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?
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.ieKind 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.
Me: Daniel, why are you licking the ladder on the bunk bed?
Daniel: Because it tastes nice.
Mr. Waffle performed some service for Michael and I said, “Who is the best Daddy in the world?” Daniel was lying on the floor staring at the ceiling and, after some thought, decided to answer the question, “I don’t know, Uncle G maybe?”
Daniel has written to our new President, Michael Daniel Higgins asking him to visit the children’s school:
“Dear Michael D. Higgins, Our names are Michael and Daniel. Please could you come to [our school]. Mary McAleese [his very popular predecessor] didn’t.”
Do you think that this will convince the great man?
Herself: I’ve been reading this comic “X-men, First Class”.
Me: Oh yeah?
Her: It’s highly unsuitable for Daniel. There are lots of people in bed together. I assume Daniel doesn’t know what they do under the blankets, at his age, but it’s only a question of time before he finds out. And it’s also very violent.
Me: I’d say he focuses more on the violence.