Optimism

It's January; it's chilly, windy and mostly drizzly outside. Winter days in Ireland are short of daylight...and although we're starting to see a difference, with an additional 2 minutes of sunlight each night, we're still in the dark by 5 p.m.

So we're all waiting, impatiently, for Spring.

Siofra, however, seems to have found a shortcut. When I went into her room to turn out the light tonight, I was greeted by this sight. What is she dreaming about? A day at the beach? Finally getting to wear her swimsuit? (she's been asking to wear it around the house for the past 2 weeks) Reading books on the roof garden? Only our little fairy knows for sure...

This, my friends, is a fairy cake...

Best Features

Here's what Siofra does when you ask her to show her big, beautiful eyes...



She has been practicing full rebellion this past month. Tantrums are a regular occurance, mostly triggered by her wanting to do things herself (and becoming frustrated when it doesn't work out) or by just plain 'ol wanting it her way, immediately and with no compromise. It has been pretty tricky for us...

Padraic's 1st birthday is fast approaching. He is desperate to walk, so hopefully it won't be long. He flies around the place holding on to the furniture, and will occasionally let go and stand on his own. Having said "Mama" for months, he's finally figured out "Dada" too. And the hair...it just keeps getting bigger.

A Sunny Afternoon

We may not have fluffy white snow to sled in like Sarah and co., but we did take advantage of a break from the rain and gale force winds we've been having to stroll down to the park!

Paddy enjoys the sunshine...







































Siofra gets a new perspective while on the swings...















Afternoon shadows...




















Then we headed home...







































...and stopped at the bakery for fairy cakes (and a latte)!

Wet Cheerios, Pumpkin Pulp

Those of you who know me well know that I have a strong gag reflex. This may have originated as a child, when my brothers flicked soggy Cheerios so they stuck to my cheek, or during Halloween preparations in 1976, when I reached into the pumpkin pulp and had to run for a towel to gag into.

This gagging would seem to be incompatable with motherhood. But luckily it doesn't seem to be triggered by baby poop, spit up or drool. I thought I'd put it behind me, that I was free from the dry heaves!

But I've met my match with the high chair. Padraic is a messy eater, mostly because he refuses to let us feed him and will only feed himself. So mushy food gets stuck in the corners of the high chair seat...forcing me to reach in and dig it out. It's revolting...and I've resorted to using lots of paper towels so I don't have to touch any of it.

Daithi understands this problem of mine, and now helps out by cleaning the high chair when he's home for dinner. But every time he does it, he says, "You just gotta dig your fingers riiiight into the crease and get ALL that food out!" Then he produces a big wad of soggy, mushy food and puts it as close to my face as he can get.

Yes, he and my brothers get along well, if you hadn't guessed.

11 month comparison

Padraic was 11 months yesterday (Happy Birthday, Paddy) so lets do a quick comparison...








Siofra at 11 months.
















Padraic at 11 months.














Do they even look like they're related?

Boy in Sling Tours the Streets of Dublin

My sister-in-law Esther showed me how to use the sling on my back...very comfortable and he loved it.

Hyper for Hyperlinks!

I love hyperlinks.

Here are some recommendations from me:

If you haven't seen this, please please rent it tonight and watch it.

If you haven't been listening to this, check it out now, 'cause you'll love it, I promise.

If you haven't read this, or read about it, you should. Whether or not you agree with it, it's worth thinking about.

If you're having a baby, thinking of having a baby or just interested in these things...read this. And then read this!!

Ok, that's enough opinionated ranting from me now.

Hey Good Lookin'...

Here's what we had for dinner last night. It was quick, easy and very tasty. Síofra commented it was "a really good dinner, Mommy." Paddy ate his portion all up like a savage...now that he eats mostly what we do life is easier.

So, if you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out!

Cannellini Bean Casserole

what you need:

1 red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1/2 a small aubergine, diced (that's eggplant to you North American readers)
1 carrot, diced
1 small courgette, diced (zucchini, Americanos)
1 red pepper, chopped
1 can cannellini beans
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp rosemary
1 Tbsp flour
olive oil
black pepper

what to do:

Saute the onion in the oil until soft. Then add the aubergine and garlic, saute for 3 minutes or so.

Add carrot, tomatoes and rosemary, plus about 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes or so.

Add the courgette and red pepper, replace lid and cook for another 10 minutes.

Finally, stir in the beans and and another 1/2 inch of water. Stir in the flour until the casserole thickens.

Add a bit of salt and black pepper.

Sin é! (That's it!) We had it with quinoa and sliced cucumber.

Quick Captions

Somehow "bath paints" seem to negate the bathing process. Look at that bathwater!













"I'm gonna bite your head so hard..."

There are so many reasons to celebrate it's crazy

January...why?

It's a month to drag through. The festivity of December is over, finished, and it can't even be further away than it is now. In an effort to lift my spirits I googled "January holidays" and was pleasantly surprised to discover that tomorrow is Play God Day. I don't really know what this means but it does sound fun. And given my affection for pets dressed as Gone with the Wind characters, I am looking forward to January 14-National Dress Up Your Pet Day. A miniature poodle dressed as a southern belle never fails to bring a smile to my face.

Now, to be fair it's not all gloom; today has actually been a good day. The best news of today is that I have a new grandniece named Sophia. Additionally, I was intrigued by an email from my friend S.A.D. which outlined a political analysis of HPV. And finally, I have a Tesco Finest Basil and Pesto Pizza in the oven that I will enjoy in 8-10 minutes.

So, as you drag yourself through this puddle of a month, don't forget, January 19th is National Popcorn Day. Celebrate.

33 in 2007

3 is a lucky number, right? So the fact that I now have two 3's in my age must mean 2007 will be a lucky year...

We had a great time in Cork with the Doolan's, and Siofra loved spending time with her cousins from Zurich. Flying to Cork does have advantages to the train; less time constraining the kids into seats, the novelty and excitement of take off and landing, for example. But all in all, it doesn't save time and can be a pain when your flight is cancelled and then the next flight they put you on is delayed... I don't think we'd do it again, the train is good enough for us.




I can see Padraic's days as a "baby" are slipping away. He's done a lot of growing up in the past month. He even took a step today, though Daithi thinks it was more of a lunge. He can clap and wave and kiss on command. All this whilst his hair gets curlier. In just 6 weeks he'll be one--it's hard to believe.


And some day, hopefully soon, he'll actually sleep through the night. Won't he?