It's Mother's 96th birthday next week, so whilst the family are all here we plan an advanced birthday lunch at a pub near her home. I'm dreading it. Last time I took her there she fell as we were leaving - face down into the gravel where she lay spreadeagled across the doorway till the ambulance arrived. The pub owners were marvellous, covering her with a blanket and, as I'd taken off my fleece to put under her head, lent me an enormous anorak which I flapped around in for hours at A and E, getting strange looks.
I needn't have worried. Lunch goes well. Grandson sits opposite her and is fascinated by the fact that although he's just graduated from a spoon to a fork, she's apparently gone in the opposite direction, using a spoon for her prawns. We tell him that Great Grandma can't see because her eyes don't work. According to Son Grandson's usual response to things not working is 'New batteries Daddy.' We all laugh, but thinking about it it's not such a ludicrous concept. After all batteries (for her hearing aid)make her ears work.
A week in termtime seems a good time to visit the local aquarium. After my radiotherapy we all meet up at the harbour front. Sure enough the aquarium's almost empty. Grandson peers at fish of all shapes and sizes: from vicious looking sharks and sleepy giant turtles to delicate little sea horses and electrifyingly vivid tropical fish. Between tanks he tears happily up and down the deserted ramps rounding up the stragglers in our party like an enthusiastic sheepdog, telling them excitedly what delights the next tank has in store.
We get home to find the bullocks in the neighbouring field. Husband suggests to Grandson they go to see them. 'Can we just call them cows?' asks Son. 'Why?' we ask. 'Think about it' he says, 'if he tells them at nursery that Grandad took him down to the bottom of the garden to look at his bullocks, we'll have Social services knocking on the door before the day's out!' He has a point. 'Cows' it is.
I'm putting Grandson to bed. After the bedtime stories we talk about what we've done during the day and I ask him which fish he liked the best. He thinks for a minute. 'The cows' he replies.
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