Sorry, I am late again with my blog. Last week I kept fairly busy; when I was in Chester, I bought a salad spinner from Lakeland, but when I unpacked it realised it was far too big. There are only two of us at home these days, and I am the main salad eater. As we have recently had a Lakeland opened in Watford, I went over there late on Monday afternoon, after posting mum-in Law's card and present.
Going away a week later than normal to North Wales has completely thrown me out. We were unable to visit Mum in Law for her Birthday this year, but some very old friends of hers contacted us to say they would go if we couldn't, so she was not alone for her 87th. Anyway, Daughter had rung me to ask my opinion on a gift, and she said she was in Watford. On my way I spotted her and grandson at a cafe which is outside John Lewis. I comveyed that I would join her, and after finding no small salad spinners in Lakeland, and resisting all attempts to order me one, I got my refund, and hastened to the escalator downwards. As I queued for my tea I saw that Daughter was looking really harassed. When I joined her, she said she had been trying to feed baby with some 'mush', he would not co-operate, and he now needed a change. So Gandma to the rescue, I looked after all her things whilst she carted him off to be changed. On his return I sat him on my knee to try and take over the feeding. With not much success, he tried to grab everything on the table, drank water out of a plastic cup, and managed to dribble some of the food into the water.
There were no high chairs, and it was getting precarious as he grabbed the spoon, and the pot of food, plus the plastic cup. I was worried he would topple to the floor. We gave up eventually, and Daughter gathered her things and took him off to Smith's to post her parcel, whilst I went into John Lewis. Daughter met me in the basement, and I managed to find and buy a smaller salad spinner.
On Tuesday I was babysitting whilst Daughter was at the dentist, and I was giving him lunch. More 'mush'. He was so slow, not showing much interest, so I decided to tell him, if he didn't hurry up I would take the food away.. Suddenly he decided he was hungry after all, and ate the lot. As he had been good and eaten it, I gave him a yoghurt, as soon as he saw the yoghurt he got really excited and I had no trouble feeding him with that. The meal had taken an hour!
Daughter arrived home feeling sorry for herself with a 'frozen' mouth, and as she needed to go shopping I volunteered to mind baby whilst she went, or go with her. She chose the latter. Baby was not in a co-operative mood in the trolley, leaning to one side and biting one of the bars. As I approached the checkout he was still in a similar position, but making a loud noise and going red in the face. An elderly lady came up to me and asked 'Is that baby choking?' I said 'No he's fine' She said 'but the position he is in he looks as if his clothes are caught, and he is being strangled' I replied, 'No, he is just being horrible', and sat him upright to prove he was ok. Honestly! Did she really think I would not notice if a child was strangling himself in my trolley. The truth is that little Nathaniel was bored; he soon livened up and tried to grab things off the conveyor belt. We got back to Daughter's, and I helped her indoors with stuff, then came home.
Wednesday was Sainsbury's and I managed to get there earlier, as I had parent and toddlers to go to. I was doing craft. There were only 3 of us helpers, but we coped, we also tidied everything up afterwards, as the chap who normally comes to help had other things to do. A very sweet lady who has been coming to our church took the vacuum cleaner from me, and did a good job of getting the squashed biscuits off the carpet. I helped drag the chairs in place for the bible study, couldn't lift properly. 'cos of my shoulder.
Thursday was Val's funeral. I had met someone who had told me that she had died from motor neurone disease, but it was atypical in that her brain was affected first, so by the time she was diagnosed, she hadn't long left. She had had some sad things in her life including a divorce from the father of her 5 children, but despite depression, had compared her troubles to the grit in an oyster which produces the pearl. She also said that had her life turned out differently, she might well have been less dependent on God. Her 5 children (all grown up) all took part in the service which included some lovely hymns. I left after the service, the family had gone off to the cemetery, and I did not want to stay for the refreshments. As I drove home, the rain absolutely pelted down, just at the time of the burial too. I hope I don't have to go to any more funerals just yet. Both of the recent ones were younger than me. I thank God that they were both committed followers of the Lord.
On Friday, I'd had a terrible night and slept till late o clock I felt I was 'chasing my tail' all morning, Daughter rang me up to invite me on a trip to Berkhamsted, as she had to visit the jewellers there. so we went after lunch. I looked after baby whilst she chatted to the jeweller, and then we had a wander round the other shops. When I arrived at Daughter's baby had very red cheeks, redder than I have ever seen them, which prompted me to wonder out loud if he had 'slapped cheek' disease. He also had a cough and runny nose. Having been unable to access the internet, we went to the medical books in Smith's to check the symptoms.This entailed going down in the lift. However this is no normal lift, it is a shaft with a floor that goes up and down. It really freaked me.
Baby certainly had some of the symptoms, and after tea in Waitrose, we headed off back to Daughter's where she tried NHS Direct. She did not get too far with that, was waiting for a call when I left. Later that evening, she said that the red rash on his cheeks which he had had for 3 days was beginning to fade. so we are still non the wiser. Saturday we were all behind again and took the car into town. later I caught up with some planting and husband did some more out at the front. I managed to get out for a walk on Sunday between the services, despite having had another bad night, I could not doze after lunch. Today has been a Bank Holiday, we went back to the garden centre, and loaded up a trolley with bark, more slabs and plants. Husband had just finished getting the slabs in place, and I had just finished a bit more potting, when it came on to rain, It was quite heavy, so we had to abandon our plans for gardening, and I tackled some of the ironing pile. Very frustrating, but we do need rain, even on Bank Holidays, when the year has been drier than usual. Oh well off to bed now I suppose, no more Bank Holidays till August. If it rains tomorrow I might just garden in the rain!
I have swapped my pillows around and slept better last night.
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