I'm sad! The grandparents are leaving us just when we were all starting to gel. Drew has learned how to get out of his stroller and high chair, he's almost mastered all the baby gates and he can take the tops of everything. He knows how to smile while he is breaking all the rules so everyone but me will think he's cute.

We both can work Gramma Rosie and Grampa Jimmy's camera phones much better than they can; plus we can record voice messages, send text and check email. We've also become accomplished child stage stars; as a result, we're ready to audition for a family sitcom. You should see our grandparents: Grampa Jimmy can be charmed out of his golf clubs and Gramma Rosie melts faster than chocolate frosting on a sunny day.

Drew and I have flourished under the tutelage of the boomer generation: we've gotten more "special" snacks, eaten less healthy veggies and pushed past bedtime with the finesse and vigor of an Olympic Curling Champion. We have spread our wings wide enough to go off diving boards, climb up big slides, run through "big kid" obstacle courses, ride tall bikes and play tackle football. We've learned that if you are cute and have a big smile you can talk your way past a sign full of rules about age, height and weight. Adults don't notice how much little kids weigh, they're busy worrying about their own "extra" rolls.

Drew and I think we are ready for the big times; on the other hand a day or two without the grandparents and we may loose some of the ground we've gained. Oh well, the grandparents will back!!! And as Gramma Rosie says, "Variety is the spice of life."

We had a great time with Daddy in Sackville getting ready for the big game. First we had lunch with him in the cafeteria. Then we road our bikes and played at the park until time for the walk through. On game day, we went to the Fair in the morning; we had fun in the bouncy castle, the corn box, the petting zoo and the ink booth. After that, we collected candy the Children's Parade. After all the pre-game activities, we got ready for an afternoon of rolling down the hill in the grass where Mommy spreads our big blanket. No matter what the score is, Baby Drew and I always come out winners on game day because everyone's too busy yelling to pay much attention to what we are getting into.

So, here's a recap of my latest swimming experiences: Gramma Rosie has had me semi-swimming in the pool since I could toddle, so when Mommy signed me up for the "preschool 2" swim class, she and the grandparents had high expectations. Those expectations weren't met when they saw me dancing around on the side of the pool with a life jacket on while my "boy swim teacher" said we should lay around in our life jackets and float like starfish. Then, when "the boy teacher" was helping the other kids float, I danced around like a belly dancer on a string until I fell in. Gramma Rosie said, "Jeffreys are not star fish, we are torpedoes!" As a result, everyday, Gramma Rosie loaded us into the car and had Grampa Jim Jim drive us to the pool for "Gramma Rosie's Swim Classes." Soon I was putting my face in and swimming again. I went down the big slide ten times by myself until someone realized I wasn't tall enough to reach the black mark. Gramma can be pretty assertive, so she talked them into letting me go off the diving board while she treaded water to make sure I made it back to the ladder. At first, I stood on the end of the board and danced around until she turned blue in the face from treading water. She really should work on her conditioning. Just before she passed out, I finally I felt sorry for her and jumped in.

Meanwhile, Baby Drew was in charge of Grampa Jim Jim, so Drew drug Grampa all over the pool area which included exploring in the cold part. Grampa Jim Jim likes to relax like a star fish in the warm pool, but Baby Drew heard Gramma's comments about Jeffreys being torpedoes, so he led Grampa on a merry chase.

The best part was the snacks and free time afterwards. When we got home, Gramma Rosie and Grampa Jim Jim collapsed on the couch like star fish on the rocks and didn't care what Baby Drew and I did. It was like a "no rules night." I wonder what our parents would think of this.

Gramma Rosie believes that busy kids are happy kids, so off to the play structure we went. I climbed up to the top and went down all the slides. Drew quickly grew tired of the toddler area and battled the grandparents until they finally gave up and let him in the big structure. He went down the big structure like a big boy.He is only 18 months old.

The Grandparents are back for Indian Summer

The Grandparent swooped us up in Sackville and took us to Halifax for the season opener. We arrived two hours early, so I spied the bouncy play structure and ran in. The young college student said something about a weight requirement; she waved me in when I said, "I'm 61." About my tenth time through Gramma started to get the drift. An hour later, when other people came, she found out this was an obstacle course and they were timing people. By then, I was a permanent fixture and telling everyone else what to do, so no one was about to tell me I was too little. If I had known how easy it was to be with grandparents, I would have had them first.

Favorite Activities

Drew and I had our own favorite activities. For example, he wanted to spend most of his time on the tractor. He likes wheels the way I like people. While Drew drove the tractor, I practiced my entrepreneur skills working in my Kool-Aid Stand.

We spent most of our time outside. Gramma says our family doesn't believe in vegging, whatever that is. I'm not sure because my mom says we have to eat our veggies.

Gramma Rosie says this rowboat is my inheritance, so I decided I should learn how to row it. I'm almost ready to take it out by myself. Gramma and I went under all the bridges, rowed out to the pirate ship and barely escaped Captain Hook. It's a good thing I am so strong.

The Enchanted Forest

This summer we made Drew's first trip to the Enchanted Forest. Drew's favorite part was riding in the boat. Mom said he was too little, but everyone else cheered him on and Drew showed his stubborn streak when it was time to get out. Gramma Rosie says he got it from his Dad. We also went down slides, road the train and explored the European village.

The Puppet Theatre

I have an aunt who is an artist, and she made me a puppet theatre. I am practicing writing my own puppet show using my puppets. The Dragon Puppet is quite glamorous and the Lady Bug has more fingers than I do.

Lazy days on the river

Summer time is the best. Drew and I hopped in our ship and battled it out with the pirates who were trying to board. Fortunately, Mom brought us our lunch so we didn't have to go ashore before we escaped from the pirates, Notice we are flying the flags of our native countries: USA, Canada and Texas.

In addition to playing with Gramma Rosie and Grampa Jimmy, we got to hang out with our cousins Owen and Olivia and our friend Kincaid McCoy.

Summer of 2011

Yeah! I'm back in the land of big water, big trees, big flowers and big garage sales. Once Gramma Rosie heard that Baby Drew and I were coming, she spun into action, drove to Beaverton where the rich people live and bought everything they had for under $1. As you can see, the Magic Kingdom has nothing on the "Columbia City Kid Kingdom."

Gramma Rosie and I get up early so we can have girl talk while the boys are sleeping. I talk about my mom and dad all the time, so if Gramma Rosie thinks I'm missing them, she shows me pictures. She says it will refresh my memory, but I really think she is grooming me to tell the family secrets. I like the pictures because they show that my mommy and I have style. For example: My mom and I like to dress up and be glamorous and thanks to Gramma Rosie, I have costumes from every country she's been to. Gramma looks a little "plain Jane," but my mom looks like a run-a-way model, so Gramma Rosie thinks the pictures of us together should attract an agent.