…of a Grandma of visiting grandsons.
- Breakfast on yet another grey and rainy morning - cereal, juice and lots of chatter.
- A trip into town to Grandma’s sister’s house for some piano practice. Grandsons are both due to play in their teacher’s pupil concert next week and Grandma and Grandpa don’t have a piano.
- An early lunch because Grandma is due to take a service for the local Mothers’ Union branch 8 miles away at 1.30pm., leaving Grandpa to supervise half-term homework and play pool, snooker and various other indoor games with grandsons.
- A welcome cup of tea with chocolate biscuits as Grandma and grandsons resume yesterday’s unfinished game of Killer Bunnies. Grandson#2 is eventually declared the winner, while Grandma is still vainly trying to learn the rules.
- Grandma, having recklessly promised pancakes for supper on their last evening, spends the next hour chained to the stove, feeding Grandpa and grandsons (and occasionally herself) with an endless succession of pancakes with cheese, pancakes with grated chocolate, pancakes with apricot jam, pancakes with the traditional lemon juice and sugar…. In the meantime Grandpa and grandsons are chained to the TV, watching an endless succession of episodes of Star Wars: the Clone Wars. Grandma has no idea who won, but everyone seems happy.
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| Image via Google |
- Finally Grandma, having tucked the grandsons into bed, crawls to her computer, only to find that the router is malfunctioning yet again and she can’t access any of her favourite blogs. She can read them in Google Reader, but can’t then go to them to comment. Grandma hopes her friends will forgive her silence and keep posting. The reading is fun, though the links and the photos don’t always load. Sigh…. Grandma really, really hopes Grandpa will agree that a new router is needed - NOW!
Well done Grandma! Pancakes AND computer literacy: you're a pretty splendid grandmother by any standards! Hope you recover (a) energy and (b) computing power again soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks, DB. By the time you commented I'd already fallen into bed, exhausted from wrestling with the router, not the boys! Energy levels being restored this morning, I'm about to pack their case, so that we can drive them home to Yorkshire. The house will seem very empty....
DeletePancakes sound so good. I don't think I've had them in years. They kind of go with the grandkids don't they. It sounds like you've been having a great time Perpetua. Hopefully, the computer problem works itself out soon.
ReplyDeleteThey were delicious, Rubye. I make them very rarely for the sake of my waistline, but we always have them on Shrove Tuesday and when the grandsons come. :-) The router problem is hit and miss - the poor thing is just getting old, I think.
DeleteIt sounds like a wonderful day with some of those you love most, Perpetua! The incredible pancake feast sounds like the best possible supper! (Only a boost to your computing power would make this an absolutely perfect day!)
ReplyDeleteAs always when they visit, it was a lovely day, Kathy. They are great boys and such fun to be with and the pancake supper has become a tradition on the last evening of this spring visit. I'm pretty sure only a new router will sort things out, but DH does like to be VERY sure before he orders a replacement. :-)
DeleteI can't wait for the days of having visiting grandchildren for a spell and your post makes me want it all the more. Those pancakes all sound delicious. Can I have one of each?
ReplyDeleteI do hope that Grandpa will get to that new router asap. After all, Perpetua, he did get all those pancakes.
Penny, you will love it, as we do. There's something special about having grandchildren to stay without their parents. The relationship is different and such fun to explore. We had 5 pancakes each (oh, my poor waist!) Are you sure you can manage them?
DeleteIt's a good thing I did have all those pancakes to give me strength: it took me nearly two hours to sort this one simple post, thanks to the router hiccups!
As everyone else has said it sounds like a great day except for the router problem. Let's hope Grandpa has it sorted.
ReplyDeleteIt was, Susan, despite the dreadful weather. We've been having the boys to stay at spring half-term since they were very small and it's always a high-spot of the year for us.
DeleteI'm guessing we'll have to make do with this router for a week, as there really isn't time to order another before we leave for France (where we have a different one).
