Monday
8pm: The Night
Before
Dear Diary, it is a regular Monday evening and just as I am settling down for a cosy night at home, my phone starts to ring. It is a fellow member of the Granny Gang: ‘Do you and the twins want to come with us to the farm tomorrow?’ she asks excitedly. It comes totally out of the blue and I find myself excitedly saying ‘yes!’ before I have a chance to think about what is ahead of me. Within minutes, our plans are set. Moments after getting swept up in our new plans, I remember I have booked in a gym session the next morning with my daughter. Better text to let her know we are going to have to start a bit earlier than planned to make it to the farm on time…
Tuesday
7am: Morning routine
I wake up with a headache, which gives me a great excuse to not go to the gym. After showering and getting myself
ready, I pack my granny bag with nappies,
wipes, snacks and all the other bits I could think of. You can never be
over-prepared when going out with two toddlers. I head down to the kitchen to
get some sandwiches ready and to my horror the bread has gone mouldy! ‘Hopefully the birds won’t mind a little bit of mould on
their bread’ I think as I toss the bread out into the garden (sorry to all you twitchers out there). I throw a couple of oranges and some juice into my bag and will have to buy the rest there. So much for a budget friendly day out. After a quick argument with my husband about leaving the cupboard doors open, I storm out of the house without saying goodbye. 'That'll teach him' I think (not the most adult behaviour I know, I'm a therapist so I should know better).
8.30am: The ‘gym session’
Skipping the gym turns out to be a
blessing in disguise. While my daughter works out, I enjoy a cup of
coffee and cuddles with the twins. And what do you know, my headache has gone. Sometimes,
taking a break from the routine is all you need to feel better. I am very
pleased to have found a moment of peace in what I know is going to be a hectic
morning.
9am: Car seat struggles
Getting two two year olds into the car
is always challenge. Toddlers can somehow make themselves as rigid as
titanium when it comes to resisting the confinement of a car seat. I employ my
best negotiation skills: threats, bribery, and tickles. A few tears later, we
manage to get them in the seats. At this point I am glad I skipped the
gym, because trying to get them into the car was a workout in itself!
10am: At the farm
In typical British style, rain has been pouring down all morning. Although it has started to brighten up now, the farm is VERY muddy. Great fun for the toddlers who love jumping in puddles, but not so much fun for granny who has to wash them down when they have face-planted the ground.
10.30am: Petting zoo fail
On to the petting zoo next. The twins are
loving cuddling all the cute animals and so am I. Well, that is until one of
the guinea-pigs bites me. Ouch! Naughty guinea-pig! The twins now don't want to go anywhere near the
11am: Soft play shenanigans
After a quick break for coffee and a snack,
we decide to try a less muddy activity: the soft play area. I navigate the soft play like a ninja warrior
and the twins are loving climbing up higher than they ever have before. Hopefully
this will wear them out enough to give them a good nap this afternoon. The
familiar smell of a full nappy tells me it is time to round up the twins to get
them changed ready to go home. The joys of being a granny - give me strength!
12.30pm: Home
time
All goes smoothly getting the twins
into their car seats this time, hallelujah! they are clearly too tired to put up a fight. By the time we get home both twins have dropped off to sleep. I cautiously
transfer the twins from the car to bed and – success, they stay asleep! I have bossed this morning and now I have approximately 90 minutes of me-time before they wake up again.
1.30pm: The sandwich
thieves
Just as I settle down on the sofa with
Loose Women on the TV and a sandwich in hand, I hear shouting from upstairs
‘Yaya!’. Oh no... break time is over early. The twins toddle downstairs to join me.
Its not only the sofa they want to share, they have their eyes on my sandwich
too. Who am I to resist the charm of a hungry toddler? I hand over my sandwich
and go to make myself another.
3pm: Handover to
Grandma
After a fun but exhausting morning, it
is time for the twins to head over to their other Grandma’s, as its time for me
to head to work. I feel privileged to get to spend so much time with my
grandchildren, but it can be a struggle to balance family life and work
sometimes. I am grateful that we can share the responsibility of looking after
the twins, we make a good granny team.
5.30pm: The end
of the day - shattered!
As the workday comes to an end, I head
home absolutely shattered, but with a sense of accomplishment. The day has been
a whirlwind of laughter, challenges, and unexpected joys. The spontaneous trip
to the farm, while chaotic, has allowed me to make more memorable moments with
my grandchildren and for that, I am glad I took up the offer. I am so grateful to
my Granny Gang community for motivating me to do activities with my
grandchildren and break our routine because, at the end of the day, these are
the memories we cherish.
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