Word of the Week - Grandchildren

We have 3 grandchildren and another due the end of this month.

A girl, 2 boys and another boy on the way.

They are 5, 3, almost 7 weeks and -3 weeks.

The 5 year old and 7 week old live just over an hours drive away and we see them as often as we can. They haven't been to stay over for since the baby has been born and we've been making more trips down to visit them. There are no photos posted online, at their parents request, which we respect and fully support as it's a protection issue, but annoys us as so often it feels like we don't care or can't be bothered especially as we have our other grandson with us this weekend and we'll be posting pictures of him. I often have to remind hubby he can't post pictures or we take extra pictures that we know we can post.

I do have a private Facebook album where I share our adventures with our grandchildren for them to see them all in one place when they are older.

The 3 year old and the -3 weeks grandchildren live in Northern Ireland so our visits with them are less frequent. We visit them every February and October half term and I will fly over a couple of times a year for long weekends. They have been over a several times on the boat but with two dogs and all the paraphernalia required with a baby, it's not been an easy trip. Their last one being just before Christmas and for the first time the two grandchildren really got to know one another properly and they got on so well together.

I do make video calls with them when I'm with the other and encourage them to draw pictures and help them buy little gifts for each other when I visit so they can keep in touch, but seeing them together is so lovely. And this weekend, our son and the 3 year old came over on the boat with one of their dogs, while our pregnant DIL with -3 weeks to go until the baby is due had a weekend of R&R.

So what did we get up to?

On Friday we had a baby shower for the new baby, baked and iced Paw Patrol cakes, read 100 books.

Saturday our son went to the football and we introduced the 3 year old to his new baby cousin, then took the 5 year old with to Beechenhurst in the Forest of Dean on the Grufflo Trail. We also had Bailey the dog with us. We walked, played in the park, had drinks and cake and had a picnic.

There was only one upset when the 5 year old saw a friend and went off to play with them, leaving the 3 year old declaring them as being naughty for 3 minutes and not being their friend anymore, but it passed quicker than 3 minutes.

They held hands when they walked, they chatted about their baby brothers and their other grandparents and their Uncle Jamie and Aunty Jess in Australia. They talked about our cat Pushkins and Aunty Stephanie and their Mummies and Daddies and ate ice cream and looked after each other when they fell over and got dirty.

Sunday we went shopping and for a coffee then had some time off while they went back to visit their cousin and met up with other family members and had a BBQ, getting home at 7.30pm in time for more stories.

They go home tomorrow but there is one last treat before they leave, a visit from the Easter Bunny.

The house is a mess, there was washing and ironing, cake crumbs trodden in the carpet, but we wouldn't have it any other way.

Joining in with Raise Bay #WotW