Those pancakes look delicious. Quite perfect. I can never be bothered to make them these days.
ReplyDeleteSounds an exhausting time though, rather you than me. Are they still there? :D
Roughseas, I cannot tell a lie. I didn't make those actual pancakes (attribution now given) but I can assure you mine both looked and tasted great.:-) They have to, otherwise I too wouldn't spend an evening making them...
DeleteLuckily, the boys have been brought up not to need constant attention and are very good at occupying themselves when DH and I have to do other things. We enjoy playing games and making treats for them, but yes, I'm pretty tired by the end of each day. :-) They go home today, which is a trip from Mid-Wales to Yorkshire - in the rain. Sigh....)
Oh! where are they in Yorkshire? I'm always interested in Yks connections :)
DeleteIn the Vale of York, not far from Selby. The scenic hilly bit was too expensive when they were househunting, but the wide, big-sky flatness has its own attractions.
DeleteMy mother always used to say "wear the old ones out first", which sometimes applied to things but mostly applied to people !! I can hear her grumbling it now as me and my brother watched the telly and she trotted from kitchen to table with pancakes !!
ReplyDeleteJean, that is such a typically Northern expression and I can hear my grandmother saying something very similar in her broad Lancashire accent. :-) The trouble with making pancakes is that it's a production line, so the trotting is an unavoidable part of it all. Still I like to think that the exercise helps to offset some of the excess calories. :-)
DeleteHello Perpetua:
ReplyDeleteThe very thought of 'Killer Bunnies' is enough to put us into a decline. And then 'Star Wars'!! In our view you, and DH, really do have the patience of saints. Reading this makes us realise that we can never have been cut out for children and would probably have made the very worst kind of parent, and even worse grandparent if that is possible.
But we suspect that you enjoyed it all and had lots of fun.
For shame, Jane and Lance! I thought you were made of sterner stuff. :-) Thankfully it was only Grandpa who was subjected to 'Star Wars' and he didn't seem to mind. I actually enjoy playing all board games with the boys, however little I manage to grasp the rules, as it's so good to be with children for whom board games are an essential part of enjoying themselves.
DeleteMind you, DH and I started young on the whole children thing, as we were 22 when DS was born. I think that's the secret - we've never known anything else. :-) And yes, we had an enormous amount of fun.
Actually we really do enjoy all forms of board games and it is, or so we believe, good to be in touch with young people. Perhaps on reflection it is not all bad!!!
Deletei know you do and I'm sure you'd even manage to wring some enjoyment out of 'Killer Bunnies'. :-) Our three would certainly keep you young, if they didn't wear you out first!
DeleteSounds like they had a great time, and you shared many special moments with them. We love pancakes in our house too and have them regularly. I hope you get your router sorted soon!
ReplyDeleteThankfully they did, Sarah, despite the awful weather. Flaming June - huh! We don't see them very often but get on extremely well with them, which is satisfying for both sides. As for pancakes, I love them too, but DH and I daren't have them too often at our age. :-)
DeleteI'm guessing there won't be time to get a new router now as we're off to France in 10 days. This morning it's working OK, but I don't think this happy state of affairs will last....
Our grandchildren are getting grown up now, but luckily they still enjoy coming to stay with us on their own. They love going for hikes with H, and we visit art galleries and museums together.
ReplyDeleteYou are so knowledgable about the computers. If my Router went wrong I do not think that I would know, I have no idea what it is or where it is.
What has happened to the hot weather? I wanted rain, but not this cold, blustery wet weather. During the hot weather we removed the duvet and just had a sheet on the bed, having shivered last night H has thankfully just returned the duvet back to the bed.
Ours are growing up very fast too, Rosemary, with the eldest already starting to think about GCSE subject choices! It seems so little time since they were babies....
DeleteMy computer knowledge isn't actually very great but DH, DS and also son-in-law are all very skilled and somehow the basics rub off. The router is the link between your computer and the internet and so is essential to getting online.
