tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37705481644847920722024-02-29T07:25:22.856+00:00A Journey into Grand-MotherhoodThe greatest Disability is Attitude.
To change the way we behave, we have to change the way we think.
To change the way Society behaves, we have to change the way Society thinks.Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-62724244599889670282012-03-11T19:53:00.000+00:002012-03-11T19:53:38.188+00:00Birthdays Galore!Pleins d’Anniversaires!
The last few weeks have been birthday-celebrations filled in the Cathal & Co household. Late January it was the Mammy’s. On the 25th February it was Oisín’s first birthday…. I am just wondering where that year has gone! And then exactly 2 weeks later (thanks to the extra day in February). Cathal blew out 4 candles. Yes! 4!
Ces dernières semaines ont été pleines Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-36374424568912279462011-10-15T14:20:00.000+01:002011-10-15T14:22:22.299+01:00Sharks, Turtles and… Spiders!Last Sunday afternoon Cathal and I went to Sealife, an aquarium South of Dublin.The Sharks were a major hit, we spent a long time watching them and commenting on them.The turtles were also a favourite, we had to stop and admire them twice. But the second time was the best, as Cathal proved it is possible to play Hide and Seek with sea creatures.And to finish it all, yesterday evening I got a Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-85643219608914653892011-10-02T18:42:00.004+01:002011-10-02T18:53:18.354+01:00In their own time… whenever that may beCathal has never been a crawler, rather a bum-shuffler. He has developed his own very accurate and very fast style in this form of locomotion. Walking has not been that easy for him. Low muscle tones and weak ligaments in his ankles and knees have meant that standing and then walking were difficult for him. In the beginning his little legs simply could not position themselves well enough to carryNan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-42847036184187294752011-07-26T20:55:00.004+01:002011-07-26T21:46:01.253+01:00Sleepover SnapshotsSnapshot no. 1 – Saturday morningCathal is brought over to me by the Mammy. He throws himself into my arms and holds on tight, so tight, for so long.When the Mammy leaves, he waves at her with a big smile and shouts “Byyyyye”Snapshot no. 2 – later Saturday morningMe: “We are going shopping now Cathal. What we will get?”Cathal: “Milk... Shoes... Apple... Banana”Total score: 3 out of 4 – His Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-84354028593216697352011-06-26T18:17:00.003+01:002011-06-26T18:23:53.544+01:00Phone ConversationSince Cathal has been about 4 months old, I have often spoken to him on the phone. It’s a nice way to keep in contact between the times I can see him, and can hold him, hug him, kiss him, and play with him.In the very beginnings, Cathal heard my voice but had no idea where it was coming from and generally ignored it. Then came several stages when:- he licked the phone - must have tasted nice!- Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-27318532375063819842011-06-16T20:35:00.005+01:002011-06-16T22:48:40.746+01:00Where is...?“Where is?” is a great game, with so many levels of complexity.As for any child, Cathal started playing it when he was very small. In the first version, we would ask him: “Where – is – yourrrr... NOSE?” and then point at it. And then we would repeat the question about an increasing number of body parts. After a while he did all the pointing himself.As Cathal got a little older, we moved on to theNan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-45699623754615039832011-05-15T20:32:00.003+01:002011-05-15T20:44:41.507+01:00As easy as putting one foot in front of the otherIt seems simple doesn’t it? At age 16, I found myself standing holding the hands of the physiotherapist who was in front of me, and wondering “how in the name of God did I do this before?” Following an accident, several months of immobilisation, and eventually extensive knee surgery, I simply did not know how to walk. My brain could not tell my wasted muscles to move. I had managed to stand up Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-6025151155477144712011-03-20T18:23:00.001+00:002011-03-20T18:26:33.519+00:00So Little and So HugeUp to three years ago, I was living in a very cosy little life. Of course I knew that my environment was going to change because grand-motherhood was approaching, but how different could that be from the “same-old same-old” habitat I had known for so long. I had lived through many experiences, acquired