Halloween through the years ...

Halloween

Emily went to a party tonight so I was quite dissapointed that we never got to go "Trick or Treating", but at least we still had the kids come round to our house.  I had to go and pick her up at 8:00 PM from the party and of course they were all hyped up on sugar!  But it was so weired driving along the road and seeing people everywhere dressed up, I guess this is the first time I have ever been out driving on Halloween.  Going up Milltown road there was a guy dressed as a Gladiator walking down the road, with not a care in the world as if it was his normal form of dress.  Lots of girls dressed as witches and cats, and I saw some hippies too - then on the way home from Sonny's house we stopped at the spar in Milltown to get a bottle of water and there were 4 guys going in to buy booze, they were all dressed up but for the life of me I can only remember the one dressed as a banana as Em made such a fuss over him, laughing and pointing ha! ha! a banana ;) it was fun, I think next year we will have to go to town and see all the party goers! 

Derrick carved a pumpkin for the first time in his life and honestly did quite a good job I thought, we didn't get to go and see all the houses decorated, but maybe in the morning we will take a walk, all in all it was a good day - hope you had a good halloween.

Oh yes I was going to tell you about the party Emily went to, well Sonny and her were both at the creche in Milltown from the time they were a few months old, then when they left in July last year to start school, Sonny went to a school in Ranalegh and Em of course went to JS, so they have not seen each other for about a year, his mom invited Em over and they went to a party at Sam's house who is another kid that was at Creche with them from a baby and ended up with a few kids Connor and Shay who were all at creche with her, so she had an absolute ball.  I think she has just had the best week ever.

Happy Birthday Honey

At least I know you might look at my blog, just wishing you a wonderful birthday and a super day today - we will celebrate over the week-end.

La breithe sona duit!

Gelukkig Verjaarsdag!



Lots of Love
Rosie & Em

Invictus: A movie we all have to see

Dionne Bromfield and Amy Winehouse on Strictly come dancing

Dionne Bromfield

If you haven't heard her she is fabulous, Amy Winehouses's Goddaughter who is going to be a BIG star one day, listen to this song on youtube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb0c7frwlKo unfortunately the embedding has been disabled, it is called "Foolish little girl", here is another one she sings "Mamma Said", I am off to get her album now.l

Good Morning

Mr Damo & Dr Tam's wedding

Wow, what a wedding the whole week had been such a rush with things going on that by Thursday both D and I were exhausted, we arrived at the hotel about 15 minutes before the bus was leaving for the Castle, so we had to hurry - we had dropped Cormac off at his B& B and said we would see him at 2, however when we got to the hotel they told us that the bus was leaving at 1:45, so D phoned Cormac and told him to Gigga, he wasn't sure what that meant but go the just of it.

We arrived at the Castle and were ushered into a little Chapel down from the castle, there were 3 guys serenading everyone. The ceremony was supposed to start at 2:30 but as brides are fashionably late, I think it only started at about 3. There were no hymns, no readings from the bible and the only religious aspect of the wedding was the fact that there was a bishop and he said a prayer.

Tam's sister did a reading from Captain Corelli's Mandolin:

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Louis de Bernieres

Love is a temporary madness,

It erupts like volcanoes and then subsides.

And when it subsides you have to make a decision.

You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together

that it is inconceivable that you should ever part.

Because this is what love is.

Love is not breathlessness,

it is not excitement,

it is not the promulgation of eternal passion.

That is just being "in love" which any fool can do.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away,

and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.

Those that truly love, have roots that grow towards each other underground,

and when all the pretty blossom have fallen from their branches,

they find that they are one tree and not two.

The ceremony was soon over and we all left to go up to the castle, for a champagne reception while the Bride, Groom and family had their photos taken. The three guys that had serenaded everyone going into the church, were now doing renditions of Metallica, Queen and Britney spears - there songs ranged from classical to heavy metal they were absolutely brilliant.

Everything was perfect, we eventually went through to the reception area at about 5:30, the meal was awesome and once the meal was finished the speeches started which were far from boring. They then cut the cake and the first dance was a ballad from Metallica. Well very un-traditional and wonderful.
We eventually got back to the hotel at about 3:00 am and then of course it was an ABF with friends before we went up to bed, so needless to say I think we crawled into bed at about 4 a.m. after the best time I have had in a very very long time!!! No doubt the bride and groom will just be happy forever!

Good Morning

The groom and his mates

Well as the big Wedding day approaches on Thursday, I found this picture on Owen's website: http://owenhiggins.xanga.com/ , do you think the Groom looks nervous (his the one on the left) naaaa, it's all a piece of cake, by the way Owen is the best man and we are guests!!!!

Friends

My dear friend Cheryl was in Dublin for the week-end and it was so good catching up after over 5 years!

I need a holiday ...

Yes, go on laugh!  This week was just so hectic that I really felt that I had not had a break.  By the way the weather has been absolutely fantastic since we got back at the end of August, we have had 2 months with very little wet weather, but let me not jinx it now.

Monday my good friend M came over from London and spent the night, she had a meeting at her head office in Tallaght on Tuesday so we had the pleasure of her company on Monday and went through all our holiday photos on the Big screen TV.  Then Tuesday D's friends folks were here from SA, so they kindly offered to take a parcel back for us and they popped in.  Wednesday I had a hair appointment in the evening, Thursday D now does Ballroom dancing, and today Friday, they had an art exhibition at Em's school, and then what they did was they took a painting from each kid and had it framed, they exhibited them all for everyone to see and then you could buy the painting and the money goes to help towards the upkeep of the school, very good idea I thought.  

