Dadage
Start Them Young
25/01/10 22:31
In my piece about the
forthcoming Apple Tablet last night, I mentioned
the intuitive nature of the iPhone/iPod touch. It
really is so simple, a child could master it, and I
can testify to that.
My iPod touch has become the in-car entertainment device for Aoife, our three-year-old. I have loaded up a pile of cartoons, movies, games and other little bits and bobs that she likes, and now whenever she and I are in the car, the call comes out: “Can I play on your iPod, Daddy?” When I give it to her, I don’t even have to turn it on for her. She knows that the button on the bottom turns it on and then to slide the unlock arrow. Within seconds, she’s watching Bob the Builder, or playing the piano or Preschool Adventure [both iTunes Store links.]
The other day, we were in my sister’s house and Aoife was showing her older cousins a new game I had downloaded for her. They were amazed as she whizzed through the screens to find the icon of the game and launch it.
My geeky heart swelled with pride.
My iPod touch has become the in-car entertainment device for Aoife, our three-year-old. I have loaded up a pile of cartoons, movies, games and other little bits and bobs that she likes, and now whenever she and I are in the car, the call comes out: “Can I play on your iPod, Daddy?” When I give it to her, I don’t even have to turn it on for her. She knows that the button on the bottom turns it on and then to slide the unlock arrow. Within seconds, she’s watching Bob the Builder, or playing the piano or Preschool Adventure [both iTunes Store links.]
The other day, we were in my sister’s house and Aoife was showing her older cousins a new game I had downloaded for her. They were amazed as she whizzed through the screens to find the icon of the game and launch it.
My geeky heart swelled with pride.
The Things They Say
13/11/09 22:02
Putting Aoife to bed
the other night, she told me with wide-eyed wonder
that she had seen rhubarb in SuperValu earlier that
day. I was at a loss as to why this would be
remarkable (other than the fact that rhubarb is out
of season right now, but I wouldn't expect her to
know that.)
She went on "Yes, I saw two rhubarbs, and Santa as well!"
Rhubarb, Rudolf - hey, we've all made that mistake.
Elsewhere, this article by Adam Brophy in Tuesday's Irish Times Heath Supplement was worth a read. Choice quote:
"I am a father of girls. Therefore I am in the “most easily manipulated” category on the planet. I can be turned through the act of defiance, subtle use of tears and, at speed, with a disarming smile and an undemanded kiss. Both of my tormentors realised this by the age of two."
She went on "Yes, I saw two rhubarbs, and Santa as well!"
Rhubarb, Rudolf - hey, we've all made that mistake.
Elsewhere, this article by Adam Brophy in Tuesday's Irish Times Heath Supplement was worth a read. Choice quote:
"I am a father of girls. Therefore I am in the “most easily manipulated” category on the planet. I can be turned through the act of defiance, subtle use of tears and, at speed, with a disarming smile and an undemanded kiss. Both of my tormentors realised this by the age of two."
Aoife's Kitchen
02/08/09 16:21
Excuses, Excuses
12/07/09 22:04
Mother of God, it’s
two weeks since I last posted here. As I mentioned
a few weeks ago, I have been busy working on a
couple of different projects, and they are taking
up a fair bit of time.
The other reason is that I am taking advantage of the long summer evenings and doing a bit of walking. Normally, it’s after we get Aoife to bed, which on these bright evenings, can be anything up to 9.30pm. By the time I get back, I just feel like reading as opposed to writing, and anyway, inspiration is lacking right now. Maybe I need the rugby to start up again. The proper stuff like, not that Lions nonsense.
Anyway, in lieu of having anything interesting to say, here are a few photos from our back garden. Click on each to see a hi-res version.
We bought a blueberry plant last year, figuring that it should grow seeing as there is a famous blueberry farm out the Edenderry Road. Our first harvest wasn’t quite the bumper we might have liked and consisted of a solitary berry. This year things are different, and the plant is heaving with fruit. The berries are just turning black now. We’ll have to net the plant or else the birds will benefit from our labour.