a wide ranging knowledge, seen and heard a lot, taking on board some ideas and putting others Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-23576617406427501222011-03-02T13:06:00.006+00:002011-03-02T13:29:17.931+00:005 Words Make Such a DifferenceOur lives descended into emotional turmoil following Cathal’s birth. This new member of our family burst onto the scene with five little words:Down Syndrome Congenital Heart DefectsAnd nothing was the same again.Huge sadness. Gripping fear. Unbearable pain. Sense of Loss. Un-comprehension. Overwhelming powerlessness. Most of all, for the days and weeks that followed his arrival, the constant Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-68069989744207089792011-02-25T20:42:00.007+00:002011-02-25T20:58:14.734+00:00A second Little Prince!Un deuxième Petit Prince! Meet Oisín, Cathal’s little brother, born this morning. Isn’t he beautiful? Voici Oisín, le petit frère de Cathal, né ce matin. N’est-il pas beau? Because of restrictions on visits in maternity hospitals at the moment (related to Swine Flu) neither Cathal nor myself have seen him yet “Face to Cuddles”, but Cathal is not too impressed by the photos.... Though to be Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-50104092598908484902011-01-23T12:41:00.000+00:002011-01-23T12:42:26.505+00:00One Two Three… Five!Our Little Genius!Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-44861884582886707662011-01-02T14:08:00.019+00:002011-01-02T16:36:08.591+00:00The Wheel of LifeIt ended almost the same way it started, very cold, and very white. Almost right up to the last few days of December, snow paralysed our little isle, just as it did at the start of the previous January. Never had we seen the likes of it before. Down to minus 17.5 Celsius! Unheard of in our usually very tempered Atlantic climate.Also unheard of were the events that brought us where the country nowNan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-6154380392777199242010-12-11T12:34:00.003+00:002010-12-11T12:43:42.122+00:00Playschool?My oh My! It has been a while since I blogged. Two months in fact! I have never before been so silent, and this is not like me… In truth it has been a mixture of over-busyness (most of the time) and lapses into deep laziness (temporary but so rejuvenating). It is not that there is nothing to report. It is more that too many fingers into too many pies don’t do much for Reflection.The main event, Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-36295309600154280212010-10-10T22:39:00.003+01:002010-10-10T22:50:25.291+01:00It’s the little thingsCe sont les petites chosesIt is so easy to go along life taking things for granted, and then despairing that progress is not taking the more conventional route. Cathal is constantly reminding me that Little Things matter much more than I would have given them credit for.Il est si facile de voyager dans notre vie en prenant les choses comme des événements naturels, et en se désespérant quand les Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-43364487529221449332010-09-19T18:18:00.003+01:002010-09-20T15:49:59.923+01:00Never Too Young to Start Reading James JoyceBooks have always been part of my life. I do not know when I was given my first book, but I know they are always there. My earliest memory is of a brightly illustrated version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. There was also at some point an Atlas of the World with illustrations of animals. I remember going over it, page by page, for years. So when my first child was born, I passed this love of Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-16885106430769775822010-08-22T18:52:00.003+01:002010-08-22T19:01:01.454+01:00The Biggest News of the Year (so far)!Or “In Line for a 2nd Stripe”Yes indeed. I must have done something right in my position of Grandmother, and proven that I can fulfil all duties and responsibilities as per the Job Spec. Otherwise, I am sure Cathal’s Mammy and the Dad would not be offering me a 2nd stripe to pin on my shoulder by early next year!That’s right: Cathal will be a Big Bro in February. Wooohoooo is what I say to this. Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-27813069565078368632010-07-30T21:22:00.006+01:002010-07-31T18:46:13.046+01:00Imagine… Imagine… Imaginosity!Our power of imagination is probably one of the best intellectual activities humans have developed over the last few millennia.Our imagination helps us extract reality from day-to-day routine, conceptualise it, and then escape. It can be very rewarding letting rip it in fantasy-land. It can be a pressure-release mechanism. I remember some years back in another “life” feeling under dreadful Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-84022868669726615332010-07-21T21:52:00.005+01:002010-07-21T22:05:25.128+01:00Run Forest, Run…Not so sure about Forest, but this Little Granny has upped the ante. She is on fire, and already planning the next move…Let’s put things into perspective:Fact no. 1: This Little Granny can be very lazy if she puts her mind to it, and has no problem slouching on the sofa all evening, as well as most of a wet and windy weekend.Fact no. 2: She likes exercising a bit, and actually really and truly Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-28597931211119956062010-07-15T17:40:00.005+01:002010-07-15T18:16:08.322+01:00“Whaza?”... Progress, that’s what it is! « Kèssè? » ... Du Progrès, voilà ce que c’est !I was very impressed a couple of weeks ago to hear Cathal saying to me “bi-KKKK”. It took me a few seconds to realise that instead of signing “biscuit” he was saying the word. In fact, Cathal is making incredible progress in with his communication. Every time I see him I need to catch up with his latest acquisitions. It seems that as he masters one Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-51872882999795637182010-07-04T00:28:00.003+01:002010-07-08T08:21:10.635+01:00Marriage? Did you say Marriage?Or Racism et al – Part 2Some time ago I posted on “Ageism, Racism and Abilitism” in a general way, on what I had witnessed in others. And I did write that I would come back to the topic on a more personal basis. Then I got busy with this, that, the other, months passed… and Part 2 got pushed aside. But this week some event reminded me of my intention, so here goes. Put on your sun lotion, shield Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-83760551032942425852010-06-07T21:46:00.006+01:002010-06-07T22:28:33.307+01:00I WON! . . . well, kinda!In my mind, I am a winner! Not only did I do the Women’s Mini Marathon today...but I improved on last year’s performance...by a very impressive (if I may say so myself) FIFTEEN MINUTES!!!!Here is the proof:Passing the start line at 1 minute 33 seconds:Passing the finish line at 1 hour 36 minutes 41 seconds:I may be a little granny (only 1m55, or 5ft1 in “old money”), I may not run or even jog, Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-57549258338199655522010-05-27T22:01:00.015+01:002010-05-30T21:09:31.141+01:00Little French HolsPetites Vacances françaises.Cathal, his Mammy, and his Nan went to France on a little break recently, for a family event. It was not the first time Cathal was flying (in fact, the 3rd time in 11 months) but this time he really appreciated the experience.Cathal, sa Maman et sa Nan étaient en France récemment pour quelques jours, pour une réunion de famille. Ce n’était pas la première fois que Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-16590426314142538402010-05-11T20:33:00.005+01:002010-05-13T20:25:47.270+01:00Can we? ... Of course we can!Or to borrow a well worn slogan: “YES WE CAN!”We can do anything we set out to do.We can develop our abilities to their very limit if we put our minds and hearts to it.We can change our view of the world to become more inclusive.We can take little steps every day, and when we look back we will see that we have travelled thousands of miles.The previous post on this blog was my 100th. A little Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-10227135776402310622010-05-08T19:55:00.007+01:002010-05-08T20:15:56.897+01:00I am walking, I am walking...I got on so well last year with my first ever Mini Marathon that I decided to do it again this year: Bank Holiday Monday 7th June – Dublin – Women’s Mini Marathon – 10k – me and some 40,000 other women: the largest All Women’s event of this kind in the world! (And all happening in our little island of Ireland).And for someone who drives everywhere, 10k is a long way! So I have been in full Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3770548164484792072.post-20897244073763717522010-04-30T17:34:00.006+01:002010-05-03T09:59:16.897+01:00Did you say “I scream” or “Ice-Cream”?Well, something was bound to happen, wasn’t it? What, but with me poking my nose into all kind of things, and talking about this, that, the other, until something happens.<?xml:namespace prefix = o />And when one keeps pushing and shoving and being a general nuisance, one might get a phone call asking one to become “IT”. This happened to me a few weeks ago when I received a call from Down Nan P.http://www.blogger.com/profile/15048214158269327225noreply@blogger.com11