First Full Week in School was a SUCCESS!!!

The children have all had their first full week of school here. I definitely would call it a success! L loves her preschool and asks everyday if she needs to get dressed for school. I only sent her 3 days this week. I just don't think I can do the full 5 days a week but I know she would love to go everyday. L has been singing the songs she learns with all the hand motions. Her favorite day this week was when they got to make rice crispy treats with chocolate. L said her job was the mixing! The montessori method is just perfect for L.

T has been adjusting very well and has been doing incredible in picking up the Gaelic language. He almost knows the whole Our Father in Gaelic and most of the body parts. He is a bit behind in math here but I knew ahead of time that the Irish were ahead in math. I'm still trying to understand his homework assignments because I dont know what things mean and they write a little differently here. A number 9 looks like a "q"and some of the letters look different. T loves having lots of boys to play with at school and they all seem to have welcomed him. 

K also has adjusted perfectly. She is quite the social child so she loves school and loves having all girls and NO boys! She seems to be doing fine in all her subjects but Gaelic is very hard for her. I keep telling K that these children have all been learning it since they were 4 years old. In Ireland they educate the children very well in Gaelic so that they know it as a second language. There are many parts of Ireland especially in the country that still only speak Gaelic. They also have many schools even all around here that are "Gaelic only" schools in that they teach all their classes in Gaelic. That seems like it would be so hard!

Since the children were back in school I finally got some time to really start cleaning this house. I don't think its ever had a deep cleaning.  We've rearranged some of the furniture to make it look a little more spacious. My cousin-in-law came out this past week and installed some recessed lights in the front room (family room) and the kids bedroom. Then he put K's new bike together for me! Yea! We're really missing Joe when it comes to this handy-man stuff! In K and T's room we had bunk beds built into the wall before we came, but there is no room for a lamp or anything. Its called a box room because its the smallest bedroom in the house. The room is TINY! Then I've just been going thru my mothers stuff and convincing her to throw things away, give away, etc. There is just too much STUFF! 

I finally got my new Irish cell phone this week too!!! Big YEA! Apparently there was a shortage of Iphones in this country and I was calling and calling the O2 carrier to find out when they were getting shipments. I had to go with O2 because they are the only ones that would give me a 12-month contract. I did not want to pay for anything longer. When I found one they held it for me until I came to get it. They said I got the last iPhone 5 in Dublin. After that L and I celebrated and went to Starbucks (since it was next store and there was NO LINE!). 

My white chocolate mocha! Prices still the same as in the
US but they are in Euros, so after the exchange
rate its crazy expensive but worth every sip!

Still looks the same but many people don't take their drinks take-out they get
 their drinks in ceramic starbucks cups and will sit down until they are done.
The Irish are not on the go as much as Americans..they enjoy their cuppa!

This past Thursday K had her first soccer practice with the Home Farm Football Club. I was trying to decide between two clubs for her and everyone was telling me that Home Farm has the best reputation. We left early to leave enough time to get to the field on time. Apparently there are two Home Farm field locations. They have their practice fields and their game day fields. We went to the game day fields. No one was there and the water sprinklers were going on all the fields. WHAT? With the amount of rain here they need water sprinklers. Anyhoooo I called someone not even sure who because it was the only phone number I had for the club. After a long conversation trying to understand their directions we made it to the practice fields. By this time there was only 30 minutes left of the practice. They girls were just about to start scrimmaging so K just jumped in there and started to play. She played very well and even scored the first goal in their practice. Huge relief! I was amazed that she could just jump in there and start playing with a whole new group of girls and not knowing anyone. I don't think I could ever have done that at 10 years old. 

On Friday we had blinds installed on all the windows on the front of the house. The children and I were all having a hard time falling asleep because in the summertime is does not really get pitch black dark until after 11pm and the sun comes up early! In the winter its the complete opposite and the days are very short. After K & T got out of school we went to the movies (they call them films here pronounced "fillims." We saw Smurfs 2 and the children all enjoyed it. 

The theater in Swords

After the movies film we were craving some good ole fat filling American food. McDonalds! We just went to the drive thru which was an adventure all by itself. I had to circle the McD's once to even find the entrance to the drive thru because I was looking for the entrance on the wrong side thinking the ordering window would be on my left side NOT the right hand side. Going thru a drive thru and even paying is just so strange on the right hand side. I don't think I can get used to drive thru's here. L was so excited to get a happy meal - which just happened to be SMURFS! She ordered nuggets and got to choose either fries, fruit bag, or veggie bag. She choose the fruit bag with milk and every happy meal comes with raisins. So much healthier here! I will have to post one day about what is allowed and not allowed in the lunch boxes for school! 

Simply Fresh Smurfy Irish Milk