Marbles Lost

Well, it is official folks. I might have just lost my marbles. For the last three weeks the house has been taken over by girls. Three little Polish girls and two little Galway girls. Girls, Girls, Girls. Of course Jack and Ron are here too, but only a little blip on the radar.

The three little Polish girls that have come to stay with us for the month of June go back to their full-time foster family next week but before they do, we have arranged a visit with their little brother who is only ten months old. Seven kids under one roof should be enough. Throwing a toddler into the mix for a few hours is barely noticeable at this stage of the game.

Next week, life will return to normal. Whatever normal is of course. At this point, normal looks like the two little Galway girls will be staying for the rest of summer (at least) and in less than two weeks my Sister and her hubby arrive (from France) with their four children. 

The lessons I have learned over the last three weeks are of great value to me, to my husband, to my friends and to my family. If I drink too much coffee I am a beeatch! So, less caffeine intake has given me a calmer attitude when trying to harang these fiesty females. 

First order of business was to beg one of my friends (Becca from Waterford) to come hang out with us for a few weeks to help. My handsome hubby (and I) decided it would be better if he stayed at work during this stint of craziness so that he could reserve his time to spend with my Sisters family when they come.

Living with a lot of little ladies (ages 4 to 9) we have come to the conclusion that 'we are all the same'. Although they all come from very very different backgrounds they obsess over the exact same things:

1. Clothes
2. Shoes
3. Boys
4. Hair 

Thankfully, the weather has been so warm and sunny that bathing suits, shorts and towels are the most used outfits. 

A 'we share everything 'cept underwear ' policy was instituted and accepted early on in the game (thanks to my little Rory-Belle) and that made getting dressed each day a hell of a lot easier.

The food side of things has gone swimmingly and I hope to report in more detail on this as soon as I get a few minutes to 'menu' blog. 

Peer pressure reared its ugly head in a positive manner and in a way it is comforting to see that 'monkey see, monkey do' when it comes to eating salad and veggies. However, as much as we were all thrilled to see how successful this was I cautioned the chef by fast forwarding him to five years from now when one of them brings home a pack of Marlboro Lights and offers a cigarette to the gaggle of girls. .......... be still my thumping heart and just enjoy them while they are young and less hormonally charged.

There is nothing easy about taking  a plethora of additional children into your home and life be it short term or longterm. Rules and routines that you might have instituted for your own children have to be taught and enforced in order to keep things running smoothly. But what I have learned is that kids need other kids. Even when they have been at their meanest (and believe me 'spitting venom' does not come close to describing it) they still have made an incredible bond that very likely will last a lifetime.

Remember to check your judgmental attitude at the door and realize that they are just 'kids' is all that is important. 

Now, back to the searching for all those missing marbles.

Those are all the WiseWords I have for this (already very hot) Father's Day morning!

WiseMóna

Black Magic Birthday Cake for Breakfast

Just shy of seven years ago, we finished the final scrap of paperwork to adopt a baby whilst living in America. It took six months of paperwork, 12 weeks of 'adoption classes' and an untold amount of hours spent answering all the questions the social workers had for us. They delved deep into our relationship and gave us good reason to feel many twangs of jealousy to all those Mum's and Dad's out there that can just pop one out!

On June 17th, 2003 I met with the social workers for one last 'signing' and handed over the last piece of paperwork. The standard wait time for local or foreign adoption in America (at the time) was three to five years. This seemed like a life-time of course, but fit nicely into our life-planning as we were in the throes of stripping wall paper and knocking walls in an old building we had purchased earlier that year and were planning on opening our first Restaurant 'Rondo's' later that year. 

Seven years later (ironically) we have seven children in our care. If you look closely you will count nine, but thankfully two of the above were just tagging along for a picnic. 

The same day we finalised all that paperwork we decided to tell our bosses about our 'family plans' and the local newspaper leaked a story about a local chef planning to open up a new restaurant in the Autumn.

We got a phone call on from our social worker that afternoon letting us know there was a little baby girl just five days old and the birth-mother wanted to meet us in person because we seemed like the 'right couple'. I stuck to my 5 year plan and let her know that the restaurant was opening in a few months and it takes 3 years to get a business 'up and running' so we would pass. 

What I did not know at the time is that the Chef had received a similar phone call and had told the social workers we would 'take her' and the rest my dear readers is 'HIStory'.................

Ron lost his job the following week (due to the fact that the media were focusing a lot of coverage/free advertising on our new restaurant and not the one he had been working at)  and within a month we had a little bundle sleeping in a bassinet by the bed. Again, I was stressed over not having at least 'nine months' to get ready for this little surprise. 

So that year we had 'Twins'. He got the restaurant and I got the girl. Of course (as many of your know) we had it all. Including the nursery built into the restaurant and a Granny with eager wings flitting back and forth from Ireland to help ease us into the world of 'child rearing'. 

Although our first-born and the first grandchild (on my side) she has been jolted of her post by two older girls entering into the picture this summer. Fear not, she still rules her roost. Rory is very much the apple of her Daddy's eye and most likely will end up being a vet someday because of her love for animals. I would say she could end up being an animal rights activist too except for the fact that she loves to eat meat! In saying that, she is a bit of a food snob too and can identify most of the ingredients in just about everything the Chef prepares!

