Who's your Papa?

I made this photo extra-large so that you could fully appreciate the awesomeness of it.

Oh, and the flowers aren't sprouting out of his head, just bad placement on my part.

(Why don't I see these things through the camera lens?)

Jeff has had Daniel over a couple of times so that he (Daniel) could help him (Jeff) paint the fence and do a few other odd jobs.. 

It's a paid gig, don't ya know?

So Daniel dresses the part, a mini-Papa, right down to the knee socks.

I find it particularly hilarious and have trouble hiding my giggles.

Last Friday night, Thomy slept at our house for the first time ever, except for when he was little and the whole family was visiting. The plan was that he would have his turn helping Papa paint the fence (darn that fence, it always needs painting!) and also spend some quality time with the grandparents.

I missed the photo of the fence-painting, although I suspect I would have had to be very fast to catch it. I recruited Thomy to help me prune the grapes and he enthusiastically agreed. 

He did a fine job, although he was leery of the spiderwebs. 

He clipped away with abandon and then helped me clean up all the debris.

He found this poor ladybug, ensnared in a nasty spider's web, so we freed it and placed it on a grape leaf.

I know, I know, spiders are just as important as ladybugs, but ladybugs score higher on the cuteness factor!

Thomy was fascinated by the passion flowers, so we picked some and floated them in my lovely new green bowl made of recycled glass. 

I do believe that passion flowers are the most intriguing flowers ever.

Thomy had a grand time finding long-lost Lego pieces at the bottom of the Lego bin and he made some great structures. Don't let the solemn face fool you: he was gleeful the entire time.

And that, I think, is one of the best things about being a grandparent: giving your grandchildren the chance to be just themselves. Not a sibling or a cousin (or a son or a daughter), with expectations and rivalries, but their own sweet and best self.