Our grandsons (and their parents) are coming to visit!  This weekend Mr. Smith and I will host our first overnight guests in our new abode.  We’ve been planning the menu, the sleeping arrangements, and thinking about outlets for Eli, Henry and Sam’s impressive amount of energy.  The boys are eager to see our new home and I’m excited to show them around.  I’ll give them the grand tour, show them the mail room and let them check out our view.  I think the intrepid spiders on our tenth-floor windows should keep them entertained for a few minutes!

When I popped into my coffee shop on Monday, I was excited to see a poster for the 10^th Annual Chalk Fest!  It’s happening this Saturday and right across the street from our building on the River Common.  We had already been planning a walk along the river and over the bridge to a playground, so this segues in beautifully.  

I’m ready with board games, puzzles, cards, play doh, crayons, markers, etc. They’re going to help me make some dinner party favors. My plan is that after a few hours of running around outside, they’ll be ready for a little down time.  If things don’t go according to my plan, I’m ready with plan B and I’ll take them for a walk over to my bookstore and let them each pick out a book.

While surfing the web and looking for a fall craft or two, I came across several articles by grandparents who were less than thrilled with their grandchildren’s visits.  They complained about the noise, activity level, mess, etc.  This makes me sad.  Kids are kids, they are not mini adults.  Best to maintain a sense of humor and have a plan. 

Whenever any of our grandchildren are coming for a visit, Mr. Smith and I may think of the quote from The Devil Wears Prada when Miranda Priestly is arriving early at work and the cry goes out “Alright everyone, gird your loins!”  But then we take a deep breath, lean into the crazy and have a good time.

C’est la vie