The joy of grandchildren 🌹

Grandchildren are so special! Even when they live in another country, which prevents us from having a close relationship with them, I would hate to think about a life without them! They are an integral part of our family and a topic of conversation when we speak to either our son or daughter in law!

My thoughts are tinged with some sadness when I go back over the years since they were born. We have never had the privilege of being ‘just down the road’. My husband and I both worked so it was only ever weekend visits. As they got older we used to meet half way on a Saturday morning and take them back on a Sunday evening. This is the closet we ever got to spending extended quality time with them and I cherish these memories.

My mother was still alive when the family lived close enough for weekend visits. I wanted her to see them too so we often arranged either a Saturday afternoon outing, which included her, or I’d take the children to visit on the Sunday morning. We’d plan something special for the children on Saturday afternoons and visited many museums, soft play areas, Legoland and even took my grandson to Anfield to see Liverpool’s football ground. We also visited their overpriced shop for a memento!

We did have some very amusing incidents. One that springs to mind was the Saturday we packed a picnic lunch, collected my mother and drove to a small beach in Wales. It was early March and not warm! As usual, there was a coastal wind which lowered the temperature quite significantly. The children were ‘layered up’ but my mother and I definitely weren’t adequately prepared! It had not been long since my father had passed away. My mother was quite depressed and kept on looking up at the sky, making comments about the clouds. There were a lot of them! She decided to stay in the car.

My grandson took one look at the sea shore and shot off, followed closely by Grandad, who couldn’t wait to explore the rock pools! That left my granddaughter and I not showing their level of excitement! Taking her hand we walked slowly down the steps and onto the sand with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, but I tried!

Alas, my granddaughter wasn’t impressed with the cold, the wind and the stinging sand. She was also feeling hungry so we soon headed back to the car finding my mother standing outside and staring up at the sky. I opened the boot and gave my granddaughter her juice bottle and poured a cup of tea from the flask for my mother and I. The warm liquid was very soothing. We were soon finding shelter at the side of the car as we ate our ham sandwiches, watching the two boys pouring over the rock pools.

My grandson eventually ran back up the beach and was soon tucking into his sandwich and a drink. All replete we strapped the children into their seats with my mother, the arbiter, in the middle. Not far down the road my granddaughter wanted some juice and asked me for her bottle. After explaining that I had given it to her earlier there followed an altercation with her brother when she asked if she could have a sip of his.

‘No,’ came his prompt reply. ‘You’ll spit all over it!’

‘Granny, please tell him I won’t spit on his juice bottle!’ she wailed.

My mother was trying to hold the peace and asked her great grandson to let his sister have a sip of his juice.

‘No’! He was adamant. She’s probably sitting on her bottle with her fat bottom!’

My husband pretended that nothing was happening but I needed to prevent a world war!

‘Let’s play ‘I Spy’’, I suggested. We’ll find your bottle just now. Let your brother start.

And then it was my granddaughter’s turn ‘I spy with my little eye something beginning with ‘wuh’’.

We tried everything starting with a W or an R! My granddaughter became more animated begging us to give up! Finally, to her delight, we did.

‘Wosie Pwimwose!’ She shouted in glee. ‘I win!’

That was the onset of world war three. My grandson yelled at his sister. ‘You are so stupid! How can you ask us if we can see your friend’s hamster Rosie Primrose!’

My husband stopped the car and we searched for the missing juice bottle. My granddaughter was sitting on it, much to the delight of her brother! I had also discovered that marshmallows were a cure all so the rest of the journey was quiet and largely uneventful.

My grandchildren are growing up so fast. My grandson is sixteen and his sister will be thirteen in October. I’m not sure when we’ll be able to travel to America again. Certainly not anytime soon!

But, one day, the world will get back to normal. We’ll meet up again and make some more precious memories. I can’t wait ………..👠