Twins

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

10 November, 2020
Posted in: Dublin, Ireland, Middle Child, Twins, Youngest Child

The boys had a session with Roddy Doyle today as part of Transition Year. They liked it. We had a debrief over dinner. He’s 62 and bald and he answered all their questions. A boy from Dan’s class’s mother grew up next door to the house where one of the families lived in the film of “The Snapper” or possibly “The Commitments”.

I did not get the job I interviewed for and I feel a bit sorry for myself. As Monica so memorably said all those years ago in Friends, “Why can’t a learning experience ever be fun?”

I am treasurer to the parents’ council in school and we had the parents’ council AGM via zoom this evening. Underwhelming and not really welcomed by anyone after a day in the office.

And how was your own Tuesday?

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.

Perspective

5 November, 2020
Posted in: Middle Child, Princess, Reading etc., Twins, Work

Are you familiar with the world of DOMs and TOMs ? They are bits of France overseas and they are more or less closely linked to the mother ship. Herself tells me that the, very right on, young French woman who does French conversation classes with her heard a lecturer in UCD (her Irish university) refer to them as French colonies and she was shocked to the core of her being. I mean to the rest of us, they sound a lot like colonies but as a French person, she had never heard of them being referred to in that way or thought of them in that way. On reflection, she found there was much to agree with in the lecturer’s throwaway comment. It appears travel is broadening.

In other news, not much happened today but the American election count continues. Daniel had a long day in front of his laptop, attending his virtual course. It is so grim that they can’t go in person. And I am exhausted from working. Exhausted. And now I’m going to bed. Daily blog updates may yet be the death of me.

Updates from the Coalface

4 November, 2020
Posted in: Middle Child, Princess, Twins, Youngest Child

Herself went to a “Higher Options” online conference today from the comfort of her own bedroom. In previous years it has been in physical form and the various third level institutions manned stalls for hordes of 6th year students to descend on and ask questions. The online version appeared to be entirely non-interactive. “No interaction at all?” I asked. “No,” she said, “except for the school group chat which is hopping as we all feel we’ve been scammed out of a tenner.” It subsequently transpired that there was a chat function which had been overwhelmed by bored sixth years typing in the letter T. You’d think they might have ensured against that.

More generally she is quite pleased with herself as she applied for a writing mentorship scheme and has been accepted.

I was off work today for various logistical domestic reasons and was able to greet the boys as they came in the door from school. They were both in great form having had excellent days in school. Very pleasing.

For those of you following filtered permeability updates, our bollards have been replaced by planters with trees. The street whatsapp group was largely very pleased. We’re all basically incomers, even the people who moved here 40 years ago. The one woman who was born and bred on the street (75 and very active) and remembers it before trees were planted at all (the first gentrifiers starting the rot 40 years ago) was a bit less positive than the rest of us welcoming the trees with the following: “Ah Jesus, they can’t look after the ones that are here.” As she is regularly out clearing the storm drains of leaves, I do see where she is coming from but I, for one, welcome our leafy overlords.

And finally, the weather has turned and it is cold enough to turn on the Aga. Thrills.

NaBloPoMo

1 November, 2020
Posted in: Dublin, Ireland, Middle Child, Mr. Waffle, Princess, Twins, Work, Youngest Child

It’s November lads. Do you know what that means? Yes indeed, I will be posting every day. I’ve a lot on this month as it happens but am I daunted? Well, a bit. We’ll see how it goes. I see an old blogging comrade in arms is going to give it a go; I recommend you head over to her site for excellent content, she writes beautifully.

So back to diarying. I had left you in mid-October. What has happened since then you wonder. Well, wonder no longer, your wait is over.

Monday, October 19, 2020

Mr. Waffle and I went for an early morning tea before work. Sitting outside in a slightly gloomy nearby square. This was in part to recover from a perplexing anxiety dream where Mr. Waffle was leaving me. Confusingly he was Julia Roberts and if only I could stop him appearing on the Late Late Show, he wouldn’t leave me. The children were small, he was leaving me with them. I kept trying to talk to him to persuade him not to go on but was constantly interrupted by the old man from the Vicar of Dibley who says, “No, no, no, no, yes.” Unfairly, I concede, I was inclined to blame Mr. Waffle for his nefarious behaviour in my dream hence the tea to soothe my unquiet unconscious mind.

I arrived into work to be told by a colleague that I looked absolutely exhausted. Which we all know just means you look terrible. He wouldn’t have looked so great if he’d been trying to persuade his husband/Julia Roberts not to leave him overnight.

Herself has turned down the chance to chair the main Irish committee in school and is feeling some regret but there is only so much one girl can do. One of her classmates (not a friend) had a party at the weekend about which herself was feeling quite sore but the guards raided the party and sent them all about their business so that was gratifying.