It wasn’t until I blew this photo up to full size that I noticed the spider’s web. Or as Aoife would call it “a ickle spidie’s house.”
The strawberries are coming on too:
And here’s a little visitor I met this morning:
The other reason is that I am taking advantage of the long summer evenings and doing a bit of walking. Normally, it’s after we get Aoife to bed, which on these bright evenings, can be anything up to 9.30pm. By the time I get back, I just feel like reading as opposed to writing, and anyway, inspiration is lacking right now. Maybe I need the rugby to start up again. The proper stuff like, not that Lions nonsense.
Anyway, in lieu of having anything interesting to say, here are a few photos from our back garden. Click on each to see a hi-res version.
We bought a blueberry plant last year, figuring that it should grow seeing as there is a famous blueberry farm out the Edenderry Road. Our first harvest wasn’t quite the bumper we might have liked and consisted of a solitary berry. This year things are different, and the plant is heaving with fruit. The berries are just turning black now. We’ll have to net the plant or else the birds will benefit from our labour.
It wasn’t until I blew this photo up to full size that I noticed the spider’s web. Or as Aoife would call it “a ickle spidie’s house.”
The strawberries are coming on too:
And here’s a little visitor I met this morning:
Fathers Day
21/06/09 22:06
Things have been a
little quiet here at UnLaoised Central over the
last week. I’m working on a couple of projects, one
of which I will be making public here before long.
Anyways, today was Fathers Day, and I got all the necessary spoiling. Breakfast in bed, and a card made by Aoife (with a little help from her Mum). This afternoon, we headed off to Birr Castle to have a stroll around the gardens there. We had been there before two years ago, but on that occasion it lashed rain. Thankfully this time it stayed dry, and very enjoyable it was too.
Anyways, today was Fathers Day, and I got all the necessary spoiling. Breakfast in bed, and a card made by Aoife (with a little help from her Mum). This afternoon, we headed off to Birr Castle to have a stroll around the gardens there. We had been there before two years ago, but on that occasion it lashed rain. Thankfully this time it stayed dry, and very enjoyable it was too.
Muddy Puddles
05/06/09 22:05
Cáca Milis*
05/04/09 21:38
All week, Aoife was
getting ready for her Mum’s birthday, which took
place today. And she made it clear from early on
that a cake would have to be made, because
birthdays mean cake, and that’s just how it is.
Being two-and-a-half limits her baking skills
somewhat, so that meant that Daddy had to come in
and fill the breach.
Not having baked a cake for nigh on thirty years, I had to seek advice before tackling the task. Being married to a woman who is herself a dab hand at baking meant that there was only one source of advice to consult, even if she was the one who would be the eventual beneficiary of said counsel. She suggested a victoria sponge, which is what we went for.
So this
morning, aprons at the ready, father and daughter
got baking. It is an easy recipe to follow - 225g
self-rasing flour, 225g butter, 225g sugar, four
eggs. What we decided to do as well was to put in
50g of cocoa powder and reduce the amount of flour,
thus making it a chocolate cake. Aoife appointed
herself supervisor and mixture-taster-in-chief.
So far, so good.
I was going to do a straight butter icing for the filling, but Mrs Gerry showed me something she had picked up from The Observer Magazine a couple of weeks ago - coffee mascarpone icing. So off to Lidl to pick up the mascarpone, and I used golden syrup instead of maple as I had no maple syrup to hand.
The result - bleedin’ fab, so it was. As Daddy Pig (father of Peppa Pig, one of Aoife’s favourites) might say - “Delicious!”
Not having baked a cake for nigh on thirty years, I had to seek advice before tackling the task. Being married to a woman who is herself a dab hand at baking meant that there was only one source of advice to consult, even if she was the one who would be the eventual beneficiary of said counsel. She suggested a victoria sponge, which is what we went for.
