Family Affairs and other matters

Back from spending a few days with my parents. Father (HOPEFULLY) on the mend after major operation number 85…..he’s just got to start eating again now. He seemed in quite good spirits all things considered and has now gone from consuming two tic tacks and one chocolate button in a day to two mini meringues, one mini cheddar and a rasher of bacon – so all good….he weighs significantly less than my 10 year old son and my 96 year old grandmother weighs even less than that. He’s nocturnal now though, which meant we all slept in one room together to avoid disurbing his night time roamings – good grief – like being in a school dormitory – I’m exhausted now. Daughter stealing duvet and laughing in her sleep and both boys on floor mumbling and snoring – my labrynthitis has not been improved by losing several waxy earplugs into the middle of my head in an effort to drown out the noise.

Shame that it wasn’t my father and Grandmother (who take up no room) plus one of my children that sat in my car on our three hour drive to see my parents and back, rather than three of the largest children you have ever seen in the world plus all our luggage all squashed in to my Mini. Just ridiculous. Arms and legs all over the place. At one point I could barely see for limbs.

My grandmother is now closer in proximity to my parents, which is one major advantage of being expelled from her previous nursing home for GBH (for punching someone in the face – which we can’t quite believe – she’s not strong enough). She sat with us in the garden peering at her huge Great Grandchildren and making odd comments. We took a photo and when my son showed her what she looked like (very small) she said “oh I don’t look too bad for a very old person do I? I’ve still got two eyes, a nose, two ears…..” which I guess is what it all boils down to in the end….to be honest, she looks amazing for one so old – just like she used to look as a small child, I think.

At least she’s happy. She seems blissfully unaware of the outside world and is slowly regressing into her past. Last week when my mother went to see her she was in the middle of a painting. She stopped to have a cup of tea and when she came back to her painting somebody else had finished it for her! She didn’t seem to mind though…..