Missy left.......

Life is back to normal here. The washing machine is whirring away. The dishwasher - ditto. The toys are in a pile waiting for me to conjure up SOMEWHERE to store them until Missy returns. And there is no-one racing up and down ordering me about. "ON THE FLOOR, MOREGLANNY!!!" (She is attempting the "r" in granny and it is not quite there yet.) And I repeat, she will make a SUPERB Speaker in parliament one day. The child is a natural. 

 Glateglanny (see the "r" story above!) blew out her candles and we all ate the beautiful cake Missy baked with her Mummy.

 Moreglanny taught Missy how to play Snap. A loose version of Snap. One where we look at the cards and try desperately to find one so she can say "SNAP!" in a loud voice, because "I am a big girl, Moreglanny!" It was hilarious. I was skyping with my old school friends at their formal reunion in Cape Town, and she walked by, climbed on my lap and informed the ladies that "I AM A BIG GIRL. My name is Missy and I am 2." Then departed. Yep. She is a big girl now.

 Mummy and Missy run like the wind to get to the playground at the country park........

 Moreglanny and Missy attempt excavation. Moreglanny digs and Missy drops. It works. I could operate heavy machinery after mastering those levers.

 The world from Missy's perspective (Ann's photo - quite a few of these are Ann's photos!) - so much to see and a lovely path to run along.....

 And a wonderful Uncle David, who is never more than a step or two away, keeping watch - Missy is one lucky little girl. How many men of 22 would walk along in public pushing a little pink pram when Missy spotted something else to do??????? A star.

 Running to Moreglanny .....

 Oh, believe me, the "retro" FP Little People are a dream. She adores playing with them. They all had names and we made a park and they all took turns on the roundabout. Can anyone tell me why they decided to make them huge after so many decades of small people? The skills needed in the fine motor development department were well exercised this weekend. She didn't touch the new version. It was all the stuff her Dad and his brother and sister played with when they were young. Yes, I know they were a novelty for her, but I suspect she will play with them for a long while. AND the other huge plus is that they are smaller and I can store them in the footstool. The others require a room of their own.......

 Autumn. It is still mild, though. Temps in the teens C. But the light is beautiful, if you catch it in time. Between 1 and 3pm.

 I thought this duck was gorgeous. It posed. I think it is a duck. It has webbed feet and a beak and wings. Yes. A duck.

 Many feathered things in the water. Including a swan or two. I can identify swans.

The old Wild West Town from FP. I was so thrilled when I saw it one year, long long ago and snapped it up. I never saw it anywhere again, and Missy LOVED making the people fall through the slot after being carried across the roof when you wind the handle. Just like her father and uncle and aunt did too.

So Mum had her great-granddaughter here for her birthday and that was a first. There was much singing and chatter, and Missy provided some masterpieces for us all in the artwork department. Skype has decided not to work between Diana and home. Apparently she can skype others, but not us. Any ideas????? I want to skype with my girl! So does her Granny.

Missy has been waking at 3 to play. Three AYEM! Her father is a saint. He got up both mornings, and took her into the kitchen to play and have at least one breakfast an hour in an effort to let the rest of us sleep a little longer. The poor man needs an afternoon on his bed. So do all of us, actually, but I wouldn't change one second. We have looked for squirrels, and we have stirred the dinner. We have filled bags with stars and books and cereal and butternut squash. Peppa Pig is alive and well, and Moreglanny now knows how to find her on the computer. Moreglanny also knows how to get her granddaughter into her clothes after a mega tantrum which involved the discarding of said clothes. Moreglanny remembers dealing with things like that well. Some things never change!

And...."Moreglanny come in Missy's car to Missy's house? Please, Moreglanny?"

Sigh.

Sniff.

Day 14: I am thankful for the photos. The little face I can see whenever I open the file. I am SO thankful for the wonderful gift they brought me - a digital photo frame loaded with photos of my family and the people and places I love. I am thankful, especially, for the thought behind the gift. It has warmed my heart and made me smile......