Here are some shots of Leah's first birthday party. What a great time we all had.
This is the cake my talented daughter made. It was a flour less orange cake - complete with marzipan spout. The adults really enjoyed this one!
Here are the party bags for the older children to take home. Looked like cupcakes but had lots of little lollies in them...wish I were a kid...
Katie with 2. Suits you !
Ali made Leah's party skirt. I wish Mum could have seen it. She is a bit beyond taking that sort of thing in now, but would have loved to see Ali carrying on her skills...
There was a jumping castle for the bigger kids ( I had a go on that, but drew the line at holding a grandchild while I bounced. Thought that would be tempting fate).
I love having grandchildren! One of the nicest things about this party was to see lots of young children from happy homes playing together and having fun together...
And here is the party girl and her Dad on her birthday...
Saturday, 25 August 2012
Sunday, 19 August 2012
Alzheimer's update
Alzheimer's update
Went out for lunch with Mum today. She was quite quiet. She was waiting for me when I got to the home. Actually she was talking with other residents,which is not often the case. She turned round when I approached, and I saw a beautiful, hopeful face. She recognise me and came with me happily. We went to her room and I persuaded her to wear a pair of tights, as it was cold outside. I also got her to change her jacket, which was badly stained, and missing two buttons. I asked her if she knew where the buttons were, and she located them fairly quickly, so I sewed them back on while she did her hair and sat watching me. She, who could beat me hands down at sewing in her day, watching me put the needle in and out. I wondered what she was thinking and how much she regrets what she has forgotten how to do...
We went to "The Boyz For Breakkie", and she had chicken risotto and a glass of Chardonnay. She enjoyed the outing, but we struggled to maintain a meaningful dialogue. So much has receded to the edges of her memory. Her friend Dorothy came to visit the other day, but she could not recall her. I tried to bring up lots of different topics to jog her memory, but only a few drew a response. Pictures of the babies drew the most response. But she couldn't place which baby belonged to which parents.
This illness is horrible. Trying to find the positives here is not easy.
I guess she is warm and safe today.
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Crafty
G2 ready for Macchu Picchu...
Just a warning note. If you, like us, occasionally use a wheat pillow in winter, do check it for threadbare patches. Otherwise you may waken up as we did, fearing a sudden infestation of large bedbugs which turned out to be toasted wheat kernels which had spread into a surprising number of little indents in the mattress...Muesli anyone?
Ali and family were here for the weekend. She made two pairs of baby slippers as presents for friends' babies. Katie and I have placed an order for a pair, but made of sheepskin. I thought since it was my sewing machine I was in with a chance...
Princess (G2) was also here of course, as was her Dad. We all got to hang out a bit together. Jimbo is her favourite, which is quite lovely to see. This grandparenting role is extra special- and more delightful than I had anticipated, though of course we get to sleep all night in our role...
Want some of my biscuit, anyone?
Stories are such fun. At least for me. Watch her reaction at the fly buzzing... And note my bilingual approach...
Poor little G1 is sick. He looks quite pitiful, and is hoarse from so much crying. Perhaps I should feel more sorry for his parents,who have not had much sleep for the last 4 nights. Think they may be seeing the positives of the Chinese one child policy...
Just a warning note. If you, like us, occasionally use a wheat pillow in winter, do check it for threadbare patches. Otherwise you may waken up as we did, fearing a sudden infestation of large bedbugs which turned out to be toasted wheat kernels which had spread into a surprising number of little indents in the mattress...Muesli anyone?
Ali and family were here for the weekend. She made two pairs of baby slippers as presents for friends' babies. Katie and I have placed an order for a pair, but made of sheepskin. I thought since it was my sewing machine I was in with a chance...
Princess (G2) was also here of course, as was her Dad. We all got to hang out a bit together. Jimbo is her favourite, which is quite lovely to see. This grandparenting role is extra special- and more delightful than I had anticipated, though of course we get to sleep all night in our role...
Want some of my biscuit, anyone?
Stories are such fun. At least for me. Watch her reaction at the fly buzzing... And note my bilingual approach...
Poor little G1 is sick. He looks quite pitiful, and is hoarse from so much crying. Perhaps I should feel more sorry for his parents,who have not had much sleep for the last 4 nights. Think they may be seeing the positives of the Chinese one child policy...
Friday, 3 August 2012
Saying "No"!
G1 is 15 months now. Yesterday we were looking at books together. He has specific interests - and expects me to understand his words for things. So he gave me a dirty look when I didn't instantly swap to the book with the dog picture in it. When I persisted in trying to show him something else instead, he lunged for the book he wanted, gave me another dirty look (wish I could capture one on camera), and shook his head to say,"No!" more clearly, in case I had a cognitive defect.
Here he is with G2 who is 11 months, who will soon have a three week stint of being looked after by her dad while Ali finishes off her Master's, in teaching deaf children.
Thinking about how and why we say no is quite interesting. Babies and young children are often very clear. It's black and white to them. Sometimes it's black and white to us adults too, but more often it's not. Someone on the phone asks you for money for a good cause... Someone asks you to give an hour of your time to make soup for a worthy cause,and you can well afford the ingredients, but the time factor is a bit of an issue...how should we approach these requests on our time? If we take them all we collapse in a heap. But sometimes I feel I could do more, and choose to say "No!" because of selfishness, coated in some "me time " pleading.
Yesterday while walking round the block I met a guy taking his model aeroplane for a spin. How nice to have the opportunity for that kind of fun.
Then I walked a bit further and saw this...
And then this...
And this...
And finally this...
Good to feel the serenity...
Here he is with G2 who is 11 months, who will soon have a three week stint of being looked after by her dad while Ali finishes off her Master's, in teaching deaf children.
Thinking about how and why we say no is quite interesting. Babies and young children are often very clear. It's black and white to them. Sometimes it's black and white to us adults too, but more often it's not. Someone on the phone asks you for money for a good cause... Someone asks you to give an hour of your time to make soup for a worthy cause,and you can well afford the ingredients, but the time factor is a bit of an issue...how should we approach these requests on our time? If we take them all we collapse in a heap. But sometimes I feel I could do more, and choose to say "No!" because of selfishness, coated in some "me time " pleading.
Yesterday while walking round the block I met a guy taking his model aeroplane for a spin. How nice to have the opportunity for that kind of fun.
Then I walked a bit further and saw this...
And then this...
And this...
And finally this...
Good to feel the serenity...
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