Absolutely Gorgeous Day!

Yes! Finally we had a gorgeous sunny day here in Ireland! I took a long walk around Mayo Abbey and was just savoring the amazing weather! It is supposed to be like that tomorrow as well... so fingers crossed!

Also, took the boys to the movie theater today to see "Epic" - it was really good - they enjoyed that surprise :)

Here are some pics from today:

Walk around Mayo Abbey

Beautiful, sunny day!!

 Boys at the movies:

Yeah 3D glasses!!

:)

Cutest picture ever!

I mean do I really need to even say anything else.... this is the face I get to see every day! Love her! :):):)

Melts your heart

Had a rough night with Charlie, the 4 yr. old, last night. He was very tired (which made him grumpy) but didn't want to go to bed. I thought, oh no, the next morning might be rough with him, but fortunately he was great! 

You get frustrated with them and then they say things that just melt your heart! We were upstairs taking the sheets off his bed and he just all of a sudden says to me "Jamie, you're my best friend"! Oh my lord! How can you not just melt..... You forget about the night before or the morning frustrations or problems and think to yourself - this is literally one of the best things someone has said to me! 

If you are having a bad day or something is making you mad, then you hear "you're my best friend", your day is automatically better and all your troubles fade away.

It's amazing how 4 little words from a 4 year old can have such an impact on you :)

Conquered!

Things I have conquered while in Ireland:

- Driving a manual transmission car

That was tough... I never thought that I was going to be able to drive normally or get down the road without stalling. Now I am driving, almost, like a pro and actually really like driving manual.

- Climbed Mt. Croagh Patrick!

Wow, this was also tough.... the first part is not too bad. You think you see the top and get a sense of relief that you did it, but then you look over to your left and oh wait you are only half way there! Crap. The second half is more difficult... you are literally climbing over loose rocks on a steep incline... needless to say, me with my fear of heights, I never turned around or looked down just to see the view during that second part.

The walk up...

Beautiful views

Westport Bay

We needed a little break :)

Only the halfway point :)

This is what we had to climb for about the last hour. Really rough!

Yeah, finally made it to the top!

The church at the top of Mt. Croagh Patrick

Beautiful sight!

WORK IN PROGRESS..... MORE TO COME SOON

4 months!

Today I have officially been in Ireland for 4 months! May 16, 2013

Boy has it been a fast 4 months.... the time has just flown by.

Love these kids!!! :):):)

END OF A FREAKIN' RAINBOW!!!

HOLY MOLY! I ACTUALLY SAW THE END OF A RAINBOW HERE IN IRELAND! WOW!

Unfortunately, I did not see a pot of gold or a leprechaun at the end :( Maybe next time!

Here's to (at least) another 3 months!

So it is official! I am definitely staying in Ireland until the end of October 2013. I could even possibly stay until the beginning of January!!  Yeah - I am excited and a little nervous to be staying for this long, but the Fallon family is amazing and makes me feel so comfortable here!!

3 more months!!!

Tuckertown

So Charlie, the 4 yr. old, made up a while ago that I was from "Tuckertown" - my last name is Tucker. He was calling me "Jamie Tucker from Tuckertown" for about 2 months. 

One day he said to me that I tricked his whole family because I said that I was from "Tuckertown" when I am really from Texas. He got "mad" at me because I tricked everyone. So then he was calling me "Jamie Tucker from Texas".

THEN.... He found out that I was born in Alaska... so..... I was gone the weekend he found that out, and when I came home, boy was I in trouble! He got mad at me again saying that I am really from "Laska (Alaska)". So now I am "Jamie Tucker from Texas, Tuckertown, and Laska".

