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As Grandad - and Granny of course

When we returned home from our trip to the Arctic Circle and the solar eclipse in Southern Germany in 1999 (see: De ontwerper - als webmaster), our daughter Esther and her husband had a surprise for us.

We were given - more or less officially - a pretty booklet: 'Help!! I will be a granny/grandad!!'
You guessed right!
Our first grandchild was about to make an appearance..
Suddenly we were part of the 'guild' of Grannies and Granddads.

The booklet contained instructions, the do's (and sometimes more specifically the don'ts) for Grannies and Grandaddies so the family as a whole could live in harmony.
Something to keep in mind.

And thus grandson Matthijs was born in 2000 - much to everyone's delight.

When in 2004 another grandchild arrived by the name of David, we were on velvet as Granny and Grandad.
And another memento: we nicely drink our daily dose of milk from them.

In 2005 we fetched our 'De Waard Albatros Junior' tent from the attic (still in perfect working condition after 17 years) to go camping with Matthijs for about a week.

Surely something you have to pass on yourself when the parents of your grandson don't go camping, don't you think?
Our daughter nevertheless grew up camping.

David's party started in 2007, when he wasn't even 4 years old.

This summer, 2015, we also hope to go camping again; Matthijs is 15 now and David 11. And because they take turns in joining us for a week, they get undivided attention both on the camping site by us and at home.

And do you know what's convenient?
Gran and Grandad are getting older and smaller, yet Matthijs and David keep growing.
It won't be long before Matthijs, well over 1.80 meters already, will take over Grandad's job of attaching the rooftree to the tent pole.

A veritable stamp

Grandad's stamp activities were noticed by grandson Matthijs.
For my birthday he manufactured a veritable stamp.
With Grandad's image/mug on it, of course.

Both in the afternoon (s,middags) and in the morning (sochtens) I seem colourful.

As you can see: like Grandson, like Grandfather, it runs in the family!