34 : An Unexpected Thursday
Oxbear was on his way out the front door to work.
“Looks like you’ve got a wasp building a nest in the doorway,” he said to Theodore.
Theodore went to inspect. A minute later, he returned. “I have no sympathy for a wasp building a nest in my doorway. He will not prevail. Very presumptuous of him.”
It was the early afternoon. I had just returned from a funeral in Ladue. After the service Heidi ran over to me for a hug before we entered the receiving line.
“I like your shoes!” she exclaimed.
“Shhh!” Julia hushed her a little to better match the tone of the line.
“I just never see her wear anything but moccasins,” Heidi explained – always observant – then filled me in on an upcoming date with braces and a retainer.
Are these kids really that old already?
As we left, Julia asked about the house hunt. “Looking for houses is really like looking for a husband, you know?” she said. “Can I REALLY see myself living with this?”
Or in our case, wife-hunting. Oxbear will always have more vested interest in aesthetics. That’s just the way it is.
Back at the Silverspoon’s the boys were packed full with food and busy doing boy things under Gloria’s watch. I put Yali down for a nap. Puck was in the basement giggling over a large volume of Far Side. He has his dad’s sense of humor. I’ve spent eighteen years or more learning it.
“NANA! COME READ THIS ONE! IT’S SO FUNNY!”
The air was hot and humid again when Yali woke from his nap. Or rather, I woke him. He might have slept till night, comfortably stretched out on a king-sized bed in a cool room on a hot afternoon. He nuzzled into my neck on the couch, resistant to fully waking.
Everything was quiet. I took Yali out on the porch to rouse him in the heavy heat. A few minutes later, Puck stuck his blonde head out the front door.
“For my hard work today, Mom, I got a small handful of M&Ms and licked them all!”
A small handful of giant-sized M&Ms. I allowed it. Mostly because it’s still summer. I’m willing to let a lot of things happen just because it’s still summer. Plus, he’s been plagued with bug bites and rashes all week, so I’m sure chocolate will help put him back on the road to recovery. So will another dose of “AFV” during dinner as another little storm rolled through. I really might as well call this our official summer family vacation.