Sleepover

Stand back, cheepers, move away cats, I have to get ready for the guests!

And while I'm at it, bringing up and dusting off colorful nick-nacks for at least some of them, I may as well bake up some blueberry muffins for the others.

(Ed and I can indulge as well: muffins for a late breakfast on the porch today.)

What's all this? Weekend guests? Who's coming?

Well, it's not really for the whole weekend, but I am hosting three energetic young ones today and tomorrow. We're giving mom and dad a break. I hear they packed their suitcases before school. After a day of learning, the three grands will come here. First Snowdrop, followed soon by her two brothers.

We've made plans: a (chaotic) pizza dinner...

Followed by a movie night. Flora and Ulysses. Film of their choice. Fine, Sandpiper does not get to vote. And Sparrow's arm can easily be twisted. Ah, the advantages of being the oldest kid on the block!

Snowdrop has had many a sleepover here and Sparrow, too, used to spend a couple of days in the winter and a couple in the summer while the parents went away. But all that stopped with the pandemic. Add to it the birth of Sandpiper (so now there's three of them and one of me!) and we had to reconfigure visits: they're still frequent, but usually just one child comes and most often it is the older one who is especially starved for quiet book reading time. 

 

Still, every once in a while, I get all three (or, is it all four?)...

 

 

 (he's trying to nap; she's nudging him so that he'll stay awake)

 

 

... and this time they are here to sleep. Let's cross our fingers on that one. (There was quite the protracted discussion as to who should get the big bed. You'd think both older kids would clamor for that privilege, but no: they both wanted the old crib-made-into-a-day-bed.) 

Later, much later: all is quiet. The little babe is asleep in the kitchen by the wine cooler. The big two are upstairs in the lemon room. Ed and I are barely awake on the couch. It was a fine day and a wild and wonderful evening!