As for the weather =- it rained almost all the way to and from Yorkshire yesterday and the rivers are getting very full again. Sigh...
I've been good at entertaining grandchildren for a few hours, and even over night.....but I think I need lessons from you. 4 weeks with 2 of them overlapping with 2 weeks with the other 2, meaning 4 at once .....aggghhhh. Killer Bunnies sounds as if it might be the thing, and pancakes would certainly go down well with my bunch. Luckily the weather has been lovely, so early morning walks, the pool and games in the afternoon seem to be just about holding the peace. Hope the router gets sorted soon. J.
ReplyDeleteGiven what you describe I think it's I who should be taking lessons from you, Janice! DH would go mad or emigrate if we had so many visitors for so long. :-) The special fun for us is having them there without their parents, as the relationship naturally changes when their parents are there. This time the visit was shorter than usual as they have other commitments, but usually we have them for almost a week on their own.
DeleteThe weather has been almost unrelievedly wet, which meant indoor games were a necessity. Thank goodness we have room for a small pool table, though a real pool and some sunshine would have been even better!
Being just about old enough to be a grandmother myself, but still at the stage of playing board games, watching (not Star Wars) endless complicated, violent, dangerous films...as well as making pancakes...I shall take comfort in the fact that I'm getting lots of practice in with my young family. Just worried I won't live long enough to have real grandchildren of my own...though I thought that about having children too and look at me now!
ReplyDeleteSounds great, Perpetua! Get a new router - you deserve one. Axxx
Annie, never say never! It sounds like you will have all the skills necessary to be a fantastic grandmother when that day comes. There are a lot of parents who are in the same situation and must have the same feelings as you, given the trend towards starting families much later than when DH and I got married. Remember we're all living longer, so still plenty of time for grandchildren one day. :-)
DeleteDH has just installed the secondhand router passed onto us yesterday by our son-in-law and so far so good. Fingers crossed...
Sounds as if you had a excellent time--personally I wouldn't find it too bad to watch all the Star Wars, although it would send Niall into a decilne :-)
ReplyDeleteI think after making all those pancakes a new router is only fair!
It was a lovely day, Antoinette, though I steered away from the 'Clone Wars' episodes as they are entirely computer-generated, unlike the 'Star Wars' films I so enjoyed when our children were young. Bring back Harrison Ford! :-)
DeleteAs mentioned above, we now have a secondhand router, which seems to be proving that the problems were down to the old one. Result!
Perpetua, have you contacted your broadband provider about your connection? I thought our router was problematic, but called and they did some tests and then did some tweaking at their end and lo and behold everything improved. Otherwise, you deserve a new one and pronto!!
ReplyDeleteDare I ask -- what are Killer Bunnies?
I just Googled Killer Bunnies! OMG. Sounds like something to send to Korea!
DeleteLOL, Broad! It's actually rather good fun, though for me in a rather muddled kind of way. :-)
DeleteDH said that he had contacted our ISP who simply pointed him back to BT as the line provider and the line was fixed a couple of weeks ago. It does now look as though it was the router as our son-in-law's old one, brought back from Yorkshire yesterday, seems to be working perfectly. :-)
I wish I'd been there for those pancakes...my very favorite thing from the kitchen! Sounds like you're having a wonderful time with your grandkids...looking forward to your return though. Smiles -
ReplyDeletePancakes are always a winner with us too, Astrid. I have a very old heavy-bottomed frying pan I keep just for pancakes and never wash, just wipe clean and oil. Fine for just the two of us, but I could do with another one when making pancakes for a crowd.
DeleteWe took the grandsons home again yesterday and the house seems very empty and quiet this morning...
Ah, the fun and energy among grandchildren! Hope you get enough rest between visits too. Pancakes for supper? Never thought of that! Super idea, for sure.
