O’s birthday is coming up and here he is in our sunny morning kitchen planning his purchases for us.
He has changed his mind about the Nigerian World Cup jersey, and now wants the Argentina one.
“The Nigeria one is lovely and all, but it’ll be so hard to get …”
He pulls up a picture of the famous light blue and white-striped Albicelestes jersey, this time with white sleeves, on his phone. The phone with the battered screen (luckily he is not pressing us on the phone front)
We are sitting back on the couch, watching the show, listening to the sales pitch.
He’s hard to resist, our boy.
“Cool, isn’t it?”
There is method in this too as he knows Messi and the boys will last longer than the Super Eagles in the grand football fest in Russia.
O is talking faster and faster, his excitement mounting, all the while drag-rolling a football over and back with his bare foot as he stands there in his shrinking Manchester United dressing-gown, blond hair tumbling over one eye.
So hard to resist.
“And I need a controller for my PlayStation … and those Astros we said we were getting (he said, we just agreed) … and some Fortnite stuff …”
A and I smile at each other as he continues, him spinning the ball, or the ball spinning him … it’s hard to tell now, he’s talked himself up into such a pitch of purchasing possibilities.
A prancin’ and a chancin’
He’s a bit of a mathematician, our boy, and is totting up what he reckons all this will cost, item by item. All faux precision.
He knows, and we know, his total estimate is somewhat on the short side.
I have writing stuff to do upstairs, so I stand up to exit.
While we are still in the black.
“I better get to work … I haven’t even left the kitchen and we are broke already …”
It’s been a nice few days … finally some proper summer weather, and a gorgeous breeze is wafting in from the garden, through the opened patio doors.
A Mom and Dad could easily get carried away on the wafting wind and on our boy’s fervour.
Could so easily feel all is well in the world.
And for the last few days it has been.
K and her gal pals had a big night out on the Friday, a school disco for first and second years in Wright’s, THE venue on Dublin’s northside.
Any excuse will do, but this one was celebrating the end of their school exams and school year.
Any excuse will do, but this one was celebrating the end of their school exams and school year.Any excuse will do, but this one was celebrating the end of their school exams and school year.Any excuse will do, but this one was celebrating the end of their school exams and school year.
We had tried to use the purchase of her ticket well in advance as leverage to ensure much less backchat and hostile behaviour.
It had worked … to a point.
But her excitement all last week was infectious and we just loved seeing our girl so enthusiastic and animated. Even if far more thought was being given to the disco than to her exams.
Of course it cost us a fortune … a new skirt and top … make-up … fake tan … money for McDonalds afterwards … and all sorts of incidentals.
Oh yes, the new shoes online and every day, the interrogation:
“You definitely ordered them, Dad?
“When will they arrive … ?
When the feckin’ things finally came she never told me, just straight upstairs with the three girls who had taken up semi-permanent residence in her upstairs apartment.
I only guessed that was what the doorbell ringing and “thank you” was about. The courier delivering the golden slippers.
Slippers? Vertigo, way to go! The precipitation of the heels put me in mind of those mind-altering, cheek-wobbling, death-baiting rollercoasters in Alton Towers.
The Smiler, that was the one that had particularly blanched my knuckles and puckered my bum cheeks when we went there with O’s football team.
I would not describe the expression on my face in that photo we purchased afterwards as a smile. More a trying not to whimper grimace.
It really was lovely to hear K and her pals; the exams over, and the YouTube on full blast as they hung out in her room, singing along to stuff I had never heard of, at the top of their laughing,screeching voices.
Luckily this wasn’t their first disco, so I was much more relaxed about the minuscule bra tops and bands of material passing for the skirts they almost wore.
They were all together in it, and we knew it was a well-run, well-organised affair, strictly for their age group, and we were like US presidential top security as we planned every moment of the evening from pick up to drop off to collection.
The outfits were a bit of a jaw-dropper, but somehow seeing them all together, with their fake tan, heavy eyebrows, and little tops and skirts, all variations on the same theme, they just looked more like little girls dressing up than junior femme fatales, dicing with stuff they were not ready for.
Dancin’ girl and prancin’ boy: what other deleriums and delusions will the wafting wind blow into our summer kitchen?
All aboard the Smiler: hold on to our seats and enjoy the ride!
- If you enjoyed what you have just read, try another one! Try them all! Seriously, follow my blog and you won’t miss out again. Thanks for reading
Reflections from Me
Reflections from Me
Reflections from Me
EndaStories 
Our little girl’s performance is coming up soon! So much to do and prepare! #lgrtstumble
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But exciting too?
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Yes very exciting. Tomorrow I learn how to do full face makeup on a 7 year old!
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Didn’t know what to expect from that featured image 😁
It’s amazing how our kids do try chance that extra gift, though I remember doing it, and upgrading the cost.
