Grandparenting from afar

We have so much fun in the summer. Winter brings its own challenge. With a very wet front lawn, and more snow on the way Friday, sometimes retirement has its benefits. We don't have to venture out in the rain, snow, sleet or hail.

The pansy will likely not bloom.  The daddy-long-legs was scrambling to find a dry spot.

There are things to keep us amused in Central Ontario, as well as photography! Many of us read, blog, write book reviews or poetry, hunkered down in front of the computer.

Muskoka being the retirement location of choice, many families make the trek north from Toronto to visit with their retired parents and grandparents in cottage country.

Many babysit grandkids in the summer, others provide a home while a teenage grandchild works in town.

Canadian Thanksgiving in October is often a tradition,  before docks are pulled in and boats are wrapped for winter.
 How difficult it was to talk to a toddler on the phone last winter. "How are you?" doesn't quite work. Speaker phone helps, and singing songs together.

Regularly sharing videos, we communicate by SKYPE these days! It is so much more satisfying. The family hunkers down in the computer room, with crayons and paper and nearby snacks, once the wee girl becomes bored with old gamma and gampa! Games of 'show me your nose', and 'what does your belly button say?' were so much fun. My YouTube video on that trick has had a few hits!

This time we made a Skype date after dinner, and had a little surprise. She seemed shocked, but amused after we were done! I don't know who laughed the hardest.