ReplyDeleteOh, pancakes for supper are wonderful, Rosaria, filling and beautifully self-indulgent. :-)
DeleteThe boys seem to have endless energy and I find enough to cope when they are with us, though today both D and I are feeling distinctly tired. Still, we'll bounce back in plenty of time for youngest grandson's visit to us in France at the end of July.
Wonderful post Perpetua - no grandchildren yet for me but I do agree that it's nice when children can still have fun playing board games.
ReplyDeleteI'm afraid electronic & computer equipment does eventually wear out, hence my recent change of computer. I think you did say that DH had Scottish forbears which may explain his reluctance to spend money on a new router :-) I hope you can get it fixed & resume commenting as I'm grateful to you for being one of my most faithful visitors & commenters.
Thanks, Ricky. You have the pleasure of grandchildren to look forward to and believe me, it is such a pleasure. The liking for board games has been enhanced by the fact that their family no longer has a TV licence, so no TV to eat up the time.
DeleteYou are so right about DH's reluctance to abandon any equipment until it has been irrefutably proved to him that it really doesn't work any more. :-) DD's husband has given us his now-superseded router and it's working perfectly, so it was obviously our old router at fault.
This is SUCH a lovley post! Those pancakes sound scrumptious.
ReplyDeleteThink Grandpa sould get that router as soon as..
Thanks, Catriona. We had a great day and the pancakes were truly scrumptious, which is why we all ate too many. :-)
DeleteGrandpa has been saved from having to buy a new router for the present, thanks to our son-in-law who gave us his old one when we took the grandsons home yesterday. It works, it works!!
Ah, the delightful exhaustion of Grandma!
ReplyDeleteLOL, Linda, you hit the nail on the head! Obviously written from much experience. :-)
DeleteOh my goodness, Perpetua! You are one busy grandma! How old are your grandsons? I think you sound happily exhausted. That's how I feel after much time with my granddaughters. Tired, but happy! I'm so sorry you're having trouble with your router! Does grandpa know how critical it is for you to keep up? How our priorities have shifted and changed over the months of blogging! Maybe you should publish grandpas email and we'll bombard him for you. Ha! There is never any pressure when you can't comment, but I just miss hearing from you :-) I hope you have a very lovely weekend! Grandpa, too! Debra
ReplyDeleteNo busier than you, from what I read on your blog, Debra. At least I'm retired and therefore have plenty of time to recover between visits. Not sure I could cope if i had to work full-time too. The grandsons who were here are 13 and 10, and the youngest, who will be visiting us in France soon, is 8.
DeleteGrandpa is very much aware how important blogging is to me and last year even agreed we needed broadband in France so that I can blog while we're there. He'd come to the conclusion that the router was failing, but thanks to our son-in-law giving us his old one yesterday, DH can now take all the time he wants to research the purchase of a new one and I can again comment to my heart's content. :-)
Oh what a lovely grandma day Perpetua! It's making me very excited about my next trip in September. xxx
ReplyDeleteYou must know all about lovely Grandma days with your two gorgeous grandsons, Ayak. Just think, just the summer to go and you'll be with them again. :-)
DeleteOOOh can I come and be a surrogate (if rather old) grandchild?! What fun!! Escpecially the pancakes..... Hope you get your router sorted out soon - if that is indeed the problem. I upgraded my router recently and get a much stronger signal in parts of the house I didn't get one before.
ReplyDeleteNow - important question - I hope you are OK in all this awful weather that Wales is having? Just listening to the air-lift going on in West Wales. Are you OK in your bit?
