Post-Halloween, Pre-birthday.....

By the way.......Happy second birthday, William!!

The rest of the time was spent in energetic play!

A spur of the moment decision to drive to Goderich to see Will and Eddie, and of course Erin, proved to be exactly what I needed!! I was met by Will with a huge hug and guided immediately to a box filled with Halloween costumes. The boys didn't seem to mind modelling a couple of them....but then, I guess they've seen a camera before.

October weekend

And playing inside with his toys...... Eddie was content with a warm bath......

OK Gramiam...my boots are on. Can I go outside now??

Another weekend with Will and Eddie, this time on their own turf. Just a few shots taken while there.....

September weekend with Will & Eddie

This was our first weekend of babysitting both Will and Eddie at the same time. It was fun, but it was a reminder that I'm not as young as I once was!! Eddie was working on two front teeth to fill in the space between the two "vampire" eye teeth he already had so he was in need of a few extra hugs and kisses from Gramiam.

Here are a few of the pictures I managed to snap when my hands weren't otherwise occupied!

Sam and Will, Day 7

I'll be missing these guys when they leave for home tomorrow but I have a feeling we'll be seeing them again next summer.....at least, I hope so!

Sam and Grandpa Dave were not quite so demonstrative about their holes in one. But when the chips were down guess who walked away the winner?? In fact, tomorrow I just may be joining the PMGA (Professional Mini Golf Association) tour!

........but there was no mistaking Will's victory dance when he scored a hole in one!






Their style of playing of playing may have been unique........

I finally managed to entice the kids back home for lunch with the promise that Grandpa Dave would soon be there for our long promised date to play mini golf.

On a tree nearby, someone (probably a desperate Grandmother needing a break from fishing and crawfish hunting!) had hung a swing. It was a great place to get some pictures of the boys (since obviously you can't have too many), as was the tree from which it hung.

We eventually ran out of worms (and I think I was successful at not looking too happy about that!) so we moved up the creek a short way to a rocky area to look for crawfish.

We had to make the most of today, our final day together. It was back to the good ole fishing hole for another try at catching the big one. Will was the first to drop a hook into the water and immediately had a fish on it. They landed quite a few so I became proficient at not only baiting a hook but at removing the hook from the fish's mouth. YUCK!

Sam and Will & Will and Eddie, Day 6

My hope is that we will spend many more days with all four of Gramiam's men together.

Eventually, though, Sam and Will preferred the company of someone closer to their own age, so Erin introduced them to the two boys next door. The lure of their trampoline kept them occupied for quite awhile and ensured a very quiet trip home, with two sleeping boys in the back seat.

It was then back to Erin's for lunch, with Sam and Will doing their part by giving Eddie his bottle.

Freedom never felt so good!

Once Will was awake we took a drive out to the historic Goderich jail. Will C was safely locked in a cell but Will S made a break for it and escaped to the exercise yard

I was especially looking forward to today, a day when all four grandsons would meet and spend a day together. We arrived at Erin's during Will's nap time so Sam and Will enjoyed some time with Eddie before Will woke. They seemed quite enthralled with this new interactive toy!!

Sam and Will, Day 5

There was time for lunch and a short rest (for Gramiam!) and it was off to Laurel Creek Conservation Area to take part in the "wonders of whirligigs" nature walk. It's amazing what a net can produce. And with the help of a naturalist from the GRCA it was a fascinating couple of hours.

Will was a little squeamish about putting a worm on his hook....the little charmer managed somehow to persuade me to do it for him!

With our success at fishing, plus the added bonus of finding a garter snake with a frog in its' mouth, as well as having several new birds to add to the "trip list", the morning passed all too quickly.

Here we had fish just begging to be next on the hooks!

Anyone want to venture a guess as to what we did today?? They say a picture is worth a thousand words.......

When the waters around the old dock at Columbia Lake failed to yield the desired results, and the reeds along the shoreline seemed sparsely populated with frogs, we moved on to where a creek flowed into the lake.

Sam and Will, Day 4

Will caught a fish......but fortunately for it, it didn't make it to our dinner plates! It lived to swim another day!

A quick stop for worms and then on to the spot on the Conestogo River that had shown promise yesterday.

As the train pulled out of the station in the morning Sam had noticed the animal enclosures at Waterloo Park so we headed back there after lunch. A quick tour of the zoo allowed plenty of time to count the ducks in the river before heading back home to pick up Grandpa Dave for the most important activity of the day.....fishing!

It was then home for lunch and a bit of hamming it up for the photographer!!

All aboard!!

The tourist train to St Jacobs and back was a pleasant way to spend a sunny and warm morning......and a great opportunity to photograph these two handsome guys!