Thursday morning at 8.20am, I am still lying in bed when I hear little Phoebe arriving downstairs. She spends the day with us on a Thursday and if her mummy has gone down to London for the day, she will have a sleepover with us too.
I stumble into the bathroom to sit on the big white telephone. Grandma follows Phoebe upstairs to find something. What could it be? Moments later they are looking for me in the bedroom but I am not there. Phoebe pushes open the unlocked bathroom door to find me sitting there as naked as the day I was born.
Bizarrely, Phoebe is wearing some sparkly Christmas glasses and a green hairband with little Christmas trees on springs. She proceeds to have a conversation with me about what she has already had for her breakfast, what she has been doing at nursery school and what she wants to do today.
I cough and she says, "Are you alright Grandpa? Are you going to be sick?"
"No, I am not going to be sick Phoebe!"
Friday morning at 5,45am. I hear something on the landing by our bedroom door, guessing correctly that Phoebe (aged three years and seven months) has got up. I can largely forgive her for this early start as she fell asleep before eight o'clock on Thursday night.
She's standing there in her "Encanto" pyjamas, her hair all tousled and her cuddly sloth Monty dangling from her hand. I kiss her head and invite her to join me and Grandma in our bed but she refuses the invitation saying she wants breakfast instead.
Grandma hears her and says she'll get up while I clamber back into our warm pit ready for another three hours sleep.
Later, at two thirty in the afternoon, I take Phoebe to the playground at Lodge Moor. It's always chillier up there but as per usual Phoebe doesn't want a jacket on. She doesn't seem to feel the cold like some children.
I cough and she says, "Are you alright Grandpa? Are you going to be sick?"
"No, I am not going to be sick Phoebe!"
At the wooden climbing frame with its slides, ropes and rigging, I ask Phoebe to take care.
"I am alright Grandpa! I can do this!" she promises and she demonstrates her self-confidence four or five more times while I wait nervously below.
And when we are done at the children's playground, we wander across the grass to inspect some fresh molehills. Phoebe knocks on the top, asking the moles to come up to the surface but of course, they stay down below doing what ever moles do in their downtime.
We jump back into Clint and drive round to "The Three Merry Lads" for drinks but Silly Old Grandpa has left his wallet at home so the drinks order is immediately cancelled. Phoebe goes down the tall slide four times and has to be persuaded to get back in the car and head home.
Ahhh... Encanto. I believe my 5 year old grandson can sing every single song from that movie.
ReplyDeleteDisney have a way of getting through to small children. It's all very clever. My favourite is "Moana".
DeleteChildren have no boundaries and isn't that wonderful. Although now I do have an image of you sitting on your throne, naked as the day you were born:)
ReplyDeleteThey keep us young. She's a lucky little girl.
That's a very sexy image isn't it? Where's the toilet paper?
Delete"I'm alright Grandpa, I can do this" Such confidence! I can hardly wait for the twins to start "real" speaking instead of toddler babble. They have words and can name anything around the house and yard, but proper speaking is still a way off. I was very happy to hear Gen clearly saying "where are you Nanny?" when I was there for my birthday and walked into a different room.
ReplyDeleteShould I start calling you Nanny instead of Elsie?
DeleteLovely photo of Phoebe in her snazzy headgear..but Christmas! ...already???
ReplyDeleteShe had just seen a photo from last Christmas and wanted the attractive accessories straight away.
DeleteSounds just like our house if George or Molly is here, Molly slept over on Friday night, she woke up at 6.30 so a bit of a later start for us.
ReplyDeleteNothing like a nice lie-in on a Saturday morning.
DeleteIt doesn't seem long since I saw a photo of Phoebe, yet she now looks so much older. How can she possibly getting on for four years old!
ReplyDeletePhoebe might ask, Grandpa, do you cough because you've smoked too many Benson and Hedges?
And Grandpa will say, "I haven't had a cigarette since 1987".
DeleteDoes grandparenting mean early mornings are mandatory? I guess I better enjoy the sleep ins I have left!
ReplyDeleteI can hardly imagine seeing either of my grandfathers naked but Phoebe is obviously more bothered by your cough 😂
My body is like a temple. Are you going to be a grandmother soon then?
DeleteI became a grandmother a few years back to a babe who was born way too early and his brother will join us in October.
DeleteLet us hope he is fit and healthy and ready for a long life of learning, laughter and love.
DeleteStay well, she needs you around.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am her taxi driver.
DeleteBronte our Golden Retriever is our 4.30 AM alarm clock.
ReplyDeleteEmily Bronte used to lie in bed till after ten, maintaining her social media sites.
DeleteAre you SURE you're not going to be sick?
ReplyDeleteBAAARRRFF! Oh dear - all over the keyboard!
DeleteShe's such a love. One can always tell when littles are surrounded by people who love them.
ReplyDeletePhoebe attracts heaps of love.
DeleteDid your autocorrect put in "telephone" where you might have typed "toilet" or "throne"? I knew what you meant, tho...
ReplyDeleteIt's nice to have so much time with Phoebe. She will always remember her bond with her Grandpa.
No. I meant to put telephone Ellen! You can talk into it when you are feeling sick.
DeleteWhat are you doing, tooling around in Clint with no driver's license?! (That's assuming you keep it in your wallet. Maybe you don't.) Pretty soon Phoebe will be driving you around!
ReplyDeleteIn Great Britain you are not required by law to carry your driving licence while driving.
Delete