Photo Copyright: Maggie May
The rain is still coming down and all the counties in England have now released the hosepipe ban.
When my son, Sam was small, he used to pack a little suitcase and go to my mother's every Friday night. Then she brought him back on Saturday lunch time. He had a marvellous relationship with his grannie, who lived near by.
My daughter was much more clingy with me and didn't want to do this at such an early age but she did seem to enjoy the time on her own with me and much later in her life she was happy to spend an occasional night with her gran and eventually had just as close a relationship with her as Sam had developed earlier.
As I help out at the Brownies on a Friday night, I collect 7 yr old Millie from school and give her an evening meal before we set off for Brownies together. However, she has now asked me whether she can spend the night with us as well and get picked up on Saturday just like her father used to do with his Grannie. In fact, she had her first Friday night sleepover last time she went to Brownies.
As she has to be shared with three other children now Sam has this new relationship, instead of just her own sister, she really seems to appreciate a one to one situation and we had a most lovely time with her as well. She is so easy to look after as she loves crafts, reading and stories and all the things that I can do with her easily without having to use lots of energy and spend lots of money.
She told me on the Saturday morning, "Grannie, I do love coming to this house." When I asked her what she liked about it (thinking she would say that she liked Granddad and me or at least the rabbits) she replied that she liked the clocks and the mirrors ........ and as an after thought, she said, "and you have such wonderful cereals for breakfast!"
I am now viewing my clocks and mirrors and my Variety Pack of cereals in an entirely different light.
28 comments:
Oh yes! We never know what things our children will connect to. My grandchild told her mother that she likes to be "pampered" by the grandparents, taking her places and letting her stay up all night!
With her own father we were very strict!
How lovely is that:>)
Funny what is important to a child
I had an aunt that I adored She was loving and funny and cwtchy- best of all she let me have tomato sauce and boiled ham sandwiches and made real custard to go with puddings
As a child I always spent Friday and Saturday night at my granny's and loved it. My brother was very clingy and wouldn't come so I had her all to myself. Now two of my granchildren, Harry & Gracie, stay with us every other Friday night and my son picks them up on Saturday afternoon. Harry says he want to come and live with us because he loved the sofa bed with the air mattress that they sleep on. LOL
haha...i have fond memories of the clock at my grandfathers house...it made me smile at what made it special for her...
This is precious! Clocks, mirrors, and breakfast cereal, I love it!
Thanks for coming by, Maggie--I'm sure your columbines are beautiful and not boring at all!
Oh Maggie, that is just priceless! And isn't it fantastic though that we -you and I -both have the opportunity afforded us to develop close relationships with our grandchildren too though! Last week, I had to go to a little town about 15 miles from here to see one of my school classmates as he had offered to take care of copying any papers we need copied over for our upcoming class reunion. Now the drive to where he lives/works is through the mountains and heavily forested area and it is a very pretty drive, for sure. I hadn't realized though how much it impacted Miss Maya though (I had taken her along with me) until last evening when we were driving over to Clearfield another town about 20 miles from home and Maya told me she wished we could have enough money to go live in Karthaus (where my classmate lives) because "It is just such a beautiful place!" Her perceptions of things sometimes really take me very much by surprise, for sure!
What a fun post! I had a favorite clock at my grandparents too! It was a huge grandfather clock with the most beautiful chimes.
Hugs
SueAnn
Large mirrors in the main corridors of my secondary school put me off them for life. Millie's views may change when she is older.
Very sweet. I love the original ways children think; they haven't yet learned to give the expected answer spoken without much thought. She LIKES that cereal, the clocks and the mirrors.
You're building special memories with her and very fortunate you are to be able to do this. Count your blessings, Maggie, and enjoy your time with Millie.
xox
Maggie, that's so funny, I'm literally laughing out loud at the last bit!
Aren't kids so funny, the things they like!
It's so lovely that you have that relationship with Millie, for both of you. She will be able to talk to you in the years ahead, about all the things that are bothering her. And you'll be able to advise her, with your wisdom. Wonderful!
(thanks for identifying the plant for me, I'll go in search now..that photo was taken at someone's driveway!)
That's cute. And of course, none of that would be special to her if she didn't also love spending time with you!
This was so sweet. I just love your granddaughter's response. You are both very lucky to have this time together.
This was so sweet. I just love your granddaughter's response. You are both very lucky to have this time together.
Gotta love the honesty of children. One of my grandchildren once told me he loved me because I didn't listen to him, just let him talk! I must ask the same question to my little regular visitor these days. Still, the reason doesn't matter, does it, it's the relationship that counts.
Maggie,
That's lovely! I'm so glad you can spend quality time with Millie - it is very important. I used to stay over at my Nan's as well, and it was really exciting. In the summer, I'd have a week, and then my sister would go over and stay. Great fun...I'd always have lots of baked beans :-) Yum...
I used to love spending time with my Nanny - she was such an important part of my young life and sadly we lost her far too soon
I am looking forward to my son having kids, he and his girlfriend are 25 and I think they ought to crack on with it! And yes, I have told them so!
Oh, the things kids will say! You must have some very special cereal:)
My grandkids enjoy spending the night here, too, though I'm not sure why--perhaps it's because Grandma lets them get away with more and lets them stay up later. But I think most of all they enjoy that special one-on-one time that you are giving Millie, too.
Oh you are so lucky to have a grandchild come to stay overnight. My 2 grand boys $ and 3.... they are cousins) love to come and visit but have never stayed overnight. Mummy wouldn't like it. But I'm going to start suggesting it, I think they are old enough.
that was supposed to be 4 and 3, not $!!!
That is so lovely. It's usually the things that we don't think about that they remember the most.
I used to have sleepovers at my grandma's house when I was little and I always remember her fabulous antique double bed that I slept in. I used to feel so comforted in that bed. And now, we have one in the farmhouse that is also an antique so it feels like my grandma is still here in many ways.
CJ x
I am sure you are the most wonderful grandmother....I can't wait to have that experience but my only married son and his wife lost their pregnancy at two months and, thus far, they haven't tried again. I have to be content right now with the two granddogs.
I arrived in Mumbai at 1AM this morning....at least, there is little traffic at that time!! Kind of nice seeing the streets at that hour.
I am sure you are the most wonderful grandmother....I can't wait to have that experience but my only married son and his wife lost their pregnancy at two months and, thus far, they haven't tried again. I have to be content right now with the two granddogs.
I arrived in Mumbai at 1AM this morning....at least, there is little traffic at that time!! Kind of nice seeing the streets at that hour.
Ah yes.. perspective is everything. We should all have a child's perspective from time to time.
Proof that children really do say the funniest things. I loved visiting both set of grandparents when I was young but I don't remember the cereals being much of a feature - you should be proud!
What a beautiful post Maggie...just wonderful...
Be still my heart, as I read this, Maggie! It sounds like that Millie is more than a ray of sunshine; she sounds absolutely adorable.
I love my Grandchildren more than I can ever say, and reading about yours just makes my heart do flips! (That's a good thing! :)) ) I love reading about your Granddaughter's visit with you and understand full well the need for the one-on-one time that they all desire. How wonderful that she loved the mirrors and clocks! Isn't is amazing what catches their eye and their hearts, Maggie.
I send you much love.
Harry, too.
Love you both,
Jackie
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