So cute what comes out of kids' mouths! :):):):)

My Routine

So I have settled into life in Ireland and into the family routine. The routine during the week is pretty normal for a family that has school age kids. This is basically how my week goes Monday through Friday:

Kids - Jack (9 yr. old), Charlie (4 yr. old), Gracie (now 6 months)

7:45am - Wake up and get ready

8:00am - Go downstairs and make the boys' lunch and feed Gracie

 (boys have breakfast, get dressed, brush teeth)

9:05am - Bring boys to school
(first Jack, then to the Creche with Charlie and on Tuesday and Wednesday with Gracie)

9:30am - 12:30pm - Tidy the kitchen, sweep/hoover, wash and dry dishes, make "dinner" for Charlie, tidy sitting room, tidy hallway, my room (if needed)
(When I have Grace, feed and entertain her, try to get her to sleep)

12:30pm - Pick up Charlie from Creche and feed him

12:30pm - 3:00pm - Play with Charlie, feed Gracie, tidy kitchen again, wash and dry dishes, make "dinner" for Jack

3:00pm - Pick up Jack from school and feed him, feed Charlie

3:30pm - Jack starts jobs (chores), I tidy kitchen again and entertain Charlie and Gracie

4:00pm - Everyone goes outside to play (weather permitting)

5:00pm - 5:30pm - Come inside and get the boys food if wanted.... Entertain the boys
(James home from work)

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, some Sat./Sun. - 6:30pm - ?? - Jack has Gaelic football/soccer training or game/athletics/games

6:30pm?? - Judi comes home

8:00pm - Charlie to bed/Gracie to bed

8:00pm - 9:00pm - Jack home/shower/eat/bed

Then I do what I want.....

I don't always work all those hours depending if James or Judi is home; also, it's not a lot of housework just normal tidying up....

It can be a long day... but it's good.

Perfecting the Art of Mashed Potatoes

Perfecting the Art of Mashed Potatoes.... This is a must if you are cooking for an Irish family.

I remember the first time I made mashed potatoes over here and the 9 year old was not shy about telling me that it was too lumpy and not good :) .... Well after that I got a lesson on how to make good mashed potatoes and that was that... Now I make them pretty much every day :)

The 4 year old (Charlie) loves mashed potatoes! If he is acting "crazy" or being ornery, give him some mashed potatoes and it is like he is a different person.

For the 9 year old, they have to be REALLY mashed... no lumps at all! :) Very specific.

We eat mashed potatoes almost every day... they are really good... we just eat a lot.... but that is normal for an Irish family.

How I make mashed potatoes:

1. Peel the potatoes and place them in a pot. Fill with water.
2. Cover and heat on the stove top until it boils.
3. Move the pot to a lower burner and let it cook until the potatoes are really soft.
4. Add butter and milk (as much as needed); mash A LOT.

There you go... there are your mashed potatoes. :)

The beautiful (and delicious) finished product!

Driving a Stick Shift! Watch out!

So I had to learn how to drive a stick shift (or manual transmission) car because that is what they drive. I had two lessons from my sister's boyfriend back home, but I don't think I was really getting it.

So James taught me how to drive. I honestly thought I would never be able to figure it out. When I first started I was stalling ALL the time - I swear about every other minute I was stalling. I couldn't figure out how to find that balance between lifting up the clutch and pushing the accelerator. Then when I would stall I would get frustrated with myself and then I would stall again and get more frustrated... it was a vicious cycle! 

After more practice driving with Judi and James, I was feeling a little better about my progress.. I could make it down the road without stalling YEAH! So I had to drive into town next! Was I sweating bullets... all the worst possibilities came into my head... I thought that I was going to stall in the middle of the road, have all these cars waiting on me (honking, swearing, everything), not be able to get the car going... I imagined everything that could go wrong...

So the time came and I was doing fine... I made it down our road fine... down the Claremorris roads fine.... pulled away from the stop sign without stalling.... yes I was feeling more confident... I can do those! Yeah!  Get to the stop light and pull away fine.... I have to turn right into the place we were going and cars were coming on the right ------- sidebar - here in Ireland they drive on the left side of the road but on the right side of the car - so yeah that was hard to get used to! --------- so I had to wait. I was stopped waiting for the cars to go, there were a couple cars behind me but I was feeling ok. There was an opening and I start to go... and.... stall. So I turn the car off and try again... stall. Ok now I am getting panicky and frustrated... I try again... stall. I take deep breath and really concentrate on finding that balance... finally I made it! I pulled into the parking spot and just sat there... man was my confidence low about driving now.

