I Heart Granny & Gramps

I spent today with Cate and my folks. It was grand :D

I am adoring watching my parents being grandparents. They are so good at it. And they so obviously LOVE it. Case in point: today mum and I took Cate to work on some of mum's Christmas shopping (mine's done, narny nar nar nar!). At one point mum had Cate in the shopping trolley and was flinging her about, rushing up and down aisles whilst making these great booming pirate cackles that Cate was mimicking for all she was worth. They were having the BEST time, my mum was acting like a loon in public and Cate thought it was delightful.

So did I :)

My siblings and I are struggling to cope with the fact that our strict, no-nonsense parents are big smooshy lumps of love and happiness when it comes to their grandkids. It's hot? Dad rushes out to buy a paddling pool. The grandbabies love trampolines? Dad rushes out to buy the largest trampoline I have ever seen. Cate's gone to bed and she's crying in the cot? My father is the one rushing up the hall to comfort her (my siblings and I were all brought up via the controlled crying method). Cate won't eat her savoury dinner? Mum's rushing to open the custard and scrambling for a sweet biscuit. Cate's bored and being a little minx? Mum to the rescue with a special cupboard of toys *just* for her grandbabies.

My parents routinely spend whole days with their grandchildren where they do nothing for themselves all day. My nephew is two and he spends his Granny and Gramps day in heaven: he plays in the shed with Gramps, he goes for walks with Granny and a million other fun activities in between. The night before Granny and Gramps day, Matty packs his bag and puts it near the front door - he gets THAT excited about his grandparents.

Cate has spent heaps of time with my folks since day dot. My parents rushed to the delivery suite at 3.00am the night Cate was born - they were holding her before she was 2 hours old. She now reaches out to Granny when she sees her, cracks up laughing at Gramps smooshy kisses and spends her time with them delighting in the fact that she's the centre of their universe (oh, she's an attention hog this bubba of mine).

Mum told me today that, when you have a baby, someone should tell you how wonderful being a grandparent is and, that in roughly 25 - 30 years, you'll be one. She said it's the best thing that's ever happened to her...and I know my dad feels the same.

How lucky am I? More to the point, how lucky is my daughter?

PS Up top is my dad with Cate having a ball, my mum reading two of her grandchildren (including Cate) a story and, finally, Mum and Dad meeting Cate for the first time - bliss.

Paddling Pool Etiquette

Yesterday at 4pm Cate was feral and I was flat out of ideas to keep her entertained for the hour before dinner time. So I improvised...and busted out one of her Christmas presents just that little bit early. That's right, yesterday Cate received her brand spanking new paddling clam-shaped pool.

Do I care that it made an early appearance? Nope. Cate was happily entertained climbing in and out of her clam pool for nearly an hour (then she threw a chunk of dirt from a nearby pot plant into the water and that signaled the end of pool time).

So when I spoke on the phone to one of the mummy friends from Mothers' group last night, I told her how great it had worked as a distraction and, considering it was set to be 31 degrees here today, I invited Kelly and her bubba Hayley over for a paddle this afternoon.

Paddling pool set up with both sides full of water: check.
Water warmed slightly as it was hardly 31 degrees as promised: check.
Two little girls in swimming nappies and togs: check
Deck chairs set up next to pool for mummies to recline upon: check
A plethora of brightly coloured plastic bath toys on hand for entertainment: check.

Sounds great right?

Well, what actually eventuated was that the moment Cate hit the water, she started drinking it like she had been trapped in a desert for a month. First she starts tipping buckets of water into her mouth, then she chucks the bucket to one side and just plants her whole face in the water, still guzzling. Oooooooo - kay. Weird behaviour from my kid, but we moved past that and started enjoying paddling time...

...until five minutes later when Cate vomited up all of said water, plus half of her afternoon nap bottle.

Great. Just freaking great.

So, from this point on, Hayley was designated non-spewy side of the clam and Cate just had to paddle in her vomity water. Yummy. Except Cate and Hayley both had different ideas - Hayley was over the whole idea of the paddling pool and Cate wanted out of her vommy side and into the clean side thank you very much. All good, except that once Cate had happily repositioned herself, you guessed it, she started drinking the water like a thirsty mad woman AND, five minutes later, vommy number two. In the previously clean side of the clam pool.

At this point, although Cate was quite content splashing around in her own vomit, Kelly and I decided it was time to pull the plug. I don't think paddling pool etiqette allows the continuation of paddling after the water has been well and truly contaminated with toddler vom.

So, note to self: do not allow frantic drinking of paddling pool water by darling daughter...especially when sharing her toddler pool with others!!! Thank God both Kelly and Hayley have thick skins!

PS No piccies. The whole vommy in the pool thing happened far too quickly to allow for photo taking opportunities!