Today I have been looking through old photos and remembering my young grandchildren as they grew up.
Tempestuous Matilda, always bright and clever, but always ready to argue. She looked lovely in her 'prom' dress, skinny and blonde, now working on a difficult course of fashion, she wants to be a journalist, lost in London somewhere, along with her brother Ben who is also into fashion retail.
Ben, quiet after he had grown out of his early years demanding that we stop at Whitby station on the way back from shopping to see the train come in, the wait could be interminable, they were few and far between.
Tom, the oldest, gentle and quiet, those early days in Bath, as he turned the sitting room into a giant tent with all the chairs and the 'Brum' tape playing in the background over and over again until it got replaced by 'Toy Story'. He hated going for a walk with my two dogs and I had to bribe him with a bun from the bakery on the way back. The day, when with his mother, we were walking up on the downs. Wandering along he screamed loudly, they could have heard him back to Bath. It was a flat thistle he had trodden on, thinking he had been bitten.
Lastly, Lillie the youngest, always left at the dinner table, because it took her hours to eat her meal, the 6 peas she was supposed to eat as VEGETABLES still sitting there. She does better now at 14 years, but I miss her grinding the coffee in the machine as she has done in our house since 3 years old, standing on a stool over the coffee pot. She is the sensible one of the four and will probably be a teacher.
In fact of course I miss them all, three have fledged to university and their visits home will be scarce and the last year has been particularly poignant with only myself for company, and Lucy of course.
That beautiful little redhaired girl is quite the little hambone isn't she? She made me giggle.
ReplyDeleteMatilda is blonde, probably the photos are not good. At that time she hated having photos taken, so would always pull faces.
Deletelovely memories and gorgeous grandchildren
ReplyDeleteI think life is just made up of past memories at the moment Sue. Talking to my daughter on Sunday, she was chatting about a 4 mile walk to Hebden Bridge which we could both do. But I don't think she realises how age has happened to me in the last year.
DeleteSomehow when one is older missing out a whole year in the lives of loved ones is hard and can never be made up - I suppose the only comfort is that we are all iin the same boat - but it is not an easy ride.
ReplyDeleteYes we see it all through the media, families broken up, and the worst of course not being able to be in hospital with the people we love, it is all a balance of ups and downs.
DeleteThey all grow up too quickly and I am growing old too fast!
ReplyDeleteYes that is the problem Ellen, but we should take joy in our existence.
DeleteWhat a wonderful bunch of grandchildren!
ReplyDeleteI love them all dearly and miss their presence.
DeleteLovely pictures. That's an ace face in the dining table picture.
ReplyDeleteLittle Lillie always chocolate cake and milk when out at restaurants, something I really miss, and Matilda who has made such a hit with pulling faces will not be happy now that I have captured her!
DeleteThank you for visiting my blog and your comments on bogging - you have fine memoir and more here. I too like to look back and especially so to my boys when they were small - I found parenthood so transformatory that I wrote a book about it (at least it is in part, for it also about our universal journey). And strange that you should use the word fledged for your grandchildren leaving - people should be like birds, I once wrote in a story, 'bring up your young and let them fly... '
ReplyDeleteThe problem with children leaving home your heart goes with them, until one day you acknowledge the fact that they have grown up and can cope with life. As for blogging, I think we all ask ourselves, why are we blogging? The answer is? Maybe ego, a mind full of thoughts spilling onto the page but then like a diary the past years unfold in words and you can retrace memories.
DeleteWhat lovely photos and lovely grandchildren, now not so little any more! I still live in hope of welcoming one or two into the world - you never know.
ReplyDeleteI am sure one of your children will produce grandchildren Jennie and then you will have more creatures to worry about on this Earth but one thing I do know, they grow too quickly.
DeleteMy favourite is the third one down.
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DeleteEveryone likes Matilda pulling faces, she is very lively. Not to be forgotten is their mum, my daughter who has raised these four to be the characters they are.
DeleteWhat wonderful pictures you have shared with us, Thelma. How blessed to be a grandparent.
ReplyDeleteIt feels to me that my grandchildren grew up faster than my own children.
Something to do with time Arleen, the older we get the faster it goes but we are blessed because in a world that is often not very happy for lots of people, we have seen grandchildren grow up in peaceful times.
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