After enjoying an afternoon of fun and excitement in the falling snow, this foursome decided to come inside and thaw out before my big brother John and I headed back to our house on the other side of town.

Upon entering the multi-family unit, Johnny Puskarich quickly stepped into the downstairs apartment and obtained permission to go upstairs with the trio of cousins.

Once we climbed the stairwell into the second floor kitchen, Aunt Margie was standing at the counter next to the stove holding a tea kettle as she poured steaming hot cocoa into four ceramic mugs.

Our eyes sparkled as the McKeesport native dumped several mini marshmallows into each one of the mugs of chocolate delight before guzzling it down the hatch.

The only evidence of the warm beverage was the chocolaty mustache it left behind on the upper lips of each one of our little band of merrymakers sitting around the large oak table.

“I thought I heard some noisemakers out here,” commented Uncle Butch as he meandered into the room. “I watched youns sledding down the middle of the street; so I know youns had a good time.”

When we began to tell the man of the house all about our exploits, the lights flickered a little before going off altogether just as the telephone rang out in the darkness from across the room.

“Well… that was Aunt Barbie,” responded the 27-year-old woman standing next to the table with her arm around her husband’s neck. “It appears we have a blackout because they don’t have any power either.”

“And another thing,” she continued glancing at these whippersnappers around the table. “Since most of the roads are impassable, it looks like you boys are spending the night.”

When these school-aged children heard the news about the impromptu sleepover, we all clapped our little hands and enthusiastically cheered at the thought of having a slumber party.

“Oh! Before I forget,” divulged the warm-hearted woman before returning to the kitchen to start dinner. “My sister also told me that the Bentworth School District has already canceled classes for tomorrow.”

After the thought of having our first snow day of the school year sank in, another round of applause accompanied by fervent cheering went up around the table as these little shavers beamed from ear to ear.

“I have a great idea,” mentioned the new father as he snapped his fingers before jumping up from the table heading back to his sleeping chambers. “How would you kids like to have a camp out in the living room?”

“Can Johnny spend the night too,” I queried with hopefulness in my eyes calling out to my aunt in the other room. “Cause it would be a whole lot better if all of us can have a camp-out together.”

“Of course,” exclaimed the sister of the minister’s wife as she came back over to the dinette after she began boiling the pot of water on the stove. “I wouldn’t have it any other way cause he is like part of the family.”

The stylish young woman hurried back into the kitchen to put the macaroni in the boiling hot water as she finished cooking up the hot dogs to mix into the pot of noodles when they were finished.

“All right, kids,” uttered Lori’s stepfather clapping his hands as he came back over to the table after he fished out a few sleeping bags from the bedroom closet. “Youns can change into your pajamas while Maggie is making dinner.”

“But we don’t live here,” I replied with deep consternation looking up at my young uncle. “If we knew we was staying overnight, mom would have brought some pj’s over with our sleds.”

“Not to worry,” explained the lad of Korean descent with his wheels turning as he thought about night clothes. “I’m gonna run downstairs and ask my dad if I can stay the night; so I’ll bring back something for youns to wear to bed.”

The young mother had just finished setting the table when the kind-hearted shaver returned with a pair of his night shirts for the brothers to wear to bed.

“Great timing,” declared the tall brunette as she rushed back into the kitchen to bring the food back into the dining room. “You boys have just enough time to change into your jammies before dinner is ready.”

After eating a nutritious meal by candlelight, Lori went up to her room with a flashlight and brought back several board games for everyone to play while sitting around the table.

Once the fun and games came to an end, it was time for these youngsters to snuggle up inside our sleeping bags so Mr. Sandman could help us to drift off into dreamland.

“Now, I was only able to come up with three sleeping bags,” stated Uncle Butch as he squatted down next to his nephews. “So… one of you will have to enjoy your little camp-out on the couch.”

“I have an idea,” articulated the second grader raising his index finger into the air. “When Johnny camped out on the back porch with us this past summer, my dad put two sleeping bags together.”

“Johnny and I can even share a pillow,” I announced with a warm smile looking over at my favorite pal. “We do it every time he comes over to spend the night at our house.”

With that said, the little lass climbed into her sleeping bag as her cousins and the downstairs neighbor slid into our double bedroll while purposely bumping into each other laughing like a bunch of hyenas.

As Aunt Margie tucked us into our temporary sleeping quarters, she gave us each a peck on the cheek as she quietly sang the lyrics to “Mr. Sandman,” by The Chordettes.

This is the conclusion of the story from last Tuesday’s column. Mark S. Price is a former city government/county education reporter for The Sampson Independent. He currently resides in Clinton. If you’re interested in reading the extended version of this story in his novel titled, “Little Church at the Top of the Hill,” just type the book title into the Facebook search engine and scroll down to Chapter 33, An Impromptu Slumber Party.