Movies, Hens and Weddings!

No admittance without these!

Do you know, I've so much to tell you I just don't know where to start! The kids went back to school on Monday,  and it seems like all I've done since then is back books, write cheques, put dates into calendars and shout a lot.
I had big plans to write a long chatty post about last weekend, which included a World Movie premiere on Friday, (Yes, its true! My blog is now SO famous that I'm being asked along to premieres), and then another one all about what we got up to on my sister's hen night last Saturday... But I just haven't had a chance, and now there's a whole lot of other stuff coming up THIS weekend, and as you can probably gather, I'm all in a tizz. So I forced myself to sit down and  write something, rather than nothing at all.
First of all, the movie premiere (which Rory kept calling the Premiere Inn by mistake). It wasn't in Hollywood  (or even Holywood), because it was, in fact, a combined film project between our's and our neighbour's children. The actual movie was about half an hour long, and was made over the course of a year and then the editing process took a few weeks after that. There was a (somewhat loose) story line, plenty of fake fighting scenes and a good bit of general posing, but they did every bit of it themselves- even adding music and credits at the end.

Ready for her close up...

Premiere Night had been planned for months, was kindly hosted by our neighbour's, and I'm fairly certain that no more effort goes into the Oscars. The kids had all pooled money and bought decorations, cake and nibbles. They'd made passes and invitations for everyone and we were all given an assigned seat and instructions to dress up.
The starring actresses were in full evening dress, and the actors (much more reluctant about the whole 'dressing up' thing) were bullied into a shirt and jacket. During the afternoon, our sunroom was transformed into a beauty parlour - nails were painted and hair was teased into elaborate styles.
After the lights were dimmed, and silence called for, the movie was shown on a big projector screen. Afterwards, there were  photo ops and interviews with the stars.
A barbecue and dancing outside followed, and as an extra treat they all then slept outside in a tent, and enjoyed a midnight feast. It was a really lovely evening with family and friends, and a fitting end to a film project that had blessedly kept them all busy for many a long day. Filming has already begun on the next one.
The very next morning, it was time for my sister Clare's Hen. (Quick recap- she's getting married next week and there's TREMENDOUS excitement. My brother is coming home tomorrow from California specially with his fam, and our Anna, my other sister Mary and myself are bridesmaids.. (OKAY!! Matrons of Honour). Oh and Mary and I are also singing at the ceremony AND did I happen to mention that she's 9 months pregnant?! (NOT the sister getting married, the other one!)

Elegance Personified!

Anyway, back to the hen night. It was in the lovely medieval town of Carlingford, about an hour from here, with cobble streets (NO friend to killer heels), lots of wee pubs and great music. We stayed in the fabulous Ghan House, where we started with a champagne reception and then had a 3 course meal served in a private dining room, and then after the obligatory cheeky hen games, off we all clipped to paint Carlingford red.(Even my mum and aunt came along for the meal, although they were gently but firmly shifted on to bed before the Hen games began).
During the day,  we went to Carlingford Adventure Centre, which I was SURE wouldn't be my cup of tea, and I'm not saying that I would necessarily choose it over shoe shopping, but it turned out to be great fun. I even did zorbing -  it wasn't initially planned but a few of us threw caution and dignity to the winds and bounced downhill in a giant bouncy ball just for the craic of it.

The Merry Hens

Getting into the ball was the hardest part. There's 2 holes on either side  and for balance sake you and your zorbing partner have to throw yourselves into the ball in opposite directions, at the same time, and then get strapped in.
When I heard this, I wanted to back out then and there- I mean that hole was bloody small-I knew that there was NO possible way I was going to be able to just 'throw myself in'. But he refused point blank to let me go in feet first and if I didn't at least try, then poor Julie would have been partnerless!
Well, all I can say is, thank God there's no photo evidence, because believe me when I say that it wasn't my finest hour. At the count of three, Julie popped elegantly through, while Tinky Winky here got stuck in the hole so had to be shoved through (rather roughly) from behind. To add insult to injury, I then fell into the ball headfirst and found myself lying like a crab on my back, on the  bottom of this giant sphere. I was desperately trying to work out how to somehow get myself up and into the straps, when I got a cramp. It was utterly mortifying.
 Julie, by now efficiently strapped in, was laughing down at me, while the two instructors peered through each hole in disbelief, that someone could be so completely uncoordinated and inept. FINALLY when I could move, I somehow managed to shuffle upwards and backwards into my harness. That's when the fun really began- Check us out and listen carefully for the squeals!






