Meeting Grayden

On August 3rd, my grandson Grayden Hingston was born in Edmonton and on August 16th I finally got to meet him. The feeling is hard to explain to someone not a grandparent for the first time. I got to hold him lots, read Green Eggs and Ham to him and sing Willie and Waylon songs to him. He did like Willie and Waylon so I think he is off to a good start.

His brother Tristhanh (15) and sister Matalinh (14) are quite happy to have someone take the pressure off them and sure do love their little brother. The feeling is returned as he likes them to hold him too.

His three Aunties, Bronwyn, Kylee-Anne, and Lynmara, arrived Saturday morning which was the first time the five of us had been together in three years. They took turns holding him which Grayden didn't mind at all. In the afternoon Mishel's family arrived and the house was full of noise, laughter and energy. I had not met any of them before. Grandpa Hai and Grandma Cassie are going to be excellent grandparents, will spoil him rotten and not teach him any bad things.  His Uncle Hoang is so good with him too. His Aunt Chau and Uncle Dz drove up from Calgary. They are full of fun and will be the ones to get him in trouble in years to come. 

We all stuffed ourselves with Vietnamese food while Grayden got passed around like a hot potato and took it all in stride. Noise doesn't bother him. Quiet does. Not used to that. He is growing and no wonder he loves to eat so Mishel is supplementing him with formula. He was 7 lbs 3 oz (3.260 kg) at birth and 9 lbs 2 oz (4.140 kg) at 3 weeks. He has stretched out a couple inches (5 cm) in length too. 

Bus fare to Calgary from Regina, return, is $230 so I will go and see him again in September is possible. 

Grayden at 3 weeks

My first meeting with my grandson

Graeme and Mishel's family

The five of us with the wee boy

Grandpa's Hai and Allen with Graeme and Grayden

Grandma Cassie (also an amazing cook)

My other good boy waiting for me in Ukraine

Ukraine Takes the War to the Russians

 A few days ago, Ukraine destroyed couple of ammunition dumps deep in Kherson Oblast, well over 150 km which surprised everyone as their missiles were not supposed to reach that far. On the 10th, Ukraine "using their own weapons" hit a Russian airbase deep in Crimea,  destroying 8 or 9 fighter/bombers, pilots, ground crew, ammunition and fuel. Russians claim it was a smoking accident, no one was hurt and no planes were destroyed. They are such careless smokers, having sunk their top battleship the same way.

There was still a 100 km lineup at the Kerch bridge yesterday to flee Crimea and the Ukrainian Armed Forces posted the most awesome troll video ever.

Also yesterday there were a number of explosions on a Russian airport in Belarus, mainly taking out S300 and S400 rocket launchers as I understand. And a fire destroyed the wooden barracks in Moscow housing conscripts. No one was hurt. 

Partisans in Mariupol and Melitopol make the night dangerous for Russians and traitors. A couple of officials named by the Russians as in charge of towns or cities have been knifed, shot, or poisoned. 

Russia has been rushing troops and equipment to defend Kherson City. There are supposedly some 25,000 troops on the west side of the Dnipro River. Ukraine has destroyed or damaged the bridges so they are trapped with no retreat and can only resupply by pontoon boat. All the bridges are under Ukrainian fire control. Russians have been launching artillery and rockets at Mykolaiv, Nikopol and Krivii Rih and are threatening an offensive but are having no luck taking the initiative.

Even though Russia prioritized taking Lugansk and Donbas, since taking Lysychansk, in two months they have only gained 10 km mostly in villages around it. By moving troops from the Donbass area they have weakened their forces there enough that they have only one point they are still putting pressure on the AFU, around Pisky which they are destroying with thermobaric weapons. It is hilarious to read day after day that Russia attacked various and sundry communities and after heavy losses. Ukraine is taking losses but far fewer than they were before HIMARS. They have been destroying Russian ammunition dumps and control centres with pinpoint accuracy ever since.

Ukraine is pushing the Russians back, liberating several small villages in the NE and should liberate Izium soon. They are definitely following Sun Tsu, Clausewitz, Wellington and Patton. There is a major counter offensive coming but no one knows when or where, which is how it is done! The armchair generals on Twitter are going crazy.

A Busy Week

 On Wednesday my wife left me and my son and his partner presented me with my first grandchild with my name.

Tanya has gone back to Ukraine for maybe three months. She will find someone she knows to rent the house just for the utilities or she will close it down for the winter. We hope she can bring our German Shepherd back with her but it will be difficult as he is a big dog. She flew into Warsaw and took a bus to L'viv. Three hours at the Polish Immigration and at least three hours at Ukrainian Immigration. She was still there when I talked to her at 3 am my time. She said there were buses and cars from all over Europe lined up at the border filled with Ukrainians going home. From L'viv to home by train but which one?

Grayden Hingston was born in Edmonton about 7 pm Wednesday night, 7 lbs 3 oz 49 cm. Tanya was in Calgary long enough to get the pictures and details. He has two middle names after his grandfathers which is always good politics. He has a sister and brother in early teens and his other grandparents live nearby so they can spoil him regularly. My plan is to teach him to drink beer, swear, and eat pickles. 

Three days old and happy he kept his mother awake all night his first night home

I am cleaning house today and doing laundry as my youngest arrives on Sunday. Haven't seen her for three years. She is in Canada for three weeks so am glad to spend a couple days with her.