Yesterday was Tuesday!

The Autumn school holidays have just started, so yesterday I welcomed Miss Eight and Miss Five to spend the day with us, along with their little sister Miss Three, while their mother worked. She works two days a week, so the other grandmother and I have a special day each with looking after Miss Three, and then picking the big girls up from school and looking after them until she finishes work.

Yesterday I asked Miss Eight if she would like to draw with the jumbo chalk on the back path leading to the shed. She’d done that a couple of times when she was younger. She responded enthusiastically. I believe I said “the path” – but a few minutes later Miss Five had already begun on the veranda tiles. At the step down to the path was written in bold letters “Stop here!”

On the path she had already written, “I love you, Nanny!”

Well, what could I say? That she hadn’t listened carefully enough? That I had not mentioned permission to draw on the veranda? Of course, I couldn’t. I congratulated her on her excellent spelling, as she had only been in big school for ten weeks.

I turned around. There was Miss Three at the other end of the veranda, trying to emulate her big sister’s writing. She looked up, eyes shining. This was her first time using jumbo chalks. Well, what could I say?

Miss Eight, her creative mind already busy, had drawn a sign next to the rocking horse (yes, on the veranda) announcing, “$2 a ride”.

Ah well, it’ll wash off, I consoled myself. All three were happy, playing well together. The project grew. Miss Eight took the toddler sized slippery slide over to the lawn next to the edge of the path in the back corner. Miss Five hurried after her and drew a big arrow pointing to it. “Slippre dip!” she wrote.

Miss Eight was fully engrossed in a big roadway system. Roads with dotted centre lines wove around the veranda furniture and the pot plants. Stop signs and give way signs were included.

Our veranda extends the full width of the house and is around five metres wide. Hers was a massive project, covering the entire veranda. There was nowhere to go without walking on chalk roads.

I am sure I mentioned their shoes made chalky shoeprints, and their hands were covered in chalk dust …. Did I mention that Sunny was gently rebuked (with a kind explanation, of course) for walking on her road system and then leaving chalky paw prints everywhere? That she then needed a cleaning cloth to wipe away his paw prints? He listened intently, and then repeated the same crime ....

I swept the outdoor mat (releasing clouds of chalk dust) so they could wipe their shoes before coming back into the house. In fact, I stood for quite a long time with the broom at the door, trying to keep the mat clean.

The little one needed the bathroom. She hasn’t got very good balance at wiping her feet yet. Her chalky shoes just covered the doormat with chalky shoe-prints. Again. And again. I swept that mat a hundred times, I do believe!  Every time she came into the house, she remembered something outside, and every time she went outside, she remembered something inside. She was in and out. So was Sunny. Sunny had no idea what was going on. He just followed her everywhere.

Me? It was hard work just sweeping the mat. Whose silly idea was this? Fortunately, we have floorboards inside. It looked like the whole house would need a good thorough vacuum clean and mopping – after they went home.

Shortly we would be going to the café for our morning treat. Fifteen minutes before the bus was due, I would call them in to wash the chalk dust off. Ah well, I thought to myself, when we get back from the shops they’ll be interested in a different activity.

Wait, there is a problem! Miss Eight and Miss Five were wearing identical new sundresses, with a large red cherry print. They wore their long hair in identical styles, with the same colour ribbons. They were “Matchy-matchy,” said Miss Three. She herself was wearing a dark blue sundress with small hearts in a variety of colours. No one was matchy-matchy with her.

She looked at my blue and white striped shirt. It had to be changed please, she begged. I didn’t have what was needed, but I changed into a dark-blue tunic top with floaty sleeves and an abstract flower design. We looked similar enough to be “match-matchy”. She was happy.

Morning tea at the café proceeded smoothly. On our return, Miss Three had a quick lunch, and then settled for her nap. After their lunch the big girls helped me make pikelets to take home, and then played happily with playdough for a while. I sneaked into the living room for a short quiet time.

They have all been playing so well together today, I thought happily. Yes, the house will need cleaning and we’ll also have to hose the veranda down later – otherwise we all, including Sunny, will be tracking chalk dust in and out. But it’s been a happy day.

Did I say a short quiet time? Yes, it was quiet. Very quiet! I hurried back to the kitchen – the bench with the playdough had been abandoned. They were back outside. On the path.  Closer inspection revealed … Miss Eight had thought to rub the chalk sideways – that maximised the chalk dust – and then she’d added water. They had made chalk MUD!

Laughing at my shock, they held up their hands – it looked like they were wearing green gloves. 

I talked them into having a good scrub at the kitchen sink. They needed the step stool to reach. I’ll have to remember to wash that, I thought. It’s covered with chalky shoeprints.

Their time outside was not finished, however. They had gone around the side of the house and through the fernery to retrieve some unused pots. They needed a good scrub. Another job at the kitchen sink.

Apart from getting her dress wet, Miss Eight did a wonderful job.

She’s coming again tomorrow, and has suggested we have a gardening day together. We’ll need to buy some potting mix, and choose some bulbs or seeds to plant for spring. I hope she brings some gardening clothes. (The other grandmother doesn’t really want all three together. And she doesn't have a garden - but her house is always immaculate!)

Miss Eight will then have a sleepover and on Friday we’ll collect Miss Five again. That’s our trip into the big city by train to watch a children’s show at a theatre, after lunch at a restaurant! How exciting. Miss Eight will then return home on Friday evening. She has a soccer match on Saturday. But Miss Five will be delighted because Friday night will be her turn for a sleepover.

If you think I will then relax, you are right. Because I will need to prepare for Tuesday next week, when they will all be here again, along with their nine-year-old cousin, and maybe her two big brothers as well.

But we won’t be doing any chalk activities – the chalk bucket is totally empty.

I checked the new dresses of Miss Eight and Miss Five before they went home. You won’t believe this – but I could not see a single spot of chalk dust on them. Now that is hard to explain  - but I am very happy about that.

Miss Eight's last words as she climbed into her car seat to head home were, "I really like coming to your place, Nanny!" Hearing that is worth all the extra cleaning. 

As for me, I am way behind in reviewing. You will understand, I hope – it took quite a while to hose down the veranda, and to sweep the worst of the chalk dust off the floor. The living room rugs still look a bit dusty … I think I might leave that till next week – Wednesday!!

I also had to wash Sunny’s feet and brush him well. He was doing a hospital visit this morning, and I could not risk him leaving chalky pawprints anywhere!

Now I had better hurry and post this. I have been invited for dinner with Miss Nine and her family!