So, all in all,  I think that we gave Her Ladyship a good old send off and now we're on the count down to the big day itself! Which happens to include a dress fitting for Yours Truly tomorrow......so say a wee prayer that the zip goes up! Laterssssssssssssxxxx

The Best of Times

Oh my goodness me!! I'm as excited as I've ever been... Even more than when I FINALLY got a certain son, (no names J), potty trained. Even more than when Chris de Burgh sat on my knee while he crooned 'Lady in Red' in my ear. This is big - really BIG!!
Turning on my bashed up iPhone on this morning, I had a 'Congratulations' tweet from a fellow blogger - the fab Sarah -and to cut a very long story short, after a bit of too-ing and fro-ing, and checking and rechecking....and rechecking again, I found out that I've been nominated in two categories for the MAD Blog Awards!
Peeps, this is like the Oscars for blogs, so you can just call me frickin' Angelina Jolie. (Just today, humour me!) I couldnt believe it!  Still can't actually, and I'm almost afraid to even look at all the other finalists because I KNOW they'll be tote amaze but, you know what? Right now, I don't even care!
 One of the very first things that I did do was to phone my mum. Now, just to put you in the picture, she and the whole Interweb thing don't really see eye to eye- she once did a 10 week course on basic computer skills and announced, at the end, that all she now knew was how to use the mouse. End of. So to say that she's a bit baffled by the whole 'blogging' concept is an understatement. I mean, she still hasn't actually managed to access my blog, ('Is that all one big long word? What do you mean 'a slash?'), so, a while back I printed off a couple of my posts and to date, that's all she's ever read. But that didn't stop her making multiple copies, and then passing them out to friends, relations, neighbours, complete strangers..anyone actually.
Anyway, I rang her this morning and she answered the phone with a terse ' Is that you Emma?', which of course it was and SHE knew it was too, because it said so on her phone.
'Yes mummy, is everything OK? You sound a bit funny.'
She actually sounded like she was doing some kind of surveillance work, possibly undercover, but as it turned out, she was merely in the dentist's waiting room, which was apparently jampacked with eariwiggers, hence the loud whispering.  When I explained to her why I was phoning, she was (quietly) thrilled and I suspect still slightly baffled, but she totally got the whole trip to London thing. Then gathering herself, and in typical 'mammy' fashion, she put me over it all again.
'Okay, I'm writing this down now- tell me again, how many were nominated? And how many are finalists? And you're doing what exactly? I'm meeting your auntie M later, and I want all the facts in front of me'. Then, with a cheery ' I always said you should have done English A level!', off she went, to get her filling replaced.
I've been on a high all day myself- it doesn't matter that it's pissing down outside, or that in my excitement,  I broke two eggs and spilt fabric softener all over the floor, because I'm a FINALIST- Moi!  I even caught myself humming the stirring 'One Moment in Time' and I HATE that song!
I DID have a mini panic for about five minutes when I thought,  'FTLOG,  what if they actually MEANT it for 'AdventuresofasuperfitmotherIjustmadeitup' and I'll get a tweet saying 'Sorry, we're taking it back but here's a balloon instead.' But then I thought, 'Feck it, they'll have to (virtually) prise it from my cold dead fingers first!'
The truth is though, in this rambling, overexcited, roundabout way, what I'm actually trying to say is thank you very very very much,  because if YOU hadn't bothered your arse nominating me all those weeks ago, I wouldn't be reclining on this very cloud right now. I certainly wouldn't be dreaming of a Finalist badge glittering to your right hand side, or of a September trip to London, and now there's even the teensiest possibility of *whispering now* winning!  And yes, at a later stage, I'll probably beg, plead, cajole and even bribe you into voting again.... and I hope you will....but honestly, right here and now, is more than I ever dreamt of anyway, and I'm so very grateful to you for it. Oh dear...I think I feel another song coming on......