Surrogate grandparents

My parents often leave weeks between trips to see us - sometimes even a month or two - so in this emotional and childcare drought it's wonderful to welcome Sue and Justin.  They've known me since I was Pete's age, and we have an unspoken agreement that as long as I keep them supplied with wine and good tourist information they don't tell Hannah too much about what I got up to when I was little.

They were here for a few days on an Amtrak jaunt down from NYC where they're visiting Sue's sister.  Pete and I gave them a (rainy) tour of downtown, including wandering by the massive police action when someone drove into the city in a white van and claimed to be contaminated with anthrax.  Hey - when in DC!  We let them loose on day two and met them by the Star Spangled Banner in the afternoon, before filling them up with a diner breakfast the next morning and waving them goodbye.

In between there was much playing of Star Wars, with Sue taking the role of "princess" and Justin excelling himself as "bad guy".  Given Pete's never watched Star Wars it'll now be interesting what he makes of it when we finally let him.  We also received an interim package of British goodies; Angel Delight, obviously, but also some never-before-seen M&S giant chocolate buttons!  Just when I thought the USA had everything...

We held an anti-Trump demonstration, in the requisite composed and restrained British manner.



All grandparents get to feed grandchildren hot chocolate and cookies, not just the ones you're related to.

Justin is a model railway enthusiast and I discovered a massive (MASSIVE) secondhand railway store five minutes from our house.  Sue did not thank me.  "God save the Queen!" the man who ran it said to us, many times, hilariously.

M&S Gigantic Milk Chocolate Buttons.  They're even bigger than the picture on the packet!  Go out and buy some right now.  Seriously.  Right now!  And thank me later.