A silver lining to every cloud

James’s grandparents have just made the huge move from the house they’ve lived in for decades, to a managed retirement apartment complex, so they can have the level of care they need.

Although it’s incredibly sad they are leaving their family home, where they raised all their children, the silver lining to this cloud is that they have moved to the West Midlands, so we will be able to see them much more. Previously, they were up in Northumberland, a five hour drive away.

On Sunday, we took the girls over to my Mother-in-Law’s house where they were staying during the move, and they were able to meet Lydia for the first time! They have only met Georgie a handful of times too, so it was lovely to see them have some time with both children. We sat around, chatted, drank coffee & relaxed. I think everyone there enjoyed the light relief the children brought with them, amid the stress & emotional (and physical!) upheaval the move is causing.

In Georgie’s eyes, there was an added bonus – a friend of my MIL has donated a slide to live there at the house, for Georgie and Lydia to use when they visit their Granny. We had to bring the slide inside into the kitchen, in order for Georgie’s great grandparents to get more than a glimpse of their eldest great-grandchild!

The two girls seemed to enjoy themselves – Georgie had a great time cuddling people, reading books, playing with dogs and of course going down the slide. She was so tired afterwards, especially as she’d skipped her nap, that she lay down on the sofa with a blanket over her, to chill out and watch a film, for the first time in history.