It has been a long time since my last post and I thought the best way to get back into it would be to summarize our time in Ireland so far. And since we have basically traveled from the tippy tippy bottom to the tippy tippy top (in Shauny voice) I thought it would be only fitting to use that as the title. So I have spent the last few days dumping all of my memories and pictures into 3 very long post that cover off what we were up to over the last 3 yrs. If you have time please read them but be prepared for some absolutely horrible writing, English, spelling and grammar. I literally had a brain dump and it came out like a real dump! But now its out there and I can attempt to do better in my next few post.
For those who don't have the time or are not interested I will give a quick summary of what we have been up to...
At this point we have been in Ireland for almost 4.5 years. We have made some amazing friends and seen some really cool places. I do not think that we could have anticipated all the things we would have done here. When we first arrived Shaun was only 5 months and in a sling. We were excited to start this adventure because it was something new to us. We had all of Europe pretty much at our finger tips so we took advantage of that. We traveled all over the place and made sure to get the best out of our time here. Our first trip was to London and I remember it being cold and grey and I thought that was not a good sign to our traveling days. Our next trip was Belfast and it was yet again cold and wet and I was miserable. But after that we finally figured out the key to success with traveling around Europe and it made everything that much better...what was the key you might ask? Well for me the key to traveling around Europe is the same key for life...don't have any expectations and you won't be disappointed. This is so true and so simple but so hard to grasp as well but once you do it opens you up to a whole world of possibilities. After we adapted this thinking we really started to enjoy our time in Ireland. We made friends that we could never replace and visited places in that we didn't even know existed. Lino & Shaun have probably been to more places in these 4.5 years that Mike and I have been to before we came here. Even thought they are young and Shaun will likely not remember much of his time here at all we will always have our pictures and our own memories to share with them. There have been too many good times to just forget them so we will do our best to remember them always.
More than just the memories are the people that we have met and made serious relationships with. These people, friends have made Ireland a home for us and without them I do not know what we would have done. From my very first friend and still friends is Martha. I found her!!! I kind of stalked her but it was for a good reason. I remember being on a mission to find friends and get connected when I first arrived here and I went to Glanmire to Cafe Beva to see who I could find. She happen to be the only mom in the place with a kid my age. So I watched her eat and I gathered up my nerve and I went over an introduced myself. I had no idea what her reaction was going to be like but I was very lucky to find out she was a super friendly person. She chatted with me for a while and gave me a ton of information about different mom & toddler groups. I was so grateful to her and glad that I didn't talk myself out of talking to her. I was pretty happy with the information that she gave me but she wasn't done with me yet!!! If you know Martha you know what I mean...she invited me to her house for tea!!! I was shocked and had no idea what to say...I only just stalked and met the lady for goodness sake? But I had to do it because I needed to and wanted to make the connection. That day started a great friendship that I will never have with anyone else. Because of Martha I was able to meet all of the other people in my life and I am thankful for that. Lino & Shaun also made their first friends with her boys which made it even better. We met up for play dates all the time those first few months.
I actually met Nicole and Michelle through Martha as well and they were probably the 5-6 person I would have met. Those 2 became a major part of our daily lives! We were like a crazy threesome! I can't remember how we clicked so quickly but it was probably the American connection. Either way we hit it off fast and became a threesome to be reckoned with! We got together almost daily for either a coffee, play date or some sort of gymboree. Nicole and Michelle became my right and left arm. They are so different but so similar at the same time. Good people, lots of fun and had kids similar ages to mine. Nicole is a little high strung and I loved to get her all worked up about something...she was such a comic relief to me. She knew that I would be working her up and she would still go there. She would try to give me crap back but I couldn't let her win...it was always a battle but I would normally win. She was just to nice. Michelle on the other hand doesn't let me get her worked up but she doesn't let me get away with crap either. She is the friend that would talk my ear off until it bleeds...give me a band-aid and keep talking!!! This may sound like a bad thing but it was just a fact. I am not always the most talkative person but I am a social person and need to be around people so it worked out perfect for us. I could always talk her down from a ledge and she could always talk me out of killing someone. It was a great match. Both of them helped us to bridge the gap between what we were use to in the US and what it was like in Ireland. If I ever had a question about what someone was saying or where to find something at the store I would be on the phone to these 2. They didn't seem to mind my abrasive personality too so that helped a lot...I was able to be real with them so that made it even easier to be friends.
