Mommy Diaries - A mother’s worst nightmare - adventures turn into nightmares, preparing to go home

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Colum and baby Sadie safe and fast asleep.

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But don’t feel sorry for me. A new chapter in our lives is about to start, one that brings with it the promise of love for our kids from our extended family and friends. That we are excited at.

There was a great letter written to me published in the Irish Voice last week from a man who moved back to New Jersey after living in Ireland for a couple of years. He tried to make a go of things there but it didn’t work out.

He made the right decision for his family to move back to the United States and in a very nice way warned us of his reality. And his reality is that of so many others. I hear the stories all the time.

Carpenters and plumbers who moved back to Ireland in the boom only to lose jobs a few months later when the bottom fell out of Ireland. They found it hard to pay for the house they built, and getting another job was next to impossible.

The life they led in America prior to moving home was much more comfortable and they missed that.

So a lot came back and are still coming by the sounds of it.

We’ve been told many times by many people, both here and in Ireland, that “we’re mad moving home now.” Maybe we are, but we are going to give it a good shot and are excited at the prospect of it.

We’re simple people and want or need very little.  Our lives are perfect for us.

We have two healthy children and that’s all that matters to us.  Everything is as it should be at this time except for one thing.  We don’t have our families by our sides in New York.

That is the primary reason for the move, and no matter what obstacles stand in our way, financially and physically, we will get through them with the love and support of our families.

I’ve been preparing to get back into Irish culture little by little. Every morning I listen to Radio Kerry or RTE Radio to hear what’s really bothering the Irish people (mainly the recession, bi-polar disorders and house taxes).

I’ve been editing my vocabulary with Colum. I’m now saying hoover instead of vacuum, mineral instead of soda, nappy instead of diaper and rubbish bin instead of garbage bin.

I’ve even bought him Wellingtons (rain boots) which he wears around the house to get him acclimatized to Irish weather gear.

The plan is to stay with John’s mom, Mary, for a few weeks in Limerick until our container arrives.

Then we have to find somewhere to house us Mooneys.

We have a busy few weeks when we arrive home. The summer weekends are already filling up with kid’s birthday parties, weddings and family gatherings. There might be very little barbequing, but I’d trade the taste of burgers any day for a home cooked meal prepared by my mother.

There is no question in our minds we will miss our lifestyle in New York, our friends and New York itself -- it is, after all, the place where John and I met, had two children and I fell into a new career (this one), but we’ll keep the memories we have created these past nine years alive through photo albums and conversations.

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