Well, Judi and I decided that maybe I needed a driving lesson with a proper instructor. So I had one and wow did that help! She told me to find the "biting point" of the clutch - lift your foot off the clutch until you feel the car engine start to make noise and you can feel the car start to want to go. Then you slowly apply the gas and lift off the clutch! Wow, just that one tip of the biting point helps 200%! 

Now I am flying down the roads... not really, don't worry Judi..... I bring the kids to school, pick them up, take them to town, drive at night --------- sidebar again, there are no street signs or street lights! -------- drive out to the movies with friends, take the kids to the park... It is great now! I actually do like driving manual and it can be really fun to do the shifting!

So advice - stay calm... the more you panic, the worse you will be and feel. Practice, practice, practice! Judi and James made me drive everywhere so I got a lot of practice in - it really helps! When I first started I never thought I would be able to just drive down the road without stalling but I now I am driving all the time with now problem. It took me about 1.5 months to really get the driving good.

Do I still sometimes stall... yes... when I start to panic that is when I stall... so I just have to tell myself to calm down and I know what to do.

Settling In and Getting Homesick (don't worry!)

After the train we head to the house and we are literally driving on back-country roads (as we call it in the US).... I am surrounded by field after field after field... it is absolutely gorgeous! I still can't believe I am really here!

We get to the house and (it's beautiful!) immediately Jack is asking me questions :) We watch some tv while Judi gets Charlie (4 yr. old) and Gracie (at the time 3 month old).... Charlie walks in the door and sees me... He freezes for a sec and then grabs my hand and drags me to his playroom.... We play for a while and then James comes home from work. So then I really get to meet everyone. They are so nice and make me feel so comfortable right away. We talk for a while and then the boys have to go to bed and I go to my room to try to unpack my stuff.

I walk in the room, close the door and start crying.... not because I am sad... because I am overwhelmed. I am really here and I am not leaving for 7 months. I can't just pop over to my parent's house if I need something or I can't run to all the familiar places in Plano.... But that is normal. I was completely overwhelmed and extremely homesick my first 2 weeks in Ireland. I cried a couple times during those 2 weeks and had a hard time really being myself in the beginning. I am naturally a shy person, so this situation in the beginning was hard.

It took a couple days to unpack my stuff and get settled into my room (I have my own room with an ensuite bathroom - the bathroom is in the room). I got "thrown in" right away to having the kids all day by myself because of Judi's job, but they are great and understood this was all new for me so they helped me out a lot.


Don't worry if you are really homesick or in the first 2 weeks think "I can't do this - I want to go home".. that is completely normal... you have to give yourself an adjustment period. Going from the United States of America to Ireland is a HUGE adjustment. I honestly was not completely comfortable with everything until around 1 month into being here. It takes time... you are living with completely new people, adjusting to their life and routine, adjusting to life in a foreign country and trying to keep up with kids and family life that is not your own.... it is a lot to handle in the beginning...

I recommend just taking some time for yourself every day.. whether that is 20 min, 30 min, 1 hour or whatever you can spare... take that time at least in the beginning because you need to get your mind straight about being where you are...

Don't stress! Homesickness is normal... I am 4 months in and still get really homesick. Talk to your host parents about how you are feeling.... in my situation they are so understanding about what I am feeling - they always make sure I am doing and feeling okay and that helps so much!

Here I am Ireland!!

So the day has come and it is time to head to Ireland! I have all my bags packed (3 of them - expensive FYI) and the butterflies are starting up in my stomach! My mom is driving me to the airport but it still hasn't really sunk in what is going on just yet.

We get to the airport and meet my dad there. Well my bags were over the weight limit (although we measured it at home) and there is me in the middle of the airport floor tearing clothes out of my bag trying to get them down to the right weight (50 lbs.). Fortunately there were not a lot of people in that particular terminal. So we finally get that settled and we are waiting a little while longer to say goodbyes. That was so hard! I am really close with my parents and if I see them cry I will start to cry. So my mom starts and then I start and then she sees me crying which makes her cry even more.... oh man the tears were just flowing out! We calmed down and walked over to security. We said one more goodbye and I turned around walked in.... that was it - I was now officially starting my journey. And that is when it really hit me, I turned around to wave one last time to my parents and the tears came out full force! I got completely overwhelmed in that moment seeing them for the last time in person for at least 7 months.

