A Little Hard Work
Monday, June 25, 2012
After waking from dreams of pancake batter and ring-around-the-rosy at 5:30, Collette prepared for the next three days of childcare. Judah and Evangeline were finishing Africa-packing, so the two boys would be in the charge of Mom, Collette, Linnea-Irish, and Puck for Monday and Tuesday.
On the ride in, Puck requested further entertainment…
“Could you tell me a story of your own mind, Dad?” he asked, as he selected a library book from the stack in the back seat. “When you find one, just hold on to it, because I am reading a book.”
Made-up stories were all the rage lately. Dad had introduced it with the Jo-Jo stories he told Puck Friday night, just like he did for Collette and Carrie-Bri at the same age. Collette remembered one in particular about rainbow snow cones…
OLeif’s version of his “own story” involved, badgers, mice, basil, buttons, and thread.
Snuggles was trying to be cute again, as usual, prompting pity for his house arrest. He finished off his symphony of pathetic meows with something resembling a bubbling gurgle.
“I think he’s trying to evolve a speech box so he can talk,” Carrie mused.
When he did manage escape ten minute later, they found him hiding in the neighbor’s doghouse.
Puck had been playing in his sandbox by eight. He came running for the patio door, tripping into the grass, which elicited a cloud of sand dust.
8:50 on the road for church.
Hesed and Solomon were ready to play and/or nap, eat, nap and/or play, eat, and play.
Susie Popples – in town for 24 hours – brought over Solomon’s bottle.
Collette induced arm cramps rocking Solomon to sleep in the darkened choir room. Half an hour after sliding him into the crib, something set him off again. Maybe the noise of creating a library across the hall – shelves, desks, tables, etc.
He didn’t want his sweet potatoes either.
“Could I hold him, Mama?” a young man plastered in peanut butter and brown magic marker pleaded.
Collette suddenly realized that Puck had never held a baby before. Surprisingly, Solomon wasn’t bothered. He settled into Puck’s lap in the sanctuary, Puck’s own chubby hands placed delicately over his stomach.
“I don’t want to push all of the air out of his tummy,” Puck said importantly. “Or else he can’t breathe.”
3:30, and the first day’s work was done. So was the library.
Back on the ranch, Puck hit the sandbox almost immediately.
The energy those kids expelled…
Mom and Linnea speared some rotisserie chicken before sliding Linnea off to another day of volleyball camp.
Meanwhile, Carrie had transferred old family vacation videos to DVD as Dad’s backordered Father’s Day gift.
On the way home, Puck translated to OLeif how Solomon had chowed on Collette’s fingers, perhaps experimenting with the idea of longer nails…
“He thought Mama’s fingers were a tasty little lunch,” Puck giggled.
OLeif slipped an Aldi pizza into the oven. Collette sliced it after piecing together Tuesday in a few minutes.
“What?” OLeif asked, after the first half of the pizza had been consumed. “You only sliced up half of the pizza? I have a very hard time with that kind of symmetry. I’ll have to eat two pieces now.”
Rose called…
“Crackers is ready to come home with you!”
And a bizarre game down in Miami.
Somehow it had been a busy day.