This short piece was written as a family history memento for our two sons (Stuart and Craig) and their amazing families.

It is about Storytime with Zac and Rory, always an adventure, like trying to herd butterflies as they flit around their bedroom.

I have adopted an interactive style, using YouTube links on the assumption that the reader is has the PDF downloaded to an iPad or Tablet. The AI image of the Rainbow with Swallows was generated by Microsoft Co-Pilot in less than two minutes.

The AbingBons

Zac was 5 last August: Rory was 4 on Christmas Eve. They both attend the Europa School on the outskirts of Abingdon. Zac is in P1 studying in Spanish from Monday to Wednesday lunchtime and then in English for the rest of the week. Rory is in Pre-School where he has proved to be a dutiful and helpful ‘leader’, organising his classmates, following in Zac’s footsteps.

Both are enrolled in Am Dram classes and we often get ‘performances’ on our FaceTime ‘visits’. Sometimes we follow them as the race around their huge child-friendly garden or zoom along their long driveway on bikes or scooters or electric cars. Zac in particular drives his Mercedes saloon with a nonchalant air, revesing into his lean-to mini-garage with aplomb.

Matthew, who will be 16 in August, attends Abingdon School, where he is prepping for his GCEs. He is a keen and capable member of the Abingdon School Rowing Squad and is an active and very able golfer. In the recent past he was captain of his rugby squad before leaving to concentrate on rowing. In summer he plays plays competitive cricket with Stuart in a mixed team of adults and teeneagers.

Matthew has matured into a fine young man, a good role model for his four cousins.

The NetherBons

In Netherlee, just half an hour away from Bearsden by car, we have Ethan and Drew and yes, (as we learn in this story), they are indeed BRILLIANT footballers.

Ethan, now 12, attends High School while Drew, aged 10, is in P6 at Netherlee Primary.

These boys also enjoy busy lives, always active, with weekend football matches and mid-week training sessions, specialist soccer skills coaching from Greg and athletics, swimming, skateboarding, mountain biking and parkour (a form of free flow gymnastics).

Nowadays with the NetherBons, Storytime is a more sedate affair but in the past they were just like Zac and Rory, leaping around like momkeys.

In their quieter moments Ethan is a bookworm, wedded to his tablet for games and homework. Ditto for Drew who is also a budding artist with real talent and has developed a ‘home business’ selling his art works to his grandparents.

So, we (The BearsBons) have five superb grandchildren who are delightful, polite ane vastly entertaining lads.

How lucky are we!