The Toddler in Question

Inauguration Day

Today was the day of the traditional ceremony where the US president on the way out hands the torch to the guy coming in. I usually do not bother watching this; being that I am well aware who the new president is, it is not much of a cliffhanger. And politicians' speeches are usually pretty forgettable.

Today I watched it, though. There is something kind of...I don't know, magical, about Barack Obama winning the election. Outing myself as a true cynicist, I never thought I'd see an African American be president before I was an old, old lady. Plus he makes good speeches.

The kids did their best to ruin the experience, by running laps around the room screaming and throwing stuffed animals. I eventually ran away to the other TV, where I enjoyed at least Aretha Franklin singing My Country Tis of Thee before they found me. Having banished the 6 year old, I was able to hold the toddler at arm's length and giggle at the hilarious nervousness of Obama, who could not get the oath right at all. I solemnly swear? Faithfully execute the office? His wife was dying laughing in the background, I could see it. Such a human moment. Although apparently the Chief Justice fluffed up the wording, so it's actually his fault. (says www.readwriteweb.com) . Anyway.

In the middle of Obama's totally stumble-free speech that followed, Toddler announced that he wanted to do a Pee in the Potty. And you know, I had to turn my back on historical live TV for that.

I made a wreath today

Yep, I'm too cheap to buy one so I cut some bay and rosemary from the garden and twisted them around a wire hanger. Kristina helped, so we have a familial sense of accomplishment. Never mind that it'll probably dry up and die in a few days!...

You say goodbye, and I say

shh, don't let the kids hear you going out!

Every week my husband leaves to work in Sligo for three days, and there are 3 ways to do this:

- he gets up at 5:30 and makes a beeline for the early train/plane
- we drive him to the train station at 6:00 the night before
- he sneaks out of the house around 6 the night before and gets himself to the train.

I like option 1. That way, it's like he just sort of vaporises into the atmosphere and the kids don't really notice he's gone.

Option 2 is terrible. There are often tears of loss and grief in the car when he gives us his lopsided grin and wave on his way into the station and I end up having to cuddle the 6 year old and feed her ice cream to compensate for the tragic departure of her dad.

We did option 3 tonight. I feel evil when we do this, but I suppose it's just as well for the kids. Only, there'll be "where's daddy?" questions asked later and I'll have to say something preposterous like, "he went to the store, and he's coming back late. Very late."

And not to mention the hardship of being alone with myself til Friday night! I can never win an argument.

misc cakes

birthday cakes I made this year. I seem not to have taken pictures of the others, which included my own cake (a carrot cake shaped like a carrot), Marcus' cake (a castle with cupcake turrets) and the 3-D butterfly cake. Might do the last one again though, as it was my favorite.

St Patrick's Day in Ireland 2008

OK, here are some photos of Paddy's Day here this year. All in all, we came to the family consensus that it is kind of a throwaway holiday in Dublin. As in, we get a day off (yay) but the themed festivities are lame (boo). It's tacky. And it usually rains.

I have a LOT of catching up to do

So much for using my blog as a nice little record of everything going on with my fascinatingly middle-class life. I should admit something - I tend to keep diaries when life is changing, or about to change. I guess I hit that restless feeling you get when your child is old enough that you aren't constantly obsessed with whether they are going to suddenly stop breathing and start to wonder what you are going to do with your own life. Although, you also still worry that they will suddenly stop breathing. Or fall down the stairs. Or choke to death on a Barbie shoe.

At this stage I have put the food co on the back burner. My main customer - a prospective restaurant chain - is all but out of business due to the global financial meltdown. Everyone in Dublin has decided to quit spending money. (Including us.) So it's not a chain anymore - it's one downsizing restaurant. I'm back working part time as a freelance marketing consultant. It's like working, but not really. I never have to do much past lunchtime. As if I could, with the 2 year old around!

My plan for catching up is to post photos I've taken this year of the happenings here in Ireland. So we'll see you next time. Take care!

no, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth

but I suppose I may as well have, in the blogosphere. Life sure can be busy sometimes. And when it's not particularly interestingly busy, you just don't bother to blog about it. And then there are the scary times in life, where you just don't know what to say at all. Also not a great time to write about yourself online.
Anyway, will write more soon, but until then here are two poems:

We have a fridge
Smeg thas are fridge
Smeg Smeg smeg*

I am ham
I am sam
I am the jam**

*author: newly reading/writing offspring. recently learned to spell "fridge".
**same author. written Christmas 07.