Her request for the same birthday cake (every-year) might sound a little boring to many, but to a few of you out there, it sounds only divine. For many years (more than he would ever admit to) the Chef has been making and baking 'Black Magic'. A rich dark chocolate batter cake. The cake soaked in espresso, then chocolate whipped cream in the middle and a smothering of warm chocolate ganache to finish it off. He strayed from the tried and tested version for his girl and stuck on 'PINK Smarties' to jazz it up. Not a crumb left on the plate!

The thing we have noticed the most about our little Rory Belle is that she is growing up fast. She is mad into music and was the happy recipient of a teeny tiny MP3 player that fit snugly into her new iDog. Now, she really is 'TopDog' in the Wanderly-Wise-Wagon when we go on road trips and thankfully we can barely hear the commotion in the back as the Disney tunes and lady Gaga songs are shared with the other rebel rouser's.

These summer months have given us so much to be thankful for. I do not think the Chef and I ever thought we could fill our home with such happy squeals. With a friend of mine from College (Becca) here to help us through a crazy month of kiddies, we have almost reached capacity at the Wise homestead, but for anyone out there thinking about coming to visit, we still have a very comfy pull out couch that has not seen the light of day!

Those are all the WiseWords I have this morning, as we head of to Connemara to a Slow Food Fish BBQ on the beach!

WiseMóna

Welcome to the Hotel California, Such a lovely place...

It kind of feels like a hotel around here and I am settled nicely back into my roles of 'Hostess with the Mostest' and 'Dish-Bitch'. Summer is well under way here on the lovely Irish Isle and we are getting a lot of sun to go along with the season. For three weeks now we have had 2 little Irish girls living with us, and by the looks of things they may be with us for the rest of the summer. Overnight my 'Terrible Two' transformed into the 'Fantastic Four' and there is no going back. Jack and the Chef being heavily outnumbered by all the girls in the house are having a few 'manly' issues but for the most part, everyone is nicely settled.

Although local little lassies adapting to the food culture environment at the Wisehousehold  seemed like a lot to ask. For the most part the first 24 hours saw requests demands for lots of 'chips, sausages, ham sandwiches, coke, biscuits etc.'. Due to the situation the children had been removed from, we took everyone for ice-cream on the first day, to sooth away some stress and help everyone settle in for the evening.

'Militant Móna' made her appearance the next day explaining that all the food we eat at our house is healthy and actually tastes good. Thankfully my 'trusty two' backed up my statements and gave the newbies a tour of the polytunnel and even let the kids pick their own carrots for a lunch-box snack. 

A few more boundaries and enticements laid down for the first week (after dinner treat for those that eat their meals) and we sat back and waited to see how things progressed. There were a few tantrums and early bedtimes for one child, but by day three both of the newbies were 'peer pressured' into sitting at the table and eating with gusto  - just because that is what everyone else was doing.

The thing that worries me about this situation is that it shows me how easy it is for children to be 'peer pressured' into doing anything, just because they want to fit in. Now, in this case, getting them to eat a few veggies is not a bad outcome, but add ten years to the gang and see one arrive home to the playhouse out back with a box of Marlboro lights. The tables have turned.

The other thing that bothers me, no, actually makes me mad, is the fact that soooooo many parents (even friends of ours) spend a large portion of their lives complaining about their (own) children's terrible eating habits. 

Here is a few little Wisetips for those of you raising children that are fussy little eaters.

1. If you buy crap food for them and place it infront of them, they will eat it.

2. If you-yourself eat a healthy balanced diet every day, then so will your children.

3. If you think that you child will starve to death because they will not eat what you have prepared for them, relax. (a) They will not starve and (b) by the time morning rolls around they will actually be hungry.

Enter into our crazy equation three more little girls (thankfully all in the same age range). These three have been spending weekends with us (off and on) since February and are well used to the routine around here. Oddly enough one of them came with a long list of things she does not 'eat' anymore and her foster Mum cautioned me that she also liked a chocolate sandwich at bedtime because she usually did not eat/finish/like her dinner.  I assured the Mum that this would not be a problem and when she returns home to her in three weeks these eating issues will be a distant memory.

Rules explained at lunchtime yesterday, plates cleared, seconds asked for and eaten. Treats dispersed, bedtime stories and all tucked in, asleep  and happy with very full bellies by 8pm on a Saturday night.

Yesterday was my first day having seven kids under my roof. I am sure it will not be roses in the garden every day, but it is clear that children crave boundaries and routine. The environment from which these kids have come from had nothing of the sort, and amazingly after just a few days - it is what they thrive on.

OH - and just in-case you think  I am doing this alone, my handsome hubby is hanging right beside me, fixing brakes on bikes, teaching the newbies how to 'weed and grow', teaching the older ones how to collect the eggs every day, teaching the little ones how to ride the big girl bikes. In general just doing all the Dad stuff.

My kids eat everything. What do yours eat?

Those are all the WiseWords I have for this stunning Sunday morning,

WiseMóna