really miss mass. Extraordinary.

The weather was awful but we had a cousin and his parents around in the afternoon which really cheered us up. Everyone is fed up though. When will it all end?