Picture this: A sign. In the center of the sign is a wet blanket surrounded by a circle. There’s a line through the circle. Translation: No wet blankets allowed.

This theme pervaded the atmosphere in my home last weekend. I had plans to visit family in Florida. My husband dropped me off at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshal Airport on Friday, and proceeded to go absolutely wild, now that the wet blanket was safely ensconced in a state south of Maryland. Whipped cream would tell the tale when all was done.

It’s not what you think. There were no strippers, not even alcohol … just our 5-year-old granddaughter, Sydney, sleeping over at our house with the grandfather she calls “Baba.” Her mom calls the overnight the “Baba-palooza,” an event in which junk food flowed like wine, bedtime was negotiable and the vocabulary of the evening did not involve the word “No.”

Friday night I telephoned to say hi. My hubby explained the contest under way. He and our granddaughter had pillows up their shirts, and were bouncing into each other to see who would fall down first. The 5-year-old was winning 3 to 2.

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After this story, Baba said to his guest, “Should we tell Nana everything we’re doing?”

“No, no, no,” she replied. Silly me. I forgot about the “No Wet Blanket” sign.

Still, when I returned Sunday, I easily pieced together the whole story by what I found in the kitchen: Cookies in the breadbox, strawberry ice cream in the freezer, sprinkles in the pantry, whipped cream and a jar of maraschino cherries in the fridge. Need I go on?

I feel fairly certain Sydney was successfully deprogrammed after returning home.

Tomorrow she and her brother come to spend the day with Nana. I will offer them fresh fruit and pretzels as snacks and a wholesome lunch. When they refuse these healthy offerings, I’ll plead for a moment. I will extol the virtues of strawberries and avocados. Then when they turn up their noses, I’ll do the only logical thing … reach for the strawberry ice cream and sprinkles.

Hey, no one’s a wet blanket all the time.