Short and Sometimes Sweet

Family is the most important thing in the world. People often ask me what I do for a living. So I've decided to base this blog on an explanation of same. I love children. I couldn't eat a whole one though..... Corny jokes aside, I've always been interested in the care and development of children. I think I inherited this trait from my mum. So I raised my family while going to college and earning my qualifications. And working at the same time. Busy stuff.  I worked my way up from being a volunteer at my local playgroup to paid employment for that playgroup, to owning the business. So I have my own little pre-school. My family are shareholders, and we all try to help each other. I deal with the day to day running of the school, the admin, the government bodies, the grantors etc.  We are different to most playgroups/pre-schools though. We run a whole family service. This means we value the importance of the whole family in the child's life, recognising that home li...

"You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else." Albert Einstein There has been a lot in the media lately about bullying. As someone who has been bullied, I decided to do my blog on this subject. I have been bullied most of my life. Even in my own home as a young child. A place where one is meant to feel safe and secure, was never such a place for me. I'm small. I've always been small. I guess that means I'm easy prey. Primary school wasn't too bad, until around 5th class. Then it started off again. I was bullied because "I was small, and because I was brainy, and because my family were poor." Secondary school was my worst nightmare. Day after day of incessant and relentless crap. I feigned every kind of sickness in order to not have to go in to school. I was brainy and did very well in my exams. Until 5th year. I cannot tell you the hell that was my life in school at that point. I became so withdra...

"Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts." Hi all. Been a manic few weeks so I've not had time to blog. I've got people staying with me and my wee house is jammers. My son came back home from Spain, just about in one piece. Though I can't say the same for his luggage. His bag was stolen off the bus he boarded to the air port in Salamanca. It contained all of his favourite clothes, sentimental items etc. Not pleasant. He has, as I predicted, changed a lot. He has grown up, learnt some life lessons and knows how to appreciate the small comforts in life. As the house is so busy, and there's extra stuff to do the days are just melting into one. I never know what day it is. I have always been someone who enjoys their space. I really don't take kindly to clingy people. Don't get me wrong, I love company, and hugs etc but just not people who hang out of me all the time. So I...

Sometimes I write about general things, sometimes I write about more personal stuff. This time I'm going to share something very personal. You can believe it, or not it's ultimately your choice. It's also ultimately my truth and will always remain as such. I've been brought up a Roman Catholic. I've done the whole christening, communion, confirmation etc thing. I think my parents believed it was the right thing to do, even though as it turned out the practitioners of the catholic church had questionable motives. Anyway we did the whole prayer, afterlife, mortal sin thing. As I grew older I questioned their beliefs and started to form my own opinions. Having kids of my own, I always gave them the choice of what they wanted to believe and they made their own choices regarding the big events. Though I think the tradition of getting loads of money was a major factor. Do I believe in an after life? I'm not sure.And as there is only one way of knowing for sure And I...

“Nothing is ever really lost to us as long as we remember it.”  Aren't memories funny things? I mean, you can be there just minding your own business, and suddenly a smell or a sound can trigger something deep inside you and stop you in your tracks. When my mum died I found myself taking her jumpers etc and smelling them. Like that was the only way I could remember her. Or when my kids were small and I couldn't be with them for whatever reason I'd spray their blankies with my perfume so as they would feel closer to me, and perhaps not miss me too much. Whenever I brought them to play in the park I would tell them to take in the smell of the fresh cut grass, or the stinky pond and always remember it. I'll never forget the sound of the swan mum when she was protecting her young by that pond. Wow.  When I was young, we didn't have a lot. Money was tight and my parents did their best. I am the third of four children and as was the norm I had my fair share of hand ...

I'm writing this on the train back from Belfast, wifi is being crappy and I'm bored so you're it!  Been in Belfast for a gig. Journey, Whitesnake, and Thunder. Not many will have heard of the latter. I first saw them in London about %% years ago. They were all long hair, tight trousers and guitars. Something I was mad into back then. It was a small gig, but I was completely blown away by them. So when the chance came to see them in The Odyssey in Belfast I jumped on it. One of my favourite bands in one of my fav cities. Sure I'd be mad not to, eh?  I love Whitesnake and Journey too so win win for me.  Sometimes Belfast gets a bit of stick in the media. It's undeserved for the most part. Yes there are a few assholes there but we get them in Dublin too funnily enough. I met a few lovely guys at the gig, couldn't have been nicer. Full of chat and laughs. And when we got lost on the way home the taxi driver from earlier saw us and gave us a free lift back ...

"For they conquer who believe they can." John Dryden Well it's been an odd couple of weeks to be honest. Lots of highs and a major low. I've been to Spain to see my son. It was an odd feeling going there because I had no idea what to expect. Obviously I had seen his apartment etc on skype and face time, but still. I have to say, the town of Salamanca is very lovely.The University is amazing and very Potteresque. It's steeped in history and ancient buildings. I wasn't able to climb the steps but my OH did and he said it was amazing. The wee apartment was lovely too. And the beer and wine were cheap as chips! We had a lovely time, sampled pigs bits in a proper Spanish cafe, went to a rock bar, made a scene in the local McDonalds... standard stuff! I was very proud of Jamie, not least because he's doing very well in a difficult situation. He's managed to settle in well. He's even found a little job. To see him interacting with the Spanish peo...