Long story short - I calmed down and made it through security just fine. I got to my terminal and waited for my plane. I read my book to keep my mind off of crying again - tears of sadness for leaving my family, but joy for the experience. After about an hour and a half of waiting the plane was ready!

Ok here I go! I'm stepping on the plane - oh man I am really doing this - I keep walking - yep there is no turning back! AHHHHH! I sit in my seat and it fully sets in what I am doing and where I am going to be for the next 7 months..... in Ireland, away from familiarity, by myself..... Wow.

About 9 hours later - HERE I AM IRELAND!! Holy crap, I am actually here! I can't believe it!
I'm walking through the Dublin airport at around 6 am local time and I probably look crazy because I just keep smiling and smiling and smiling....  I feel like one of those tourists everyone makes fun of because I probably look completely lost and don't know where to go to find my bus. Well, after 1 bus ride and 1 tram ride I am finally at Dublin Heuston station awaiting my train to take me to Claremorris! So I sit and people watch - probably one of the most fun things to do! :)

It's now time to get on the train and again I feel like a dumb tourist, but anyways I get on the train and make it to my seat. It is going to be a 4 hour train ride and I really didn't sleep much on the planes, so I try to get some sleep. I start out on the train ride with no one around me - you are in groups of 4 seats with a table in the middle - but then at one point I wake up and there is a guy sitting next to me, a young woman sitting across from me and her 1.5 year standing on the table... yeah that really woke me up.

4 hours later and I have arrived in Claremorris!! Holy crap I am here - I am about to meet my host family for the first time! Although right now I'm more worried about how I'm going to get all my bags off the trains (ahh a nice Irishman helped me!).... I put the first bag off the train and the man helps me with the next... I am trying to get myself situated when I hear my name..... and I hear it again... I turn around to see if I am really hearing that right and there is Judi and Jack (9 yr. old) waving at me!! Ahh there they are!

Now I have officially arrived in Ireland and am ready to go!

Expectations

So once I had booked my ticket and had taken care of all the necessary paperwork, I had time to sit and think about what I expected would happen during my time as an au pair in Ireland.

When I thought about what I expected to see in Ireland, I pictured green fields everywhere, lots of animals, beautiful sites - basically what I had looked up on the internet. But I expected the same kind of roads we have in the US, the same foods, the same looking places. I had always heard that the Irish people are so nice and helpful, so that was something to look forward to. Oh yeah, I also expected a lot of rain - I mean that is what you hear about Ireland. Other than rain, I expected the weather to be similar to mine back home. I am from Texas so we do have weird weather - we can get 4 seasons a day and the summer can get up to 110 degrees F. No I did not expect that, but the same seasons during the same months - January, February is winter with snow and cold; March, April, May is spring with warmer weather and rain; June, July, August is summer with even warmer weather; September, October, November is fall with leaves falling and the weather cooling; December is back to winter. Those were my expectations.

With the au pair side of it, since I had worked with kids in a daycare, babysitting, in schools, as neighbors, I thought that I would have no problem stepping into a responsibility role and having a good time with the kids. I knew that I would have to be firm, nice, open to talk to, fun, and responsible. You have to be "like" a parent, but not their parent (if that makes sense). I've had lots of experience with kids and love being around them and "taking care" of them. I also expected to learn a lot from them about their culture and their way of life. I knew this would be a big responsibility because I would be taking them to school, picking them up from school, making them meals, helping with homework, entertaining them, putting them to bed, etc. It would be a lot, but I was up to the challenge. I want to be a teacher so if I could handle a room with 25 7-8 year olds, I could handle 3 kids! :)

I was nervous about traveling so far away from home - away from family, friends, everything that is familiar to me. I am really close with my family, so I knew that would be hard not to see them every day. But I was doing this for me, to have this adventure and experience this new place.

