They've gone now

I always thought I thought that Roses but then, after chatting to six year old DGD1 on the phone, she said "night, night Nanny" and I burst into tears!

xmas blues not kicked in yet. still haveDD from France staying till after new year.

Spent Christmas Day with the 2 local DGC and other family, mad house of fun.
On Christmas night at home we had 50 minutes Skype with DS, DDIL and DGS (16 months) who are 6,000 miles away.
A phone call with DS who is 200 miles distant, across the Irish Sea in England.

It was a very bitter sweet holiday, I loved it but missed so much those not here.
I am very fortunate.
And as a pp mentioned, it used to be only snail mail.

The DS and DDIL in England are due their first baby in 2 weeks so today DH and I went to M & S Outlet and started a baby box to post over following baby's safe arrival. Got loads at about 75% discount.
It helped to move on from the 'missing you' during the holidays feeling.

Ours are all fairly local (DD and 2DGC living here) and the ones that aren't came to stay. I've fed 14 on Christmas Day, 9 Boxing Day and the next two days and 18 today. Mum went into hospital on Christmas Day and it was touch and go for a while. She is out now and not doing so well. We have been fielding phone calls for a week now and visiting the Home and the hospital and I'm completely knackered worn out!

I'm doing nothing until January 5th!

Marmight baby wipes got felt off our stair wall! [Fellow feeling emoticon]

Well it is different if you live close, Roses rather than different about how you feel.
My nearest GCs live 300 miles away, so I'm lucky to see them once every 6 weeks, if that. My others live in the US, so it's more like once every 9 months.
The trouble is that when I do see them, it means staying with them and being a very close part of their lives, and that's what I find makes the partings difficult.

Mine arrived yesterday and are here until Sunday. The house is a tip, the noise level very high and DGD has already changed her clothes about a dozen times today. She is currently walking round in the Victorian style winceyette nightdress DD made her. DGS is wearing my huge dark brown dressing gown and his mother's grey scarf pretending that he is the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come, in the Christmas Carol. The Muppet Christmas Carol with Michael Caine is part of our family Christmas.

I fell asleep this afternoon instead of going for the family walk, I was so tired - and I am enjoying every moment.

I'm lucky enough to have my 2 DGS local. However I've never spent a Christmas day with them as they were either in Germany with OGP or DD's in laws were staying with DD.

I use the Alzheimers Society forum and an amazing gent on there writes very eloquently about living with AZ he posted today about the lovely Boxing Day he had with DC, DGC and DGGC. He lamented that soon he would not remember any of it. At least we will have the memories.

Oh crumbs, nina, that's so sad.

..... and now the *ffing door handle has fallen off the sitting room door - visit to B&Q for replacement in the morning. Thanks for baby wipes tip kitty. I soaked up most of it with a towel (nobody else bothered) I do really love them, but it ain't like it used to be ! . Being so far away, it's all or nothing, but I know which I prefer, despite having to call in the decorator once they have gone!

marmight some of our door handles are still floppy from when my girls used to chase each other round the house. The GSs are nothing like as bad as their mum and their aunts used to be.

'aunt' singular. Not plural.

Mine are here until tomorrow night, I am exhausted, and DD is no help because, like me, she has a sprained ankle and a stinking cold! the males are being very good and so are the children, but tomorrow we are going to have to give in and take them out somewhere to let off steam before the long drive home. They will leave at bedtime so that they will sleep in the car.

It's been lovely, despite Elsa having joined Ariel, and minecraft having become a firm favourite to be played on MY computer... The place is a complete tip and it's quite dangerous to attempt to walk anywhere. Small breakable toys are everywhere, making a bid for freedom. Discarded toys and clothes, I'm still finding wrapping paper under cushions and there are half-eaten satsumas and lonely grapes everywhere.

I have had to promise to bake cakes in the morning with the DGCs. I don't think they want to eat them, they just like making a mess! I love them to bits but am not particularly sorry when they leave, because they are so energetic and really I would love a chance to put my sore ankle up and get over my cold! Instead of being hunted down to the loo and having a little voice say 'Grandma would you like me to read you a story while you are in there?'.

Well, you could have suggested a very long story, janer and had a little nap.

DD and I were up most of the night on Boxing Day because 16yr old DGD, not quite over a very nasty cold when they arrived, woke up with a hacking cough, earache and a nosebleed! She was as white as a sheet and running a temperature so DD did the ministering and I kept calm and made tea!!

I had a message today to say she has an ear infection and is now on anti-biotics.

