Back to Normal

It's been over a month since my last blog post! I'm terrible, but I decided to take a break from everything and spend August having a good summer with Beth. She went into Junior Infants last week (28th Aug). So, there it is. My daughter is now (officially) part of the system. Last year, she started in pre-school within the same infant school and loved it. She was wearing a tracksuit, the jumper had the school crest. This year, she is a pinafore, shirt and tie. I love seeing her in her uniform. She looks so grown up!

Here are a few photos from our August. Next week, I'll get back to my usual posts. I'd like to do something about my dreadfully slow laptop too! Like a snail at the moment and it takes ages to transfer photos from my phone to the laptop to use on the blog. Grrr...

Beth messing with my phone's camera

Our new tent. A trial run in my mum's back garden

Mum's back garden

Chocolate biscuit cake mmmm

Still really enjoying her Martial Arts classes

I took her on some back paths in Dundalk. The ones  I used to take to visit my Granny

We spent a few nights in Dublin. This is in the Disney Store on Grafton Street

More camera antics

Beth and my mum's dog, Jenny

Posing in Penney's

The height of fashion!

She loves to dance and perform

We camped in a place called Kilbroney, Rostrevor, NI

Playground, Kilbroney

Playground, Kilbroney

Heaven on Earth, Kilbroney

Friends at Kilbroney

Blackberry picking, Kilbroney

Looking like a farmer, Kilbroney

Enjoying the view, Kilbroney

The woods, Kilbroney

Going home, Kilbroney

Beth and her 3rd cousin Lugh, home from Oz for a few weeks

Throwback to a friend's wedding last year. This beautiful photo was taken by Enda Gartan Photography

I'm on day 5 of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I ache all over!

Beth's first sparring match

Funny faces

Trad session with the O'Connor's (Mum's cousins)

First day of Junior Infants on the left, first day of pre-school on the right

She doesn't like heights!

In her new classroom

She just loves corn on the cob

Big hair!

More from our exploring day

Beth and Tedaline, the bear who shared her cot in the hospital when she was born

It was a full August!

Dolly Parton's 9-5 Musical

Last night, our book club, Housework Can Wait, went to Dolly Parton's 9-5 Musical in the Bord Gais Theatre in Dublin. It has been a while since I was at the theatre and wow, it was brilliant!

Our book club is a member of the Bord Gais Book Club's of Ireland and they gave us free tickets for last nights performance. I have to admit, I do like a bit of country and western so I was really looking forward to the show. That and the fact that I so rarely get out! 

We collected our tickets at the Box Office and made our way upstairs for a delicious glass of wine before taking our seats. I tried not to cry at the €18 charged for three glasses of wine and just soaked in the ambiance.  

View from where we were standing

The show began with Dolly herself narrating. The main characters, Violet (Jackie Clune), Judy (Natalie Casey), Doralee (Any Lennox) and the boss Franklin (Ben Richards) were introduced along with a little explanation of the differences in working conditions in 1979.

Taken from the official website 

It had been a long time since I saw the movie so can't compare the two but really, would I want to? I doubt it. The performance was fantastic. The choreography, acting, sets and costumes were amazing. Even from up in the circle, the attention to detail in costumes was apparent. The sets were designed well to allow a fluid movement between scenes and often played a part in the story. The actors put on such a great show and one of the more memorable performances came from Bonnie Langford (Roz) who, in a very sexy number, had the audience in fits of laughter.

Towards the end, when Dolly comes back on the clock screen suspended above the stage, the audience were in high spirits. She broke into the song 9 to 5 and had a lot of the theatre goers up on their feet clapping in time (I'd say there was a bit of foot stomping too!).

All in all, it was a very enjoyable experience. If you get a chance to see this performance do not pass it up!