Proud

The middle chap has been asking me, nay, hounding me for weeks to work out how to get all his photos off the camera and onto the computer.  That bit was easy btw.  Then it was all "How do I make a stop motion movie???"

Yeah, not so easy.  

Long story short, here's no. 2's first stop motion video.  I, why me?, have to work out how to add audio but I'm alright with that.  It'll be worth the hours of googling just so you can hear the script he put together with no. 3.

Oh, and I got the stand here!

Whomp /

That's the noise that #1 made when he hit the floor today.

It's also the noise my heart made as it shot into my mouth.

He was competing in the All Ireland Judo Championships in Galway and he was up against the best kids going and, thanks to a whopping .9kg, up against kids who were up to 2kg heavier than him.

Poor bugger.  He was so upset when we got there as there was so much going on and everyone seemed to know everyone else and he was one of three from Portmarnock there.  One of the three best kids if you don't mind me bragging.

Anyway, he explained the rules of scoring and I had a complete 'who's on first, watt's on second' moment as . . . the idea is to get Ippon, 10 points.  This is when you throw someone so perfectly they land on their back.  You can get a get a Yuko by throwing someone so that they land on their side, this is worth 5 points.  Now, a throw where you get someone on their back but . . well, not with all that much force . . that merits a Waza-ari (if it was a better throw it would be Ippon).  Oh, and that Waza-ari is worth 7 points.  But, here's the thing.  No amount of Yukos can EVER beat a Waza-ari.  And two Wazi-aris can make Ippon ( even though 2 x 7, to me, equals 14???).  

Oh, and you can also score Ippon by pinning your opponant to the mat for 25 seconds.  A pin lasting for less than 25 seconds, but more than 20 seconds scores waza-ari and one lasting less than 20 seconds but more than 15 seconds scores yuko.

You following me?  See?  Who's on first?

Anyway, #1 had two fights and the first one was over as I blinked with him being thrown and the second fight lasted a few seconds longer but .. . he still lost.  He was gutted.  

All the kids who lost were gutted. It hurt to see so many upset youngsters.  Apparently, allegedly, it's character building so I shall wait and see how that plays out.

Once he got over the upset, and the sore shoulder from being hurled to the ground, he was happy enough to commit to competing in Kilkenny in a month or so.

To cheer him up we took him into Galway to prove it is always raining there and took him to the pub to watch the match and enjoy a big plate of Irish Stew.

p.s. When #1 was in my belly many, many moons ago we went to Galway to visit friends who lived there and I went into this lovely shop called 'Wooden Heart' and bought a little zippy bag with gorgeous little things representing the letters of the alphabet in it.  You know, 'a is for apple', 'y is for yacht' etc.  The shop is still there and it still sells beautiful toys so go visit it should you be in beautiful, but rainy, Galway.

Happy Christmas my arse

I called over to the lovely Ms. UrbanStems last Friday to wish her a Happy Christmas and deliver her a puddin. We sat and chatted and I showed her one of my favourite videos of the moment (ok go and the frickin' muppet theme tune)and she showed me this.

Oh jesus. She made me cry. It was meant to be a happy day.  Ah, it was a happy day.  A day for remembering some people we love I guess, whether we'd known that when we woke up or not.

I couldn't watch the whole thing in her house, seriously!!! I was crying!!! But I watched it today and it's beautiful.

It's still making me cry but in a good way.

When did I blink?

Yesterday all of them, no. 2 in particular, got excited playing Little Big Planet and asked me to upload this to YouTube.  Their second video!!  Whilst doing that I remembered that we have 2 video cameras floating around and thought 'how much easier for them to make their movies' if I dug them out.  Right now they're using Himself's iPhone.  

Oh God.  I wish I'd left things as there were.

Found both cameras and inside each was a tape!  On one of the tapes #1 was about 4, #2 was approx. 15 months and #3 was approx. 4 months.  On the other tape we were in Disneyland Paris with nos. 1 and 2.  No. 3 got to stay and be adored by his nana and granddad.

Did I blink?

My babies have gone from that to uploading videos on YouTube in a blink of an eye.  

Christ but do I feel sad.  I'd forgotten how small and pudgy the middle one was and how squeaky the eldest one was.  I'm smiling at the memories but inside it feels like somethings after tearing.  Am such a sad old bint really.  

