On my last nerve

I wondered what might cause a break in this boring little diary, and the virus did it. After a night of slimy night sweats, I woke without a fever Friday. Even showered and washed my hair and dressed in something besides pj's. That exhausted me. Here it is, four days later, and I'm a bit better but not much, as I sound like I am hacking up a lung. A friend suggested Mucinex and that seems to be helping.

I'm on "grandma duty" while my daughter and husband enjoy a cruise. They are soaking up some sun in the Caribbean while the rest of us shiver and moan and suffer from cabin fever. Even the pets are turning on each other. I anticipated Nora being in school for the better part of each weekday during my stint, but it was cancelled last Friday, Monday was a holiday, and today was a two-hour delay. Fortunately, two of the other grandparents have helped out some.

Otherwise, it has been really boring around here. I finished Jar City and started Silence of the Grave. No TV except for 72 Dangerous Animals (Nora's choice). Today I knit a bit on the baby blanket, made some phone calls, and thought about cooking soup but opted for beanie wienies instead.

Grandma is tired

The cold winter weather continues but it reached a balmy 16 degrees this afternoon. Some snow sprinkles but nothing to get excited about. I used to fret about getting enough snow to cross country ski, but it's been so long, I've basically given up on that activity.

• Slept in a bit this morning, so I was well rested for what came next.
• My granddaughter spent most of the day here. The challenging thing is to limit her time on the Nook tablet. Fortunately, many of the games she wants to download don't fit. Also, there are other things to do, like her KiwiCo crate of the month, Biggie Beads artwork, make a "screaming balloon" (something she learned at Science Central), eat mac and cheese, drink hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles (I don't spoil her much), etc.
• The Nook was a handy distraction for when I wanted to cook. For some stupid reason, I decided to make both a corned beef and cabbage soup I saw on FB AND a Swedish kalpudding from the NYTimes. Neither were impressive. Two servings of meat in one day is WAY over my limit.
• The dogs and I did squeeze in a short walk after Nora left. Better-than-nothing category.
• I also knit the daily quota on the baby blanket.
• More Hardcore Twenty-Four. As funny as it is, it is not keeping me awake. OMG, am I tired!

24 hours with a pre-schooler

Last weekend the granddaughter slept over Friday night and spent all day Saturday in the company of oldsters. Friday nights are not my best - end of the work week - so I was a little reluctant about this plan. But duty called and I girded my loins. No worries, though. All went well.

Now that N is potty trained and capable of speaking in complete sentences, it is a new level of care that is required, one that is more fun and more interesting. We can be out and about without a diaper bag. We can spend literally HOURS "riding bikes" up and down the driveway (glad I had it redone). She is a bundle of energy that keeps me moving.

Lots of room to run at the playground.

Our conversations and her leaps of logic keep me entertained. For example, "Grandpa D* is old because he lives far away." Um, yes, he's old but it has nothing to do with how far away he lives. "You're old." Yes, but not as old as Grandpa D. Looking at the photos on my fireplace mantel, she had nothing to say when I explained that my grandfather had a hook for a hand, just like Captain Hook, but later she related the whole story to her mom. A little sponge, that one.

This is NOT Grandpa D.

N is also past the need for naps, for the most part, but neither of us got a full night's sleep. Knowing she would not want to nap, I told her she just had to stay on the bed while Grandma rested, then I played a relaxation YouTube video on my phone. The results were predictable.

Don't say the N word.

She now has a tricycle to keep at my house. I dragged my bike out, so we could ride together, and even went up and down the block. It was slow going, so I sat on my bike while pushing with my left leg. The next day, that leg was useless. The hellishness of getting old is revealed by the young.

*Grandpa D is my ex.

A day with grandma

First, we went to the library, where we had to try out all the seating.

Then we went to the Salomon Farm Fiber Arts Festival, where we learned to treadle and went for a hayride.

Then it was home for a little quiet time (while grandma caught a few Z's)...

...followed by exuberant hopscotch.

The day ended with a meltdown when daddy came to pick her up. Too much fun. My work here is done.