Ch. 179; Vol. 10

English Canada.

A place I’m not even entirely sure exists. And a place my dreams sent me. Well. Sent Carrie. On a cruise. Which is, frankly, a method of transportation she would never employ again. Unless there were balmy treeless green hills involved.

It wasn’t long after breakfast that Puck had sandwiched himself between two laundry baskets, ready for more ideas…

“A pod, eh?”

“It’s not a pod, Mom. It’s a space pod.”

The day had officially begun.

Blue sky, white puffs.

We brought them to a park and they found the woods…

“ANNELIESE WHERE ARE YOU!?”

“I’m deep in the forest!”

In and out, weaving through crumbly bramble. Branches like driftwood, burlap and plastic bits, empty cookie containers, trash to toss. One good walking stick.

“Do you want a snack, guys?”

Peanuts, carrot sticks, bottles of cold water.

Then back again, sweat streaking dirty blonde hair. Pigtails, pink cheeks.

Idlewild would have the baby in September, a boy to match three sisters. And we briefly reviewed the spring under more clouds and cool breezes.

“You didn’t talk about being boyfriend and girlfriend with Anneliese, did you?” I asked Puck later.

“No.”

I’m supposed to ask questions like that.

“That’s good. Because it’s too early for that.”

“Yeah. Way too early.”

No problems yet.

Library: Heaven Books.

Groceries: Lentils, Potato Rolls, Eggs… Nutella Snack Pack for Puck.

Puck Chanting at Dinner: Wish the World was Minecraft, Wish the World was Minecraft.

Dinner: Taco Salad: Beef, Beans, Seasoning, Romaine, Green Onion, Tomato, Avocado, Cheddar, Tortilla Chips, Catalina, Sour Cream [Optional].

Fun comes in pairs in this place. If not more.

If Puck is friends with strangers at the grocery store, it’s just as fun with a friend of one third his childhood. This time it was Louis Kirk, a fellow youngster in boy crimes. And Monsters University seemed like a good outlet for humor and boy-time. Accompanied by four parents – Misty-Hanna having a second baby in February – handfuls of Sprees, and a few extra scoops of energy that encouraged Puck to break a glass bottle lying dormant on the parking lot – before we even walked into the theater…

“Why, Puck?”

“I wanted to see if it would break!”

Louis’ stuffed monkey flying through the air more than a few times.

Then Fritz’s custard.

Buckets of crazy.

Vanilla custard cone dipped in colored sprinkles for my big guy.

This was full decadence and too-much-fun-stuff on a balmy Friday night after ten o’clock.

Puck had one more pointed instruction before going to bed, one finger raised in the air, like handing out the first-semester syllabus….

“You can check on me the next, past hour.”

Asleep in seconds.