Smashing

Yep, it's Halloween tomorrow and the official beginning of the fast spiral towards Christmas. I've actually already bought a few presents. It's just, every week that it gets closer things get harder and harder to do - for example, you cannot park anywhere near downtown within one month of Christmas. I'm serious. And even when you do get there, by bus, you can't even get a leg into many of the stores. It gets that crowded. I might end up making a lot of Christmas presents this year - not to be cheap, but because I might do Christmas baskets for customers of the food biz. Might as well make some extra jars of Superchocolate sauce and millions of cookies and give them away to a) not be a Scrooge b) turn my back on the compulsion to buy things and c) give myself free advertising.

Check back soon - myself and my two children will all be matching for Halloween tomorrow. I'll give you a hint: you can make pies with them. And smash them. And name bands after them...

no news is good news

Ah, it's great to have my husband working from home. When he emerges for coffee breaks, he can join the baby in the audience of my soliloquies. On Newstalk radio today, there was a woman going on and on about how she had been through this horrible trauma of taking her child swimming at a Dublin pool where they did not allow strollers. She had to (yikes) wear her one-month-old baby in a sling the whole time and (horrors) carry the changing bag too. It was sooo awkward. OK, I mock, but I too have been through this over and over again and love to bitch and moan about it.

I said to my husband, "In any other country, they would have built a pool, and said to themselves, 'we will have swim lessons here. Therefore we shall make room for strollers, and a big changing room, and build a large parking lot so that people may enjoy our pool.' But not in Ireland, oh no, they just slap it up, have loads of problems, and don't fix any of them. And that's your news for today."

"You're telling me this!" he said, beating a speedy retreat.

In the no news stakes, there can be some pretty edifying stuff. For example, the Minister for Defence told someone to F off in the pub last week, and we spent two whole days talking about that on the news. He even went on the radio himself, claiming the person gave him a hard time about the latest government fiasco and that he told them to "bunk off, or something." Thanks for clearing that up, Minister.

good old Heidelberg

I just got back from a trip to my old hometown, Heidelberg, Germany. My old friends and I had a little reunion during the Herbst festival - an amazing event where the entire Medieval town of Heidelberg comes alive with bands, sausages, and all kinds of interesting things. I went alone, and boy was it weird to be without my two babies. Enjoyed it though. Also drank beer, which I have totally stopped doing since I left Germany, as it is just not as good.

Look at the nice underwear you can get there: (sorry it's sideways)

markets and me

My day at the farmer's market on Friday was pretty good...sort of. It was another slow day at the market, but a couple of good things happened: I had customers just walk up to my stall and buy like, 6, and go. I didn't have to have a big chat about explaining ice cream sandwiches at all. Someone also came in looking for me - she said she heard the sandwiches were incredible. So I rate it as a good day.

I might change markets though. As much as I enjoy the one I'm in, it is sooo quiet. I think I'd make a lot more money at one of the outdoor weekend ones where there's lots of falafels and crepes, and kids running around. I have to keep reminding myself, the markets are not the end of the story though - hopefully I will get into a shop somewhere, someday. Or a restaurant. Or something.

My baby yelled "Daddy! Gimme!" today. I think it was his most articulate moment yet.

Beautiful

I have a sick fascination with celebrity chefs. The Irish answer to Nigella Lawson - a lovely, demure blonde woman who cooks things like jam tarts and chorizo omelets on TV for all of our edification - was on the cover of our TV guide last week. My husband, to wind me up, said, "I reckon you cook better than she does." I shouted, "I bet I do! And she knows it! Look, she basically follows me around and copies everything I do." I based this comment on the fact that she was wearing jeans, converses, a cardigan and a scarf in the photo. Hello? I do watch her show. Also, I know someone who claims her as a close friend. Hopefully I'll meet her soon and can blog about that.

I'm currently ensconced on the couch watching Jamie (Oliver) at Home, cooking a bizarre chicken thigh-potato-tomato-rocket casserole, that I might have to try over the weekend. Feeling really out of the blogging loop. My internet connectivity died a while ago and I failed miserably to resurrect it until now. Turns out it was the wireless transmitter...if you're interested.

I put my back out just before launching Beautiful Ice Cream Sandwiches. Hub had to "roadie" for me my first 2 markets, but it was totally worth it, as I sold out to my enthusiastic customers. People who know me are full of requests for parties and the like. It's great, but I hope that someone who does NOT know me asks me to cater eventually - that will be a major milestone. Although, a woman at the market did ask me if I would do her daughter's wedding - which is kind of Yay and kind of Yikes. I gotta work out how I would execute that one.

back to school

Going on vacation just before starting school/starting a new business is probably not really a good idea. I just did it; it wasn't so bad for the school part (I made sure we had all uniform components and books beforehand) but the fact I am launching a business on Friday has had me really losing my mind.

For some reason I decided to get Ye Olde Irish Country Printers to do my banner and biz cards, since, oh, I was on hols out in the sticks and they'd probably be cheaper. Well. I don't know about cheaper (not having solicited quotes) but they were super friendly and fun, and, late. I'm back home and still have nothing to show. Fate is now in the hands of couriers. Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh.

