17.12.01-31. GramGram meets Brynne

The month of December was like none I've experienced before. Christmastime in Sheffield, England, living a normal ( not a touristy) life and getting ready for Christmas at home with Curt and Sarah.  The highlight, of course, has been getting to know my first grandchild - Brynne Tomczak Whillance who was born on Oct 19.

She is beautiful. She is perfect. She is loved.  She has no care in the world with parents who love her and each other.

I started out slow - simply holding, singing and reading, and entertaining her when it was my turn for the first week.

I started nappie (diaper) changes and home alone together caregiving during the second week so Curt and/or Sarah could get away for errands for short periods. I think Brynne and I are getting along very nicely.

Besides my role as GramGram ( this name was suggested by Curt who - with Sarah - has a tradition of naming things with this twin word convention ie: "CarCar" and "TruckTruck" for their vehicles, so I was honored to be offered the name GramGram)  have also been doing a lot of cooking and kitchen duty which I was hoping I could do because it is normal activity for me and a break for Curt and Sarah.

They are also still getting settled in their house (they moved in only a few weeks before Brynne was born) by shopping for household items and decorating.  Sarah bought fabric to recover her dining table chairs

and I got her sewing machine up and running which has been fun for me since I used to do a lot of sewing in my younger days. It was like "getting back up on the bicycle" ( figuring out how to thread the machine and load the bobbin)  and feels really go to be sewing.  I made matching cushion and bench seat cover for the dining table.

And Sarah made three cushions to give as Christmas gifts to her family. 

I did not rent a car this time like I did when we were here in 2015 for the wedding party since I can walk to a butcher and two different stores for groceries.  Even walking is a bit scary - it is really important to be careful when crossing streets - looking both ways takes on a different meaning here since the cars drive on the left side of the road.  The street the kids live on is wide enough for the residents to park their cars at the curb and for one vehicle to thread through the center of the street,

so drivers must yield to oncoming traffic at any open spot they can find along the curb or at an intersection and let the oncoming vehicle law before continuing on. Crazy!

Christmas day was unusual. We met up at the local pub with family and friends for a couple hours

then had delicious and traditional Christmas tea with crackers ( crazy party favors with hats , gifts and jokes)

and a fun afternoon and evening at home with sister Heather and John at their house.

On Dec 28 all the non-Sheffield family came to our house for another dinner casual (this time with a chili buffet) and an exciting and chaotic gift exchange.

Some of us went for a walk the next day - it started out sunny and we went to a park between our house and Heather/John's house, but it ended up pretty cold and wet.

Dec 30 is Sarah's birthday. We went to Cross Scythes - the same local and child friendly pub for family time with Papa Pete and all.

Then home to rest up for the final event of 2017 ....more child friendly pub time after Curt got out of work and a house party later to ring in the new year with baby Brynne.  Yeah!

It was great to be with Curt, Sarah and Brynne this holiday season. It helped me to be forward looking and distracted from the one missing person in my life. So let me share a photo from Christmas past

And from New Years past

and give three cheers to Mike who helped make this family possible
and whom is enjoying the festivities with us from afar, I am sure.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, my love!