I was going to do a straight butter icing for the filling, but Mrs Gerry showed me something she had picked up from The Observer Magazine a couple of weeks ago - coffee mascarpone icing. So off to Lidl to pick up the mascarpone, and I used golden syrup instead of maple as I had no maple syrup to hand.
The result - bleedin’ fab, so it was. As Daddy Pig (father of Peppa Pig, one of Aoife’s favourites) might say - “Delicious!”
And on a related musical note,
Crowded House doing “Chocolate Cake”
*Cáca milis = “sweet cake”
Big Awkward Daddy Fingers
26/03/09 22:20
Aoife,
who is now two years and seven months old, is
picking up new words and phrases every day. One
morning, as I was trying to dress her and she was
wriggling about, I told her to stand still as I was
having difficulty doing up the teeny-tiny buttons
on her top with my “big awkward Daddy fingers.”
Now, of course, whenever I have to do up or undo
anything for her that involves buttons she says
“Daddy, you got big awkward Daddy fingers.”
Anyway, my BADFs
have something new to get used to. Today, my
colleagues and I received our new regulation issue
BlackBerrys. As we had a choice in which device to
go for, and the fact that Vodafone were offering
them for free, we all went for the
Storm. I used to
have a BlackBerry before in my
old job, but it was nothing like this. The Storm
is much more iPhone-like, with a touch-screen
interface. Having played around with iPhones in
the Apple Store in London and also with those of
friends, I have to say that I find the Storm a
bit heavier and clunkier to the touch. But
still, I reckon I’ll get used to it. The
on-screen keyboard will probably take the most
getting used to.
On a related note, this new device marks the end of my relationship with O2, which goes back over eleven years. I got my first mobile in October 1997, when it was Esat Digifone, and had been with them ever since, on the same number and even the same PIN code. It was my job to upgrade my colleagues and I to BlackBerrys, and I found that Vodafone were much more keen to get our business than O2 were to retain it.
On a related note, this new device marks the end of my relationship with O2, which goes back over eleven years. I got my first mobile in October 1997, when it was Esat Digifone, and had been with them ever since, on the same number and even the same PIN code. It was my job to upgrade my colleagues and I to BlackBerrys, and I found that Vodafone were much more keen to get our business than O2 were to retain it.
Happy Fathers Day
14/06/08 23:35
Aoife Gardener
08/05/08 22:13
Dad Stuff
24/02/08 22:50
This article caught my eye in today's
Observer Magazine. Two men, both around my age,
both first-time dads of daughters around Aoife's
age, record their experiences.
Eighteen months into the job myself, I can't say that it hasn't been demanding, tiring and sometimes frustrating. But whenever I look into those gorgeous little brown eyes, and see that sweet little smile, I appreciate the honour of being her Daddy.
Eighteen months into the job myself, I can't say that it hasn't been demanding, tiring and sometimes frustrating. But whenever I look into those gorgeous little brown eyes, and see that sweet little smile, I appreciate the honour of being her Daddy.
Start Them Young…
04/12/07 23:58
Aoife is learning the ins and outs of housework:
(QuickTime movie with sound)
Toon: "Laundromat" by Rory Gallagher (iTunes Store link)
(QuickTime movie with sound)
Toon: "Laundromat" by Rory Gallagher (iTunes Store link)
Nu Shuz (And Bag)
06/11/07 23:45
A certain little lady got her first pair of shoes
at the weekend, and boy is she proud as
punch!
She got her first handbag from her auntie a little while back as well. So she's fourteen months old and already developing Carrie Bradshaw tendencies in footwear and accessories. As we say in my native Mayo "It isn't off the shtones she licked it."
She got her first handbag from her auntie a little while back as well. So she's fourteen months old and already developing Carrie Bradshaw tendencies in footwear and accessories. As we say in my native Mayo "It isn't off the shtones she licked it."
Standing On Her Own Two Feet
24/10/07 09:36
As predicted last
week, Aoife has started walking.
(QuickTime movie with sound.)
Get the toon here (iTunes Store link)
(QuickTime movie with sound.)
