Because We Can ...

“If Crackers found a hole she could fit through, it could lead to gold; you never know,” Puck followed Bær through the house with this vital information on an early Sunday morning. “Gold that Indians left here long ago.”

No doubt.

“Mom?” Puck pulled on his coat. “Could I have a piece of gum to make my teeth shine?”

It was about an hour hour after the church luncheon had ended. Francis and Rose faced off in the living room, each armed with a single long slat from a discarded wood window blind. Both slats brandished at each other, neither willing to back down.

“Now this is ridiculous,” Mom refereed. “On the count of three, drop your weapons. One … two … three!”

Nothing.

Francis and Rose just grinned at each other.

“Now, really!” Mom protested. “Puck, what would you do to get them to stop?”

Puck grinned. “Threaten them with more homework?”

The joust ended when Francis broke his slat in half. Rose was victorious and went to the kitchen to collect a plate of grub.

“Coke, brownie, and milk?” Carrie scoffed at her. “What? Are you trying to get kidney stones?”

“They don’t know what causes kidney stones,” came Rose’s retort.

Snuggles walked past with the used end of a dum-dum stick stuck to his fur: Joe’s doing. Joe, lounging on the couch discussing honeymoon locations while looking on at the convention of his sisters’ afternoon conversation in absolute disbelief. I recall matters of fake British accents, burberry coats, and Cuban Pete. An hour later, the problems of the world had – once again – been solved.

We spent about half an hour or so driving to a Ponderosa by Six Flags – Dad’s memories of high school – only to find it closed for revisions. The two-car caravan ended up at Cracker Barrel with a friendly Chinese waitress for more ridiculous banter.

In the last minutes before his bedtime reads, Puck filled one of Carrie’s old Topo Chico bottles with water and cleaning solution, which he asked me to label: Poison.

I hope if a robber comes in here he listens to the rule of my bottle, else or he’ll die …”

Adoption Status: Down: 4 years, 3 months; To Go: 2 years.