I am Saying Happy 60th Daddy

Posted in Lifestyle, Uncategorized by Maria Rushe - Blogger and Writer

My Daddy is the King of the Whole Wide World.* (official title decreed by me)

And today my Daddy turns 60.

How fablis!

“Your parents are so young!” I hear this often. As Daddy turns 60, I see people’s brains doing the maths! It’s great that my parents are young. And yet while they had me when they were only 20, they were older than I am now when my youngest sister was born. And so my parents know what BOTH are like; to be young parents and to be not so young parents.

So which is best? Well that is for another post… but my Daddy Bear remains young in his antics and his heart!

Clowning around at our wedding!

I am blessed to still have both of my parents and even more blessed that they are young and healthy. Being 31 when Mini-Me was born, (and trust me, that was young enough for me!), I often shudder when I consider that when she is my age, I shall be 67. (I hope!) And to think that I’ll be 72 when Princess reaches where I am now, puts the fear of God in me. I just hope I’m still around to annoy them!

And so my wee Daddy, who is the ABSOLUTE King of my world, is 60. He is my rock. He is my guiding light. Sometimes, he has been my truth barer and by GOD has he had the brunt of it with me. He has done EVERYTHING for the 6 of us. He still busts himself every day to provide for us. He works harder than any other man I know and he has taught me every single thing that I know.

The main things he taught me?

If you want it, work for it, earn it, deserve it. (Yup!)
Your morning is your day. (as she types at 5.30am!)
Remember who has the problem. (There’s the elixer of life in a single sentence right there. Make it your mantra.)

There is no one in the world who can talk sense into me like Daddy. I am his double in every way. We have had epic fun and we have had epic battles. What happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force? Well, eventually the unstoppable force realises that the immovable object is usually right and that she should just have listened to him in the first place. The minute I realised that Daddy was and is usually right, my life became easier instantly! What a waste of teenage angst eh?

Not only is he the best Daddy in the world, there is no Granda in the world as much in love with his Grandkids as he is. He is so like MY Granda, his Daddy, who was the centre of our world. And he is idolised and adored by his little herd of kiddies. He is strong and kind and genuine and amazing.

He is my Daddy and I am the luckiest girl in the world. (and he loves me more than he does the other 5. He’s loved me the longest like!)

Happy Birthday my Daddy Bear. Here’s to the rest.

17Apr2018

I am Some Chilling Facts Mum

Posted in parenting, Uncategorized by Maria Rushe - Blogger and Writer

“And that’s how valleys were made!” says Daddy, utterly proud of himself as he helps Mini-Me into her carseat. He’s just had her looking over one of Donegal’s most beautiful valleys, The Poison Glen.

Look at meeeeee Daddy!

They’ve stood out, looking and pointing and chatting, with Daddy being ‘the business’, informing her, teaching her, being the Daddy of all knowledge, and her little ears taking it all in. I’ve been in the car with a sleeping Princess who quite frankly couldn’t give a hoot about anything other than when she next gets to eat or sleep.

He straps himself in and starts to drive.

‘Did the Ice-age really happen then?’ she asks, still wide eyed.

‘It did indeed.’ he answers smugly.

‘When like?’

‘Oh Millions of years ago.’

I’m enjoying this. It’s nice having someone else answer her questions! It reminds me of when I was her age and my Daddy knew EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING too. I was in awe of him. (I still am.)

The Him’s enjoying it too. He smiles his handsome smile at me as he stops at a junction. Superdaddy…

‘Millions of years ago Daddy? Really?’ There’s doubt in her voice/

‘Yep. Millions and millions of years ago…’

‘And was it really cold?’

‘It was. So cold that everything was covered in ice!’

(I know what’s coming in the way that only a Mammy can know what’s coming…)

‘So did Granny have to buy you a warmer coat?’

And just like that, his ice bubble was shattered into millions of pieces. It’s amazing how quickly thathandsome smile can be replaced by Grumpy grump!

I turned up the heating. It was suddenly quite chilly in the car…

16Apr2018

I am Shopping with Him Mum

Posted in Lifestyle, parenting, Uncategorized by Maria Rushe - Blogger and Writer

The weekly shop.

The middle aisle of shite…

When Mammy does the weekly shop, all ingredients and things required to fulfill the meal plan for the family for the week shall be acquired as economically and quickly as possible.

Mammy knows which shop sells what and where the best place to buy kidney beans is.

Mammy can walk into Aldi-Everything and fill the trolley without really having to think too much about it. We’re creatures of habit in our house see, the weekly menu doesn’t change much, and so even if I’m distracted, or in a hurry, or just knackered to the point of Mombie, Mammy automatically reaches for the usual and will always leave quite content that she can feed her minions for the next 5-7 days.