Get the toon here (iTunes Store link)
Happy Birthday, Aoife
14/08/07 00:01
Is it
really a whole year since our beautiful little girl
came into the world? In one way it only feels like
a few months has passed, yet in another way we find
it hard to believe that it's only a year.
A selection of some of our favourite photos from the 1500 or so we have amassed over the last 12 months. (And if you have the patience to watch through to the end, you'll even get to see her in the arms of her Dad!)
(QuickTime movie with sound)
A selection of some of our favourite photos from the 1500 or so we have amassed over the last 12 months. (And if you have the patience to watch through to the end, you'll even get to see her in the arms of her Dad!)
(QuickTime movie with sound)
Catching Up
08/08/07 16:13
Things have
been quiet on the blog front for the last while,
for one reason or another. Work has been quite
busy, with a lot of toing and froing. I have found
that I have had a dearth of ideas for posts, and
those that do crop up seem like too much effort to
write up.
But anyways, I'm on hols at the moment. I'm at home minding the little 'un. My sister, who looks after her during the week is away with her gang on their jolliers. My wife started a new job last month, so she can only get one week off, hence my status as a househusband this week. We will be on hols en famille next week.
The burtda went grand. I was working all day, but we managed to avoid the rain in the evening and get the barbie going. A nice piece of lamb was the order of the day, and we accompanied it with a nice bottle that we had originally planned to open last year on the 40th, but circumstances dictated otherwise. (Pontet-Canet 1966, in case you're curious.)
We
were in Mayo last weekend, and took ourselves off
to the beach on Sunday. Folly, you might think, but
it was a lovely day on Cross Strand near Louisburgh. Not
warm, as such, but very pleasant. I love the
beaches around there, as the sea can be quite
wild and dramatic, and also the fact that they
are nearly always practically deserted. This
weekend was no different, and with the exception
of a few surfer d00dz, we pretty much had the
beach to ourselves. It was Babba's first trip to
the seaside, and she even got to dip her piggies
in the Atlantic. Back home on Monday, and since
then thankfully the weather has been holding up.
Walks at Emo
Court are a regular
feature of our days this week, and in this
weather, it's a very pleasant way to pass an
hour.
So what's been going on? I had planned to write at length about the Darren Graham affair, and may yet live up to that ambition. That sort of nonsense should have no place in any sport. Hopefully the GAA will use the opportunity to do something positive.
The recent Irish Times series about "Rip-Off Ireland" almost inspired me to put fingers to keyboard, but so far I have manfully resisted. Maybe next week. Or then again, maybe not.
On the tech side of things, Fake Steve Jobs has been unmasked. Apple have released new iMacs,
so my
machine is no longer cutting-edge. Still, I got ten
months or so on the frontline, so it wasn't too bad
a stint. Also, the new iLife and
iWork suites have been
released. I have ordered my copy of iLife '08
already. And to top it all, my .Mac account goes
up from a measly 1GB to a much more respectable
10GB of storage. Once I install Leopard, I will
use some of that space to back up all my photos
(to go with my current backup regime of external
HDD, Flickr and monthly DVD burn.)
Next week is Aoife's first birthday, so there will be lots of excitement to be had. She has a new little cousin as well, who was born just three weeks ago.
Then there's the preparations for the World Cup coming up as well. Loads to write about, just have to find the time.
So that's it. The babba is having a snooze at the moment, but is due to wake up any minute, so I'd better sign off.
But anyways, I'm on hols at the moment. I'm at home minding the little 'un. My sister, who looks after her during the week is away with her gang on their jolliers. My wife started a new job last month, so she can only get one week off, hence my status as a househusband this week. We will be on hols en famille next week.
The burtda went grand. I was working all day, but we managed to avoid the rain in the evening and get the barbie going. A nice piece of lamb was the order of the day, and we accompanied it with a nice bottle that we had originally planned to open last year on the 40th, but circumstances dictated otherwise. (Pontet-Canet 1966, in case you're curious.)