In addition to my 2nd and 3rd closest friend, Martha also introduced me to Cuidiu, which is an Irish parenting support group. She told me about it and I had no idea what kind of group it would be but I wanted to meet other moms and I wanted to find other kids for the boys to play with. Along with Cuidiu I started going to a few other play groups and for about 6 weeks I went to around 4 play groups a week! I was getting my hustle on. Cuidiu is the group that stuck the most and took our family to the next level. Through this group I learned how to drink coffee like a pro and how to bake cakes like no bodies business!!!! I was going to so many of these coffee mornings and feeling like there was something missing that I had to get into the kitchen and figure out how to make a good cake!!!! I must say, Ireland has a lot of good things but the cakes are not my favorite. And since I couldn't buy cakes I liked I had to learn how to make them...so somehow I went from the working mom to baking mom in what seems like a flash. Now I bake cakes on a regular and I feel like I am pretty good. Besides becoming a regular coffee drinker and baker I also met my next 2 closest friends...Cara & Ha Eun.
But before these 2 hit the scene I snuck a new friend in under the radar...Denise...we found each other on this parenting site. We met up a couple times then it became more regular. Denise was one of those people who seems to just get people. She got who I was and what I was going through right away. There was never any pressure with her and she was always easy going with things. Denise helped me to balance things out I think. I wouldn't say we hung out all the time but she was always around...which was a good thing. I think if we would have lived closer to each other we would have met up more but even as it is I think we have a really good friendship that happened at just the right time for just the right reason...for that I am thankful.
So back to Cara & Ha Eun. I met this crazy hippie girl from California in Ballincollig at a Cuidiu coffee morning. We instantly started chatting because at this point I have become a pro at this coffee morning thing. Cara was so crazy when I met her I didn't know if she was coming or going...but I found out soon enough she was always doing both but neither at the same time...she is incredibly talented. The funny part is that we didn't instantly become good friends but we kept working on each other and eventually we stuck. Cara is always good for a good laugh or a philosophical discussion which of course everybody needs a friend like that. The other great thing about Cara was that our kids were almost the same...very similar ages and 2 boys so our kids became instant friends...I mean instant. Then there is Ha Eun, we met kind of through Cuidiu but had more in common than that. I met a lady at a sling meet and was telling her about my story and she told me that she rented a house out to another family from America. It just so happens that we had looked at this house when we were moving over but decided to go with another house because it was close to Mike's work. Anyway, she gave this lady my info and I never heard from her...until one day. We met up at Mahon and I thought that would be the last that I would see her. But it wasn't...she popped up here and there and eventually we got close. I can't say I thought we would be so close but we are. We ended up having such a good friendship because we got along so well, our husbands were very similar and got along very well too and our kids loved each other. It was so unexpected and amazing and we ended up traveling all over Ireland together as a result...all because of a picture of a penis! I couldn't imagine how different things would have been if not for that penis
After 4.5 yrs here these ladies are still a major part of my daily life...our daily life. From play dates, to south doc emergencies, to BBQ's and everything in between. These ladies have become a very important part of our lives.
So those are some of the stories of a few people who have really shaped our lives here. Now for some stories about the boys....
Lino & Shaun have had such an amazing transformation while being in Ireland. They have been able to run free much more so than they would if we were in the states. It is so safe here that we don't have to constantly worry about someone taking them which is nice. As a result I sometimes feel we have raised 2 wild dogs. Mainly because they go around and pee everywhere!!!! They absolutly love going pee outside and Shaun is the main culprit. Lino has learned to be a lot more discrete with his need to pee but Shaun on the other hand doesn't care at all. He goes pee anywhere anytime! The two of them are a handful. Over the years I can't say how much Lino has changed because I feel like he has always been him since he was small. He has always had a very strong opinion and he has always done what he wanted to do. Even in his preschool his teacher would tell us that he is going to be a leader one day...either on the field or off. I can see that for sure. He likes to be out front and he doesn't have any problems giving orders. Our great leader is also great at testing our patience...he is just too smart for his own good. He knows the rules and the sharp edges vs the rounded ones! He keeps us on our toes that is for sure. One the best things about Lino is his personality and his friendlyness. He can go to a playground and know no one but after a few minutes he has made a best friend. He had to learn that here because I remember when we moved here after a few months of the newness wearing off he started to get a little sad because the kids at the playground wouldn't play with him. So we talked about it and I tried to give him some advice on how to make friends (as a 3yr old) and somehow he was able to do it. After about 6 months he was making friends left and right. His best friends in his school were Patty, Jamie, Jack O, Sasha and Susie. Sasha was one of those friends that he made instantly and it was then that I knew this kids was going to be OK. Sasha was from France and didn't speak any English but somehow him and Lino became best buds. The teacher and Sasha's mother said that and I was happy to hear it. Lino just has a way of connecting with people like nothing that I have ever seen. He will always be one of those people that people are drawn to (I think). Then there is Shaun...our Shauny...I don't know what to say about him. He is his own person as well but he is also something more. I think his true personality is still under construction but the base of it is that he is a performer! From the time Shaun was a baby he has always been drawn to music. He loves music and to dance, since or whatever comes to him. He isn't shy at all and is always looking for a way to show you his new moves. Shaun will probably only remember a few things from Ireland but Ireland will not forget Shaun. With the shear number of plants that he has watered over the years there is no way to forget him.
