Chris, Sarah, Caiden, Grayson and Miss Addison arrived safe and sound. After about 48 hours, we've done some hard partying. We had a big birthday party Friday night, complete with DQ cake and presents. (Sarah loved her gift and I'm stitching away in the black she chose to finish it off. I'm glad I waited - I would have chosen something else!) When Caiden asked "what kind of party" we were having, I realized we had no "theme". He made do by dressing up in his Uncle D's old football uniform, and drawing balloons on the patio doors with markers. I promised him, next time, I'll come up with decorations.

Saturday evening we took Sarah and Chris to a charming restaurant overlooking the city of Pittsburgh - fabulous time! We came out of the restaurant to a little blizzard, which seemed to delight them.

Dinner at Georgetown Inn was wonderful

Sunday morning, while getting ready for church, Grayson busted open his bottom lip, bleeding like crazy. As soon as that was remedied, he managed to sorta dislocate his elbow, and Chris was off to the emergency room with him. Sarah got a very brief MIRL with Katrina at Callapidder Days, at the church nursery drop-off, and Dianne at Unfinished Work, in the church lobby. By the time we were all home from church, Grayson was good as new again.

When Caiden walked in the door of our home Friday evening, I was given 'the list'. He'd prepared it while still in Dallas. Here's what's on it.

#1 football
#2 cook
#3 basketball
#4 petstore (to replace fish I lied about)
#5 play pool
#6 movie
#7 popcorn
#8 banana splits
#8 games
#9 snowball fight
#10 church
#11 tell jokes
#12 read
#13 poopscoop

Yes, poopscoop. He told his mamma he wanted to be helpful, "because since Papa and Grammy are old and fragile, which you can tell by the wrinkles on their faces", he thought he should help somehow. He has since also announced to the family that my hands "are all wrinkly too, but that's okay, they match my face". You have to love the honesty of children...

If you're trying to have a good time and need a little guidance, I strongly suggest the items on our list. We've done Popcorn, Play Pool, Church, Movie so far. Today we hope to go to a sledding spot and do Snowball Fight. Afterwards we're going out for mexican food at a kid friendly place. And, be still my heart, if it's not dark when we finally wander home, we may just knock ourselves, throw all caution to the wind, live with reckless abandonment and Poopscoop. Don't tell me we don't know how to have fun up here in the north. xoxoox

I had some dandy photos to share with you, but my USB camera cord seems to be just a bit crunched. Update: Don's work camera is identical; I was able to load my chip and share some, from our time together so far. Meanwhile my camera is off to the shop.

Chris and Caiden flying down the hill