Ireland imminent

It has suddenly struck me how incredibly close I am to taking my family over to Ireland!! I'm not going to give you the exact dates, because I'm paranoid and I don't want everyone with access to the internet knowing when our house is empty, but it's soon! I am nervous, excited, delighted and damp (although the last one may be because I sat on a bench at work without realising it had just been cleaned).
I'm looking forward to the challenge of blogging without making it obvious that I'm not even in England anymore. Call me sneaky, but I want to write from a place of subterfuge and convince you life is continuing as normal, when actually I'm several hundred miles away from home. Of course, the likelihood is that I will simply get lost in what we're doing and not even type one word, but my intention is to stay in touch with you regularly while we're away.
It feels so weird to be planning and prepping for my own break when all my working hours are spent ensuring holidays go well for others. It's hard not to overdo it and make an itinerary without a spare second in it, but I have to remember that the point of all this is for us to have time away as a family and relax together and just enjoy the adventure. I don't need to fill each day with activities, I just need to pamper Philippa, and to show my sons how to make the most of a week where someone has kindly loaned you a property without charging you obscene amounts for it.
My main worry is about Mathew and Rian flying for the first time. I want them to see it as fun, which means I'll have to hide my own fears and discomfort and set a good example. I also don't want to be the family that ruins everyone else's journey by having a screaming infant and a kid that can't sit still on the plane.
But the flight's not very long so I'm sure we'll be fine...

RC 4-6-25