What next? Mike & Renee...the dynamic duo!!! Well Mike & Renee have grown a lot here in Ireland. We have real friends here unlike in Texas where most of our friends are people that we work with. Here we have friends because we want to be. We have become this family who likes to have parties and people over for dinner all the time. It is such a change from one of our very first parties where we invited a bunch of people and only one person showed up...really no one showed up but the one guest was our friend who helped us set up the party. Back then we use to say we had invisible friends now we have real friends. It is a nice change. Change...there is a lot of that as well. So much has changed in our relationship after moving to Ireland. I use to work every day and I had a sense of accomplishment in my job...even when I didn't enjoy it. But after moving here and 'giving up' my career that all changed. These 4.5 yrs have been a struggle for me to find a sense of purpose again which some people will find hard to believe because I have put on such a good front. But the truth is it was damn hard!!! Being a stay home mom is no joke and honestly it is not the job for me. I love my boys to death but I think being with them all the time was making me die a little inside. It sounds bad but like I said it is the truth. I am just not cut out for just staying home and once I realized this it made things so much better. But in the mean time it was tough for us. We struggled to find a balance and I didn't give much attention to my own needs because I was trying to find a purpose for myself in my kids and in my home. Eventually we figured it out and we have learned so much in the process. I think that Mike & Renee have really become a stronger unit because of this shift in dynamics in our family. We have learned to lean on each other in ways that would not normally be comfortable but now have become more normal. Of course we still struggle but who doesn't? The difference is that we are better able to recognize it and try to correct it quicker than we would have before. Now was this all do to Ireland or just us being crazy??? Only God knows but regardless the process happened here and we are thankful to Ireland for that.
Another aspect of the Cutaia's is the addition of aupairs to our lives during our time here. This has been a very interesting process but so rewording all at the same time. Once we figured out this aupair thing we realized it was a great option for us. We enjoy the new cultures and it was helpful to have someone around to help with Lino & Shaun. Mike always made a point to make sure we had us time and that is another balance that we had to find. Over our time in Ireland we have had the pleasure of hosting 6 aupairs from Italy, Spain and Brazil. Alessandra, Silvia, Daniela, Georgia, Miguel and Cesar. Each one very different but each one a part of our story none the less. These poor young adults were subjected to living with us for various amounts of time and dealing with our crazy kids! Like I said, an experience all around and definately something that we wouldn't take back. We are thankful to them and their families for letting us share a small bit of their time and energy...I only hope the trama we caused isn't permanent! hahahaha :- )
OK, enough serious talk...next to talk about some of the places that we have seen. We have been all over the freaking place!!! We don't stop!!! Can't stop!!! Won't stop!!!! I love it!!! Lino and Shaun are like the perfect little traveling kids...they love being on the planes, on a bus, train, car ride, boat or whatever. They are down for it as long as they can get an ice cream if its hot or candy if its not and they have time for a little iPad. So from the beginning we have just gone with them and didn't stop to worry to much about traveling with small kids. We hope that we have put the bug of travel in them and it looks like they are not very particular when they travel so those are all very good signs. Oh, they are both obsessed with reading the fight safety instructions before each flight!!! It is the funniest thing ever. I am sure Shaun is only doing it because of Lino but now it is a tradition for them and if there isn't a safety card we have to get one for them to read. Lino tells me its because he needs to know how to get off of the plane if there is an emergency. So here is a list of all the places that we have traveled to (outside of Ireland) in almost chronological order:
London, UK
Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)
Budapest, Hungry
Rome, Italy
Lake Garda/Venice, Italy
Interlaken, Switzerland
Mayrhofen, Austria
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Prague, Czech Republic
Berlin, Germany
Munich, Germany
Krakow, Poland
Madrid, Spain
Marrakesh, Morocco
Arusha, Tanzania
Nairobi, Kenya
Cape Town, South Africa
Copenhagen, Denmark
Stockholm, Sweden
Bergen/Oslo, Norway
Reykjavik, Iceland
Paris France
Algarve, Portugal
Edinburgh, Scotland
Malaga, Spain