I made my initial batch of ice cream sandwiches tonight - the kids' one. Gooey chocolate chip cookies with vanilla ice cream, shaped like stars. Heart-shaped white chocolate and raspberry I'll do tomorrow, and the carmelized Brazil nut ones Wednesday, I think. Thursday I'll bake random nice-looking cookies to sell non-frozen for the non-ice cream oriented ones among us. I think I'll do giant chocolate chunk and jam tart cookies.

Also: need to buy display basket. Napkins. Bags. Go to bank and get loads of change. (how much? No idea. I'm guessing I sell about, oh, three ice cream sandwiches the first day so maybe my own change jar will do.)

Starting a business is kind of obnoxious!

brain on ice

Yes, well, all five of you are probably wondering why I haven't been posting. This is gonna sound bizarre, but it's because I am starting a business in about a month. No, it's nothing to do with marketing. Nor technology. It's... Ice Cream Sandwiches!

I've been spending all my free time slaving over the hot freezer trying to perfect my cookie recipes, freezing techniques, and decorating fu. Also ringing my long-suffering graphic designer brother over my precious logo. And surfing the web looking for the perfect collapsible catering table. Etc.

The fun begins September 7, when I make my fabulous debut at our local farmer's market. Will the people shopping for gourmet cheese, vegetables, fresh bread and jam be interested in fancy organic ice cream sandwiches? I sure hope so.

Hub is complaining that he is going to get fat. Little girl is complaining that I won't let her have enough of them. In-laws expecting me to win the local Millionaire Mom competition (don't ask.) I think I'll be celebrating if I sell more than ten.

Back soon. x

Conversations with babies (5)

Overheard during recent toy wrangling incident:



5 year old: Give me that.

Baby: Aaargh!!

5 year old: You think you can have everything! Well you're wrong. You think you can have all the toys. You think you can have mommy all the time. Well, she's not just your mommy. She's EVERYBODY'S mommy!

party like you're 19

To celebrate the end of breastfeeding (read: taking advantage of the fact that husband can now get up with baby) I went out on the tear last night. Firstly, I went out to dinner with about 10 of my favorite people in a really nice restaurant. By the time we left everybody was in extremely high spirits, so we went on to a nightclub where our gay friends got us in for free, without queueing.

I spent the rest of the evening dancing with myself and my new gay friends. I didn't realise there were straight people around until the end of the night when two different guys came up to me and said something like "you look good" or "how's it going" (my memory is a little fuzzy) and then taking hold of me and trying to kiss me on the spot. I was like, nooo! what?!

The gay lads informed me this is the norm on the club scene these days. I guess, thinking about it, since the night is over and everybody is herding out the door, you have nothing to lose, eh? Makes sense. Took me by surprise though.

I got home after 4. My lovely stapless green silk dress got a bit dirty, but I don't mind.

A OK

Well, I went to see the dragon lady of neurology on Monday, and she was uncharacteristically chipper.

"So! How are you doing?" she asked, fluffing her cardingan and peering over her reading glasses.

I said, "Fine. Great. I had my MRI two weeks ago. That went well, I think." Which was completely asinine, really, as how can an MRI go well? I guess I was patting myself on the back for not moving a muscle for half an hour. I remember apologizing to the technician for swallowing, which turned out was fine. What a relief.

Anyway, it went well in a more real sense, as it showed that everything was just fine. So I guess I won't have to go back there again. And I can stop being paranoid about having assorted neurological disorders.

I arrived home in fine fettle, at which point I checked my email...and discovered that my tax bill is exorbitant. So exorbitant, in fact, that if (big if) I can figure out how to pay it, I will be coping with repayments for years to come. Word to the wise: don't liquidate annuities. It's charged a LOT more than capital gains.

So I am happy, in that I am not overly happy. (Thanks, Guildenstern.)

will the real Small Baby please stand up

so, since I am currently in the habit of posting FAScinating things that inspire a vast amount of correspondence, the latest is that my Baby (age 1 year and some weeks) has now started doing things like:
- push chair over to fridge. Climb up on chair. Open fridge. Climb inside. Throw glass jars on floor
- climb on toilet. Catapult self into bathtub
- throw whatever can grab (unopened mail, Barbies, mommy's sunglasses) into a) toilet b) bathtub c) trash

very exciting

I'm sitting in the dining room hosting a play date. Two five year olds are screeching and the baby keeps crying, either at them or at random. He missed his nap. I'm impressed I can string a sentence together right now... Rain is coming down in sheets outside, but the upside of all this rain is, my lawn sure is green. And my flowers are really growing nicely, even the impossible sweet peas.

Not sure why I am bothering to write a blog right now. I guess when my mom was here I got used to adult company in the midst of the child madness and now I have no one to talk to.