Blog List

Talking to children about grown up issues can be challenging. A few months ago, I wrote about how my five-year-old’s pet fish died and how upset she was when she found out. It was horrible to see her so upset, but unfortunately we can’t wrap our kids up in cotton wool forever. Although I’d like to… Recently I found out my mother has cancer. The drive to Galway to meet her surgeon was...

I have always put a lot of value on friendships. My best friends in adulthood now, are those friendships I formed as a young girl at school. There were times when it was hard as I thought they were making the wrong choices, but I sat back and allowed them to make their own decisions. I’ve always instilled this importance of friendship in my boys as they grew up. It was just over two years ago...

Two little words that are the bane of my life: baby brain. It's really not a myth. For me, it's seriously real. Before my children arrived, I was Mrs Organised. Every aspect of my life was run to the tiniest little detail; I had diaries, lists, notebooks, stickers, post-it's, coloured pens and everything underlined, ticked etc. Sometimes I even wrote things on a list that I'd...

My mother is now gone as long as I’ve known her. On the 23 rd June she was gone 19 years – the same age I was when she passed away. There are times I’ve to pinch myself when I think she’s actually gone that long but the fact of the matter is, she is. With summer now here and as I watch my children enjoy playing outdoors, I’m reminded of a piece written by her which we found after her...

We’ve just had a kid’s party at our house. The two-year-old turned three during the week and on Sunday, family and friends with kids were invited to celebrate the blowing out of candles. All week I was on weather watch, compulsively page-hopping from Met Eireann to Accuweather, my mood rising and falling with the isobars. On Sunday morning I checked once more, trying to ignore the very real...

At the end of the summer, the Leaving Certer turns 18; that magical age when the adult world lets you in. Once September 1st arrives, it will be legal for him to vote, marry, play exceptionally violent games, and drink alcohol. It's a scary prospect. I am not naïve enough to believe he has not been experimenting with alcohol already (indeed, I would be very surprised if he hadn't), but...

“Nee- Naw-Nee-Naw-Nee-Naw, here comes the fire engine/aeroplane/racing car” or whatever mode of transport is particularly entertaining today. In the last couple of weeks, that’s all you hear in our kitche; I’m sure the neighbours think we’ve finally lost the plot. And they’d be right because our little darling, No.2, has entered the fussy eating phase. We kind of got away light with...

I made a cardinal sin this weekend – one which I vowed I would never, ever make. I asked a recently married friend when she planned to start a family. In my defence, I got caught up in the moment and fell victim to the second glass of wine I’d had while celebrating the baptism of a mutual friend’s first baby. But, still. I became the woman other women love to hate - the busybody who must be...

So the dip of the roller coaster on Friday improved on Saturday. The babies have been wriggling around so much since I arrived in The Coombe, although I wasn't sure if it was because they loved it in here or hated it. My amazing consultant came in on her day off - and the start of her holiday - to scan me on Saturday morning as she didn't want me to wait until Monday. I am pleased to say...

I'm discovering that life when expecting triplets is a roller coaster. We had our worries with one of the babies having too much fluid behind its neck earlier in the pregnancy, but after that resolved itself, I seemed to be taking it all in my stride. However, the last two weeks have certainly felt like I'm stuck on a some scary theme park ride. Week 24 and I am told Baby One and Two are...