I am an author of two books and former journalist with a fourteen-year old cat who’s racked up more frequent flier miles than many adults. These days, I measure success by how much dinner my boys have eaten vs. how much of it is on the floor.
Life has pretty much not been what I expected when I was expecting, especially since hearing, “I see TWO heartbeats!” We have moved back and forth between Los Angeles and New York several times and now we are living abroad for at least a year in Dublin, Ireland.
I have measured out my life with U-haul cabs and storage rooms
So much for nesting.
I used to love to travel – my work required it and so did my husband’s – and often we could join each other on our adventures. I lived as an expat in Japan, and have backpacked on two different continents.
On this side of life, though, with two gorgeous 19 month-old sons, going anywhere means hauling at least two hundred pounds of their gear. In my pre-motherhood days, I would have fled from the sure-to-be spectacle of myself in the airport: stroller, two car seats, two toddlers heading for a five-hour time change. And though people tell me what a great experience it will be for them, I think they find as much wonder and revelation in watching the gobbaga (garbage) truck come every Wednesday as they will in the Cliffs of Moher.
But I’m no scrapbooker. The boys’ baby books are still sitting in the bags they came in when I received them at the baby shower. (In the most recent pack-up, I noticed them in the closet, accusing me with their pastel colors of being a terrible mom.) And I am not crafty. Anything hand-rendered I attempt to do generally looks like the product of someone deranged.
So I hope this blog is a way to chronicle the grand adventure for my blue-eyed boys and keep family and friends posted on our little foursome (+monkey cat when she is allowed to enter the country) as we forge our way through foreign territory: Ireland and parenting.
–Erin
The Other Side of the Road 
I am so excited to read this from the other side of the world! I am seething with envy that you are moving to Ireland and that you could potentially be living in europe for years. I think the unknown is way more fun than the known.
Oh Val, you are my first commenter! How exciting. To think we once ventured on another side of the globe together. I miss you guys and can’t wait for your visit. Pints on us!
Wishing you all the best with your big jump across the pond. It is a leap of faith but I am sure it will be an adventure worth taking and one you and your boys will cherish. So looking forward to hearing about it and wishing you all the best with your transition. I so understand the emotional havoc that “little” decisions cause when it comes to being a parent and wanting to make sure you are doing the best for your children. Cheers to you and Sascha & bon voyage!
Thanks, Sas! I am so glad it worked out to see you and meet Alexander yesterday. Best wishes for continued success with Bump. P.S. Am still rocking the leather-and-knit cape I bought. It will be perfect for Ireland!
Amazing and somehow so right that this has come to pass. FYI I came very close to being set up with Grafton Architects in Dublin as co-teachers this term at Yale. Would have been traveling to Dublin in mid-September, but alas, instead going to London with another set of colleagues. I will file that in our very long dossier of near misses. Although I now recall that I did find you unexpectedly on a subway in London many years ago…
Hope all is well.
xo
Yes, you are quite right. I would say let’s plan for you to hop over from London but we seem to do better with leaving things to chance in the strangeness of life. I will tempt you with the fact that we are living in an architect’s house, though, so you could call it research. He is going to London with family for work since the Celtic Tiger left the island. Hope MacDowell was productive for you. Give A a kiss from me.
Hello Erin, finally got around to seeing the blog and I’ve been immersed in your postings while nursing a coffee in sunny southern CA. I feel a million miles away and I must admit to feeling a bit jealous when I read about going to the pub and drinking Guinness. I miss pubs – and being able to walk to them! I will email you soon. The way things are going in CA I might be back in London before you know it – and then a visit will certainly be on the cards. lots of love
C, just got your email. Was out with my mom and took her inside the grounds of Trinity College. I think college has just started, because there were hordes of kids looking shiny and new and full of promise and so fecking carefree. I thought of all of us, all those years ago–too many to say publicly–we were so young. Anyway, get on your blog. I will write you more in an email soon. Was just thinking about you and I. and wondering how her first day of school went.
OMG – this is you? so funny that I have read this blog before and love it! Thanks for visiting – I so appreciate and value your praise!!!
Yes, it’s me! I told Lisa if I was still a mag editor I would have hired you as a writer!
Erin your blog is amazing, hilarious, touching, educational & fun! It’s been great following you thru this. Ireland agrees with you & your fam. I look forward to enjoying more of your adventures. Hope you had a very good Irish Thanksgiving. Meaning Guinness as the starter, main course, & dessert. It really is all 3! Say Hi to S & your adorable little men.
Love, Nik
Thank you! I’m so glad you got to visit us over here.Wish we could have had more time. S was a big fan of S!
Ha! Ha! Mr.& Mr.S! My S loved your S too! Would have been nice If we had more time. Never know what the future will bring though. Perhaps another Ireland trip. Or at least a visit with you all again wherever we are. Take Care! 🙂
I’m enjoying your posts. I can relate to the experience of parenthood though mine is just half of yours. Oh, regarding the scrapbooking, I still have an empty book and even haven’t managed to create a photo album of my daughter though I take tons and tons of pictures. 😉
So glad to know I’m not the only one. Come to think of it, we never did a proper wedding album, either!
But yes, so many photos and so many videos. I try when I can to keep it updated so this experience is at least somewhat documented.
How on earth did you discover my blog (especially during that lull when I haven’t actually been on it, owing to house moving and no Internet connection)? Anyway, thanks for visiting and liking things. I love your stories of twinned toddlertom. Mine are 2 1/2 years apart and still can plunge such depths of silliness, that I really don’t know how you can cope with double doses of that! Enjoy your time in Ireland.