Family just too far away.

How about us who's families live abroad?
Mine live in the US and Oz
No hope for us to cuddle our grandchildren this year

I managed to hold my newborn DS just twice before lockdown. They are 200 miles away.
I am sobbing as I write this

I haven't seen DD since December and DS and family since February.
Where we live in the NE it is way too chilly to spend hours sitting in the garden even if you could lure the teenager out of her room.
Health and safety is way more important than seeing people face to face.

I can sympathise with all those who live at a distance from their families. We have been sticking to the rules throughout and were longing for this particular restriction to be relaxed. We did however try our own version la It is achievable in a day, just, but not advisable. Our DD lives 220 miles away, that's an 8+ hour journey there and back. They left home at 5 am and headed home 12 hours later. We had roughly 8 hours together, and they didn't enter the house. The older girl and I comically kept practising Patrick Swayze's moves in Dirty Dancing, "this is your space, this is my space," but the 4 year old was very subdued and overwhelmed. We provided a picnic with their favourite foods and lots of handwashing with soapy water in 4 pint milk bottles. Whether it was a success or not who knows, we did get to meet. DD says they won't be doing it again because it is too far in a day.

Meant a bubble

My three granddaughters come to my garden but have been in our conservatory , windows open and doors closed to the house as if raining they need to come in , I have to help my daughter as she can’t work her full hours as I can’t pick up fr9m school or have the twins , now I can’t even have a bible with her as I’m married yet they can go to nursery /school , visit zoos and shops , childminders , absolutely mad and not right surely , friends of mine already been babysitting and stayed overnight as had no choices , people will just break rules soon

Gingergirl I could have written your post myself and understand exactly how you feel. My 2 youngest grandchildren are 130 miles away and we are on opposite sides of the Scotland/England border. Yes we have video calls and I’m so grateful we can do that. But sometimes I only just manage to hold the tears in till I get off the phone. I feel I’m an emotional wreck lately.

I’m worried that if the R number starts to rise in the coming weeks as a result of the many thousands of protesters across the UK ignoring all the guidelines that we will end up under further restrictions before I’ve had a chance to see them.

There is no way our DGC can visit - it is a 3 hour journey each way.
I feel a little envious as Boris has made it possible for the other gran to go and stay but we are a couple and I am shielding.
It is my birthday next week and we usually spend it together.

Katyj, I'm glad you can see your family. yes there is both of us-I don’t live on my own-so yesterday’s change doesn’t affect us. Kittylester, yes, my four year old gc would expect to be on our house with us playing with her because that’s what we usually do! I don’t want to have to say to her, grandma can’t play with you indoors (or at all, unless two metres away!). How could she understand that!

We are going to see our 2 most distant granddaughters on Sunday. It is like a military operation. DD is giving them a picnic in the car, we will have tea and cake in the garden and they will have KFC in the car on the way home to make up for not being able to have free access to the house. We just hope the rain holds off.

One of the saddest things that I've heard recently was a different DGD saying, 'I do miss your house, Ma'.

I feel for you Ginger it is very difficult. Our family live close and we were overjoyed to meet up in their garden last week, but now 10 days in it’s done nothing but rain ! So plans that we could meet in the garden or take them for a walk have gone.I feel that we need some continuity now as ours are only young like yours, the youngest one just looked bewildered last week .As i understand it, you could visit them and stay over,but not if there’s two of you.
We’re just hoping that we’ll be able to meet inside very soon, especially if the weather stays wet. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.