Friday 1 November 2013

Back in the real world

For the next five days I will be looking after two of my grandchildren, while my daughter works in Melbourne. They go back to their father's care next Wednesday evening, my daughter left over an hour ago, and the children are yet to settle for the night. My granddaughter cried very hard when her mother left. I hope she copes during her mother's absence. They will go to their father's care on Wednesday. The transitions are not easy - for anyone, it seems. I hope that in the morning the children and I will have adjusted to the situation. We have done it before and it has always worked out. One wonders whether children find it more difficult as they grow older.

As for me, while I enjoy looking after them, I do miss my own space, and means of entertaining myself. I will pull out some weeds, and do a bit of housework. And I hope to see my son and other grandchildren, but he has been smitten by a gastric upset, which I have no desire to catch. While the children are at school I hope to see some friends. And I have brought some crochet with me. This morning, before setting off for the journey, I spent sn hour with the Knitting and Crochet group, which meets fortnightly at the local library.

This group is enormous fun. Our productivity has increased quite dramatically, and our numbers have grown. And the wraps we are making for the Wrap with Love organisation are becoming quite remarkable creations. We document all the wraps we make, and have a good relationship with our local Spotlight shop. In a couple of weeks we will have an end of year lunch at my house.

But right now I am tired and feel flat and uninspired. The prose is certainly not deathless. I still feel jetlagged.   The cat, a Burmese, of independent and  and occasionally wayward temperament, is doing  mad dashes around the house, and is disposed to pounce on any moving object, such as wiggling toes, or teasingly yanked strands of wool. The children are both still awake, and may yet need to be sternly addressed. But for now, transmission for the night is about to end.