RM May 18 - Long 'Hot' Summer

RM column - May 18th - Long 'Hot' Summer

The countdown to change is getting closer and closer and I don’t mean the General Election, I mean the Junior Cert. As each day passes we are getting nearer and nearer to the Young Wan’s first foray into State exams, her first official getting older moment.

With work busier than ever thank God for Nanny being here to cover me when I am working late, for making dinners, lunch, eh beds, you name it in the flat and Nanny has had some part in making sure it is working, clean and tidy, cooked, mended and studying.

Once the Young Wan’s exams are over Nanny is whisking her off for the summer. The holidays are too long here, three months. I’m sure our young people don’t agree, or indeed our teachers, but I do.

It is so hard for them to get back into the swing of things following such a long break. Never mind what do you do with them for that length of time.

Luckily because the Young Wan is now 15 being looked after isn’t an issue, though at times you wouldn’t know it and think back to the days of childminding with nostalgia.

In fairness though I trust herself not to be going bananas if I’m not there and I could not have said that last year. Last year I never knew what I would find, you know what I mean, gangs of kids smoking, messing about and once the brats opened up one of my little bottles of beer. Jaysus they must have thought they were the business. Well until I came home and hit the roof that is.

However, that was last year and I know she wouldn’t mess about like that now. Not to say I 100 per cent trust she won’t mess about hence my need to know policy that I talked about here before.

And in fairness what would she do that wouldn’t end up in her being completely bored. Course I could take time off, like many parents I already leave my holidays for the summer time anyway. And like many other parents I do not get three months holidays as lovely as that would be so it is inevitable that they will be at home bored, watching telly all day.

The Young Wan is too young to work which could be good for her, get a bit of responsibility and earning your own money. We live a good bit away from most of her pals and I wouldn’t be comfortable letting her roam around where we live without me being there too.

But what to do with her for the summer is a worry, only Nanny has stepped in and off they will go once her exams are over.

Only I panicked the other day, flights are already booked for the day after the exams finish. And I was not content until I saw the timetable myself and knew for sure that yes the Young Wan is definitely finished on the 14th.

I had the awful foreboding feeling that the Young Wan had read the timetable wrong rendering the flights an awful waste of money.

However, I sold her short in this one and she had the dates properly read. So the two of them will head off immediately after her exams.

I will be more than a bit lost over the summer with an empty house and just the doggie and me. And Eeekkk what will I write about, though I am sure I will find plenty.

I do hope to join them and then I can bring her home and have some lovely summer time with her.