First sleepover

Colsen has been begging for a turn to go to Nonna and Poppa's overnight. He had grand plans to invite his cousin Ava to join him, and has been impatiently asking if it was his turn to go for weeks now.

Finally this was the week, and his enthusiasm was increasing by the day. On Monday he told me, "You don't have to be sad without me, Mom, I'm only going to be gone a couple weeks. And then I'll come back." (The invitation was only for 1 night actually)

Yesterday (Tuesday), we asked him if he was excited for the big day coming, and he jumped up with a big "YES," fists in the air.

And today, the day Nonna was coming to pick him up, we said, "Are you ready to go??" and he answered, "Ummmm..... I think my leg is going to hurt. I don't think I can go."

All morning he deliberated and hesitated and then finally decided he just couldn't go away without Mom and Dad. Nonna tempted him with his favorite dinner (salmon), his favorite cousin cohort (Ava), and all kinds of mysterious fun plans. But Cole remained adamant that he wasn't going to go.

In the end, though, we resorted to Plan B, which he was enthusiastically a fan of...

So he helped pack his suitcase....

.... and singlehandedly packed his "purse" with both of his phones in it (the Blackberry and the Blueberry back-up)....

... and then grabbed his most important take-along:

.... and he was finally ready to go. Once we agreed that Strider could go with him, the party plan was complete for Colsen!

So, now they're both at Nonna's, with Ava, probably stirring up all kinds of mischief.

And it sure is quiet here tonight!