belgianwaffle

Twins

Shenanigans


Posted in: Middle Child, Mr. Waffle, Twins

The school called me at work the other week. I was at a meeting. “They’ll just have to call Mr. Waffle,” I thought. Ten minutes later, Mr. Waffle called me. I thought I’d better step out and see what was up.

The school were incandescent. Daniel’s friends had shaved his head, at school, on the school premises, for a bet. He was €40 richer and a lot balder. They all got detention and missed the school sports day (his last as they don’t have one in 6th year, a shame) although one of them was unwise enough to point out to the authorities that there is no rule preventing shaving a school mate’s head during break. Unsurprisingly, this did not help.

It’s growing back and he has gone from bald to new army recruit at this point. Will he get the top of his head burnt when he goes to Rome for the week on Friday? Yes, yes, he will. Will his host family recognise him when they were expecting a floppy haired blond boy? That remains to be seen.

School is now over for this year. We can only rejoice.

Where had we left matters?


Posted in: Family, Middle Child, Twins, Work

It was mid-May, I was finishing work mid-June. Good news, I am still finishing June 17. Bad news, this last two weeks before I finish up, they are going to squeeze work out of me until the pips squeak.

My niece turned 14 in mid-May and we all went out to dinner to celebrate. There was an adults’ table and a teenagers’ table which worked well for everyone. My only fear was that one of the boys would tell their cousin what her present was before her parents gave it to her the following day. They booked tickets for her to go to London to see Hamilton. I confided this to the boys in advance but they dutifully kept it secret even when their cousin said, “I don’t know what my parents are getting me, the present isn’t hidden in any of the usual places.” Her father sent round a photo of her opening her present the next morning and getting a big surprise which we all enjoyed. Like my sister-in-law said, “We’re desperately trying to catch up on the things Covid took away from our children.”

We had the Dutch Mama to stay overnight – she was in Dublin for a work trip (and got Covid in the process, alas, we remain – almost miraculously, Covid free) – and she told us how her 15 year old on a trip to a European Youth Parliament with her school mates ended up sleeping in Helsinki airport due to a delayed flight. No teachers, although some of the school mates were 18 so there was that. Honestly, the Dutch are very daring. Anyhow the child was none the worse for her experience and it makes me think that Daniel will be fine on his trip to Rome later this week.

Fame!


Posted in: Dublin, Ireland, Mr. Waffle, Twins

This is the first time this has ever happened to me. I went to a cycle week event at the weekend and one of the marshals came up to me and stuck out his hand and said, “Hi, I read your blog.” The thrill. The next thing he said was, “That guy at work who thinks you look sixty is completely crazy.” That was the right thing to say.

The cycle ride was lovely too. Glorious weather. Loads of small children out on the roads. A feeling of slight smugness. One man had chosen to run beside his four year old. He wasn’t really dressed for it and I don’t think he fully expected the four year old to stay the course but children are full of surprises. And free pancakes at the end.

I couldn’t persuade Mr. Waffle and the boys to come. Too busy at home.

Grands, Petits РM̻me Combat


Posted in: Twins, Youngest Child

Michael is quite good to answer an email. He has a school email address and during the week, a message to that address will get a pretty much instant response as even a dull email from me appears to trump what might be going on in class. Again, I have to question the school’s iPad policy.

Me to Michael forwarding on an email from the school: See attached re updated school uniform policy and the school coat [Image and details of school coat attached].

Michael: Are they still trying to flog that useless wafer masquerading as a coat? [He feels the cold].

Me: I see on reading the policy that it is obligatory for all classes next year except sixth years, so you’re exempt.

Him: One struggle across all classes.

Summer Plans


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

A couple of years ago, an Italian friend of Mr. Waffle’s asked whether we would be interested in doing an exchange with her nephew in Rome and one of our sons in Dublin. Covid put paid to the original plan but now it is back and Daniel is going to Rome for a week and we’ll have an Italian teenager here.

I was a bit worried about Daniel flying on his own. I anxiously asked him whether he thought he would be ok and he pointed out to me that he had already flown to Paris on his own a number of years ago which, I confess, I had forgotten. He flew as an unaccompanied minor though so was thoughtfully shuttled about by a bored airline employee. Mr. Waffle is adamant that the humiliation of flying aged 16 as an unaccompanied minor (they have to wear a special label around their necks; they are herded together and most of them are under 12) would be the death of Daniel and that he will be perfectly fine on his own. He suggested that if I am concerned I could adopt his own mother’s technique of approaching someone I like the look of in the check-in queue and asking him or her to keep an eye on my child. More mortifying surely? Your views would be welcome on this issue which is the subject of animated domestic discussion. I am forced to point out that Daniel himself thinks he would be fine.

Daniel doesn’t speak any Italian but he is game for the trip to Rome and I do hope he will enjoy it. I lived in Rome for a while in my early 20s and absolutely loved it. I really feel for my children who have had so many of the normal teenage fun things denied to them but have had all of the angst and then some. Michael has astounded me by announcing that he wants to go on a school trip to Brussels to visit the European institutions. Under normal circumstances, he is not one for travel but the lure of a trip to the European institutions was too much for him to resist. I am not even joking.

Last night we told herself that the day she returns from England and Italian teenager will be arriving to stay with us. She is already a bit tetchy in the run up to her exams and I wouldn’t say this piece of information improved her mood. “I wouldn’t have come home at all had I known that there were to be Italian teenage boys or indeed teenage boys of any nationality in the house,” she announced imperiously. As her own brothers who live here are teenage boys that was always a pretty lofty aspiration, nonetheless, my hopes that she might entertain the Italian teenager (who will be 18 in August so possibly a bit old for Dan) were definitely delivered a blow. She’s hoping to go to Paris for a bit of the summer and if she does I fully plan to visit. Let us hope this will be welcome news in due course.

I have had to delay my year of rest and relaxation by a week or so due to an upcoming work crisis which my boss begged me to stay for. I am not immune to flattery (on the contrary) but given that I am counting the days extra time – and stressful extra time at that – seems a bit tedious. I will now be finishing on June 17 and I cannot wait. On the 20th I am off to England to collect herself staying with friends in England en route. I am thrilled.

Our Resident Psephologist


Posted in: Twins, Youngest Child

Michael has become obsessed with current affairs in general and elections in particular. The recent Assembly elections in Northern Ireland were of huge interest and last weekend he was to be found happily poring over pie charts in the paper and seeing to what extent his predictions had come true (he had higher hopes for Alliance, in case you’re interested). On Monday the paper also covered the Northern Ireland elections. “Are they still going on about that?” asked Michael. “Well, the election was only on Friday, so yes. Are you no longer interested?” “No, I’ve moved on to Nord Rhein Westphalia where the upcoming elections are to be an early judgement on Olaf Scholz’s success as Chancellor,” he said. I’ll keep you posted lads.