Another Fascination
I heard the alarm go off at six o’clock that morning, the boys rummaging through piles of clean laundry, loading the bikes up in the car. That early morning bicycle trip was happening even earlier than I thought. I took advantage of this rarity and slept in.
When they returned in a light rain shower – a little thunder thrown in the mix – Puck’s stomach was full of McDonald’s after a mile of bike trails and scuffed legs. Happy boy.
While I was in KC, the boys visited the fireworks stand. Puck came away with a five-dollar bag stuffed with goodies, which were now sprawled all over the kitchen table before school. He enjoyed admiring the individual pieces and how best to launch them on Friday.
While I prepped his math page, he sat on the linoleum with Crackers wedged inside a cardboard box, pumping out his own club music, dancing cat in a box.
“Isn’t she cute Mom? N-ss n-ss n-ss n-ss.”
A knock at the door. Anna and Eddie seeking playtime. Puck answered in his rollerblades, where Anna showed off fresh goods from NYC, her very own Build-a-Bear from her mom’s recent trip. I couldn’t hear all the back and forth from the kitchen, but Puck’s voice is always loud enough for me to fill in the gaps with little trouble.
“Hi! I can’t play… No, not right now. I’m still doing school… Yeah. It’s a little different when you’re homeschooled… I know. It’s a little different when you’re homeschooled, like I just said… Okay. I’ll come out to play at two o’clock or something. BYE!… BYE!… BYE!… Okay… Which clock is wrong? Yours or mine?… Maybe your dad got a, a um uh French clock! Oh … oh … WELL, SEE YA! BYE! SEE YAS!”
When he rolled back to his writing notebook, he scowled. Something wasn’t right on the page.
“Ug. I hate it when I write fat e’s. They look like a woman that’s pregnant.”
The things this kid picks up from places, I don’t know.
Puck got his two and a half hours of playtime in later that afternoon, around a brief drizzle of rain, peddling up and down the street for awhile, trailed by Anna in a turquoise blue “I Heart NYC” shirt.
Finally called him in for pork fajitas at 5:30, hot shower, and wrapped up more titles on his summer library reading program. The usual 7:30 bedtime to get ready for another early morning bike ride.
By the time he was snoring – one would presume – El Oso was home with two bags of Hershey’s chocolate treasures. Don’t worry, Gloria; I won’t eat them all in one sitting.