And yet more rugby...

We are very much aware that our easy access to Europe will soon be denied with our pending move to New York. In that spirit, I popped over to London for the day a couple of Saturdays ago to watch the England rugby team play the Barbarians at Twickenham. Out the door at ten a.m. and back by midnight.

Ronaldo? Messi?

Nor did I have a clue who these two were until a few days ago when I learned that my alternative to watching the Champions League Final tonight between Manchester United and Barcelona was to attend a second family reunion dinner with CW, her mother, her father and two sisters. Since then, I have been attempting to convince CW that I have always been a closet football (soccer to you Americans) fan. CW is quite skeptical but when I just happened to mention in conversation her brother's team was relegated (Newcastle) she started to believe. Whereas my love of rugby both playing and watching is well-documented. So much so we spent Saturday evening in a Cork bar with our friends visiting from Holland watching Leinster (Irish) beat Leicester (English) in the Heineken (Dutch) Cup Final. And whether fan or not, tonight's game is bigger than the Super Bowl--at least for these European types--so it's an adventure to be here watching this game. Well, must be going. Have to read "Idiots Guide to Soccer" I mean football. Dreadful Creatures? Don't worry--they will be safe with internet sitter tonight!

Casual Fridays (i.e. track suit)

ODC attempts to break out of St. Maries of the Isle for quick run to "Forever 21"

Another successful St. Patrick's Day...

As our friend Paul Sanchez (www.paulsanchez.com) sings, "What's an Irish boy from a good family doing in the gutter?"

Feeding Time...

Visiting hours at YDC's school!

Suffer the Children...

The Irish Child Abuse Commission's report came out today (www.irishtimes.com) and as expected the findings of "savage and institutional abuse at the hands of religious orders" have sickened and saddened this nation of Catholics. On the brighter side, these "secret" photos from the Dreadful Creatures respective schools appear to show things have lightened up somewhat:
1) That's YDC getting a few lashes from the Headmaster for sitting in a square position during "Circle Time"
2) That's ODC in Overnight Detention for wearing her i-pod in class.

I read the news today oh boy....

and saw our Older Dreadful Creature in the Irish Independent newspaper commemorating the Irish famine at her school, St. Maries of the Isle--that's her in the middle--doesn't look underfed to me! (n.b. Edmonds: Claire and Isabelle aren't the only kids with a stage mom shamelessly promoting her brats to the media!)