The Scrapper Plays Street Hockey

With Sam and a tennis ball.

Madd Max Celebrates Marissa

With a birthday lunch at Sugarfish.

Madd Max Hangs With Richard's Family

Where the fam met Richard's son, Mike, and wife, Lindsey, and they in turn, met the pizza oven.  (Which was saturated from the heavy rains and seeped water for hours).

Slappy Gets A Wound

While this was happening...

This was also happening.

To both E and Maddie, courtesy of Seth and his movie makeup.

Madd Max Celebrates Jess' Birthday Round 2

Now done without Covid, the fam celebrated; this time with Taisie!

Madd Max Has A Comfort Food Birthday

Chocolate babka for Jess' 47th.

Birthday presents.

Chicken gnocchi soup on a rainy day, which paired well with an Only Murders in the Building S2 marathon. 

Sam worked hard on Jess' cake, making caramel a few times over.

It turned out amazing.  Layers of vanilla cake soaked in caramel with a caramel frosting.

Birthday singing.

Followed by Covid birthday blowing out of candles - ie Sam and Madd blew out the candles for Jess.  A relaxing day, indeed.

Madd Max Puts Away Christmas And Gets More Covid

Tree presents as the last of the decorations are put away.

And the last one bites the dust.  Originally, when Max learned he was the last person to not get Covid, he asked if that meant he got ice cream.  It was agreed he would get 2 scoops.  Today, it dropped to only one scoop.

Madd Max Meets Frost

At 5:30 in the morning. The old East Coast credit card as scraper trick was employed.

Madd Max See Some Agility Training

It was only Charlie's second time.

But he handled even the teeter-totter like a champ.

The fam with another yummy bag of food for Jess.

Madd Max Distance Hangs With Uncle Wills And Aunt Ally

Back porch chatting.

Walking along the Olentangy River Trail right by their house.  (And yes - they sent her home with food for lunch and dinner).

Madd Max Has Covid In Columbus

With her head feeling pretty woozy, Jess spent the day in the hotel room.

Sam continued his quarantine at home.

Madd Max Makes It To Columbus

For an evening distance hang before Jess checked into her hotel.

Pretty porch on their new house.

Uncle Wills sent Jess home with some of his fav Chicago pizza, since this portion of the break is the family-sends-Jess-to-the-hotel-with-food-to-make-things-better portion of the trip.

Madd Max Pops Positive

Jess tested positive for Covid this morning.

Kristin had prepped for an outside hang as it had been snowing in the morning, with garage decor, a space heater and snow pants.

Very cute.

She also prepped a snack bag for the drive from Troy to Columbus.

Madd Max Gets In Some Quality Time

Kristin made Jess soup for lunch.

But when Jess dropped by to pick it up along with some Covid tests, they decided to do this for 3 hours before it got too cold and windy.

On the way back to the hotel, Jess stopped here, which is Steven's family restaurant and is 2 miles from Kristin.

Lunch! Kristin even pre-cut the avocado.

Lukich's provided the pierogis, which Steven guessed his Grandma had probably made.

Madd Max Makes It To Troy

After Sam landed, this happened.

Which also meant this happened.

Instead of staying at Kristin and fam's house, Jess checked into a Home 2 Suites nearby. 

But thankfully, Kristin had packed her a meal and drinks which felt like a big hug.

Madd Max Visits CMU

Jess dropped Sam and the kids off at EWR at 5am, and began the drive to Michigan.  Stopping in Pittsburgh would only add an hour to the drive and would time out perfectly with lunch.  Which was a Mimi sandwich as she watched the rain with Carnegie in the background.

Then it was time for a self-guided walking tour.

The College of Fine Arts.

Jess' first apartment, and where Françoise and she first met, freshman year in 1993.

Her second apartment building, where she spent the rest of college in 2 different studio apartments.

Madd Max Has A Last Jersey Day

Which would not be complete without a stop at Bagels Abroad with Sonia to pick up breakfast for the fam.

Clara, Sonia, Maddie and Jess headed to the Tick Tock Diner in honor of Jess and Maddie's breakfast tradition.  Brunch was had, even though it was noon, since #teenagersleepssolate.

All the servers were wearing shirts that said, "EAT HEAVY," and Madd was delighted that the waitress fit exactly into how she had pictured a Jersey diner waitress, what with the thick accent and the calling Jess, "Honey."

Look at all that stainless steel.

Then it was over to Mimi and Dozee's where some diamond painting was done.

Hockey was watched with a birch beer.

And some more Jackbox TV.

Per usual, no one left hungry.