The authorities announced that we would be moving to Level 5 max lockdown level from Wednesday at midnight. I really don’t care any more. It’s not like lockdown 1 as the schools will – hallelujah – still be open. On the other hand, our cleaner won’t be able to come. Sigh. Back to the rota.

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

I realise that the libraries will be closed on level 5. Gutted.

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

I had an interview for a new job over zoom. The horror. Daniel bought a dozen Agatha Christie novels from his charity shop and I feel we are stocked with lockdown reading material.

Thursday, October 22, 2020

My boss has decided that I am an individual whose physical presence is indispensable in the office. On the whole, I am glad. I am not a great worker from home, it transpires. So Day 1 of Level 5 is not that different from Level 3.

A friend of mine has got Covid. She’s the first person I know well to have it. She is sick as a dog and her husband and son have got it too. Miserable.

Friday, October 23, 2020

The children wore outfits for Halloween in school. It was thematic by class. Herself had pairs (she’s Juliet from the Baz Luhrmann Romeo andJuliet), Daniel had football (pathetic theme as he said bitterly) and Michael’s class didn’t bother but he went in as a Nazgul from the Lord of the Rings. Admire his crown crafted from tin foil and a cereal box. Great to see that the traditional crafts are not dying out.

There was a kerfuffle about hand sanitiser and the school, anxious to allay concern bombarded us with emails saying they had the right kind.

It was the bank holiday weekend. Never was a bank holiday more welcome for all of us. Admittedly the children only went back to school at the start of September but it’s felt like a long haul. And I’ve been very busy at work and worked late and a bit over weekends, so I was flattened.

I bought myself some more Spode Christmas ware. Middle aged pleasures. Herself hates it and says it’s right up there with my old person filters on instagram in hideousness.

We had the 20th anniversary meeting of my Monday night bookclub (moved to Friday in view of special occasion) over zoom. Not really the celebration we had imagined but look, we do what we can.

One of my bookclub friends confessed that she has become a daily sea swimmer. My sister-in-law is the same. I am impressed and horrified in equal measure. The cold.

Saturday, October 24, 2020

The weather continues very mild. Halloween does not appear to be effectively holding back the tide of incongruous Christmas advertising which is everywhere. Brown Thomas have launched their Christmas window. I want to turn on the Aga, because I love it but it’s just too warm. “Always Christmas and never winter,” said Mr. Waffle.

Next door’s gardener came (booked many months ago, finally had a moment) and did some much needed clearing in the garden and trimmed back the apple trees (still loads of bloody apples falling in the garden notwithstanding that it’s nearly November and that the trees were stripped of 83 kgs worth a couple of weeks ago).

Michael, Mr. Waffle and I went to the Botanic Gardens to investigate their Halloween pumpkin display. It was not as impressive as previous years.

Poor Daniel hurt his neck at training and had to cycle home unable to look left or right. He survived.

Herself started reading “Ulysses” by James Joyce as a lockdown project. She loves it. Where did we get her? She took a break to make brandy snaps for me. Very satisfactory.

The school emailed that there was another Covid case in school; that’s 5 or 6 but they all seem to have got it outside school and not transmitted inside so, I suppose, that’s ok.

The picture framers texted me that I could pick up some pictures I dropped in to be framed a couple of weeks ago. I was a bit surprised but apparently lots of places are open for click and collect.

On my way home, I ran into a woman who lives near us. Her children went to the same primary and we often walked in together. I said a cheery hello and she seemed a bit put out. I stopped to talk and it transpires that, boy oh boy, is she annoyed by the filtered permeability (what normal people call bollards) at the bottom of our road. I ended up listening to her for the guts of an hour. She was unconvinced by the arguments on traffic evaporation. It didn’t help that I had parked in front of her house. That was only to pick up the pictures from the framer and, in fact, I have used the car even less than usual since the introduction of the bollards but I suppose it didn’t look great. Basically, she feels that all the traffic that uses our road is now using her small, residential road as a rat run. Anyhow, I said that I would definitely support her efforts to make her road local access and it would be good for all of us etc. and cravenly promised to put her in touch with the chair of our residents’ association who is amazing (he does film production and I suppose lockdown has been quiet for him and he has put his not inconsiderable energies into local issues). Ok, possibly an unnecessarily detailed local update but I was quite shocked how annoyed this generally pleasant and quite reserved person was about something that I thought she would broadly support.

For film night we had “The Addams Family” which was perfect in its endearingly creepy yet undemanding nature.

Sunday, October 25, 2020

I wanted to go for a walk in the mountains but the children were spared by my realisation that they are outside our 5km limit and also, Daniel’s neck though improving was still a bit stuck. Mr. Waffle and I went for a cycle along the canal instead and saw a heron.