 I also expected that living with a new family and adjusting to their habits, routine, and life would be difficult and take some time to get used to. I know that I would need an adjustment period to get comfortable with everything - flying thousands of miles away, being in a foreign country with no one I know, living with new people, taking care of kids, etc.

But after all this thought, I was still so excited to be doing this and couldn't wait to get started.

Getting Started

So I have been an au pair (nanny) in Ireland for about 4 months now. I live in Mayo Abbey outside of Claremorris in County Mayo and I LOVE IT! The scenery is absolutely gorgeous.... I get to look out my window every day and see green everywhere! My host family is amazing!!

Anyways, back to the beginning. I can't believe I haven't done this sooner. I am mainly doing this blog to keep in contact with family and friends, but I thought maybe that someone else who was thinking of being an au pair or traveling to Ireland might benefit to hear some of my experiences. If not or no one reads it, then it will just be a good way to keep my memories of my time here.

I thought I would start with why I decided to become an au pair and the process I went through to getting to Ireland... so here is my story:

I graduated from Texas State University in San Marcos in May of 2012 with my education degree. I started working in an office (shout out AANPCP) while I was applying for teaching jobs. A friend of my mom's best friend :) mentioned that her daughter was an au pair in Italy and she told me about her experience. It sounded perfect for me. I have worked with kids since I was around 15 and LOVE to travel! I still continued to work at my office job because I didn't know if I could actually travel that far away for so many months all by myself. I just pushed the au pair thing to the back of my mind. A couple months later I was getting really frustrated with the lack of job opportunities and was disappointed that my "plan" of graduating and getting a job right away was not happening like I expected. So I decided to check out some of the au pair websites/agencies just to see what it was about. I read the au pair comments and saw all the countries I could potentially go to. I got really excited! This sounded so amazing and would allow me to fulfill my longing to travel.

I mulled it over in my mind about whether I was actually brave enough to do this. I was sitting in my room thinking about this when all of a sudden I just decided that I don't have to follow the "plan", I can do what I want now! This is the perfect time to do something like this - I have no commitments to one place or to anyone, so why not? Why not do this? That's it - I'll do it!!! I decided just like that! I am going to become an au pair! I checked out a couple of sites and found one that I liked - Au Pair International. It is a full-fledged au pair agency that walks you through the process, helps you with the paperwork, does background checks on potential families and yourself, and keeps in contact with you throughout your entire au pair time. I had started on a different site that basically was just a place to meet potential families, but I wanted to be safe about it (so did my parents!). I contacted Au Pair International and got more information about what they did and what my experience in a different country would be. After some back and forth emails, I made my commitment to them and I had an interview with Au Pair International where she basically asked questions about my childcare experience, traveling experience, why I want to become an au pair, etc. I told her the countries I was interested in (Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand) and she set out to find potential host families for me.

2 weeks went by and I hadn't heard anything... I was starting to get worried... maybe the families didn't like me :( I finally had a couple hits with families but those fell through and finally Au Pair Int. sent me the profile of my current host family (the Fallons - yeah!)... I read over their profile and loved them from the start. They sounded just like my family and we had a lot of the same interests. I skyped with Judi (host mom) and she was great! So easy to talk to and very nice! Basically on that Skype interview we decided it was a go! We liked each other and continued the process from there! AHHHHHH oh man was I excited! I was literally jumping around the room and couldn't stop smiling! IT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING!!! Wow. I called everyone I knew and told them the news!!!

Au Pair International got me in contact with their sister agency in Ireland (Cara International) and I had to have an interview with them as well (basically to measure my English). From there I had to then apply for me]y visa... not gonna lie - that was a trying process..... if you are going to become an au pair  start the visa process about 3 months before you are going to leave, you never know what it going to happen. A lot of frustrating phone calls and fretting over whether I would get my visa in time, but fortunately everything worked out and on January 15, 2013 I headed to Ireland!!!

So that is how I became an au pair in Ireland... sorry if it kind of rambled in some parts :)

In this blog I wil be talking about my expectations vs. reality, my daily routine, the places I have been to and seen, what I have enjoyed, etc. Hopefully someone might find it useful or just enjoy reading it.

I will try to update this as much as I can... Talk to you later.