Playing Catch Up!

It's been a bit of a mad week- not bad-mad just busy -mad and honestly? Pretty exhausting. You see, Loverboy was in the US with work and the kids were all off on midterm break, so I didn't get much of a chance to touch base with y'all. So brace yourself, my lovelies, cos I  feel a download coming on...

All ready to go!

Despite Loverboy being away, and therefore not hosting our usual crazy Halloween bash here, the kids and I had a great time gatecrashing other people's parties. (Thanks Angie and Bronagh for all the yummy food and great craic!)  Truthfully though, my very favourite part of the whole night was seeing my great friend Jen & her lovely fam again. They've just (bravely!) returned to Glenavy from California after a 2 year stint, and although we kept in touch pretty well while she was gone....it's just ain't the same. So I  feel very blessed indeed to have her back, and I KNOW there's lots of others who do too. So from all of us,  welcome home,  Babe!

Then, the very next morning, I had the Irish News here for an interview about the MAD awards. Yep, just an ordinary Thursday. (Whoops, did I just drop something?!)
Of course, after frantically showering all the kids, choosing suitable clothes for photographs, issuing threats about getting dirty, tidying the house in preparation, AND finally making myself halfway presentable, I was bloody wrecked.  It certainly didn't help things that as soon as a camera comes anywhere near me, I unerringly produce the fakest, most forced smile you've ever seen. I think it's hereditary. Between that, and  trying to coax five hungry children to look at the camera at the very same moment AND smile, the poor photographer had his work cut out for him.
Of course, it was Sod's law that fisticuffs would then break out between two of the boys, and I'd have to referee them IN FRONT of the journos. I couldn't have hoped for a more  perfectly timed 'opportunity' to showcase my discipline techniques?
'Now,  now boys, I think that calls for a time out, don't you?' through clenched teeth, while REALLY coding ' Just wait'll I get my hands on the pair of you later!'  Oh the fun of it all.  (And just a tad randomly, who knew journos were so partial to toasted crumpets? )

 Shortly after they left, Loverboy arrived home from his trip, and I'm not ashamed to say that I was very, very glad to see him. A few days away makes me realize how utterly indispensable he is. Not only is it lonely parenting on your own... it's all the wee things, like locking up the house at night, and checking on the kids last thing, and fixing the computer, and jump starting the car, and making the tea, and doing the school run, and watching 'The Housewives of New York' together. (Yes, really). The companionship of it all. When he's away, it not only makes me appreciate him all the more, but I always marvel at how single parents manage to do it all the time on their own. Hats off to each and every one.

Then, at the weekend we went and closed the caravilla up for the Winter, or winterised it apparently.  (My sister Mary pointed out that that makes it sound like some vast country mansion somewhere, which gave me an LOL. ) Thank you so much for all the top tips and pointers from you seasoned Caravilla owners out there-we put the mattresses on their ends, cushions in the middle of the floor and salt in all the rooms. And left with a car packed to the neck with duvets, pillows, laundry and kids.  I can hardly believe that our first season is at an end- next stop St Patrick's Day! Walking around and checking everything before we left, I felt very grateful for the memories we've made there so far, and hopefully the many others still to come. Looks like it was a good move for us after all, and next year with a shed and a washing machine all of my very own, life will surely be complete....Who knows, I  may never come home! Adios, amigosxxxx

I've joined up on this post with the fab Sarah Miles at Hello Wall for her Monday Club link. Check out them all out here.

Halloween is comin'....

'Halloween is comin' and the goose is gettin' fat. Will ya please put a penny in the ol' man's hat? If ya haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do. If ya haven't got a ha'penny, God bless you. And yer old man too.'

 Does anyone remember that? Cos that's what we sang at Halloween, long before all the 'trick or treating' shenanigans going on now. Actually the first time I ever even heard of trick or treating, was when I watched 'ET' for the very first time. Between that, and the proper scary costumes and face paints all the kids were wearing, I was enthralled! It was Halloween but not as we knew it!
 Belfast style, it was bin liners, tin foil and old sheets. Or in my case, an old 1970's maroon trouser suit of my mammy's. A bit of red lipstick on my nose and I was Coco the clown.  No question, our costumes  weren't wonderfully customized, lovingly made from 'vintage' affairs. They were cobbled together, dragged from the hot press/ wardrobe/ dressing up box, and  tied together with belts, safety pins and string. There was a lot of  'Guess what I am!' going on, and very hit and miss it was too.

Daddy's (not so) old shirt getting the fake blood and slash treatment.....ooooops!

And while we're on the subject - when did pumpkins join the party? I know that nothing says Halloween like a pumpkin, but then I was the turnip generation. And I'm sure that you can appreciate even with rose tinted glasses on,  that's just not the same. At. All.  I mean, there was Elliot and Gertie with their beautifully carved twinkling pumpkins on their doorstep, and we had....a turnip with a hole in it.

Breakfast...Halloween style!

And believe it or not, I'd never actually SEEN a pumpkin IRL, till we lived in America- they've been all over the pumpkin thing there for years- but it was only about 7 or 8 years ago that we've gone mad for it here as well. Now, there's pumpkin patches all over the place, and its all good....except, I suppose, for that hasbeen - the turnip.  Think about it, Halloween must've been a longstanding, much needed gig for the old  turnip, and then in breezes that upstart pumpkin, and that was it- Goodbye Turnip. Disappeared overnight like a vegetable betamax. And back in the day, you know, long before we had zucchinis and bean sprouts and rocket, the turnip was a player- a staple in every trolley. But now? When did you last see Jamie Oliver or Nigella getting all het up over the lowly turnip?  (Okay, I've clearly lost the plot when I'm feeling sorry for a vegetable-moving quickly on....).


Ducking for apples, masks with elastic bands on the back, monkey nuts, tarts with hidden 10p pieces  in tinfoil , sparklers, Bengal matches- these are my Halloween memories, and possibly amidst the pumpkins, the trick or treating, and the Harry Potter costumes,  I'm feeling a little bit, well, errrrm,  old. And even though I'm loving all the shiny new traditions,  I'm maybe missing the older ones a wee bit too. Maybe it's an age thing. Or maybe I should just go all vintage for Halloween around here... What about you? What did/ does your Halloween look like? Go on, do share...