BUSY WEEKEND

Well - here we are in October. How did that happen? Last time I looked it was still mid-June!

What a weekend! When I got home from the Day Job on Friday last week, Youngest Step-daughter, Clever Son-in-Law and the two littluns were already there. Youngest Step-daughter explained to me about Youngest Grandson's feeds, medicines and sleeping habits, smiling wanly only when Clever-Son-in-Law remarked "I am sure she knows how to look after babies!" I smiled supportively and said "Yes, but if it makes you feel better, you carry on, darling." It did make her feel better so I let her finish. Before they went, Youngest Grandson was put to bed in the Travel Cot but within an hour of their leaving, he wanted Out so we let him up to play with his sister for a while. Turned out he had a real humdinger of a cold anyway so I was up with him twice more in the night administering calpol, puffers and clean nappies and he was then ready for the new day by 5.30 Saturday morning.

I am not sure why but Eldest Grand-daughter now associates her Grandad and I with the Tram and the Cafe and insisted we do both during the day Saturday. We took them into Croydon on the tram and she shared a chocolate muffin with Grandad at Nero's in George Street, then we went for a wander and some lunch and finally headed to Lloyd Park just outside Addington as she wanted to experience The Long Tunnel the tram goes through to get there. At the park, Youngest Grandson snoozed whilst his sister played on the swings, slide, see-saw and climbing frame, showing first me, and then her Grandad just how clever she is. Saturday night wasn't too bad. I think all the fresh air knocked Youngest Grandson out and I only got up with him once when his asthma made him cough and grizzle which meant another dose of Salbutomol. I give him his credit though. For all the fact he is only nine months old he certainly copes well with his puffer and he was quite happy to go back to bed where he slept until just after 6 a.m.

We'd arranged to meet their parents in Croydon on the Sunday so we could buy Eldest's Grand-daughter's birthday present. After half an hour in The Early Learning Centre, she picked a washing Machine, and a Shopping Trolley (her choice - at three, Political Correctness falls by the wayside; she wants to emulate Mum, and that's all there is to it) then we head off for some lunch together at Nando's (their treat). Later, Hubby went into work and I squeezed into the car (not easy with two booster seats and a big backside like mine but we made it) and went home. They had left by around 5 p.m. and the exhaustion suddenly hit me like a sledge hammer. I mean how do these young parents do it? I fell into bed at 7.00, got up just before nine, had a bite to eat as I watched Jonathan Creek then went back to bed at ten where I stayed till the following morning.

Woke up Monday with Youngest Grandson's humdinger which wiped me out for three days before I began to feel better yesterday morning and all I have left now is a tickley cough, thank goodeness. There was a time not so many years ago that a cold like that would have led to a full blown asthma attack and ten days in hospital. I must getting more resilient as I get older.

It is always a real treat having our babies for the weekend and we cherish every second but my God is it tiring! And of course having them and then the humdinger meant that no writing at all has been done this week - except for one very short poem in preparation for Poppy Day and this blog. Now next week, I will make sure I do something. I have promised a fellow Writewords member a critique on her children's story so that is my first priority. I also need to upload some new work of my own because the summery poem and kid's story currently displayed there are now weeks out of date. Plus, I really do have to make some time to sort out the research I have already done for The Historical Novel - or The Emma Book as it is now known throughout the family. And I still need to find a way that I can maintain a steady income whilst promoting the Yuck series, so there is plenty to do. It is just a case of finding the time. Still - something will turn up, I am convinced of that.

Catch you later.......