Ask Away Friday with Miriam from Lamanna Family Adventures

Last week I participated in Ask Away Friday hosted by Penny from The Real Housewife of Caroline County. with Meg from The Patchwork Paisley. Read it here.

This week I’ve asked Miriam from Lamanna family adventures to swap questions with me for Ask Away Friday. I’m glad that she said 'Yes'. She has a lovely blog where she writes about the adventures with her kids and also shares great DIY projects. I love to read the stories about her kids and about the different activities that she does with them as this is also what I try to do with my kids. (Talking about that , I still need to make time to do a post about our Summer activities. )
I also love the fact that she takes on a lot of DIY projects. I'm always curious to see what she 

has been working on. Miriam is also a frequent visitor to my blog and a top commenter as you can see on the right side bar of my blog. I'm really glad to get to know her better.

Meet the lovely Miriam

To read the questions I asked her and her answers go to her blog.

Below are the questions that she asked me and my answers.

1.  What made you want to write a Blog?

I always loved to write and my first blog was in Dutch (my first language) and I started it after I got my eldest daughter. I used it to document events in our family life and I also shared things that I liked. I guess that’s still the reason that I blog. But I also like to encourage mothers in their journey of motherhood and share my faith.

2.  If you had one person in life you admired the most who would that be and why?

Hm…. I have to think about this one…. I think I will choose my daughter Ixora. I admire her for her self -confidence and her strength and her social skills. She has had a bad skin for most of her life due to eczema and she suffers from hair loss,(she currently only has a little bit of hair)  which the doctors here in Ireland couldn’t find an explanation for. But despite these things she is one of the most confident people that I know and she is very popular and has a lot of friends.

3.  If you have a DIY project which one did you enjoy doing more?

Even though I love home decorating and DIY projects I haven’t done anything special as far as I can remember. Just simple things like painting baby cribs or book cases or spray painting a table in another colour. I did like making a drawing with the computer program Paint and putting it in a frame that I spray painted in pink for Nevaeh –Divines toddler room. I put it on a shelf in her room as you can see in the pic below. I hope to now and then do a real DIY project in the future. (when I'm a btt less lazy)
I saw a lot of nice ideas on Pinterest that I might try one day.

At the top right my framed computer drawing

4.  In a few words describe what you think of society today?

That’s a difficult one. Can I pass? LOLI think that there are bad things and good things about society today.What I love is the kindness that you see in people that you don’t know and that don’t know you. That someone can just help you when they see you walking with a buggy, open the door for you or help you lift the buggy from the stairs or into a bus.

Or like today when I was trying to put the rain cover back on the buggy that an old lady asked if I was alright. Or how people are connected through so many different events. Sometimes for a longer time sometimes only for a few minutes. Like today when I was waiting on the bus and a girl who was waiting as well told me that it would be better to walk to the next stop where you’d be able to catch another bus because according to the electronic time table and the app on her phone we’d have to wait for 46 minutes on the next bus 27. At the other bus stop there were more people waiting. The times at the bus stop were wrong and everyone seemed to bond over the fact that we needed a bus and that we didn’t know when one would come. The girl decided to start walking. The rest stayed at the bus stop hoping and praying (me) that the bus would arrive. A little later the bus arrived. Everyone was looking out of the window to see if she would make it and was sad for her that she wasn’t on the bus stop in time to get the bus. When I finally got out I looked through the windows and saw the gentleman that claimed that the bus times were wrong and who before that, on the way on the bus stop, very friendly proclaimed that it was a good day today. He waved at me as the bus drove by. And I thought how weird is it that something as ‘wrong bus times’ can somehow connect people together, create a certain bond , even though they probably will never meet again. (Sorry I first had no idea what to write and now 'a few words' turned into many)

5. Did you ever see yourself in the position you are now when you were younger?

I actually studied LAW at the university, which I never really completed but still hope to do some day. My father was over 60 when he graduated from the university and got the professor title, so it’s never too late. He always wanted me to finish my law studies. He unfortunately passed away four years ago. But I still want to tick this of my bucket list one day. I never thought that I would be interested in childcare but I just got it on my heart. You can read more about it here. I love being able to have a positive influence on the development of children. I now started the study Montessori Diploma which will lead to me becoming a Montessori teacher. My dad was a teacher, a primary school principal and an English teacher and my mum was also a teacher. I never ever thought of becoming a teacher myself. So it is quite funny. I think my dad would be happy and proud of this choice that I’ve made. I also hope to start a Montessori school in the town (tribe) that he is from to support his people since I think that there is a lack of knowledge among them and you can better start with the small ones.

6.  What TV show do you enjoy watching the most?

There are a few TV shows that I like but at the moment I would say Grey's Anatomy.It’s an interesting concept: the combination of medical practice and real life. I love the love stories in it the most. And the parts that make you think when Meredith is talking about a quote or something.

                                                                  via

7.  What do you enjoy the most from being a SAHM?

I really love that you have more time with the kids. You have extra time to take care of them and more time for the house to keep it clean and organized. Unfortunately, I was only a real SAHM for the Summer. Before the Summer I was doing unpaid work in a childcare center and from this week I’m a college student again. I was lucky to have the chance to be a WAHM after Nevaeh was born and having temporary periods of being a SAHM before. Because I really love seeing my kids a lot. Yes, I will miss having them around me for a very big part of the day. I will miss that a lot. But that will hopefully change again in the future when I start my own Montessori pre-school.

8. On your profile you said you live in Ireland what do you like the most about where you live?

I like that people are normally very nice and helpful. But what I like most is all the social services that you can get here when you don’t have a job or are on a low income. I love that you can go to college and pay only a small amount and that they even pay most of the childcare costs for your kids.

I love the free medical care for those who need it and (almost) free medication (you pay 1,50 euro per item)  They also take good care of single parents who don’t have to work till their kid is 7. and get free courses with free childcare as well. These are things that they didn’t have in Holland and probably still don’t. Because of the economic climate they are cutting on a lot of things and changing a lot but there is still a lot to be grateful for, I think. So I actually love how the state takes care of families who need it.

9. If you could change anything about your life what would it be?

That’s a good question and I’m not sure how to answer it. I think even though that I’m going through challenges from time to time, I am actually rather content about my life. Oh wait… I’d love to have a car, a nice one and big enough to put my kids in and extra people.  And to really be able to drive in it well. And oh maybe I’d love more real good friends to do things with and to share things with.

10.  Would you want more kids?

 Yes, if it would be Gods will for me, It would be nice to have a boy for a change but I love having girls so much that I would even like to have another girl as well. I love it when they’re so tiny and you dress them in cute little girly outfits or with cute pink hairbands.

Nevaeh-Divine when she was a small baby

Thanks for swapping with me Miriam. Your questions are great ! I hope that you enjoyed answering mine.

Please go to Miriams blog to see her answers to my questions.

And if you like the idea, join in and link up your own '10 questions post' that you have swapped with a fellow blogger.

Love,