belgianwaffle

Lisbon II

1 October, 2009
Posted in: Ireland, Princess

The Irish people will be voting again on the Lisbon Treaty tomorrow.

I asked the Princess what she knew about it. It has been omnipresent, so I assumed that she must have some views. And she had. She had seen this poster and this one. I was fascinated that the yes campaign’s posters didn’t seem to have registered with her at all (and they were plentiful). There has been some fun had with posters on both sides, if you are so minded you might like to see the mocking posters which have been dreamt up such as these, these and this.

It’s been an interesting campaign. My personal highlight was watching Michael O’Leary and Declan Ganly debating on the television. This was fascinating as it was the reverse of what usually happens. Usually, the no side says something. And keeps saying it. And keeps saying. The yes side leaps to the Treaty and seeks to refute the no side comment by reading out chapter and verse. The net effect of this is that one retains the no side’s argument and the yes side’s counter argument is ineffectual, however, right it might be. Michael O’Leary did not know the Treaty in any detail. He kept repeating three things: 1. I live in Ireland, pay my taxes here and have created 1,000 jobs here; 2. Lisbon allows us to retain our Commissioner and 3. the ECB is bailing us out of the current banking mess. Ganley kept quoting the Nice Treaty on Commissioners and so on but it really didn’t matter as Michael just kept on making his three effective points. It was interesting to see the no side’s tactics being used against them and, much as Michael O’Leary irritates me, I have to take my hat off to him

So, just in case there was any doubt, I’ll be voting yes tomorrow (did I or did I not discover only this week that social insurance paid in another member state goes towards dental benefits here?) and keeping my fingers crossed.

Rough?

30 September, 2009
Posted in: Dublin, Siblings

My brother tackled me last weekend about where we live. He has concerns that my children will end up wearing track suits all day every day and on remand in the district court. We had a robust discussion on the influence of parents versus that of peers, the nature of the local peers in what I would call a mixed area and whether it was fair to visit your social notions on your children which ended with one of us flouncing out of the room and banging the door. Isn’t it great the way when you are at your parents’ house you can revert to behaviour that was last given an airing in your teens?

Still, it all gave me pause for further thought. Our parish newsletter this week led with “The Gospel to the Gangland” which didn’t help. Then I went to a local park where F often takes the children. There were a bunch of Slovakian children there who seemed to know mine well. They were nice children and my boys were clearly delighted to see them. They were accompanied by a pleasant man (you know, not let out on their own running wild or anything) but I couldn’t help noticing that he had a tattoo on his neck. Did I not read somewhere that this is an invariable sign of gang membership? Or is it just a sign of a fondness for pain? In short, I feel that I am in territory where my mother never had to venture.

Lending my books

29 September, 2009
Posted in: Princess, Reading etc.

The Princess started reading “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”. I was thrilled but a little nervous that she would have nightmares. I did that very annoying thing of constantly asking her “where are you now?” She thought it was alright. I am gutted. On the boys’ birthday, a number of kind relatives also gave her presents. Mostly, they gave her books. “Why,” queried my little ingrate, “is everyone always giving me books?” Could her reading phase be over already?

Give me a boy at seven

28 September, 2009
Posted in: Dublin, Ireland, Mr. Waffle

New acquaintance: And where did your husband go to school?
Me: Jesuit School X.
New acquaintance: Oh lovely, clever, sensitive boys.

I understand that Mr. Waffle’s school produced many chess champions but that they failed to star in rugby.

4 Today

27 September, 2009
Posted in: Middle Child, Twins, Youngest Child

Michael and Daniel turned four today.

My mother-in-law asked me what time of day they were born and, incredibly, I had forgotten. Fortunately, I have a complete online record. It is funny to look at those old pictures and see how tiny they were. They are big boys now as they never tire of reminding me.

I suppose because they have no younger siblings, they still seem pretty small to me. If only I had lots of energy, I would write a loving and detailed post but after a day of festivities filled with guns, family and power rangers, I think I may have to compromise with some pictures and a couple of anecdotes.

Daniel is extremely articulate, speaks very clearly and he seems to have a good ear for language. The other day I heard him describe something as “upsoide dowen”. I raised my eyebrows. He said, “Mummy, I know you say upside down but at school we say ‘upsoide dowen'” Poor Daniel. As his father says, “Fluent in English, Irish, French and Dub.” He can also do an RP English accent, a Lancashire accent (where did this come from – the BBC?) and, of course, like all of his contemporaries an American accent. I was glad that, as we trooped out of a concert with other parents and children on Friday night, he chose to use his RP English accent to say loudly, “Mummy, stop hitting me with your bloody handbag.” [My handbag is heavy, when I bend down to minister to small children’s needs, it can be slightly dangerous. No one has ever been knocked unconscious. I am trying to stop saying bloody.]

Michael’s social skills continue to be unrivalled in his family. F tells me that when she waits with him and Daniel for their sister to emerge from school all of the other pupils say, “Hello Michael”. He is the soul of friendliness. He is also a stickler for accuracy. At school he is learning Connaught Irish. I speak Munster Irish. He sits at the bord dearg (red table) in his class. I pronounce “dearg” as “darug”. He pronounces it as “dya-rug”. I have had to alter my pronounciation or risk the wrath of the tiny tyrant.

27 September 2005