They've gone now

Up at 5 am to make sure they had tea and toast before they left and anxiously checking the online departure board to make sure they've truly gone SIL is an odd character, foodie who loves foie gras ,fine wines ,bitter choc and cheese made with unpasteurised milk. Tends to despise English(mine) cooking yet ignored the foreign beer,cheese and choc we got in for him and ate his way through Stilton and milk choc and drank Coniston Blue Bird as if starving/dehydrated. But next week . I'll miss them then.

Spent Tuesday to Sunday morning of Xmas week at daughters house with other daughter also and then drove home to prepare for them visiting me from Sunday night to yesterday lunchtime. It was so quiet yesterday when they left and I get such a lump in my throat when I wave them goodbye I watch until the car has turned the corner. Spent time clearing up and then went to Waitrose to buy myself a treat for supper and had the last 2 glasses of champagne out of the bottle to drink by myself. I do see them regularly around 2-3 times a month according to what we are all doing but miss them loads when I'm between visits had huge hugs when they left which helps. Younger daughter spending time with me at the end of next week so we will do different things together as it will just be us. All wonderful I feel very lucky that we are all so close in heart if not in distance.

Missing the bustle. Like Mishap my DGs did not stay with me although they had two sleepovers and spent lots of time here. This was the first time I have seen them in three and half years and it was wonderful. They left on Tuesday and they have been celebrating New Year with a BBQ.

Already looking forward to the next visit and the next Skype.

You are very brave twiceasnice. Well done.

We all are really. Guess we have to be. [tchsmle]

i (to make a )

tch to make a Xmas one

Had a nice party with friends and neighbours last night, with nice meal- and went to bed at 2.30- and got up at 6am to see DD2 off to airport with DH. Very quiet here- and got all the bedding and towels washed- and cleaned upstairs and the kitchen- lounge with have to wait till tomorrow.

Will tackle the big back room where we had a party with next door neighbour when she gets home- she made me swear I would not do it on my own- decs will stay till 12th day, the 6th.

Just counted in my head, but we've had 50 for lunch on the 16th, the school Christmas party on the 19th, kids and grandkids arriving on 20th... and 12 last night. About 70 guests over 2 weeks- enough for a little while methinks. Flop...

Oh! Is it only me who's saying "Yippee"!?
I spent eleven days in December looking after my grandchildren in their house. Back home for four days to rush around shopping and preparing for Christmas and then back to daughter's house on Christmas Eve. Shopped again (handy Waitrose literally over the road from daughter), cooked Christmas dinner for husband, son, daughter, grandchildren and parents in law (parents in law were substituted by older son and wife part way through the week.) Did all the cooking in a strange kitchen with a daughter who cannot stand to have a single thing out of place (Grrr). Then did major cooking and childcare duties until returning home today. (Ably assisted with the latter by my menfolk and daughter in law.) I am so glad to be in my own home again and looking forward to sleeping in my own bed; although my husband has driven youngest son straight back to Uni in order to attend to several jobs in his flat and won't be home until tomorrow or Saturday.
Dare I say I was even glad to get away from the demands of a fractious 22 month old who takes toddler tantrums to new heights? I'll see them all on Sunday for a family birthday party, but for now my ears are enjoying the peace.

You deserve a rest [and a medal!] Grannyactivist

Christmas shouldn't be like that granny-a, unless, of course, you want it to be.

Thank goodness that Christmas isn't normally like that jingl. It's just that with daughter having moved into her new house and her husband being away she wanted to stay at home and have us all join her and the children this year. Last year my husband and I went abroad with her brothers for Christmas so we felt we ought to 'give' a little this year. Catering for more than four people for more than one day is way outside daughter's comfort zone and so it inevitably fell to me to do the honours. Next year daughter is going abroad, so Christmas will revert to normal.

Enjoy your time off.