Mixed blessings...

In the early hours of Sundy morning my father-in-law passed away. Finally now may he rest in peace.

He had not had an easy life. He nursed and lost his first wife to cancer when Hubby was just 8 years old with a not much older brother. He raised the two boys on his own for the next 10 years. When I met Hubby father-in-law was married to his second wife but after moving from London to Suffolk for their retirement he had to nurse her with cancer and it was sad when she lost that battle and he was on his own again. For the last 19 years he lived with a partner who also loved going away on holidays as much as he did so put the sparkle and fun back into his life, but January this year he sadly lost her to cancer too...........how cruel is life eh? His cancer was quite advanced by then too so the last few months were not pleasant with his quality of life gone and just surviving day to day until the end. He reached 89 years old, what an achievement!

They are not a close or sentimental family, which I found a bit difficult to understand, but they all got on really well with each other and father-in-law was always there for us as a married couple with young children and would often come over to help Hubby with DIY projects, he was really good at plastering and we made good use of that fact.

Our children never felt pressured to go over and visit but wanted to and when they were old enough to drive or ride a motor bike they would visit their granddad and his partner when they could. When Hubby retired he often popped over to see them during the week. Of course as they got too old to come to our house I would feel guilty that I never went to see them as often as I felt I should, but the pressure was never from them for which I will always be grateful.

My main memory of a special father-in-law will always be our banter, he would criticise me and I would criticise him back, all done in fun, it was our way, a verbal hug from a man who found it hard to show his emotions.

We'll miss you dad xxx

Remember it's temporary...

Well it's been a very busy/cuddly/stressful/fun/scary/depressing/proud/exhausting week!

Our daughter has sufferred quite a bit since delivering LittleOne, who I have to say is sooooo cuddly, she had to stay in hospital Saturday till Wednesday night because of unhealthy issues that were so painful and immobilising, but in her ususal positive way I only saw a meltdown once.

I've spent lots of time with Olympian and Comedian, running them about and spectator to hours of their gymnastics which has been great. they work so hard. I've also managed to cover nearly 400 miles in the car going between my home the hospital and various errands. Job wise has still been a big part of this week even though I'm supposed to be on leave!

However, it's all temporary......our daughter will heal, my father-in-law will find peace in a better place and I will soon have time to play grandma as much as I like.

What a busy day...

Had to log onto work for a couple of hours as so many forms still to fill in and I want to take the whole week off to play grandma so a small sacrifice.

Collected Sool and Dynamo for the afternoon hospital visit. Very happy to say that my precious daughter and LittleOne both looked well rested and much more comfortable. Then home where Hubby was cooking dinner and Olympian and Comedian were playing having been returned after a day out with their dad and his dad. They had been to the zoo and were full of Orangutan stories and more.

After dinner the girls and I collected Sool again and headed off for the evening visit. I just love all these cuddles. The girls also collected from home all their stuff needed for a sleepover at my house...........and that's where they are now fast asleep in the room we have here for them.

I've spent some of this evening catching up with phone calls and emails all congratulating on our new arrival and/or commiserating on the job situation..........so many lovely family members and friends with kind wishes, I'm very lucky and feel so loved! Also an update on facebook for those I haven't the time for direct contact with just yet.

And now it's time for some tele and a cuppa then bed as I guess the girls will keep me busy tomorrow before we go off for our afternoon hospital visit again.

Welcome to LittleOne

Well this has to be the best reason to blog and make you all smile - our new grandson arrived 2:31pm today at a very healthy 8lb 4oz. I've had my first cuddle with LittleOne and he's adorable, well I would say that wouldn't I :o)

My very special daughter did suffer quite a bit - starting with a very much wanted home birth but ending with an emergency ambulance dash to hospital and theatre for a c-section delivery but everyone knew it was the right thing to do so just got on with it. Seeing her this evening was upsetting for me as she is still in a lot of discomfort and it broke my heart when we had to abandon her in an empty room unable to be mobile enough to do what she wants for LittleOne without calling for help each time, however, I know she is a very strong person and will recover quickly. I'm so proud of her! Sool played a major part and did a lot to help and I'm proud of him too.

Meanwhile, I collected three children and headed for gymnastics early this morning for Olympian to have her training. Thankfully Hubby met us there and first took Comedian and Dynamo to the park and later took them home to our house. When we were all home it was lunch and playing all afternoon - occassionally a little heated but mostly fine and some of the time great fun.

All of us to the hospital this evening for our first visit, with the three children wearing their "I'm a BIG sister/brother" t-shirts that I'd painted for them. The children were all bessotted by LittleOne and all desperate to cuddle him. Main comments by them all was how soft his skin is. I'm really happy knowing they appreciate how precious our new family member is!

Nothing in life can top this............so I'll say no more.

There's a recession on you know........

