What a weekend

Y'know, it's a shame Irish people don't live in the Med because we really come into our own when it's sunny.  It's been sunny, officially, for three days now.  Three glorious days.  Woke up yesterday morning with a sore head, not from supper night either just from migraine only to discover the sun was splitting the stones.  Sore head or no I just had to get up, throw open the doors and lie in the sun.  I love this house, love the big doors at the back, music playing, bubblely fountain thing bubbling away.  Magic.

Sat in sun for a while waiting for a birthday party to start.  I shouldn't but I will . . . what's with having birthday parties in the later afternoon??  Means you can't actually really go anywhere as you have to be back in time and it doesn't go on long enough to let you get anywhere either.   Thankfully though my lovely mate Anna swapped Oscar for Andrew and we took him and our two remaining boys and another borrowed one to Malahide Castle.  Also took Fiona and Darren.  Funny thing about kids when you take them to a HUGE green space, they cannot help but kick the football at you, fall over you and generally make a nuisance of themselves.  All that space and they want to play footie on the blanket we're lying on.  They had a blast, Darren was knackered me and Fiona lay in the sunshine.  Me with a t-shirt over my head to help move headache along. 

Back to the Furey house where we swapped one child for another and home to get the house a wee bit sorted for Clo and Paul coming out.  Oscar said he'd do the hoovering so I let him but he said he could only do it how I do it.  With loud music.  Very loud music.  We rocked out to Simon and Garfunkal (how do you spell that?  And yes, I know they are not the most rock out to band but you can if you try) and Jane's Addiction and The Beach Boys.  Lit lots of candles to disguise mucky floors and then the bro and my best mate arrived.  She gave me a bottle of tequilla!!!!!!  That's, like, two bottles in two nights.  How lucky am I?  What does it say about me???  It was fun, nice food, nice company and TBF made me nearly wet myself as she went from nought to cranky drunk in a bottle and a bit.  Brilliant. 

Today, arrgh, headache still but got up and sat in sunshine which was both hot and sunny at 10.30 in the morning.  Magic.  Thing is though, if it continues to be sunny for another day or so those Irish people (you know who they are) will start saying 'god, it's very hot', 'wouldn't mind just a bit of rain' and the like. 

Dropped kids at the in-laws, they offered to take them at three today, at one to which Paddy remarked 'is it 3 o'clock already?' said, 'yep' and we legged it.  When nana came downstairs a few minutes later she went looking for us to catch up only to be told we had just dumped the kids and legged it.  Hey!!!  These days are rare and very much appreciated.  We met up with Eoin and Isabella in the grand canal dock and bought sambos, water and icecream and just chilled on the grass.  Felt like being in Barcelona.  They've done a great job there, pat on the back to the DDA.

What then?  Got back to the nana and grandad's at 5 only to be told, 'huh? We didn't expect you until about 8 to be honest'.  AAAAAAAAAAAAaagh, but we'll know next time.  So we hung out until nine, had lovely grub, a couple of drinks and a great laugh.  Oscar beat his personal best at ball bouncing and managed to bounce the ball 272 times, give or take a dozen or four.  Oh, and, long one this, when the kids were first born, Harry to be precise, we asked Sylvia and Paddy what they wanted to be called by the kids.  Sylvia wanted 'nana' and Paddy wanted 'Paddy' and my da was 'granddad'.  Happy days.  However, my dad is no longer here and Sylvia and me, to some degree, felt it would be nice if they could call someone granddad so started prompting the kids to ditch the paddy thing.  Tonight Paddy said he was going to find out who he was once and for all (quite an undertaking on a quiet Sunday) so he went out to ask the kids what they fancied for them:

Paddy: What am I to be Paddy or Granddad?

Harry: Granddad!

Arthur: Granddad.

Oscar: Patrick!!!!!

As Van Morrison once sang "wouldn't it be great if it could be like this every day?"

Cos, it would.  Summertime and the living is easy xx