Letters to my Grandchild

Happy, happy New Year Emily Ann! I am wishing you a wonderful year, full of happiness, love, friendship, achievement and good times. It is 2017 and this year you will be 9 years old.  When I started this blog in May 2008 I did not imagine that I would still be writing for you 9 years later! You started school in a new classroom with a new teacher, only 3 girls and 9 boys in your class.  You have made new friends and still play with your old friends at breaks. You will join a drama class and will also continue with dancing on Saturday mornings as well as swimming, OT, Physio and remedial so you are going to have a busy year but much of it will be during school time.   Lucy has been you favourite 'Baby' for while now.  She has lovely clothes, can eat and wet her nappy.  In this photograph you look like a grown up Disco-Queen! You are looking forward to Kevin and Jackie will be visiting you guys next month with their baby Et...

My darling Em, This is the last post for 2016 - an eventful year for you. You started at your new School - La Lucia Junior Primary - in January.  You made friends with Ethan and Captain - two big Labbies - after being afraid of big dogs; you had a holiday in Johannesburg and at the river with Jeff and Gail in April and September; you did your first 200 m swimming badge in June; we went to the Midlands Saddle and Trout and to Hluhluwe in June: Jeff was diagnosed with cancer in his tonsil and in June and had to undergo surgery, chemo and radiation. In August you cracked your big toe (ouch!); you had two birthday parties in October - one with beanbags at your house and one at the SPUR in Durban north.  You had two treatments this year and you grew 5.5cm to 1.2m tall. Although you passed everything in Grade 11 it was felt that you would benefit more from repeating grade 11 next year than going to Grade 111.  It was difficult for your Mom and Dad to explain this to you a...

Hello my darling, Every time I see you seem to have grown up a little bit more.  We didn't get to your Christmas concert this year but Mom sent me this photograph of you looking a grown-up model with lipstick!  Gorgeous girlie! We don't get to see much of you anymore.  From the time you were a baby until you started school we saw you nearly every day.  I used to push you around the garden in your pram and the rocking motion would put you to sleep.  When you started sitting and taking notice of things around you I would show you all the flowers and Strelitzia was almost your first word, followed by bougainvillea and Petrea!  You still love to play with the little 'helicopter' flowers, twirling them till they spin and float. In 2010 you started attending play-school across the road from our house a couple of days a week and we saw you regularly during the week.  Once you started pre-school, then Junior Primary with afternoons at swim...

Hello darling Emily,   It is your birthday month - 8 years old!  Wow!    On the 7th October you went for your treatment.  You are so brave when they put in the port and you don't cry or complain.  Tam and Gail stayed with you and you were allowed to have a chocolate ice cream during the infusion.     Your Mom and Dad bought a big new King size bed.  For a few months you have been going through to their room at night and getting into bed with them.  There wasn't enough space in the double bed and Mark said you were kicking him in the 'you-know-what' and his head!  This bed is huge and you can all fit in it.  Tammy usually puts up a side protector but this time it wasn't up.     On Friday you were given a Happy Birthday rosette to wear at school all day.     Sunday was your actual birthday!     You had two parties!  One for the children at your home ...

Hello my darling Em, Whenever you come to our house we try to go for a walk around the block before playing all sorts of indoor games.  Sometimes we play camping and we have sleeping bags and make a tent using the chairs.  Other times we play dress up games.  You like to put on a sparkly top and a long scarf, an Egyptian green box hat with a chiffon scarf.  I follow you around as your sister or servant! When you came a couple of weeks ago you wanted to paint my face so we did face-painting before going for our walk. September 16 was the Sunflower bandana day.  You looked gorgeous in your purple bandana which you were allowed to wear to school.  The Sunflower Fund raises money and awareness for a bone marrow registry for people suffering from illness like leukemia (a type of blood cancer) so you did your part to help the fund.     Mark works for a company called Derivco.  He's been there for 10 years and on 20th Sept...

Hello my darling Em, This has been a difficult month for your Mom and Dad and for you.  In your best interest they have decided to take you out of Fatima school and place you in La Lucia Primary.  The decision wasn't made lightly and they knew that you would be upset but sometimes parents have to do things for the best even though their children don't see it at the time. Although you are a bright, intelligent little girl with an exceptional memory, you struggled to keep up with the other children for the first few months at Fatima, especially in writing and other activities that required fine motor skills.  Children with Osteogenesis Imperfecta generally have normal to above normal intelligence but they might struggle with lax muscles that affect motor skills.  This means that they might need more time to complete tasks like writing or activities.  Fatima doesn't cater for children who need extra time or special care. Children with OI sometimes hav...

Hello darling Em, We celebrated your 7th Birthday on the 16th October.  You were so excited when Gumpy and I phoned you at home in the morning before school that I thought you were hyperventilating! You had a 'Frozen' theme (your new favourite movie).  " When their kingdom becomes trapped in perpetual winter, fearless Anna joins forces with mountaineer Kristoff  and his reindeer sidekick to find Anna's sister, Snow Queen Elsa and break her icy spell."   I must say that you looked exactly like the singing princess doll that we gave you for your birthday.   Your main party was at 'Mr Funtubbles' at Gateway.  Gumpy and I stayed for about an hour and then went home to get ready for the adults party at our house. Tammy made you a lovely 'Frozen' birthday cake and all the other goodies were in the same theme. When your 'Funtubbles' party ended, you all came to our house where you were finally able to open your pres...