(Picking up Lilia to head out for a playdate!)
Ok, this post will be a bit bare-bones. I've been absent for awhile - not for any great reason besides busy-ness and Ph.D.-related stress. Wayne just finished teaching for the semester, a couple days ago, so its as if our family has taken a collective sigh of relief. I think we did really well, throughout the most stressful bits but it's only afterward that you realize how swamped you've been. Hence not having a single weeknight where we didn't have some sort of work to do after Norah went to bed (helping Wayne to edit papers, him preparing for lectures, etc. etc.). So, in that way, I've been an absent and unreliable blogger but I hope you'll forgive me. :)
Hey! Here's a video to distract you:
Norah, practicing for the school play (oh, and she's Mary!)
Anywho, a few weeks ago, we found out about this indoor play place, not too far from us so Kirsten & I made the trek out there with Norah, Lilia and her newest babe, Rowan. Kirsten (my closest girlfriend here) just got a car so now we're mobile! Watch out Dublin. :) It was so fun! It's upstairs in this shopping complex, there are coffee shops downstairs (including Starbuck's) and it's only €5 for both kids!
They have one whole wall of bouncy-castles with doorways linking them together. It's heaven for 3 year olds! (even for adults, it's fun)
Then climbing structures with ball pits
Then we made a stop in Tesco (as you do) before heading back to Dun Laoghaire. Norah and Lilia were having a ball.
These two! I always hear them, "here, give me a kiss". :)
That weekend, Wayne, Norah and I took the bus up to Killiney Hill. This is about 1.5 miles from our place. They were having a Christmas Fair at the Killiney Hotel so we stopped in there, then took Norah to the epic Killiney Hill playground (looking down on Dun Laoghaire and the rest of Dublin), and then explored around the forest/park.
Norah, center, going across the zipline. Overlooking Dublin Bay and Dun Laoghaire, below.
Norah absolutely loves these things. (and they no longer make me nervous like they did when she was 2, or 2 1/2)
I took this one because it reminded me of her first ever ride in the swings. It was 2011 - she was 7 or 8 months old and it was super cute:
(Goldren Gardens, Seattle, February 2011)
At once that feels like not that long ago, and also, several lifetimes ago. I can hardly fathom that Norah-now is that same little being.
Looking for Killiney Hill Forest Fairies
Got mah stick
Aww this! This was a couple weeks ago in our Dun Laoghaire library. We've been coming here now for almost 2 years and this is the first time I came around the corner and Norah was silently reading books by herself. It was the best! (usually she's just making piles and bringing each one to me, begging me to read them to her)
Run in the Dark 10K race for Mark Pollock
http://www.markpollocktrust.org/
(an incredible man. I met him last year here in Dublin)
7,000 runners, waiting in the sub-zero temps for the race to start. (started 40 minutes late!)
Ten of us from the group stopped for one pint on the way home. (I'm having cider there, not a very, very light yellow beer) :)
Meeting Lilia at our new Starbuck's around the corner, for a coloring-date.
Frosting cookies together, after school.
Nana made this hat and mailed it all the way to us!
I loooove this store. If you ever want to get me a gift.......... :)
http://www.toilandglitter.com/ haha! (No, I'm 100% kidding, I took this photo because I wanted to show Sarah that Fox Scarf in the front) :)
I've seen this store since we arrived but have no business going in there. Such beautiful stuff.
Pumpkin Pies made with coconut milk! Yum!! (the crust though...(gluten-free) turned to crisp-bread. Not exactly the desired outcome)
Coconut whipped cream (whipping the cooled or frozen coconut milk fat from the can, discarding all the liquid). I have the recipe, but won't bore you with it here.
Homemade (gluten free) cornbread and (regular) bread :) sage and onion stuffing.
