Periodically we have reason to all “head home” to Beverley (in Yorkshire) for a family party/shin dig, it is where the home of Nathan’s family is and so of course when he and his 10 siblings, spouses and the kids are all in the mix, it makes for a lot of laughs, a lot of noise and fun times at Grandma’s (and Grandpa’s), and we all, especially the kids ,absolutely love it.
We had a fairly quiet, low key visit last weekend, but returned this weekend for a family reunion as some of Naths family were visiting from America, and so we had several of his cousins and their kids in the mix too. It was great.
We always look forward to seeing everyone and catching up, eating yummy food and generally escaping our normal lives at home. When we gather together It is our Ordinary to all be found laughing, preparing a meal in the kitchen as each one is an operation (and picking at it as we go)…all fighting over beds (19 adults and 8 kids in need of sleep? say no more), walking in to town to see the market and charity shops, playing games and generally just sat around chatting. Its just a lovely time and something we always look forward to. I have stopped telling the kiddos too far in advance that we are going for Sleepover’s at Grandma’s because they just get so silly and go nuts about such an announcement. We then endure days on end of the constant pestering of if today’s the day we are going and then they always pack a load of tat into various bags as their “stuff to take” which I end up having to tidy away when we get back because its strewn all over the house when they realised that wasn’t the day they were going, but we’ll just pretend we are there!
Grandma’s and Sleepovers there are the source of excitement for them because it means cousins, lots of play, stories with aunts and uncles, lots of fun, laughter, cuddles and adventure. Each visit is a beautiful Ordinary moment in their childhood as it has become Ordinary for us to peer out of the window and see them having tractor rides in the garden with their cousins, feeding the chickens, helping Granny in the garden and generally up to no good with their little buddies!
Its funny to see them getting into mischief and the adults taking turns to extinguish the upsets, and it is beautiful to see them all playing happily together building pretend boats, train tracks, dens, friendships and memories.
This weekend we enjoyed all of these things and more as we had another weekend “home” for this family reunion and now we are wrecked!!
Nathan and I attended The Butterfly awards last night whilst the rest of the family had a disco and party at the house with friends and family. I was a little gutted to miss out on all of that madness, but had a wonderful evening doing something different. But before and after that we had a great time doing the usual stuff we do and were happy that none of us missed out on the Ordinary scenes and memories that play out when we sleepover at Grandma’s.
Ahh it looks like a great time was had by all! Grandparents are the best 🙂 xxx
OH wow it looks like so much fun!! I’m from a really small family and have always thought that bigs ones with lots of cousins looks like so much fun! How wonderful! xx
I always feel a bit envious when you talk about your family Mary as it looks like so much fun. My family is so small and I would love a big hectic family life. It looks like lots of fun. I hope the Butterfly Awards went well. x
Thanks Katie – I didn’t win, but it was a lovely night all the same and I am so glad I went and was a part of it. Its nice when your a mum to have these things to realise your talents and get dressed up isnt it?
My inlaws are amazing fun yes – I was very lucky to inherit so many of them haha x