It’s about cost expectation, start high and work down to what you want.
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In fairness he is usually somewhat cost conscious .. he just got a bit carried away!
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Stopping by again from #dreamteam
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Ah this is lovely!! I do like getting swept up in their enthusiasms! #triumphanttales
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It’s very easy isn’t it? ☺
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That photo is one of the creepiest things I’ve seen in a while. The post made me roar with laughter though!
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And thanks. I think the pic goes some way to capturing how I feel on rollercoasters! 😱☺
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I love the way kids try to get just a bit more mine always do haha! #triuuphanttales
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For sure, Nige… mine could never be assured of lacking ambition!!!☺
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It’s really hard to buy them gifts at this age because they want so much and usually each item costs the allocated budget! Hope the disco went well – my teen seems to have lost interest, I’m not too distressed about that now! And what is it with the hugely dark eyebrow craze at the moment??? #lgrtstumble
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Toys which then lead to gifts which then lead to electronics – there is always so much ‘wanting’ in parenting! Hilarious post, and sheds light on what parenting will be a couple years hence for us:) Thanks for joining us at #itsok
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Thank you so much
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I feel this is a glimpse into my future. I’ll be sure to watch Endastories with interest for tips! #itsok
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Tips!!! If I only knew the secrets I’d be better than Harry Potter
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Kids are so interesting with their changing wants and needs #thatfridaylinky
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They sure are!!!
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Happy house 🙂
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The over excitement of childhood is definitely infectious and it is sad to have to disappoint them. Thanks for linking up with #globalblogging
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Oh we will always do that, disappoint them, and not always intentionally! Thanks for commenting
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Oh, don’t they just grow up so fast? It sounds like a lovely time in your house at the moment. Thanks for sharing with #TriumphantTales, we’d love to see you back again on Tuesday!
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I will return!!! Thanks again Jaki
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The end of the school year has been very busy around here too. No birthdays (Thank goodness) but lots of activities and field trips to last a lifetime:) #ABloggingGoodTime
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Busy, or too busy? Summer holidays for second level kids here are nearly three months long!!! TG for the World Cup. For our boy, at least!
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Definitely too busy lol
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Oh gosh I am picturing my daughter in this story and slightly freaking OUT!!!! I am not ready for this, but what I am ready for I realise won’t be a factor, soon this will be her. The tops are already getting shorter and make up is being applied before parties now, but so far I have managed to avoid short skirts. Always enjoy your posts! Thank you for sharing this post #ablogginggoodtime
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Thank you Mackenzie!
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My brother helped to design The Smiler for Alton Towers. But I don’t think it’s really my thing! Haha.
I love this comment – “the skirts they almost wore.” – it made me smile as I remember my own dad saying something similar! And the bit about your boy totting up the costs “roughly” – that sounds pretty familiar too!
I’ve been thinking this for a while, but your writing style is very different to most of the posts I read – you have a wonderful knack for painting the details and little nuances of family life. A great read. #blogcrush
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Oh my gosh … I’m not sure I want to meet your brother after what he put me through … once on the Smiler was one time too many for me!! He he!Thanks so much for your lovely comments.
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Lucy mentioned what a great read your blog is so I was pleased when this post ended up on my pile for #thesatsesh linky this week and I was not disappointed. I love how vividly you pain the picture of family life with a tween and a teen. Your boy, though older than mine, sounds similar in the way he gets excited about puchases and totting up the cost of things. I hope your daughter had a great time. The comment about the shoes and fake tan made me smile!
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Thank you so much for your lovely comments
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The football fever is catching all of us. I am not an Argentina fan but somehow I love their jersey. #blogcrush
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My boy will be wearing his birthday Argentina jersey when they kick-off their World Cup against Iceland tomorrow!
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That’s great.. I am in a bad mood as my favourite Italy did not qualify this time 😪😪😪
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We will all miss Italy at the World Cup!!
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My daughter is 12 and is exactly the same when it comes to presents and I know she will be the same as your daughter when she reaches her age too and wants to go out to parties and things! #blogcrush
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A busy time!!
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Hi Enda, I’m popping back again but from #blogcrush this time! It is a battle in this household with the crop tops too, the size of which seem to be inversely proportional to the weight of the makeup that ‘needs’ to be applied. And the gift buying always stresses me out knowing I’ll never be able to match their wish list. I hope O had a good birthday!
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It’s next week … he will; he is pretty easy to please. Mind you, he won’t have done bad! Thanks Liberty
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Kiddies are funny little things #BlogCrush
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Oh my gosh, this was like a sneak peek into my future! My little boy is 2 and I’m, 37 weeks pregnant with a little girl! lol …I’ve all this as well as an empty purse to look forward to!! 🙂 #BC
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Ah, now there’s countless positives .. they’re just not as much fun to write about!!
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