In more exciting bird news, there was a hawk in the back garden. It stayed for ages. Does this explain the dead pigeon on top of a bush from a couple of weeks ago?

I had my other bookclub (Sunday bookclub, keep up) over zoom which was nice though nowhere near as nice as physical bookclub.

Monday, October 26, 2020

We had a slow start to the bank holiday Monday. There was an exciting letter in the paper from my friend’s mother. The excitement is there really, the content was less exciting.

Mr. Waffle and the boys (Daniel’s neck recovered) and I went out for a cycle in the park in the rain. They’ve opened the park to traffic again and it’s really busy now. Alas. It was great in lockdown 1 in the spring when it was closed to traffic. Herself met a friend and they had a lovely cycle in the park she tells me. It was the first time she had gone for a cycle with a friend for fun and she rates it as an experience. The poor young people, they’re taking their thrills where they can get them at the moment.

When we got home Mr. Waffle made me afternoon tea. There should be more afternoon tea in my life.

Meanwhile my poor nephew is self-isolating again while waiting for a Covid test.

I decided not to apply the cleaning rota and live the next week in squalor.

At bedtime, I went to put on my alarm. Then remembering the criticism from previous occasions (the beeping noise it makes when being set), I just left it set for the time it was set for (9.30) on the basis that I would probably wake up and worst case scenario if I got up at 9.30 I could be a bit late.

Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Back to work. At 9.30 safely at my desk, I got an irate message from Mr. Waffle saying the alarm had gone off an woken them all (children on mid-term and Mr. Waffle minding them). Oh dear.

I heard I got through my interview. Reward: further interview. I’m not sure I entirely rejoice as I don’t think I will get the job and the prep is killing me.

I met a friend for a cup of tea in the park. We sat 2 metres apart and shouted at each other. Since I last met her 6 weeks ago, she has got a job in the west of Ireland and herself and her husband have gone sale agreed on a small apartment by the sea as a base there. She says that they can decide based on the weather if they’ll spend the week in Galway or Dublin – this whole remote working thing is really changing people’s lives. She also had a copy of Dutch Royals magazine for me. She’s married to a Dutchman and her mother-in-law knows I have a morbid fascination with European royalty so gave it to her to hand on to me. My Dutch is rudimentary but boy did I enjoy that magazine. I mean did you know that the Monegasque royal family have a holiday home in Northern France? Interesting choice. Hilariously, wikipedia tells me that “its acreage is six times the size of Monaco. A whole world out there.

I cycled home in the dark (the clocks changed at the weekend) but herself told me to rejoice as I was coming home to the middle class parent’s dream: “Your three children are just off a zoom call with their French tutor; Michael is making dinner; Daniel is making chocolate mousse; I’m making brioche and I’ve just finished “Ulysses”. ”

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

I received a further irate message from home that the alarm had gone off at 9.30 again but Mr. Waffle had now made the device safe. Oops.

Also the gardener finished his work and the garden is looking a bit bald but, basically, I am pleased.

Mr. Waffle attended the residents’ association meeting by zoom. One of the older residents hasn’t really got the hang of zoom and they spent the meeting talking to her ear. She also had the telly on in the background and the chair asked could she mute it but she said no, it was a very interesting documentary about Kevin Barry. I love her.

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Arrival of Spode! The thrill.

Friday, October 30, 2020

I got my half day. Rejoice. All of the local restaurants now have a takeaway option and we picked up dinner from the local gastropub which was surprisingly good given that I had mussels and chips which you wouldn’t expect to be particularly portable.

Further good news, it was announced that they’re going to close most of the local park to traffic again for the duration of lockdown.

Saturday, October 31, 2020

I dropped into the church for the first time in ages. It is pretty weird with all of the tape and one way system.

I spent the morning avoiding work so had to get down and do it in the afternoon.

Herself did an interview with an arts organisation as part of the Creative Schools Programme and it was published online. Much excitement.

For film night, Daniel picked a scary film as it was Halloween. We are not great people for scary films. My niece has starred in a real – would have had a cinematic release but for Covid – scary film but it is 18s and we are too scared to watch it. We watched “A Quiet Place”. Many of us went next door at the scary bits. I was fine because I remembered this blind comedian talking about it – mildly funny, in summary not a great film to watch if you rely on dialogue to follow a film.

All in all, a pretty quiet Halloween.

Sunday, November 1, 2020

Another morning procrastinating and not getting down to work that has to be done before Monday. At about 4, I finished up and Mr. Waffle, Michael and I went for a walk around the block: Daniel had already been to training and herself had work to do. It was a bit damp and uninspiring though, as Michael said kindly, good company.

And here we are. Still no cleaning rota but Mr. Waffle cleaned the bathrooms because he is a saint. More tomorrow. Something to look forward to.

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.