I blinked and 6 years have whizzed by.  It's true you know, when people tell you to stop wishing their childhoods away.  'Cos you do, 'if only they were over the crawling bit', 'if only they could feed themselves' etc. etc. 

No.  Time to stop.  Time to enjoy.  One day, you'll blink again and they'll have their own babies.  

Ed Sheeran - You Need Me, I Don't Need You

Heard of this chap a while ago.  Love the video.  Love it.  

Monkey rocking out to Stone Roses

We all love the Stone Roses in our house.  Especially No. 2 and Monkey.  I love that No. 2 made this video and the sound of him and No. 3 giggling really makes me smile, especially when Monkey really does rock out.  You can hear the borrowed boy in the background saying 'Darren,darren,darren' but Himself is rocking out as hard as Monkey and is oblivious

A great nigh with great friends

The very wonderful Parent's Association at #s 2 and 3's school organised a quiz night last night. Not a fund raiser just a good night out. Shame it wasn't a fund raiser as they could've made a killing. It was a fantastic night. We didn't win but we did come second and our team were better looking! Waaaay better dancers too.

Paul Furey did his thing, comedy, clowning and quiz master extrodinaire. He rocked. Himself actually got up to dance and Mr. R most certainly danced. Boy but that man can move. Shoving a mammy across the dancefloor by moshing may not do his reputation much good though.

My lovely friend, yer wan with the four boys, got very competitive and Himself and her were especially determined. She invited me over for a game of something with all the boys. But ONLY if she and Himself were on the same team. We'll see how that goes. Actually, I shouldn't but I will, she was spinning me around and around shouting "How's the Vertigo Niamh?? How's the Vertigo???" and cackling away madly to herself only to go splat on the dancefloor!!! Who's cackling now Pal? Huh, huh? Yeah, me!!!!! It was very funny. She fell and was up on her feet before anyone noticed (at least that's what we're telling her) with that face on that you get when you fall in public. You know the one, it's the one where you glare around demanding to know why the pavement tripped you etc. etc. Very funny.

What else happened? Oh yeah, I won a voucher to stay in a hotel (up the road) for dinner and breakfast and I am going to use it. People drunkenly volunteered to mind the boys and I'm taking them up on it. Now you're seeing the advantages of staying sober when everyone else is hammered. You remember stuff that they don't!

Oh, and me and Ms. UrbanStems took our friendship to a whole new level. We danced together. And we were fabulous. In our heads. We mammy danced. But we did it together and that has brought us even closer.  When we left Himself went "Holy Fuck, look at the moon!!! It's huuuuuuge" Ms.Urban spun around and looked all over the place(??!) for the moon and couldn't find it??? "It's there, you bint!" I says. "??????????" says she. She reminded me of the pigs in space bit from the muppets. Which is why I've posted the muppets for you to enjoy.

Yup, good company, good friends and great music and a bottle of wine (or two) lead to the best nights out. So, Aedin, Anna, Dara, Norma, Sinead, Roy, Karen, Claire, Paul and Himself thanks for a great night out. It was, more or less, exactly what the doctor ordered. Love each and every one of you. Aedin, I especially love you. You are the sarkiest, funniest person I know and you rock.

To see what Ms. UrbanStems looked like when looking for the moon go straight to 2.22

Scottish Irish English American Eleven How you say eleven

George Harrison (The beatles Here comes the sun)

I was talking about holidays earlier today and pining for the days when we could afford to go away.  Shame our kids were too little to leave for much longer than 3 nights, sigh.

Anyway, once, Himself took me to Barcelona for my birthday.  He organised everything I just knew we were going somewhere but didn't know where.  We got to the airport at 7am and were in Barcelona by 9am.  In the apartment and having breakfast by 9.30.  Heaven.  We went for a walk down to the Harbour and were just strolling along in the sunshine when a busker struck up on his guitar.  He played 'Here Comes the Sun', my favourite song in the world ever.  It was like something out of an ad.  Was brilliant.  I loved Barcelona, I love that song and I love Himself and I got all three in the one go.  

Nice.

Great friends.

Remember my friend?  Ms. Urban Stems?  Well, she sent me a link earlier today of a Mike Posner video.  It rocked.   But then me and # 2 found this!!!!!  Sinead, many thanks.  For more than just the video. x

Dogs Home TV Ad (every home needs a Harvey)

This is one of my absolute favourite ads. Love it. Every home needs a Harvey.

