who am I?

Let me introduce you to the real me, the person other than the ‘Daughter’ and the ‘Carer’. . . I have so many other things going on in my life other than caring for my dad that I would like to start introducing them into my blog.

I will still continue to write about my dad but I will incorporate life as I know it beyond the caring role, hopefully bringing in some fun and good humour into my blog, as I try to do in everyday life.

We all have responsibilities that we deal with every day and we juggle those things while life as we know it, goes on.

Some of my days can be so hectic, I meet myself coming back, other days can be filled with fun, and laughter that I feel thankful for what I have in my life, then there are days when I can feel so tired and stressed that all I want to do is sit down relax and take an hour away from everything and everyone. .

So here we go with the introductions:

I am a ‘Mother’ (Mum) and a ‘Grandmother’ (although I’m known as ‘Nan’)

I have a daughter aged 32 and she has two daughters aged 10 and 7, my beautiful granddaughters whom I adore, they fill my world full of mischief and wonder, love and affection, fun and frivolity 😍 and I cannot imagine a life without them now.

I have a son aged 29 and he and his partner are expecting a baby in the new year, another little bundle of joy to love, and we already know that the baby is a boy! So my first ‘Grandson’ is on his way. How wonderful!

Both my children and grandchildren are very close to me, and I am a mum who is always there if they need me, and that can be pretty often sometimes.  I help out picking my granddaughters up from school two or three times a week, depending on my daughters working hours.  On the days I do the school run the girls come back to my home and we all have dinner together with my partner and my dad.

Dad always enjoys the time he spends with his great granddaughters, and I must say, I love these times too, as it brings out the mischievous side of dad, which shows that he still has that sense of fun in him when they are around.

The girls adore their great granddad and always take time to provide a kiss and a cuddle when they arrive and leave.  The girls love to draw and they always include granddad in this, they love to give him instructions on what they would like him to draw or colour in for them (I think this helps with his cognitive skills) they always have lots of stories to tell him, which he loves listening too, or they just cuddle up on the couch with him and watch TV.

My son (who still lives at home, hopefully moving into his own place before the baby arrives) and his partner join us all for dinner when dad and the girls are around, and it can get quite hectic, especially as he is the favourite uncle who loves tormenting his nieces, and they in return, love chasing him around the place.

As well as the daughter, carer, mother and nan, I am the childminder, the taxi, the bank manager, the advisor, the personal shopper, the cook, the cleaner, the gardener, so basically the equivalent of: SuperWoman – Well, that’s how I feel some days. . . 🤔

Oh, I almost forgot, I am also a volunteer Lay Member on the Safeguarding Children’s Board.  I attend board meetings and audit review group meetings, all of which give me the chance to challenge and discuss the services provided to children in my local borough.  This is an interesting, sometimes daunting role, but it gives me a distraction from my caring role, and keeps me attached to a network of people.

I will be including new posts about my hectic personal, professional, and family life and how this all fits in around my dad needs.

I do hope you will enjoy the posts. . . Have a nice weekend 💫