So what's been going on? I had planned to write at length about the Darren Graham affair, and may yet live up to that ambition. That sort of nonsense should have no place in any sport. Hopefully the GAA will use the opportunity to do something positive.
The recent Irish Times series about "Rip-Off Ireland" almost inspired me to put fingers to keyboard, but so far I have manfully resisted. Maybe next week. Or then again, maybe not.
On the tech side of things, Fake Steve Jobs has been unmasked. Apple have released new iMacs,
Next week is Aoife's first birthday, so there will be lots of excitement to be had. She has a new little cousin as well, who was born just three weeks ago.
Then there's the preparations for the World Cup coming up as well. Loads to write about, just have to find the time.
So that's it. The babba is having a snooze at the moment, but is due to wake up any minute, so I'd better sign off.
Lolbaby
28/07/07 23:12
I
downloaded this pic of Aoife from the camera
earlier today…
…which I thought merited a "lolcat" type caption. See here.
…which I thought merited a "lolcat" type caption. See here.
Happy Fathers Day
16/06/07 22:19
Tomorrow
(17 June) is Fathers Day (never sure where to put
the apostrophe in that, so I'm leaving it out.)
It's the first one for me, so I'm looking forward
to being spoiled for the day 
Anyway, to all the following blogging Dads, I wish the best for the day:
Kav
Tom
Maca
Rambling Man
Mick, Gonzo, et al
Frank
Willie Joe
Conor
And apologies and best wishes to all I have left out!
Anyway, to all the following blogging Dads, I wish the best for the day:
Kav
Tom
Maca
Rambling Man
Mick, Gonzo, et al
Frank
Willie Joe
Conor
And apologies and best wishes to all I have left out!
She's Starting To Move
07/06/07 23:28
Big changes
in the little 'un over the last few weeks. She's
getting around. Not exactly crawling yet, more
bum-shuffling, but she can still move. She's
getting down on all fours, so the crawling proper
will start any day now.
Needless to say, this brings new challenges. Aoife now has a more, erm, intimate relationship with the kitchen floor than heretofore, so that means that we have to be much more vigilant in terms of keeping it clean. We also have one of these shiny Brabantia bins. Aoife has discovered her reflection in it and has taken to high-fiving it.
Meanwhile, I have become Milton Man. We don't want to raise Aoife in such a sterile environment that she cannot develop immunity, but we want to be sure that she isn't going to pick anything up because of our negligence.
Needless to say, this brings new challenges. Aoife now has a more, erm, intimate relationship with the kitchen floor than heretofore, so that means that we have to be much more vigilant in terms of keeping it clean. We also have one of these shiny Brabantia bins. Aoife has discovered her reflection in it and has taken to high-fiving it.
Meanwhile, I have become Milton Man. We don't want to raise Aoife in such a sterile environment that she cannot develop immunity, but we want to be sure that she isn't going to pick anything up because of our negligence.
Good Service
22/04/07 23:00
Last
Tuesday night, I
ranted about the poor service
I got from Amazon.co.uk - i.e. they would not
process my order of a baby's grobag at all.
I ended up ordering the grobag from a company in the UK called bumpto3.com. On Friday morning, the order arrived at my work address. Now that's what I call service!
bumpto3.com have a large range of products for parents of babies and toddlers and also for expectant parents. If you fit into either of those descriptions, the I recommend you have a look at what they have to offer.
This is not an affilliate link - I recommend bumpto3.com as a satisfied customer.
I ended up ordering the grobag from a company in the UK called bumpto3.com. On Friday morning, the order arrived at my work address. Now that's what I call service!
bumpto3.com have a large range of products for parents of babies and toddlers and also for expectant parents. If you fit into either of those descriptions, the I recommend you have a look at what they have to offer.
This is not an affilliate link - I recommend bumpto3.com as a satisfied customer.
Have Amazon.co.uk Competely Given Up The Irish Market?
