belgianwaffle

Twins

Fallen Angels


Posted in: Twins, Youngest Child

I do sometimes worry about the number of different women who have been involved in minding our children over the years. Michael never really bothers to get to grips with their names but always calls the current incumbent, “the babysitter” despite parental protests.

Over Christmas he accidentally knocked off the wall a picture in his room which features nine women’s heads – details from well-known larger pictures – like the Madonna of the Rocks, the Girl with the Pearl Earring, the Lady with an Ermine.

He conveyed the news of this catastrophe to me as follows: “Mummy, I’m very sorry but I knocked down the picture with the photos of all the old babysitters on it.”

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.