Melina and Me

This is my last Friday where I shall look at the time, think “oh I must get to bed” then, go to bed relatively early, and not sleep.

Each weekend, since April, I have been looking after our Granddaughter, Melina, as my Daughter-in-law works all through the summer months until Mid October.

A friend of mine who worked night shifts, so never had to be up early for any reason, told me that if he knew he had to get up in the morning, he just couldn’t sleep the night before.

I thought this very strange but I now know just what he meant!

Why is it then, that when I know Melina is arriving on Saturday morning, the night before I can’t sleep for worrying that I’ll over sleep, which I never do?

Consequently all day Saturday I am in “zombie” mode, with a two and a half year old to look after and you all know about the terrible twos!

Melina arrives at about ten, but I have already been up for three hours cooking, and doing all the stuff that can’t be done with Melina around, I have realised I do not have a child-friendly house, I daren’t let her out of my sight.

First job is to coax her into her clothes which usually ends up with a battle.

She hates clothes, she’s a girl, how can she hate clothes?

Well she does, with a passion! She has maybe five items that she will wear without starting World war three.

My Son arrives exasperated, he’s tried to dress Melina at home, she was having none of it, she looks like poor little orphan Annie, no shoes or socks, in her vest and if we are lucky, a pair of shorts, her hair like a bird’s nest.

She doesn’t like her hair brushing either!

We distract her, bribe her become angry, nothing works and we mostly have tears.

MGG (MyGreek God) usually saves the day, Melina adores him and he seems to have the knack with her.

 

 

This clothes thing is not only about herself, any toy that has clothes, well let’s just say they don’t have them for long, we have a whole range of naked Barbies!

Melina is such a sweet, happy little thing, never whinges or whines, she’s good company and chatters away ten to the dozen and comes out with the most amazing things, mostly picked up from my daughter, Melina comes out with things such as, “Are you having me on?” and “okay, okay, don’t go wild” and the best of all which doesn’t really translate into to English “calm your body down Susie” meaning, don’t get angry (I’m Susie, by the way), she’s a gem!

We spend most weekend taking walks into the town, looking at the sea and the fishing boats, feeding the pigeons and going to the park.

I must say things were much easier when Melina was in her pram, I was in control, and she was strapped in!

Now she walks, at snail’s pace, so it seems to me, everything has to be examined, every wall climbed, every bench sat upon!

After the last two walks, I have vowed never to take her again, she suddenly wants to be carried everywhere, she’s heavy, it’s red hot.

Once we get to where we’re going though she’s off like a shot, boundless energy, come time to leave she wants carrying again.

We make a deal, I’ll carry you for one block and you walk for one block,” right deal” says Melina, ha, some deal, we get to the next corner she refuses to walk.

She sits down on the pavement and will not budge, has she been taking lessons from Maurice our pug dog?

I have two alternatives, drag her through the street screaming with everybody looking and thinking “what has she done to that child?” or carry her, I carried her.

This weekend we are not going for a walk!

We have had a lovely summer, Melina helped Papou (Grandpa) with his gardening, helped me hang out the washing and do a bit of hoovering.

 

 

A young child helping is a great test of patience and self control, especially when they want to do everything on their own, they are so slow, they don’t do it properly and it takes mighty will power to just let them get on with it without interfering!

 

 

Melina loves to dance; MGG (My Greek God) plays the drum, which is an old plastic container, the drumsticks being two spoons. She dances a sort of Eastern, gypsy type dance, it is a thing to be seen for sure, I try to keep a straight face, she is so serious when she dances, in a world of her own.

 

 

We collected lots of flowers in the spring and made a beautiful May wreath together and hung it outside the kitchen door.

 

 

 

At Easter we dye eggs red, a Greek tradition; she took them home in a basket for Mummy, along with an Easter card we had made together.

 

 

Come the hotter month of June, it was fun and games with water, of course we had the blow up paddling pool, we went through three this year actually, they were attacked at night by cats, all deflated in the morning!

Melina’s favourite pastime  was the hosepipe though; we all trooped around soaking wet when she got hold of that.

 

 

 

I’m no couch potato, in fact I consider myself quite active, but Melina can wear me out!

She arrives at ten in the morning and leaves in the evening at about nine, it’s a long day.

I remember a saying of my Grandmother’s ‘

“It’s lovely to see you and it’s lovely to see you go”

Next weekend will be strange, we will miss Melina.

Not for long though, she comes to visit every Monday and Wednesday afternoons, with her parents, which makes things much easier, or does it? We wouldn’t be without our little darling.