17/04/07 22:08
Last year,
I discovered that
amazon.co.uk had discontinued
despatch of electrical and electronic goods to
Ireland. The excuse given was that it could not
comply with Ireland's WEEE regulations, as the
UK had so far not implemented their own (and
still haven't.)
Anyways, the last couple of weeks we have been looking for a new grobag for the little 'un. A grobag is a bit like a cross between a sleeping bag and something a baby would wear in bed. They are a great idea, because babies have a tendency to kick their sheets and blankets off in the cot, and then wake up crying because they're cold. We want a light one for the summer, as the house is quite warm at night, even with no heating on, and her winter one is getting too warm now (and too small.) Mothercare didn't have any in stock, and the ones in Marks & Spencer were too heavy.
(Obligatory photo of Aoife, in her grobag)
I had seen them on Amazon and went to buy one this evening. "Sorry. This item is not available for shipping to the address you specified."
Why on earth not?? Ultimately, it's a piece of fabric, with a zip and a few push buttons. There is nothing electrical involved, and it weighs hardly anything. Why are Amazon turning away my order? So, I ended up doing a Google search for grobag, found their own site and bought from one of the resellers there, without any problem.
Anyways, the last couple of weeks we have been looking for a new grobag for the little 'un. A grobag is a bit like a cross between a sleeping bag and something a baby would wear in bed. They are a great idea, because babies have a tendency to kick their sheets and blankets off in the cot, and then wake up crying because they're cold. We want a light one for the summer, as the house is quite warm at night, even with no heating on, and her winter one is getting too warm now (and too small.) Mothercare didn't have any in stock, and the ones in Marks & Spencer were too heavy.
(Obligatory photo of Aoife, in her grobag)
I had seen them on Amazon and went to buy one this evening. "Sorry. This item is not available for shipping to the address you specified."
Why on earth not?? Ultimately, it's a piece of fabric, with a zip and a few push buttons. There is nothing electrical involved, and it weighs hardly anything. Why are Amazon turning away my order? So, I ended up doing a Google search for grobag, found their own site and bought from one of the resellers there, without any problem.
The Lost Lie-In
01/04/07 22:59
Back in the
our pre-baby days, the missus and I were fond of
the weekend lie-in. Not having an alarm going off
at an ungodly hour on a Saturday and Sunday morning
was bliss. I even bought a super-duper alarm clock
that could be programmed to go off Monday to
Friday, but skip Saturday and Sunday, so that you
didn't have to reset it for the weekend.
But how all that has changed. Because we live out in the sticks now, we have to get up earlier. The weekday morning ritual in our house starts at 5.30, and by the time we have everyone sorted out, we're all out the door by 7.20 or so.
The little 'un is now used to the idea of getting up at around 6.30. Too used to it in fact. Unlike our super duper alarm clock, she can't be programmed to differentiate between a weekday morning and a weekend morning. Nor does she have a snooze button. So weekend lie-ins are now a thing of the past.
Last Saturday she slept on for the first time in ages, and didn't wake us till about 7.45. A year ago, waking up at 7.45 on a Saturday morning would have been considered the middle of the night. Now it's a lie-in.
And as I am writing about my daughter, I feel obliged to post a cute pic.
But how all that has changed. Because we live out in the sticks now, we have to get up earlier. The weekday morning ritual in our house starts at 5.30, and by the time we have everyone sorted out, we're all out the door by 7.20 or so.
The little 'un is now used to the idea of getting up at around 6.30. Too used to it in fact. Unlike our super duper alarm clock, she can't be programmed to differentiate between a weekday morning and a weekend morning. Nor does she have a snooze button. So weekend lie-ins are now a thing of the past.
Last Saturday she slept on for the first time in ages, and didn't wake us till about 7.45. A year ago, waking up at 7.45 on a Saturday morning would have been considered the middle of the night. Now it's a lie-in.
And as I am writing about my daughter, I feel obliged to post a cute pic.
Happy 0.5th Birthday!
14/02/07 07:19
