Mum and the slice of pie

Dear Mum, 

This week grandchild no 1 is about the size of an avocado, or I guess the length of a decent slice of pie.

Tried this out last weekend - very yummy :)   http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fresh-rhubarb-pie/

 This week, as you know, I have been feeling a bit low.  Hormones do not agree with me it seems.  At 16, after a visit with you to the Dr about my shocking cramps (that had me rocking on the armchair hours before a piano exam and you pegging it up to the pharmacy at the top of the road for pain killers) he took one look at my face, diagnosed cystic acne and prescribed me the pill.  So 14 years later, with an occasional break, I have gotten very used to the fairly normal constant, drug controlled, emotional state I have been in.  Coming off was a bit of a shock but growing a mini me (or Pip) seems to make it worse.  Hopefully I’ll perk up and laugh about it with you soon.

It seems being a bit down in the dumps has made me a bit reflective and being months away from becoming a mum I guess has made me think of you and the things you have done for Ali, Rob and me and what I would like to pass on to our child(ren – I have to have the first one first before I can start talking plural apparently).

Music would probably be the key thing.  While I might pass on the Sunday afternoons spent teaching us accordion – I am not sure who they were more painful for – I would certainly like to be able to sit and share my hobby with my family as you have done.   While none of us appreciated the constant nagging to practice, practice, practice when we were younger, without that nagging I would never have been “on tour” to the US or played in Disneyland Paris.  

 Granted you wouldn’t have had to attend quite the number of concerts and carol services that you (and dad) did.  One concert in particular, where I recall being given a ticking off on the way home for not actually making it on stage for the orchestra’s final number.  There you were looking child number 1 in the row of flutes, there I was sat back in the music room watching Look Who’s Talking with the choir.  Some things never change, right?!

So far you have been in your element with baby bits, you are officially knitter extraordinaire and your research skills for pretty much anything are second to none.  One particular, non-baby, example would be me setting you the challenge of finding me a new enamel bath.  45 mins later you called me back with 3 different options...  It is still not quite cool to email at half 11 at night about prams you have seen in John Lewis but it’s a working progress :)  

 You have decided that you shall be known as Granny rather than Grandma – to be fair calling you Grandma Cole just reminds me of my Grandma Cole and calling you after your mum-in-law is probably unforgiveable...  So Granny C it is.

A (rare) lovely pic of mum at our wedding

I look forward to seeing you with your grandchild and to hearing any pearls of wisdom you can offer us as Pip and I get used to being parents.  I am sure they’ll be times when we are “not doing things they way you would do it” and times when I will inwardly give you "the brow" but that’s just the way we are and it’s worked for the last 30 years!

 Love you Mum xx