A - Z Challenge 2023 - L is for Love

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This year I'm writing about things connected with Being a Grandparent.  For an introduction to my grandchildren check out my theme reveal here.

Our capacity to love is a wonderful thing.

Having gone from 1 grandchild in 2017 to having 3 by mid 2018 and then 6 by the end of 2020 I am amazed at my ability to love them all.

Of course there are times when they frustrate me, same as my own kids did.  There are also times when they make me angry but always the love is there.  And it's unconditional.  

I've been asked if I feel the same love for Ella as there is no biological link with her (my daughter carried Nathan, her wife carried Ella) and my response was of course I do - she's my granddaughter! Why would I not love her?  Or love her any less?  I liken that to would I love their children if they were adopted?  Of course I would.

There are no limits on our ability to love.

A - Z Challenge 2023 - K is for Knitting

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This year I'm writing about things connected with Being a Grandparent.  For an introduction to my grandchildren check out my theme reveal here.

I haven't done a lot of knitting for my Grandchildren but they have all had a blanket made for them.

This tradition started when I knew my daughter was expecting Nathan.  I decided to knit a blanket for the baby.  Of course I didn't choose an easy granny square crochet blanket I chose a complicated knitted blanket.  

The centre square was fairly straightforward

But the panels around the edge were very hard.  I was glad to discover the use of a lifeline row in knitting because there were lots of mistakes made and I had to keep going back over the work.

And then of course Nathan decided to make an early appearance so the blanket wasn't even finished when he was born but I finished it fairly soon after.

Having made a blanket for Nathan it started the tradition but of course next time around I had two blankets to make.  Matt and Amy announced they were expecting and then Michael and Elizabeth announced they were expecting too and the babies were due within a few weeks of each other.  As it turned out there is only 2 weeks between Noah and Rory.

I opted for a slightly easier blanket but it still took a while to get them done especially when I realised that the edging was going to take almost as long as the main part of the blanket to knit!

By the time I was on my third round of blankets and needing 3 blankets as there are only 2 months between Vinny, Miles and Ella I'd opted for a much simpler design and they're not as big!

This is Miles with his blanket.  I couldn't find pictures of the ones I did for Vinny and Ella but hers was in different shades of pink - we knew she was going to be a girl.

My latest project, a knitted pig for Ella, is almost finished and I do have another blanket on the go.  Not sure who will get that one but with our extended family there are bound to be more babies coming along at some point.

A - Z Challenge 2023 - J is for Joy

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
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This year I'm writing about things connected with Being a Grandparent.  For an introduction to my grandchildren check out my theme reveal here.

My Grandchildren certainly bring me Joy!  But it's also lovely to see the joy they bring to other people sometimes.  I prepared my previous A-Z posts back in March but this post was only put together a couple of days ago.

We're currently hosting our younger son's In-Laws from America with us.  They only get to see Rory and Vinny a couple of times a year and of course with the pandemic those visits were even more restricted. But anyway they're here at the moment and watching the joy on their faces when they're with the boys and also the joy on the Grandson's faces when they get to see them is such a pleasure.

Especially as they move through the various phases of growing up.  Those first few weeks as newborns and then the first of all their milestones - the first smile, the first tooth, the first steps, the first word and so on.  All such joyous moments although of course some of those can fade quite quickly - the first tooth is such an event but it usually comes with a few sleepless nights.  The first step may be long anticipated and wanted but then you realise they don't stay put any longer and will probably be up the stairs before you can blink or they have worked out how to get down again.  Talking can become incessant but of course we wouldn't change anything as Grandparents.  It's fascinating watching them develop into their own little personalities too.  And of course getting photos of them enjoying theirselves.

Noah, Nathan & Rory on a pantomime trip

Vinny with some favourite things

Ella enjoying the snow

Miles enjoying his scooter

I hope you're feeling the joy.

A - Z Challenge 2023 - I is for Inventions

Please check out the April Blogging from A to Z Challenge
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This year I'm writing about things connected with Being a Grandparent.  For an introduction to my grandchildren check out my theme reveal here.

Oh my goodness.  So many inventions since I had my children to make life easier for parents. (Well at least that's the theory.)

Here are just a few:

Sterilizers - no microwavable steaming sterilizers for me, just a container we filled with water that required 1 milton tablet.  I didn't have to remember how much water to add - there was a line on the container or how long to microwave it for.  But yes if you want a bottle sterilized quickly now you can even just do 1 bottle on its own in the microwave.

Beds - come in all shapes and sizes now.  We had a carrycot and then an ordinary cot for ours.  None of these "Next to me" arrangements.  And our cot had a drop side.  Many don't seem to have them now and it's very hard getting a baby into a deep cot without nearly dropping them!  And then of course there are the arguments about how to keep the baby warm.  We had blankets and/or a quilt and we had bumpers around the cot all of which seem to be frowned upon now in favour of "Grow bags".

Car seats come in all shapes and sizes now too and you need a degree in engineering to work out how to get them in the car and that's before you try putting the baby in them.  I can remember just putting our carrycot on the back seat although the baby was strapped in to the carrycot and the cot did have straps around it too.  Our first car seat was also much lighter than the current ones - no weightlifting training required for it.  And of course if the baby fell asleep in the car seat we would just take it in the house and wait for the baby to wake up.  No limits for us on how long the baby sat in the seat like there are now.

And as for prams and buggies.  Well they can be all singing and dancing too.

I had a Silvercross pram and then later on a McClaren umbrella fold buggy - the sort you really could fold with one hand to get on a bus with.  We couldn't just wheel our buggy onto the bus as they do now - oh no it had to be folded and go in the luggage area and you had to sit with the baby on your lap.  That is one improvement I guess although sometimes you have to wait for several buses before one comes along that has space for you and your buggy.

Mine was similar to this - Vintage now apparently.

The pram was great for going anywhere within walking distance though.  It had a big tray underneath for shopping and all the paraphernalia you need to take out with you for the baby and, when our second child came along we had a pram seat that fitted on the top for the first to sit on.  No such thing as buggy boards in my day.  But that is progress in my view.  Although hard work pushing a heavy buggy with a little one in it and then an older child on the board.

Not sure I'd be requiring a buggy that you can run with though!

Of course formula milk was around in my day but not the convenience of ready made formula milk that can just be opened and given to baby which is a great help to our modern busy Mums.  And I don't think electric breast pumps were around in my time either.  Another game changer.

And as for all the toys and gadgets you can get these days, don't even get me started.