The Big Man has returned.

Actually he was home by 7:30 this morning. So much for his "long, long sleep over."

I should really start at the beginning.
Uncle Gick & Unkie Di have a pull behind camper that they store in the barn. It was the site of BabyGirl's first sleep over (she made it until 10:30 that night, when she fell down climbing into bed, bumped her knee, and had to come home...I think she was 3), and her big camp out with the Big Girls last summer (Unkie Di's nieces from her side of the family....I think they're 10 & 12, maybe).

A few weeks ago we went over to visit with Uncle Gick & Unkie Di & Uncle D (Unkie Di's little brother & dad to the Big Girls) & his Lady Friend. Uncle D & his family were staying in the camper in the backyard, so naturally my kids had to get in and inspect everything. After 20 minutes of jumping on the beds & peeing in the camping potty (such fun), BabyGirl & #1 Son began talking about sleeping there. We told them there was no room that weekend & they could stay sometime that summer. #1 Son & Uncle Gick decided they'd have a boys only camp out since BabyGirl got to go on the Girls only one last summer.

Last week it was HOT. Sweltering. Suffocating. At least in my van...seat belt burn hot. I loaded up the boys to go get BabyGirl from school & #1 Son wanted to know why it was so hot in the van. I told him that summer was coming. "Oh, summer is when I'm having my sleep over!" What sleep over? "You know, the one in the truck with the bed & the potty that you can't come on." Huh? (Remember, it had been a few weeks since the camper visit & I'd slept since then.) "Uh...Mom...The sleep over that's just me and Uncle Gick?!" Oh...yeah...that one.I told him we needed to wait a while, & he'd have to talk to Gick about it.

All last week he reminded me. "Hey Mommy, it's almost time for my sleep over." "Is today the day for my sleep over?" "When is my sleep over?" So about half way through the week I emailed Unkie Di to give her a heads up...Uncle Gick might be getting a phone call soon. She said that was no problem.

Yesterday #1 Son started asking as soon as I crawled out of bed. I told him he could call Uncle Gick after church. He did. "Hi, Uncle Gick. I want to come to your house for a sleep over tonight. OK, bye." BabyGirl got very excited thinking she was going as well. #1 Son takes the phone away from me again & says, "Uncle Gick, it's just you and me on this sleep over, right? Not BabyGirl, right? Just boys, right?" I told her she could go another time since she had school today. She wasn't too happy.

#1 Son was ready to go at 11:30 yesterday morning. I told him we had to go to Grandma's for dinner first, play out side, wash his PJ's, and pack his bag first. He finally decided he could wait a while. We got to Uncle Gick's at 6 last night with all the necessities: Peanut Butter, Milk, PJ's, Car's Book, Macaroni (his lovey horse), and big plans to sleep.

Uncle Gick pulled up in our drive at 7:25 this morning. He was heading down the road to farm today & #1 Son decided he didn't want to go farming. I was a little surprised as that involved a trip in the "big truck" (Semi) and time spent on the tractor, but #1 Son needed to come home instead.

I just looked behind me to find him napping in the arm chair. Not a great surprise. Uncle Gick said he did very well until about 4:30 this morning when he decided to sleep sideways with his feet in Gick's back. He's planning on a trip to the local state park to camp this summer with the Big Girls, BabyGirl, Uncle Gick, & Unkie Di. "I want to go on a long, long sleep over next time, Mommy." He said the same thing last night, but we told him this had to be a one night trip.