……..and I've been hit !!!!!

Heard at 4:30pm yesterday that our department is to close at the end of this month and BBB and I will no longer be needed. BBB = Best Boss and Buddy. Not sure as yet if we will be 'redeployees' or if there is any sort of redundancy package being offered, but guess if there is we will probably both decide to leave and not sure if that is end of April too.

I'm sorry, I had expected this blog to be light hearted and highlight all that is good in my life, but this job has been one of the best bits and now it is to end it deserves a fitting tribute.

When I told my BFriendM she said "I've never known anyone who has loved their job as much as you" and I always have! I started back in 1993 and instantly got on with BBB and the small team, especially as we were all similar ages so had stuff in common and understood each others daft references and humour (BBB remember the purple loons?). The job started as quite a basic admin role but soon moved on to my taking more and more responsibility until I project managed the department. I felt valued and respected and after spending many years as his wife and their mother it defined who I was as me! Over the years we lost the in-house team who then worked with us as a remote virtual team so it was just BBB and me running a department for a global company that was the biggest UK employer not so long ago. And I have to say we did a bloody good job!!!

So, after doing this job with the same boss for the past 16 years and half expecting outsourcing to happen every time they wanted to cut costs, it still came as a bit of a shock……………we have all been so worried for SisterP's job and then this snuck up and bit me on the bum!!! Not sure if there will be ANY redundancy package and mine wouldn't be much anyway as the first 12 years in this job I was a contractor so less than 5 years actually on the books. Now all the paperwork and negotiations have to begin :o(

I spent a lot of today having to tell all our suppliers that we are shutting up shop and their replies were very uplifting as they showed genuine sympathy and all said really nice things about how they have enjoyed working with us over the years. So many of them are now considered friends and I'll definitely try to keep in touch with them.

Have to say I'm looking on the bright side, no point losing sleep over it when I've more important things to think about - still no baby arrival, but will keep you posted on both.

Naming names

I don't know how you all do it?!?!?
As if it wasn't hard enough to think up a name for this whole blog I now have to rename all my family and friends to help keep their anonymity!!! OK so Hubby was naturally Hubby and our daughter can remain called our daughter but then it got to twin granddaughters, what could I call them as I will often have to talk about them independently of each other and 'the twins' will just strip them of their own personal stories. As you may have noticed yesterday I called one of them thump-sucker and the other curly-locks but what if they stop being those things?

So from now on I think my hard working and dedicated gymnast can be Olympian, as she will strive to make us proud of her, while my fun loving, nature loving, loving all things scientific granddaughter can be known as Comedien as she always makes us laugh too.

Hmmm that solved, now what do I call my daughter's partner? He's not my son-in-law as they are not married so I guess he's my son-out-of-law, Sool for short! And his son, who is the same age as the girls, we can call Dynamo because he always seems to be fully charged and bouncing around excitedly!

We also have a son and he has a fiance, but we don't see them often so I'll probably not have too much to report from them.

There is also a new grandson due to arrive any day now, but I'll have to meet him to be able to call him anything but bump :o)

Well that's the immediate family done and that's more than enough for my tired brain today.

My very first blog...........

I suppose the first thing I should say on my first ever blog is hello and welcome.
I've been a diary writer for many years but now I spend so much time at a computer that I'll give it a go doing it this way!

I've just had the most pleasant bank holiday weekend. I'm a proud grandmother to twin girls who are nearly 7 years old now and I love them with all my heart! Their mum, my daughter, is so very special that words will never be descriptive enough :o)

Good Friday this year was really good. Hubby and I took the girls to Wembley Arena for the Dancing on Ice show and we all really loved it. We had all followed the TV series (I've followed all four years) so they knew what to expect but never realised anywhere could be as large as the Arena! The weather in London was wet and windy, so we stopped at Brent Cross shopping centre to find lunch without having to walk the streets in the rain. Pizza Hut was the venue that held majority vote and I even got my dinner for free.....well we had wondered why mine was taking so long then the waitres came out and confessed that it had been dropped in the kitchen and could I wait for another to be prepared and I wouldn't be charged, so what could I say! My daughter had text to say they were having a BBQ and it was soooo hot in Suffolk but we were having too much fun to be jealous.

Saturday, my daughter and the girls came to our house for egg painting and chocolate nest making etc, another dry and warm day so we had a BBQ to make up for the one they missed.

Sunday was the big egg hunt round the garden and later lots of gymnastics in the garden as Hubby had made the girls a balance beam to practice on. They are really into gymnastics and amaze me at their bendyness and stamina ('thumb-sucker' more so than 'curley-locks'). Only downside to the day was when I managed to make a bottle of honey explode all over me and the kitchen - but even that was quite funny after we'd cleaned up the dreadful sticky mess.

And bank holiday Monday was a day for doing not much at all :o)