Lastly, Ireland. Oh, Ireland, you have been so good to us. We have traveled your roads from tippy tippy top to tippy tippy bottom and everything in between. Some of the many places we've traveled to over the past 4.5yrs: Waterford, Cashel, Kilkenny, Killarny, Dublin, Wicklow, Donegal, Galway, Gort, Castlebar, Westport, Shannon, Baltimore, Kinsale, Mitchelstown, Meath, Youghal, Cobh, Kilbritan, Clonakilty, Tralee and a few more I'm sure. Our initial few months here was a cruel joke because the weather has never been as nice as it was then. We went every where that summer...Shaun & I. It was an amazing introduction to the country. One thing that we learned very quick was that having an umbrella was a very stupid idea. Even though it is very rainy here, an umbrella could not be more useless if you want to stay dry...but if you want to get a puddle of rain water dumped on you ever few seconds then get yourself an umbrella. The other important thing to note is that just because its raining doesn't mean things are canceled. Someone once told me that if they canceled events because of rain then there would be nothing to do...this is so true. So we figured out a way to deal with the rain...and after a short time we realized it wasn't that bad and we weren't going to melt if we went out in it. Some of the things we love the most about Ireland are: amazingly fresh and relatively cheap food/meat, vicinity to the beach regardless of the weather, hill/mountain walks, playgrounds (if there is a playground in your town we can sniff it out), scones from Fitzpatrick's in Glounthaune, or from SuperValu in Glanmire, no sugar added jam (yum yum), Crowley's butcher (best cuts of meat we have ever had), safety (kids are safer here than they will be in the states) and lastly but not least...the Cork people! People are what make the difference and the people in Cork are pretty cool. Now I must say it is hard to find and keep a friend in Cork (maybe in all of Ireland I am not sure) because people stay where they are from so they have friends from childhood. But even if you can't get a true friend, there are always people to show you the ropes and to look out for you which is really nice. Now it might be a little difficult to understand all of them but that is also part of the experience. I absolutely love the Cork slang and I would like to share some of my favorites...I'm sure I'll get a few wrong but if you are from Cork you will know what I'm talking about...if you aren't from here...google it!
Call over to me - means come over to my house
Come here - doesn't mean come here it means listen
I will yea - means not a hope in hell I'm doing it
Your one or your man - talking about some random lady or man (very confusing for me)
It 'al be grand - means its not grand...you might be screwed even
Leave it with me - means I'll think about it
Garage - could be gas station or mechanic I still don't know the difference
Boot - trunk of the car or could be sport cleats
Knackered - really tired usually a kid
Wrecked - really tired usually an adult after the drink
The drink - a night of drinking not with a group
Session - an organized night of drinking
Biscuit - cookie or cracker
Chips - french fries
Crisp - potato chips
Mind yourself - watch out for yourself, take care of yourself
Flipping - not sure but its used a lot by Martha so I think its a word
Feck off - you can guess that one I'm sure
Whats the craic - whats going on that funny or fun
Any news - anything new to report so that I can spread the word
Bold - not bad but more....I don't know...bold?
Cheeky - not sure if this is the same as bold or to do something a little sneaky I think
Not-tat-all - not at all, not happening, no way
Whats he on about? - what is he talking about
Whatever you say like, just add so to the end of it so and you will be grand as long as you stay off of the drink so that your one doesn't catch you and fipping tell you to feck off so because your one can be very cheeky after a session with your man whos always wrecked in the morning telling me to call over to me so and I'd be like 'I will yea" just after I go to the garage so leave it with me I can't wait to hear the craic....
That is a huge exaggeration but conversations do sometimes go a little like that so.
And with that it is time to start closing this chapter in our lives. Ireland has been amazing to us and it will always be a home away from home. As we finish up our last few weeks here I want to make sure to capture all that is going on and to try and focus on Lino and Shaun because they are the true stars in this story. There would be no Cutaia's Irish Adventure if it wasn't for them. So stay tuned to the next update which will hopefully be a little better written...when I'm not in a panic trying to meet some imaginary deadline in my head and I'm not up until 3am every night pounding away at the keyboard trying to get finished. I am excited but mostly sad to see how this will turn out because as one door closes another door awaits....we will see you soon Singapore for the Cutaia's Singaporean Adventure!
Checkout what we've been up to...
Recap Part 1...2015
Recap continued Part 2...2016
Recap Continued Part 3...2017
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