Quite a combination for a dismal Tuesday and the first day of the new month. Elder daughter was still not well today – struck with the cold that is doing the rounds. She was very hot and flushed when I arrived to help with little Freddie and just wanted to go back to bed to nurse her sore throat. I can still remember quite vividly how hard it is to look after a young baby when you are feeling under the weather and all you want to do is crawl away and sleep.
Freddie of course was delightful, we played all morning – he can sit up now without wobbling but hasn’t yet mastered crawling – which is just as well as at least i am not having to run after him. He ate most of the pureed sweet potato for lunch – though a lot of it ended up on either me or the floor. He then had a little nap (me too) and afterwards we set off in the drizzle for a walk to the Co-op and back to get some fresh air. Luckily, I didn’t have to get him in or out of the pram- they all seem so complicated these days I am frightened of pressing the wrong catches and buttons and propelling him out into space.
He was still all snug and warm when we got back home but I was quite wet through.
I think I might just be needed again tomorrow – when you are not well it can be difficult to sleep at night and then mornings can be pretty awful – she does look a bit worn out and perhaps just needs a little ‘me’ time and another duvet day. DH will stay home and get on with the pantry. He did mutter something about needing to go back to Ikea for the under shelf strip lights that they do – it is not his favourite place but we will get a free drink if we go during the week – not that there will be much of the week left as we are going up to Settle on Thursday to see some old friends. We have been promising to go all year and of course the minute I make a firm arrangement illness strikes. I am hoping my daughter will be well enough on Thursday to cope without me.
My friend suffers from multiple allergies including the pollen from flowers and eats a very strict diet as many foods upset her. I want to take a little gift as she is providing lunch for us but can’t take a bunch of flowers or chocolates so I am wondering what I might get for her. I was thinking on the lines of a little dish perhaps, there are some nice ones around at the moment and there would be nothing to spark off an allergy with pottery; or maybe some bulbs for the garden as they have just moved into their new house (outdoor flowers are OK).
When I got back home at teatime I had to have a quick tidy round the house – not that it improved it very much – everywhere is such a mess with the contents of what was the downstairs cloakroom littering up the dining and living rooms. Then upstairs we have carpets pulled back and washing drying on the airer in the bathroom. Going up to my daughter’s house is a bit of a relief.
Have you had more rain? We have acquirred a bit of a water feature under our front window where the pebbles are and all the roads around here are becoming like rivers there has been so much rain, I was having to naviagte the car through the floods lying at the sides of the road by virtually driving down the middle. This rain must stop soon our garden is becoming quite waterlogged and I need to get the furniture dried and put away.
I didn’t mention my new library books that I borrowed yesterday – but maybe I will save that for tomorrow ….and yes I have got another Miss Read book – ‘The White Robin’ – I might even read a bit tonight though I rather think I will be asleep as soon as my head touches the pillow – for anyone with sleeping problems I can recommend looking after a baby for the day – I am quite worn out.
Night night x
where the journey takes me 2 
I enjoyed reading about your day. Babies are gorgeous but exhausting. You are a kind mum to help your daughter out
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I don’t mind volunteering to help at all – I love looking after all of them – each of the three grandchildren are so different with their own personalities. Sweetie is definitely the loudest she even startles little Freddie but he has got more used to her now -sadly because of the distance he doesn’t see his cousins vey often.
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It’s been so wet here. Where the grass has worn away, under Lily’s swing, it’s turning in to a little pond!
Your daughter is so lucky to have you look after little Freddie and it must have been lovely to spend the day with him. X
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It was really nice – he plays so well – everything goes in his mouth still even the great big wooden toys he tries to cram in!
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I can’t work out how I managed two children under 2 ! even a couple of hours with a grandchild seem exhausting now.
Luckily we are still the dryest part of the country, There has been rain but nothing serious
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Mine were 18 months apart – so yes I suppose I was the same with two children under 2 – both in nappies for a short while. I seemed to remember just going from one to the other for ages and no help from anyone. When DH walked in from work I would hand one of them straight over to him!
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I often hear people say it’s great looking after grandchildren because you can “give them back” 😉 It seems like it has been a very long time since you’ve had a stretch of uneventful life (maybe not since you retired) but you can appreciate being needed!
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Sometimes I feel quite worn down by it all – I think working was far easier.
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you are a good mum, and I’m sure your daughter is so grateful for the help. It is hard looking after a little one when you aren’t feeling well yourself.
I miss those days of walking in the rain, Violet snuggly tucked up in her pram, raincover over her, me getting soaked. I loved it.
Not too much rain here, we’ve had a bit. Today is cold but very sunny with a strong breeze. Perfect autumn weather.
xx
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I don’t mind the rain but yesterday’s rain was quite damp cold rain and not very nice. Today it was just as different – dry, sunny and crisp – we went to the park and I really enjoyed the walk.
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I hope your daughter is feeling better soon. It is horrible when you are under the weather and have a little one. Enjoy your visit to your friends’ house. I think a little dish or a bag of bulbs is a lovely idea. It rained relentlessly yesterday, but today it’s been sunny all day and I’ve been wearing a summer dress! Think we’re back to some rain tomorrow though, sadly.
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It will be nice to have a day out with friends – I think I will go with the bulbs – I bought some tulip bulbs in Sainsbury’s for myself but will give them to her tomorrow.
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Not raining so much over here – luckily. I love your worry about the pram. I fear I might make prams collapse in on themselves.
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Nothing but rain here this summer but today is clear and we’ve had the first frost overnight. Good to see, as I’m waiting for some frosts before I can plant my tulips. I think bulbs are a lovely present for your friend. They will bring so much pleasure all through the spring.
Your daughter is so lucky to have you on hand! My mum had died by the time my first-born was 15 months old, and with my father and the other grandparents too far away it was a real struggle to work full time and cope with illness of children or me. Looking back I realise we either paid for or did ourselves every minute of looking after our children. Pretty exhausting but you get through it!
Ikea is my husband’s favourite place – in fact it was where we went to celebrate after getting engaged!! Mind you, that was back in the 1980s, in Stockholm, before there were any Ikeas in the UK. Perhaps if I tell them our romantic story they’ll give us a free Billy bookcase?
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I love your Ikea romance – my DH is not very happy at the mere mention of a visit!
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