Carrie's Cookies

They woke up to a surprise that morning. A light dusting of snow on the back patio. It was cold, and although Carrie-Bri was hoping to escape to a little warmth further south, the temperatures would still not be her ideal. Although most anything beat the frigidness that was St. Louis in January. Except for their friends in Michigan, where it was negative four.

Puck enjoyed his morning with Pumpkin. Linnea set the fat black thing on the tray of Puck’s walker. Puck gave the cat hugs and petted her, (albeit more of a baby pounding). Puck shook his head in happiness and gave Pumpkin a ride around the kitchen. Naturally as soon as Pumpkin decided that she couldn’t take any more baby love, off she jumped. Puck immediately went off for the chase.

“Aw, he wants his own kitty,” said Carrie.

Collette would not consent.

Everyone was busy with their own things. Dad off to Iowa. Mom teaching. OLeif working. Collette doing the usual mom things. Carrie preparing to leave for Texas. Joe back in class. Rose back in class. Frances at choir. Linnea in school. Puck doing Puck things… Life was beautiful.

Meanwhile, Carrie had to make a batch of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies before leaving the state. Dad would not benefit from the goodies before they disappeared. But Lucia would have three on her desk at work the next day. Puck tried to climb his Tante Carrie while she mixed the oatmeal flour. He had taken to cuddling everyone lately, including Linnea’s Webkinz “Love Frog”.

Later, Carrie surveyed the damage that was the kitchen. Every time Carrie had been cooking, no matter what it was, one would have thought the kitchen had exploded.

“Maybe if I don’t clean it up for awhile, Mom will do it for me,” she said slyly.

Collette also spent a brief part of her afternoon writing a snippet of an inside joke for Daddy Pea back in Texas, at his request while on the flight from London.

Come later in the afternoon, Mom went out for a walk after encouraging Linnea to practice her basketball for awhile.

Good news of the day included Curly being accepted into Belmont, where he would hopefully begin attending that fall.

Puck had found two new toys – an old truck of either Joe’s or Frances’. And, Linnea’s freshly-pumped basketball. After watching Collette dribble it on the floor, he also tried to pat it in a similar fashion. While not entirely successful, he at least had the general idea through the wonderful world of imitation.

“Hey, Fluffy Pants!” Rose greeted her nephew upon return from choir.

And seeing as Rose had three hours before her night class, she changed into her pajamas. This wasn’t unusual.

“Carrie!” Mom called from the kitchen. “I appreciate the cookies, but no more baking things. It looks like a tornado came through the kitchen.”

Simple days.