They've gone now

Enjoy your time off.

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.

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

You deserve a rest [and a medal!] Grannyactivist

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.

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...

tch to make a Xmas one

i (to make a )

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

You are very brave twiceasnice. Well done.

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.

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.

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.

Joybloggs.

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

Same here Joybloggs

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.

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.

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 .

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.

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.

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'.

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.

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.

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

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.