I then had to go to the Garda Station because I lost my GNIB card and am now having hassles again, would you believe it - long story, then D had a hair appointment tonight so only got home late and then I got a message from a friend of mine tonight to say that she is arriving in Dublin tomorrow from London and I haven't seen her since Emily was about 10 months old and to top it all it is her birthday, so I guess if I am going to see her I have to get a present.  I also have an appointment at the spa and
if that is not enough, I need to find shoes and a jacket to go with my dress for the wedding on Thursday, talking of which Damo and the boys decided at 2 PM that there were drinks at Smyths, which I am obviously not at because I am sitting here blogging away on a Friday evening, but I am exhausted and there is still the washing that needs to be done.

So ... that has been my week, my boss was in all week except today and he promised to sit down with me on Thursday and go through the project plan as I am only in 3 days next week, but there was some crisis and I did not even get to speak to him, so have been battling my way through SQL statements and think I have done pretty well, but nothing is working at the moment. (If that makes any sense). I sent him 2 emails and he did not reply to either, oh well.

Oh yes one more crisis, we arranged for Em to go and stay with her adopted Grandparents on Thursday night as we have booked into a hotel close to the wedding venue, so I she is fetching Em from School on Thursday, but now they sent home a pamphlet to say that they are going to a church service and they must all be picked up from the church, so need to arrange that still, better put it on my list of things to do!

Best thing about next week though is that I am off work Thursday and Friday and the Monday is a Bank Holiday so nice looooooooooong week-end, the following week I am working full day doing testing at the project site, so I have booked Em into a new holiday care centre in Donnybrook and she is so looking forward to it because they really have some great activities, I got an email from them today and the list is as follows:

o Tuesday: Cinema.
o Wednesday: Book of Kells.
o Thursday: Natural History Museum.
o Friday: Soft Play/Herbert Park.
The afternoon is filled with age appropriate arts and crafts (pumpkin craving) and baking etc.

I really want to be a kid again, on the Friday they will more than likely have a dress up Halloween party as well as Saturday is Halloween, talking of witch, I mean which I had better decorate the house and go and buy sweets, actually that will just have to wait for next week-end!  Too much to do and so little time and next week is just as crazy as this week! 

Will update you with photos form the wedding next week, have a fab week-end everyone and I will tell you all about the week-end on Sunday Night.

Maxine on Work

My best email for the day ... Three Pints of Guinness

Patrick walks into a bar in Dublin, orders three pints of Guinness and
sits in the corner of the room, drinking a sip out of each pint in turn.
When he had finished all three, he went back to the bar and ordered three more.

The barman says, "You know a pint goes flat soon after I pull it .... your
pint would taste better if you bought one at a time."

Patrick replies, "Well now, I have two brodders, one is in America and de
odder in Australia and here I am in Dublin. When we all left home, we
promised dat we'd drink dis way to remember de days we all drank togedder."

The barman admits that this is a nice custom and says no more.
Patrick becomes a regular customer and always drinks the same way ...
ordering three pints and drinking a sip out of each in turn, until they
are finished. One day, he comes in and orders just two pints. All the
other regulars in the bar notice and fall silent.

When he goes back to the bar for the second round, the barman says, "I
don't want to intrude on your grief but I wanted to offer my condolences on your great loss."

Patrick looks confused for a moment, then the penny drops and he starts to laugh, "Oh no," he says, "Bejesus, everyone is fine! Tis me ... I've quit drinking!"

Today's Best Email

Our Little Darling

Sometimes we don't realise just how precious our little ones are until they get sick and are little angels that need extra special looking after.  Em was home with Tonsilitis at the begining of this week and I thought I would post some pictures that were taken during the month after we got back.

From top with the balloon is Em not talking to me "in a huff", Em with the birthday present from Kelly, showing Lisa how the ladies in the grass skirts danced in Tahiti, Grubby girl home from school and we so want a real kitty cat, and lastly in her halloween costume that Tracy and the girls gave her!

And "I" Quote ...

You have the right to remain silent, anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you!

Thanks for that Sam ...

BMW Ad directed by Guy Ritchie

This Ad with Madonna and Clive Owen direct by Guy Ritchie is absolutely Brilliant, worth a watch.

This weeks play list

Because I have been spending more and more time in the car now, I have decided to put the time to good use and listen to the hundred's of CD's that we have in our cabinet here at home - This weeks play list included:

Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
Robbie Williams - Sing while you're swinging
Jim Croce - Best of
Ge Korsten - Double CD of all his greatest hits (D thinks I have definitly lost it)
Bee Gees

Any suggestions as to what I should listen to next week!

Jeremy Taylor

Jeremy Taylor said he worked at a school in the Southern Suburbs of Johannesburg and wanted to write a song in their own lingo .... hey, I come from the Southern Suburbs and I don't talk like this ...

Night Out

The thing that makes a good evening is not only the venue, but the company as well.  Tonight was my first night out since being back in Ireland, I met my friends Andrea, Bob, Damo and Trish at a really nice restaurant called Salamanca - I hadn't seen AB&D since the lat time we went out in June and it was so nice catching up. 

What I love about meeting up with them is, we get the Goss out the way about the old company and then start talking about everything from the political situation in Ireland, to the Lisbon treaty to everything that is happening in the world - and of course tonights focus was mainly on Damo's wedding, it's 3 weeks today that he gets married and naturally he is so excited.

Seeing as the girls weren't invited to the Stag we are going to throw Damo a stag in about 2 weeks time, should be fun although I heard mentions of darts and Howth and Luas Pub Crawls, so could get very rough.  Time for bed ... g'night.