1/9/94 – Pauline was in the park with Sean et al. and had a good time. Louise started school today.
2/9/94 – We went to the shop with the buggies later, for chocolate (a low dose for Sean), and watched some TV. (Sean collected lots of slugs in a bowl – picked them up. ‘They’re my friends. I love them.’)
4/9/94 – Pauline and I did some work in the front and back gardens, ‘helped’ by Sean et al.
5/4/94 – We took Sean, Susanna, Elaine and Louise to the park for a walk – good fun.
6/9/94 – We went to Sandymount for a drive – Pauline felt she hadn’t been getting enough practice lately. We walked/were carried on the strand for a while and Pauline drove us home in the dark. Sandymount strand brings memories back.
8/9/94 – Susanna is now pulling herself up a lot – since yesterday. She can stand up holding on to something.
9/9/94 – Pauline, Sean and Susanna went to the Nutgrove. I wasn’t out at all until we all went for a walk in the dark and the rain.
10/9/94 – Pauline took Sean and Susanna to the supermarket while I did some work; then it was time for Sean to go to Sarah and Edel’s party … Pauline, Susanna and I went to Sandyford to look at tiles. Sean was back from Harold’s Cross when we got back – he’d been to the pictures with all the kids and had had a great time – and the party continued. For the record, on his first ever visit to the cinema he saw Baby’s Day Out. He had been extremely good … [later] I took Susanna out for a video – Sleepless in Seattle. Pauline and I watched it later … Pauline thought it was very good, and cried.
11/9/94 – Pauline drove us to Blackrock and we got a train to Bray. Played on the beach with bucket and spades, then had a drink and Pauline and Sean went on a ‘train’ around Bray. Susanna was a little angel all day … Pauline and Sean spent time in an amusement place, then we got a DART back to Blackrock and Pauline drove us home.
12/9/94 – Sean started back in his playgroup, and enjoyed it … [later] Pauline and Sean did some work on converting the cheap and nasty wardrobe in the office into shelves, as had been done with an identical one for Sean’s room.
13/9/94 – We had the remains of yesterday’s stew for dinner, and went out for a walk later – Sean fell asleep in his buggy … Susanna was extremely cute and funny.
14/9/94 – Sean woke me during the night to ask for a drink of milk. I found that I couldn’t get back to sleep, and lay awake for hours, to my frustration – I knew I needed the sleep. I started to think about what I would put in my autobiography if I were to write one.
16/9/94 – Sean had head lice, so we all had to be treated.
18/9/94 – We watched the All-Ireland final, and were delighted when Down beat Dublin. (This morning Dublin colours were tied to our doorknob – Sean F is the prime and only suspect.)
22/9/94 – I would have mowed the lawns but the key to the shed has gone missing – last seen when Susanna was playing with it.
28/9/94 – They went to the supermarket – S & S fell out of a three-wheeled trolley and could have been badly hurt, to Pauline’s shock.
5/10/94 – During the night Sean asked me lots of questions about dinosaurs, lions and tigers, and I had difficulty in getting back to sleep … [later] Sean was at his playgroup.
7/10/94 – Sean was full of amusing turns of phrase on the holiday [in England]. ‘Crash bang wobble’ (a catchphrase). When Susanna and he are standing by the sofa and I’m giving Susanna her breakfast: ‘Do you not realize that there are two people here?’ To a ladybird flying around Aileen’s room: ‘Get out! It’s not your house!’ And more that I can’t remember.
14/10/94 – Pauline took Sean & Susanna swimming in Cheeverstown in the afternoon. Sean can float.
15/10/94 – P, S, S & I went for a walk to the park in the afternoon, and Sean played in the playground.
18/10/94 – Typical Seanism – I goed to the loo early ago.
22/10/94 – We got two coats of undercoat on the bedroom floor – Pauline did one in the morning (assisted by Sean) and I did one in the evening.
31/10/94 – We had all the trick-and-treaters – Sean was dressed up and out with Elaine & co. He was shattered afterwards.
11/11/94 – Sean was at a party in Brian’s all afternoon – Brian is 3.
13/11/94 – I got up with Susanna around 6.15. Did the usual things with herself and Sean; took her out for a paper, read it … [later] Pauline and Sean had been at a jumble sale while Susanna was asleep – Sean had got a train and track for £1, which unfortunately doesn’t work very well. Sean and Susanna had baths, we all played, and then got them off to sleep.
14/11/94 – Pauline put up a gate at the bottom of the stairs, to replace the barriers.
15/11/94 – Pauline, Sean and Susanna went to the Nutgrove in the morning and Dundrum in the afternoon. Susanna got her birthday present – an ‘activity table’ … [later] I took Sean to bed and read him stories.
16/11/94 [Susanna’s first birthday] Pauline and Sean are trying to permanently desqueak the big bed … Pauline, Sean and Susanna left to meet Aileen and Jim in Dun Laoghaire – their ferry was due in at 5.15.
17/11/94 – Pauline took Sean and Susanna swimming.
19/11/94 – In the afternoon we all went to Dundrum. Went first to Bewley’s and then to Pirate Pete’s, where Sean had a great time. Jim and I slipped out to Uncle Tom’s Cabin for a couple of pints.
21/11/94 – Again woken by Sean’s ‘I have a good idea’ at 7.45; put on a video for him and went back to bed; up with Susanna shortly after.
26/11/94 – Susanna is very close to walking, and dances enthusiastically and quite gracefully to any sort of music. She has taken to pointing out birds when she’s out in her buggy … [later] My dad duly arrived at 7 or so, and was greeted warmly by Sean.
27/11/94 – Pauline took Sean and Susanna out to a sale of work, where they met Santa Claus.
28/11/94 – I slept with Sean on the airbed again. He was very affectionate during the night. At one point he held out his arms and said ‘come to me’, and gave me a cuddle. Then he said ‘I love you very much’. As Pauline says, he’s a charmer … [later] Susanna took her first unassisted steps today. She took three to me in the evening (her record) – Pauline said she had taken one or two earlier.
The road to God knows where ... Brendan O'Brien 