Up Close, and very personal....................

So here I sit with my little red laptop waiting for the phone to ring or the postman to deliver that all important letter. I started the process of applying to http://www.nuigalway.ie/ over 9 months ago (as a mature student) and after all my hard work on my portfolio, I am still waiting for a response.

It is normal for the University to let prospective students know the outcome (acceptance or rejection) 'early in July' which to me, still seems like an eternity away. There were over 3,000 applicants for the course I want to do http://www.nuigalway.ie/faculties_departments/arts/baccreativewriting.html

I feel like I do not have a shot in hell at getting accepted and keep telling myself that I will just reapply next year if I do not get in this year. The damn recession has Irish people all flocking back to school like madmen - as there are no (decent) jobs and no likely hood of a job for the next few years - in addition to that, education is still free here in Ireland, so students are not saddled with huge school loans to pay off once they graduate and get a job. Nice, I know!

It has been almost a year since we moved back to Ireland and even with this cloud of uncertainty hanging over my head, I have never been happier. The Children (as you can see) are completely unscathed by all this moving around and are wrapping up their final day at school today before getting out for a lovely long 8 weeks of summer holidays.

They have started to develop into such funny cute little kids, I think my only regret is that we do not have a few more of them. (I know, can you believe I said that Out Loud) I have had several long discussions recently with my WiseOldMum about the way our lives will be for the next 5 years if I spend it in University studying the fine art of creative writing and one of the hardest things I have yet to come to terms with is the fact that I will no longer be with my wains 24/7. (Wains is a great Irish word, mostly used in the northern counties and comes from Wee Ones).

Obviously, when we had the restaurant I left them in the evenings, and when working in Switzerland I was away from them from 9am - 5pm, but Ron and I had made a decision way before we ever had children that if we were lucky enough to have them, we would parent them ourselves and not pay someone else to do it, we cut back on other non-essential materialistic stuff in order to do so.

I do not regret this decision at all - especially seeing how they have turned out thus far, but am thinking it sure would have been a heck of a lot easier if they had been in day care - Maybe I would not ache so much (now) just thinking of being with them for an hour or 2 in the evenings.

WiseOldMum has reminded me (ever so nicely - me crying, her telling me how it is!) that 'This is it'- once they are off to school, they do not need me so much or for that matter even want me???

Clearly, my Mother still thinks she knows it all.....................................God, I hate that she is right and that she has to bludgen me with the truth. (But if course, I still love her dearly and am so happy that she is almost walking distance from my house).

Rory's School magazine came out this week with her toothless smile and her statement saying she was going to be a vet when she grows up and her favourite thing to do was play with her brother.......................at Granny's!

When I asked Jack to taste a pizza sauce I was working on yesterday (for our supper) he sipped and savoured the sauce (like I would a fine wine) looked me right in the eye and said ' it's got tomato, basil, garlic, black pepper - still needs more salt and olive oil' - I was still crying with pride when my hungry Chef arrived home for dinner.

We have had a nice amount of visitors crossing the pond to see us, (pay attention here, if you are coming - head West to Galway/Shannon) and you have no idea how much this has lifted our spirits.

The very thought of someone paying all that money and taking the time off to come spend some time with us on this rainy isle just makes us sooooooooooo happy. So, I am saying this to all our friends - book your flight and stay a while (2-3 days is NOT enough!!!)

We have the space, and assuming you can handle the racket from the wains and the puppy, the fresh organic eggs from the hens and the year round veggies my handsome chef is growing with love should entice you. (remember Eggs Benedict - oh God - even thinking about it right now makes me drool).

Wish me luck - as soon as I find out I will let y'all know!

That is all the WiseWords I have for today,

WiseMóna