Tag Archives: summer

Valium and the Summer Holidays..

I like the summer holidays. I do.

I like living by the beach – especially when we have summers like this one – because the age-old question in Ireland of ‘WTF am I going to do with them all summer?!’ is easily answered by packing everyone off to the seaside for a long, lazy day.

I like the ‘no school’ buzz – the NOT having to get so much done by 8.45am before battling the car parking and the wrestling with tired and uncooperative kids, bags and uniforms and F*CKING homework and reminders about fundraisers and half days and head lice alerts…

I like the casual drinking. The ‘sure we’re on summer holidays, aren’t we?’ as we chug spritzers at 3pm and ‘test’ new ciders because it’s an official summer drink.

We had the VIP treatment at Chapter One recently thanks to our friend Daniel who is the manager there!

I like the bra-and-shoeless-ness of it all – wearing vest tops and flip flops forever is my idea of absolute heaven.

I like getting into the garden finally – painting a few windowsills and popping a little flower pot on them that I will ultimately forget to water makes me feel like the house is somewhat in order. Yes, I am officially peak ole wan. I know you know that.

But. BUT! I would love the kid’s summer holidays so much more if I didn’t have other shit to do.

Like work. Like deal with my car and the NCT nonsense. Like make a doctor’s appointment. Like go see The Snapper at The Gate (ok I figured that one out – and it’s bloody brilliant!)

The 8 weeks off means that, unless you have the privilege of paying for childcare, summer camps or some helpful friends or family members around to give you a dig out… you literally have to put everything on hold until September.

At the moment, I’m doing most of my work when the kids are in bed or after Ass Monkey comes home from work. At 6 and 4, they are very cute and all but JESUS CHRIST they need so much attention.

I’m happy to give it to them. I’m happy to spend lazy days at the beach, swimming and eating sand-infused sandwiches.

I’m happy to have breakfast in the treehouse and snooze together in the hammock.

I’m happy to kick footballs around the green and go for long walks in the woods.

I know theses are the memories that my kids will carry with them forever.

But we could have done all that in about one month, couldn’t we?! There’s no way I can get my hands on enough valium to last me another 4 weeks… ;o)

Summer (Not Going On) Holidays Update: The Kids Are Alright

We’re not going abroad this summer for a family holiday for a number of reasons.

Firstly, there’s no way on god’s grand earth that we can afford it, what with the ole house extension taking over the first half of the year, and the ole wedding taking up the rest of it.

The irony is, that with those two major events taking place, we NEED a holiday, but we have to suck up the fact that we simply aren’t having one.

The main problem with not getting away is worrying whether you’re depriving the kids of some major life event that everyone else seems to be enjoying, and when they grow up, will they always remember the summer of 2016 as “The year that we went bleedin’ NOWHERE”?

Our two and four year-olds are fine – they’re not on Facebook or Instagram and so can’t see all the pics and vids of crystal blue waters and sandy beaches that all you fuckers are taunting me with (no, seriously, I’m not one bit happy for you).

So here’s what we’re doing instead:

Fuck. All.

Jacob has been to one summer camp, and it was a strategic placement as it was in the new school that he’ll go to in September. It had to happen.

There has also been a weekend in Roscommon, to ‘Grandad’s Farm’ over the bank holiday.

After that, there have been strolls to our local beach and forest, visits to family and friends, ice cream every time the van rolls up our street and lots of their entertaining themselves while we continue to finish up our house and garden.

And you know what? They are FINE.

So if you, like us, are staying put this summer too, just remember – after a bottle of vanilla-infused vodka mixed with a few ice cubes, a dash of cranberry and OJ when the kids are gone to bed – you could be anywhere in the whole world.

Get in.

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(Via Pinterest)