My Mother-in-law and Mini Makes.

Today we actually all got dressed in the morning and went out, even though we didn't have any specific activities on today.  The fact that it was a lovely day did make it easier to get going, but we also needed some ingredients and to go to the library.  K & M decided to stay at the library while I went and did the shopping and found a variety of books and cds to borrow.

After lunch I needed to get on with making things to take with us when we go to visit A's parents, also known as Nana and Little Grandad or J & W, this weekend for J's 80th birthday celebration.  She's really not the type for a big do, but after a successful meal out last time we were up, she agreed that a repeat, but possibly with some more people there would be a nice idea to celebrate her birthday.  So as well as J & W and the four of us, there will be J's brother and sister-in-law coming up from Kent and some of A's cousins on W's side too, thirteen of us all together for a meal on Saturday. 

You often hear horror stories about mothers-in-law, but I am very, very fortunate to have a wonderful one.  We have chosen to do things very differently from how they brought up A, but J has never criticised any of our choices and never been anything but quietly supportive.  J has the most spotless house you could possibly imagine, ours is very far from this, but the only comment she has ever made on the subject was when I was sitting on the sofa with my baby in my arms (probably breastfeeding) and she looked at me and said she wished she'd spent more time doing that and less time cleaning when A was little.   I breastfed my girls well past toddlerhood, including tandem-nursing, J once told me that she couldn't because Alan was a 'hungry baby', this at a time when the babies were kept in the nursery and brought to the mother to be fed every 3 hours, but was open to hearing my explanation of supply and demand, without taking it personally.  She once walked in on me sprawled on the sofa tandem nursing my baby and toddler and while she was a bit uncomfortable I think, she just looked at us, said 'Oh lovely!' and went to make a cup of tea. I really couldn't wish for a more lovely mother-in-law.  

 

Her 80th birthday celebrations are a bittersweet time though as my father-in-law, W, is suffering from Alzheimers.  For a long time he has called people Your Majesty, either in an affectionate jokey way or because he can't remember their names and now increasingly because he can't remember who they are, has starting calling her Your Majesty.  He is still at home and J is his carer and doing a fantastic job of it, only recently getting a day or two a week respite when he goes to a day-care centre.  Her very recent concession to getting some help with the spotless house is to get the Saturday newspaper delivered and getting a window cleaner to do the outside windows!  Until quite recently, W would always make a point of telling me, when we part after they've come here or we've visited them, what a brilliant job I/we are doing with our girls. I am a very, very fortunate daughter-in-law.

 

This afternoon I made a quiche to take with us and some chocolates for her birthday.  I will also make sure that I tell her how fortunate I am to have her for a mother-in-law, which won't be an easy thing to do, because she's really not one to talk about emotions and I'm pretty sure my eyes will leak when I do!

 

Chocolate's for J's birthday.

While I was busy with my chocolate making, K & M were busy with various craft activities.  K has been working on her birthday thank yous.  I'm not generally allowed to see them, but she does always take a lot of care in making and writing the cards.

 

Thank yous to A & me and to M.

The picture on the card to A & me is of the water bottle that she got with the bike and M painted her a picture of Dobby, hence the socks in the corners of the card and presumably the owl too.

 

M has been busy making something that isn't finished, so I'm not allowed to take a photo yet, but she's been putting a lot of time and effort into it.

 

Both girls for a reason I'm not sure of have been making mini postcards.  I think it might have something to do with the fact that K brought her cuddly puffin, that she got from the now sadly defunct Puffin Post, wearing its postman outfit downstairs. 

 

The postcards.

K's are on the top, from the left some houses, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one already put in an envelope and a volcano.  M's on the bottom, a country scene and a castle with the 50p for scale.  K has also made a birthday card for one of her toys.

 

11 Today birthday card.