Squeak

That's pretty much the noise I made when the kids started singing in # 2's school play tonight.  He was Balthazar, a king.  It's his last school play in the Infant School, big school next September and ... squeak.  If you get the chance to send your kids to St. Sylvester's on the Malahide Road TAKE IT.  I have another 2 years left there with # 3 and I'm going to miss it when it's gone.  I love that school.  Love the kids.  The teachers and the fact that it's an Infant School.  Happy Christmas to everyone in St. Sylvester's.  The Little Red School on the corner.

Isn't there something really magical about hearing a load of small ones singing "Sleep in heavenly p-e-e-a-c-e-e-e" in that incredibly high pitched way of theirs.  Sweethearts the lot of them.

Band of Horses - Is There a Ghost

I have this lovely friend, let's call her Ms. UrbanStems and she means an awful lot to me.  Which is great because I hid on her for the first, oooh, ages when I met her initially.  She knows this of course.

Anyway, she keeps a beautiful blog and lately something very sad happened and I gave her some flowers.  Not to make the sadness go away but to make it all seem just a little less.  In return she gave me this song.  I love it.  It's me.  Thank you Sinead, oops,  Ms. Urbanstems.  Love you.

The Dubliners-Rocky Road to Dublin

One of my favourite songs. Ever. #2 and 3's too.
If you want to join in here's the lyrics.  Good luck, I can't keep up.

While in the merry month of May from me home I started,
Left the girls of Tuam so sad and broken hearted,
Saluted father dear, kissed me darling mother,
Drank a pint of beer, me grief and tears to smother,
Then off to reap the corn, leave where I was born,
Cut a stout black thorn to banish ghosts and goblins;
Bought a pair of brogues rattling o'er the bogs
And fright'ning all the dogs on the rocky road to Dublin.

One, two, three four, five,
Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road
all the way to Dublin, Whack follol de rah !

In Mullingar that night I rested limbs so weary,
Started by daylight next morning blithe and early,
Took a drop of pure to keep me heartfrom sinking;
Thats a Paddy's cure whenever he's on drinking.
See the lassies smile, laughing all the while
At me curious style, 'twould set your heart a bubblin'
Asked me was I hired, wages I required,
I was almost tired of the rocky road to Dublin.

One, two, three four, five,
Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road
all the way to Dublin, Whack follol de rah !

In Dublin next arrived, I thought it such a pity
To be soon deprived a view of that fine city.
So then I took a stroll, all among the quality;
Me bundle it was stole, all in a neat locality.
Something crossed me mind, when I looked behind,
No bundle could I find upon me stick a wobblin'
Enquiring for the rogue, they said me Connaught brogue
Wasn't much in vogue on the rocky road to Dublin.

One, two, three four, five,
Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road
all the way to Dublin, Whack follol de rah !

From there I got away, me spirits never falling,
Landed on the quay, just as the ship was sailing.
The Captain at me roared, said that no room had he;
When I jumped aboard, a cabin found for Paddy.
Down among the pigs, played some hearty rigs,
Danced some hearty jigs, the water round me bubbling;
When off Holyhead I wished meself was dead,
Or better for instead on the rocky road to Dublin.

One, two, three four, five,
Hunt the Hare and turn her down the rocky road
all the way to Dublin, Whack follol de rah !

Well the boys of Liverpool, when we safely landed,
Called meself a fool, I could no longer stand it.
Blood began to boil, temper I was losing;
Poor old Erin's Isle they began abusing.
"Hurrah me soul" says I, me Shillelagh I let fly.
Some Galway boys were nigh and saw I was a hobble in,
With a load "hurray !" joined in the affray.
We quitely cleared the way for the rocky road to Dublin.

One, two, three four, five,
Hunt the Hare and turn her down
the rocky road and all the way to Dublin,
Whack follol de rah ! 

We're still giggling over this. We've watched ourselves Barndance too.

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Armagedden Outta Here

Comic Relief - Catherine Tate & David Tennant

Do you disrespect the House of Cooper??? Bovvered?????

Alan Partridge Abba Medley

I had a toy bull called Fernando! I love Alan.

Alan Partridge Kate Bush medley

This makes me smile. Love it.

Cakes gone so terribly wrong (cake wrecks)

I live in mortal fear of one of my cakes ending up on cake wrecks. Brilliant though, huh?