23 Jun 25
**squuuueak** … **squuuueak** … **squeak** … **squuuuuuuueak** … it's still early and I don't feel like getting up to see which one of the kids is repeatedly blowing up a balloon then letting the air slowly squeal out of it over and over and over again... but I already know which kid it is... somehow this continues for about an hour until Puck and I both find the edge of patience at the same time and emerge into the hallway as Puck tries to hide a smile at the absurdity of Yali's own version of an alarm clock... “What were you thinking, huh?”
With everyone now awake for the day Puck is running another work-out in the basement from his recruiter while I push more laundry through the system and we discuss the current situation in the Middle East... “I mean it's kind of hilarious really...” he chuckles... “we send bombers from the middle of our country to take out Iran... Missouri takes out Iran...” // “Yeah... we're going to bomb you with a state you've never even heard of”...
About half an hour later... driving the youngsters over to St. Charles County... Patience has another paid companion session with young Master R... and Yali has belated birthday gifts to open from “Grandma” and "Grandma" which also includes a Harry Potter costume to add to his Collection of Imagination...
While Patience is busy running around with the young tot... Yali and I drive back east to check out the old Ditto secondhand shop where we grab a partly-filled Aviators Flight Log Book from 1944 for Francis who always appreciates a little modern military history...
Home for a quick smorgasbord of soft tacos and bacon/cucumber sandwiches and calls to the dentist and orthodontist...
And Patience is ready for pick-up after a successful three hours of cousin-monitoring... reading a stack of books aloud to R on the loveseat when I arrive...
Drop Puck off at Schnucks in a hot hot heat of another 106 heat index before two more secondhand shops with Yali and Patience... Yali has something very specific he's hunting to complete a second Harry Potter costume... while Patience grabs a “Save the Bees” tee for $2.25...
And finally home again for Patience to switch on “The Brady Bunch”... there wouldn't be much outdoor play that day...