A - Z Challenge 2023 - D is for Diapers

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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.

Diapers

Yes I know we call them nappies here in the UK but I already have a post lined up for N and one of my DILs is American so she usually refers to them as diapers so here we go.

When I had my children I was determined I was not going to use disposable nappies on a regular basis.  I didn’t want to be contributing to landfill and, of course, there was the expense to be factored in.  Therefore I bought a supply of terry nappies.  That’s what they were called in my day as they were made from a terry towelling fabric.  I also had supplies of liners to cope with the “messy” nappies and of course buckets for soaking them before washing.  And the plastic pants that were supposed to keep the baby and their clothes dry.

Disposables for when we were going to be away or visiting somewhere that using a non-disposable wouldn’t be the best option.

Well my good intentions did not last long.  It was hard enough recovering from a C section and coping with a new baby and all the extra laundry that entailed without the extra work or dealing with terry nappies.  Not to mention the anxiety over where the pin was going to end up.

They very quickly became used in lots of other ways but not as nappies.

Of course, like many fashions, things move in circles.

Once again many Mums are turning to non-disposable nappies because they are conscious of the environmental effect of disposables.  But today’s versions are so much easier to use – the pads fit inside waterproof pants that have poppers making putting them on so much easier.  They’re also less bulky.   But they still require washing, a lot of washing.  Soaking first, then prewashing and then washing.

At least 3 of my grandchildren have been in non-disposable nappies at some point in time and 1 DIL in particular persevered for quite a long time but at present the 3 youngest ones are still in disposable nappies.

Hopefully by the end of this year though they will all be toilet trained and nappies will be a thing of their past.

A - Z Challenge 2023 - C is for Cousins

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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.

Cousins

Of course these 6 grandchildren of mine are each other’s cousins.  Extended family is so important – I grew up seeing quite a bit of my cousins.  Many years there would be a family holiday and there were always occasions like Christmas or big birthdays, weddings etc when the family would get together.

Hubby’s family is the same and there are even more of them – my children have 22 cousins each just on his side of the family and there were always get togethers when they were growing up.  Now that most of those cousins are now paired off and many have children of their own we need to hire a hall to get everyone together or find a large field!

For now though our 6 grandchildren love getting together.  When my elder son and his family visit it’s usually for a few days at a time and we always try and make sure there is plenty of cousin time!  When we moved to our current house back in 2020 a few people asked us if we were downsizing.  The answer was no.  If anything this house is slightly bigger than our old house and the layout (apart from the “lap”) is much better as it means we have the space to have everyone here.  

In fact at Christmas 2021 everyone was here and they all slept over on Christmas night.  Hubby and I ended up on an airbed downstairs in the lounge but we coped.

Christmas lunch 2021

I’m just glad that we can help make memories for these cousins to look back on when they’re older.

A-Z Challenge 2023 - B is for Boisterous

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.

Boisterous

Oh my goodness these grandchildren of mine can be boisterous.  2 at a time is manageable, 4 together, in any combination, is a bit challenging but, get all 6 here together and it’s chaos!  They are always so excited to see one another that they definitely get a bit silly, for a while at least.

The layout of our house is such that they can do a “lap” – out of the lounge, into the dining room, through the kitchen and then back into the lounge.  And repeat!  And repeat! And…… you get the picture I’m sure.  A commotion* of grandchildren chasing one another around.  They struggle to open the doors between the lounge and dining room but the other two doors are no match for them.  Even the younger ones can now reach the door handles and, in some cases, if they can’t reach something standing up they are more than capable of finding something they can climb on to reach their target.

The door from the kitchen into the hall and access back into the lounge is a sliding door.  I’m seriously thinking of getting some sort of catch on it to shut down the “lap” but I know it probably wouldn’t deter them.  It might slow them down a bit but not for long.

To make matters worse we don’t have carpets in our house – the only thing that is carpeted is the staircase.  The lounge has a wooden floor and the kitchen and dining areas are tiled.  Not the sort of surfaces you want a child falling and banging their heads on. 

Eventually I would like to get some nice rugs for my lounge but for the moment we have this:

Sometimes I feel I’ve turned my house into a crèche but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

*I looked up what the collective noun for grandchildren was and that word is definitely appropriate not so sure about the one for Grandparents – a Nag, although the grandchildren would probably agree with it, especially when I’m trying to stop them chasing round the lap.

A - Z Challenge 2023 - A is for Adorable

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.

Adorable

I am unashamedly besotted with all my grandchildren.   They are all adorable in their own way and I have been fortunate to have been very hands on with several of them, helping out with childcare while their parents worked.

I love being a grandparent but it is very different from being a parent.  For starters you get to give them back at the end of a babysitting stint!  You also worry far more about them when they’re in your care.  God forbid anything should happen to them on your watch!  Thankfully, so far, there have been no major incidents while I’ve been in charge.  Of course you’re never really in charge because these little demons angels have minds of their own.

It’s not always easy working out what is going on in their heads but they are all nearly talking now so it’s getting easier to understand them and if they’re having trouble getting what they want Miles, for example, will just take you by the hand and drag you to whatever it is he’s after.  Vinny on the other hand will just tell me – “Nanny don’t do that” or “Nanny do it” spring to mind.

We are Nanny and Grandpa to them.  This is a mixture of our own parents – mine were Nanny and Grandad and Hubby’s were Grandma and Grandpa.  I never wanted to be a Grandma but sometimes I wish calling myself Nanny didn’t make some people think I’m just a hired help.  For a while Nathan referred to me as Nana and it almost stuck but we all used Nanny so much that he stopped doing it.  Sometimes more recently he has even referred to me as Nan.

This is just one example of how things may change as they get older but at the moment they are all still young and yes, in my eyes, adorable.