I've just come back from a few days visiting Daughter 2 and Littlest Granddaughter in London.
On the train down, a mother, father and daughter were near me, dressed to the nines. The parents were sitting together but the daughter was slightly further away, across the corridor.
The daughter's phone rang.
Daughter [To caller]:Oh, really? [To parents, a few seats away]: Keira's not got shoes with her.
Mother: She can have my boots.
Daughter: Mum says you can have her boots.
Mother: Well, as long as I can walk in my shoes.
Daughter [to caller, presumably her sister]: She says you can have them as long as she can walk in her shoes.
Daughter [to sister]: You must have shoes. [Pause.] Oh, the pink ones. [Pause.] I wouldn't say they were bright pink. What dress are you wearing? Oh, the jumpsuit. [To Mum]: Mum, she's wearing the jumpsuit. [To sister]: No, you can't wear the pink shoes with that.
Mum: Well, she can have my boots. I'll be able to walk in my shoes.
Daughter [to sister]: It's all right, Mum says you can definitely have her boots.
[Pause.]
Father [to mother]: Who's she talking to?
And they say men don't listen.
Littlest Granddaughter seems to be concentrating on getting all the illnesses. Shortly after recovering from her chest infection she got, simultaneously: a streaming cold; hand-foot-and-mouth disease (which didn't seem to exist here till a few years ago); and impetigo. Impetigo? I'd heard of it but never knew anyone who got it. The impetigo gave her a very nasty rash round her mouth and chin - her beautiful, soft, squashy little chin - the hand-foot-and-mouth attacked her hands-feet-and-mouth only slightly but gave her a horrible rash at the other end, and the cold did what colds do to her tiny nose.
All of this meant that she couldn't go to nursery and Daughter 2 had to stay off work at the end of last week to look after her. Thus Daughter 2 went in on Saturday and also yesterday, her normal day off - but by then I was there to babysit.
Littlest was fairly stoical about all this but is on antibiotics again, extremely nasty-tasting ones which she doesn't like at all.
We went for a walk and met a nice cat. Though they're both looking at the camera here, they spent several minutes looking at each other, and Littlest burst into wails (luckily fairly short-lived ones) when we at last moved on.
Meanwhile, in the evenings, Daughter 2 made props for the Showstoppers' Kids' show - this is her husband's company. (Good outing for your children, should you be in London.) The Showstoppers' adult show (not adult in that sense; it's not rude) is starting another run in the West End after Christmas, which is good for them, but which means that Son-in-Law won't be around much at all in the evenings for ten weeks. (Good outing for you, should you be in London.) Time for another trip down to help with the bathing and so on, I feel. (Any excuse... .)
Littlest unpacked my handbag, taking the tissues from their packet. "Are you going to blow Granny's nose?" I enquired, and she held a tissue up and scrubbed my nose vigorously. So clever! So used to having her nose wiped!
And now I'm home. Missing them... .
My daughter had impetigo when she was young, no doubt picked up at daycare. Hope she's on the mend soon
ReplyDeleteHope everyone's well and phlegm-free by the holidays! Barkeep, a round of orange juice for all!
ReplyDeleteIsn't being a granny - nana- grandma just the best?
ReplyDeleteThose are some interesting illnesses she's had; they are probably making the rounds in her day care. It's wonderful that you're so willing to help! (and still fun to be around her, even though she's sick)
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for all she is having, but maybe her immune system is being built up a lot. One can always hope....
ReplyDeleteAwww, it sounds as if littlest is having a rough time this fall. C had hand foot and mouth last year -- it's so hard to watch them be sick. She was just getting over a cold when they were here last week. And now I have it. ;-8 Glad your little angel is doing better!
ReplyDeleteMy poor daughter-in-law has one chest infection after another. That coupled with sleep deprivation is taking its toll. We step up as much as we can. Hand foot and mouth disease was on the granny tales swap agenda yesterday when I got together with an old schoolfriend. Her youngest grandson has it and has had rolling illness all autumn. She too swooped to the rescue of her daughter-in-law. I'm glad that we can do this. I reflect that we had absolutely no help from anyone when ours were young!
ReplyDeletePam I am so glad you left a comment on my rarely visited blog! I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading your blog, and have just spent half an hour catching up on your doings:-) Children here in Australia also seem to get sick much more than we used to as children in the 1950's, despite all the immunisations etc. Different diseases too - asthma, ADD and other mysterious sounding illnesses. Current thinking here is that much of it is caused by the chemicals in foods these days. Some dreadful people here have been putting needles in fruit before it gets to the shops too. What next.
ReplyDeletePoor little thing. I hope you manage to remain bug free!
ReplyDeleteBravo on the active granny care! I think that was one large thing that scared me off having children with my ex - no family support. My parents too old and mum ill by the time I got to it and Diarmuid's family in Ireland full time carers for his brother. I just couldn't get my head around how I would cope essentially as a single mum. Well that and my massive doubts about me and Diarmuid!! It takes a village doesn't it??!
ReplyDeleteHope Littlest gets well soon. Lxx