OFF TO SAN FRANCISCO

 We had been at Sonya and Bernie's apartment in West Hollywood for three weeks helping look after Fox while mummy was busy with the newborn. However, it was time for us to leave and take a short vacation before returning home. Our other daughter, Carol had arrived to take over from us. So we spent a day showing her the routine.









First you push him in the buggy to the park and play with him for an hour or so then.......

 after the park you continue on to "The Grove" open air shopping mall where there are many upmarket shops, restaurants, "yo-yo" (yoghurt) shop for Fox and a......

 coffee shop for  you.

 Fox likes watching the fountain for a while and........

 he loves waving to the driver of the old trolley bus as it trundles by ringing its bell.

You can say hello to the shoe shine boy....

and watch the filming of a morning show with well known celebrities.....

before returning home to make his lunch and put him down for an afternoon nap. Fix lunch, wash the dishes, fold the washing and grab a rest or nurse the baby before Fox wakes up. Change his nappy and take him downstairs to play in the back yard.

Bye bye we're off to San Francisco!

PARTY TIME

The rehearsals were over and now it was time for the real thing. Last month Fox celebrated his 2nd birthday in the back yard of his apartment in West Hollywood. He celebrated with his parents' friends and their children, his grandparents and aunty from Australia.

 Everyone and Fox sang "Happy Birthday"

 All those rehearsals paid off and he blew them out like a champion. (He had a plastic knife at the ready) 

Enjoying the cake with a friend.

 Father and daughter share a joke.

A fire engine cake for Fox.

BIRTHDAY TIME

On May 12 our eldest daughter, Carol, flew from Sydney to join us in West Hollywood, LA. She came to celebrate Fox's birthday on the next day and also to help her sister with the babies when we left

 a few days later.

 As I write this today, June 1, it is Carol's birthday. So Happy Birthday Carol. She is in Las Vegas at the moment celebrating with her husband.

Early the  next morning Fox was happy to jump onto Aunty Carol's bed and give her lots of hugs. 

Then he discovered his birthday presents.

 "O dis Carol?" means "Help me open this Aunty Carol?"

Ooooh buttons to press, but what is it? Mummy and Papa put it together and hey presto.....

 Its a lawn mower. "Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm"(It became one of his favourite toys)

" O dis Carol?"

 Mummy helped with this one. (Poor Mummy was very tired from feeding Banjo through the night.)

Papa helped with this one. (He already has the scooter)

BACK HOME DOWN UNDER

After five weeks in California we have arrived home. It sure is a long way. 16 hours flying time and 6 hours hanging around airports. I found it difficult to blog while carrying out grandparent duties in L.A., so I hope you'll forgive me for not visiting your blogs in that time. We went to help out our daughter, Sonya, when she gave birth to our second grandson.

 Granddaddy goes to sleep on the job.

 Beautiful Banjo, its time for your first bath.

 "Can I watch?" asks big brother, Fox.

 So Mummy and Papa stand Fox on a step ladder so he can see Banjo having a bath in a special tub in the kitchen sink.

Proud Mum and Papa check out a newborn rash and hope that it will soon clear up, which it did. 

REHEARSING

Fox will be turning 2 on Sunday, so he is rehearsing singing Happy Birthday and blowing out a candle.

 Singing

blowing

 Hooray

Only an actor would get his son to rehearse for the event.

PLAYING WITH FOX

Because we live so far away from our grandson Fox we don't often get time to play with him so we are enjoying doing it now while we are visiting him in LA.

 We go to the park to play everyday.

 Sometimes we play cars on the carpet. Fox just loves emergency vehicles, except he calls them 'Neee Nawww Toot Toots.'

 Sometimes he bumps his head and then only Mummy will do.

When mummy and bubba Banjo are asleep we play quietly with Granddaddy, watching Fireman Sam. Fox's uncle David composed the music for Fireman Sam.

Sometimes we play in the back yard. 

 Sometimes we play on our iPads.

Sometimes we play 'This Little Piggy" on Grandma's bed.

Sometimes we sing and melt Grandma's and Granddaddy's heart.

LEARNING TO BE A GRANDPARENT

We are getting the hang of being Grandparents.

We go to the park.....

 then onto the Grove mall....

 where Fox shows us where the 'yo yo' shop is (frozen yogurt).....

and Granddaddy finds a coffee shop. Then home for lunch and a sleep.

In the afternoon we play in the back yard.

(photos by Bill's phone.)