Of course you can, Sian, or alternatively I can promise to make pancakes the next time I visit you. :-) We're now certain that it was the router at fault and though we used a wired network and not wifi, with the advent of our son-in-law's old router, we can tell that there is nothing wrong with the line and our broadband is now fast and efficient. :-)
DeleteMany thanks for your concern about the awful floods. I was alerted to them by a friend who rang earlier and have been watching the reports on the BBC news channel. The flooding is about 30 miles away from us, much nearer the coast, and sounds to have arrived very fast and frighteningly. It appears that the mountains in the area were hit with torrential rain yesterday (they are saying 4 to 5 inches) which is now making its way by the fastest route to the sea, regardless of any obstacles in its way. There is also a high tide to contend with around lunchtime, which is bad news for coastal and estuary communities. :-(
Sian, Helva here - we live not far from Perpetua, and I know she's not at home at present (I think she's in Yorkshire!). Just to let you know that the sun is shining here in mid-Wales (Saturday, 1235pm, just for a short while), and we haven't had the problems that they've had over to the west of us. We're the other side of the mountain range, and are higher up (Perpetua's home is about 1000', and ours is about 700') so we don't get flooded. Don't know what it's like in the Severn valley (about 3 miles away over a hill) - the river could be a bit high, but here it's only fields that get flooded, not the town as a rule.
DeleteThanks for the update, Helva, but in fact we are at home, having arrived back at 10pm after doing a day trip to Yorkshire to take the grandsons home. It rained almost all day and we were in thick mist (or rather low cloud) for miles as we came back across the Pennines, so very nasty driving conditions indeed. We are now recovering slowly.... :-)
DeleteYour post brought back happy memories of being taught to play French board games by very determined young ladies of eleven or so at village gatherings...the sort where you brought your own plates, glasses, etc and were fed the seasonal offerings in good company...always followed by 'jeu de societe'...some of those young ladies would have made Mrs. Thatcher look small beer in the domination stakes...but they were delightful times!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad the second router works...you were missed!
Guiltily, we like pancakes with home made strawberry jam and cream cheese...and don't even think about the waistline!
Fly, I'm so glad your memories of France include such happy ones among the inevitable ups and downs of life in a foreign country. It's the sociable little activities that are important for building good relationships, as we find every summer.
DeleteThe change of router has wrought a total transformation in my dealings with the internet. :-) It's only now that we can see that the old one must have been gradually failing for quite a long time, leading to an awful lot of frustration and wasted time and effort.
Ooo, pancakes with cream cheese as well as jam! That combination hadn't occurred to me and I must suggest it to the grandsons. My apricot jam is home-made à la francaise - nice and soft and perfect for pancakes.
Meanwhile, someone else's grandma was teaching me (or refreshing my poor memory) the rules of Tarot: probably the only card game I've ever cared enough about to enjoy!
ReplyDeleteYour half term sounds hectic, but fun, Perpetua. Glad you've sorted out your router.
Now off to check the egg situation, as you've sparked a craving for pancakes.
Ah, tarot, the game that DD has tried several times to teach us on her visits to us in France, but for which our ageing brains refuse to retain the rules. Sigh.... Perhaps your surrogate grandma could refresh our memories, CB?
DeleteThis half-term visit is always hectic and very enjoyable, though
we were very constrained by the weather this year. The substitute router is working fine, thank goodness, but will need to be replaced by a brand-new one at some point. Hope you enjoyed your pancakes. :-)
Dear Perpetua, I so enjoyed this third person account of said grandsons visiting said grandparents! And I so related to the game and grandma not grabbing hold of those rules quickly. When I was up in Minnesota for a visit in April I stayed with a friend and her husband and two young boys--ages 8 and 10. The boys eagerly sat me down before the computer to play a game. I can't remember it's name but their mother told me it's all the rage now. I never learned the rules or was able to click those clickers and zap anyone! The fingers just refuse to zap I guess! Or maybe that's just arthritis!
ReplyDeletePeace.
Glad you enjoyed it, Dee. It seems to have struck a chord with a lot of people. :-) I think the trouble with playing the boys' new board games is that they get so much more practice than I do and they learn so much faster. I'm just panting in the rear all the time.
DeleteAs for any game requiring good reflexes whether on or off the computer, forget it. I just can't coordinate eyes and fingers fast enough. Sigh....
Grandma's pancakes sound very more-ish.
ReplyDeleteOh, they were, Molly, far too more-ish for my waistline. :-)
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