Somebody is always ill at Christmas.

Aren't we the lucky ones! We have the opportunity, in person or via technology, to share at least a bit of Christmas time and feelings with our GCs, and the joy of clearing up after them.

I am so grateful to have my older GD (3) in my life, even when she behaves like a right little madam. And the songs from Frozen are wearing thin!

Some Nana's (I am one) are not allowed to see some or all their GCs ever, through no fault of their own. How I would love to have my youngest GD's (also 3) finger marks on the wall. I would keep them forever. She doesn't even know I exist. I put something in her Christmas/birthday box every year in the hope we will meet one day and I can show her I thought of her.

That is very sad nannaseaside, but others' deeper pain can't mean that we mustn't share our little ouchy times.

DD1, sil and grandchildren left this morning- wow it was a mad 10 days, but we've loved every minute (well almost ;) )- even though they live in the UK and us in mid Europe- we were with them for 2 weeks late November, and we will all be together again for a ski holiday in another 6 weeks- then we will go to UK late April. So really can't complain.

DD2 still with us for another 2 days.

I had them all here the last two days - not staying here, (because of my temporary lack of mobility) but here all day. That was six DGC and their parents, and the granddog. But, the age range of the DGC is what really helps - they are 18, 16, 11, 8, 6 and 4, so the older ones play or sort out play, DVDs, iPads, bath times etc, and my DD and DDiL help more and more with the catering, without for one moment taking over.

It has been wonderful! And I do miss them, but we are enjoying the peace and order today....my cleaner is in tomorrow to add to the orderliness.

Of course I would feel devastated if I were never to see them again - but in the meantime I will grump at the purple felt tip on my footstool, curse as I tread on a bit of lego and survey the piles of bedding and table linen with exhaustion. We all had colds in the end, but DBH took the whole lot of them off to a tennis centre for the afternoon so that at least I could cook tonight's dinner in peace and quiet, with no 'little helpers'. How soon you forget that a meal that you can prepare in your sleep that only takes half an hour normally, can take two hours when you have 'help'.

One thing being older has taught me is that a bit of felt tip on the settee does not really matter in the great scale of things (I noticed them too on departure) and that I can take my time with the washing and ironing, clearing, etc. I've made a start- but will space it out over a week, and don't have to be a martyr over it- pace, time, chill - DD2 goes in 2 days- and will get it all sorted in a few days. Felt tip might stay a bit longer.

My lot all live locally so I see them often during a week! The boys were here this afternoon for a couple of hours so DD1 could sort out and re-organise their bedrooms/toys to accommodate Christmas gifts!
I can appreciate how 'empty' it must feel when DGCs go home after staying and it will be a while until you are together again. I can fully understand why you would feel down about that.

All your GC seem so young - we had five here plus their parents on Boxing Day - youngest is 12, oldest 22! I feel so grateful they still want to see us old codgers at Christmas. Conversation ranged from finding casual work in Australia to the right food to build massive muscles - quite a change from Santa and princesses. But as DH says, we must be doing something right if they still want to come .

You must be, Mrseggy. My own DD was only about 7 when she started complaining about having to spend holidays with either grandma, although DS was fine about it. I wonder how we will squeeze everyone in when they get bigger, the GCs are in bunk beds at the moment. They have gone now, the washing is on, it's very quiet and I have my computer back again. It's a bit like waking from a dream - were they really here? Then I see the large Sylvanian family house that has been left here for safe-keeping, to be played with on every visit (with new additions added) and know that even if I am not much of a draw on my own, that house is! And the tennis centre that grandpa took DGS to use his new tennis racquet in will become a firm fixture, I think.

My first day today for over a week with...

no small people crawling or toddling around
no books being given to me to read
no highchair in the kitchen
no Duplo to trip over
no warm little bodies to cuddle
no smiling little face to greet me in the morning
no downy little heads to stroke
no sticky little fingers to wipe
no snot trail on my jumper
no pram to push when we go out
no little arms to stuff into an anorak
no socks to put back on every five minutes
nobody collapsing into giggles when I put a plastic bowl on my head and it flies off when I pretend to sneeze

Oh, how quiet and empty the house seems with just 'The Fogies'... how I wish they were just round the corner and I could see them more often, they are such a tonic! But they have left me with such lovely memories that I know I shouldn't really be feeling so sad, just grateful and happy that we all enjoyed such a special time together.

Same here Joybloggs

Joybloggs.

That brought back so many memories. Mine are getting that little bit older now. [hug]