If the previous post sounded idyllic, it was. We were fresh, and neighbor Logan (6) was on his best behavior. We left off with bedtime, when Logan chose to sleep on the recliner in my room. I wrote about him then, staying up far too late. Experience counts, though. Before going to bed, I hid the remote to the TV. One time when he was here, John found him watching a program at 2 or 3 in the morning.

Logan began stirring around 5 when it was still pitch black. I almost quit breathing so he wouldn’t guess I was awake. He must have been searching for the remote around 5:15. It didn’t take long for him to come back to speak to me in bed. He obediently climbed back on the recliner, covered up, and tried to sleep a bit more. You have to give him credit for staying down another 15 minutes. John often wakes and looks at the computer anywhere after 4, but he was wrapped in a blanket. He stirred enough to say he’d be up in a few minutes, so I handed Logan the remote and made a coffeecake where I could monitor what he watched.

John soon persuaded Logan to turn off the TV in order to play Chinese checkers. From the other room I heard Logan’s soft voice and John’s chuckling reply, “No, you can’t have ice cream for breakfast!” I had to smile, for I had already fended off requests for peanuts, cookies, and ice cream. Those were the requests I heard and understood.

After we three walked Logan’s dogs, I put my Peggity set on the kitchen table. Did any of you ever play that game? It’s my favorite game that involves strategy, in fact, the only one I play willingly. I didn’t push it, just waited for Logan to see it and ask to play. After each game, I asked if we should put it away and play again another day. About six games later he agreed, and John took him to the playground. Playing Peggity with a beginner is a real challenge. I try to fix it so that the child wins every other game. Admittedly, I had lots of practice with our two grandchildren. Now they can beat me at will. That is what I really wanted, isn’t it?

After lunch we suggested a nap. Logan was short of sleep, and so was I. I went to sleep and have no idea whether he slept or not. I’ll let you judge. Hearing car doors, I looked out and saw people carting suitcases into Logan’s house. It was almost exactly 24 hours after we got him from the school bus, and he was free to return home. I packed his bag while he hunted for his socks, and then he ran across the street. Picking up the pillow and blanket he had used, I found one other item in the recliner – a miniature Etch-a-Sketch.