I’m sitting in my office this morning, looking out at the rain and general gloom, and thinking how amazing it is that in only a few short weeks it will be May, which those of you who live in Northern Ireland will know is basically the only summer we normally get here!
I’ll especially miss my friends Phil, Lou, Keith and Jenny this year in May, as they recently moved to New Zealand. Phil’s birthday falls over the May Day bank holiday weekend most years, and traditionally he’s thrown an outside, barbeque party for his birthday which is always a lot of fun. I can expect, no doubt, to see many pics of them all living it up in New Zealand!
Previous party-
I’m really, really looking forward to getting a couple of weeks break in the family home in Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal this year. Both the kids should be walking by then (Robbie will be about 14 months and is already nearly walking now) and I can’t wait to play with them on the beach. Robbie was too little last year to be introduced to the sea, but if weather permits this year, I’m hoping he can paddle a little bit along with his older (fearless) brother, who practically lived in the sea last year and still talks about how he spent an afternoon catching hermit crabs with his little fishing net!
I have to admit to having this kind of Utopian, Calvin Klein-ad, rose-tinted image in my head of walking along Killyhoey Strand, hand in hand with Ian, while the boys run on ahead of us, laughing and shouting, playing with each other. Obviously this won’t happen this year. The reality will be-
a. Trying to make Robbie walk anywhere at all because he’ll only be interested in playing with the sand/stones/seaweed
b. Keeping Ricky from running into the sea fully clothed (it’s happened before- a LOT)
c. Tying to work out which one of them to run after first, ie which impending disaster to avert first!
Maybe in years to come, I can have my dreamy and unrealistic vision of the perfect walk become a reality…
Either way, roll on the better weather! 