When DADDY goes into Aldi-everything however, while the shopping list will be acquired (mostly…how he misses the eggs everytime, I shall never know…), there is also a 100% chance that we might also acquire some new gadget or item which is completely unnecessary and altogether superfluous. Leaf blowers, power drills, strange shaped batteries, and paint… none of which taste good in a chilli con carne… have all be purchased alongside the nappies and bananas.

When I have the girls with me, I spend my time hissing things like “Put that watermelon down please”, “We don’t need wool and knitting needles” and “Would you come away from the sweets please.”

When we ALL go to do the shopping, which is rare in fairness, it is a fun experience for Mammy.

I get to say things like “Put that ski gear down please.” (We have NEVER been skiing and it is not something that is on the cards for us, like, ever.) “We don’t need a power washer” and “Would you come away from the countertop fridges please. We HAVE a fridge.”

In fairness, I don’t even see the middle aisle usually. I see the peppers and mushrooms and binbags. But for Himself, the joy of a tilecutter across from the breadsticks is utterly intriguing…and baffling.

It’s always fun seeing what he’ll bring home when he does the shopping however. And aren’t I lucky to have a Him who does help out a bit with the boring weekly tasks?

Now, does anyone have a recipe for Paint Stroganoff?

12Apr2018

I am Strapping her in Mum

Posted in parenting, Uncategorized by Maria Rushe - Blogger and Writer

To the Lady in the Car.

I know that right now, it does not look like it, but yes, yes they ARE my children. I am not trying to kidnap them.

Yes it may look like I am a stranger, dragging them against their will to a world unknown, to torture and penance, but trust me, the only one enduring torture and penance at this particular moment, is me. (and perhaps your eardrums.)

I am not a stranger however. I am their Mammy. I carried each of them in my stretched womb for 76 months… I have loved, fed, clothed and nurtured them since their births, and I spend the entirety of my existence working to provide for them, both spiritually and physically. Sometimes, mentally too, but that’s mostly Me. I have paper to prove that these little ones, who right now are screaming and hollering so much that I forgive your raised eyebrow, ARE INDEED MINE. I also have the stretchmarks and ruined ladybits as a receipt.

Right now, as I fight with my Twoublemaker to get her into the car seat in the car that they know well as ours, I wonder if I had an ACTUAL receipt, would some shop take them back…even just for ten minutes? Her plank is stronger than any grown Man in our Jim, and her ability to remain in said position despite Mammy’s manipulation, begging and near force, is fecking ridiculous. While she refuses to allow her arse onto HER car seat, the 6 year old wails because apparently going home with the woman who feeds and clothes and loves her, is a punishment worse than anything imaginable. She too, is crying. WHY? Fecked if I know…

What I do know however, is that to a stranger, it looks like the crazy sweaty woman in her honking gym gear has randomly pulled up to the childcare and lifted the first two children she bumped into. It looks like I am a monster, determined to steal them to sell them for rubies or diamonds…or gin or something.

And as I finally force, (not gonna lie, she didn’t go gently…), my uberstrong fartypants into her seat and strap the crying one into hers, I get into MY seat to start the car. I turn off the radio as I can’t hear it over the pair of them anyway. One is now asking why it is not Friday so she can have a treat, and the miniest one is screaming “POP POP POP” at the top of her strapped in little lungs. I look across and see you smile at my sympathetically and I wonder if your children also like to play the “Let’s make her lose the will to live as she straps us in the car” game. I believe it is their way of expressing their love for me… They love me dearly, they do.

We begin the long journey home, to the house where YES we do all live together, and of course, after approximately 35 metres, both of the little feckers are singing and chattering away in the back seat as if NOTHING has just happened.

I imagine them high-fiving each other behind my back, their eyebrows communicating in secret code, “Go us… we’ve made the wench pay. Now, let’s work on getting pizza for tea.”

“What’s for tea Mammy?”

“Brocolli”.

Take that Bitcheepoo. (Yes, they’re getting pizza… )

Sincerely in nappies and gin,

Mammy

Funny how Jessie and Woody don’t freak out on HER when she’s strapping them into her “car, isn’t it?

11Apr2018

I am Some Things I Once Thought Mum

Posted in Uncategorized by Maria Rushe - Blogger and Writer

The S-Mum

10 things I thought before I had kids:
1. I shall never shout at my child: Oh you will you know. Actually, it’s more a case of shouting at yourself really, because if you are having to shout at all, chances are that you’ve reached that wonderful stage where the little minions have decided to ignore every single fricken word you say, until you are screaming it at the top of your lungs like a mad woman. And do you know what else? Even THEN, they’ll probably not listen to you.
2. I shall love my child unconditionally always. Yes, indeed. But that doesn’t mean that you have to LIKE them unconditionally or always.
3. I will never have to deal with a tantrum in a shop: Oh yes you will. The 30 seconds of your Minion’s meltdown will feel like an HOUR and even though no one is…

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