Ch. 223; Vol. 10

Spontaneous Double Nursery Lead Duty.

Not what I expected to hear on a Sunday morning in August, with a gimpy back to boot.

Considering that I’m not even a Nursery Lead in the first place.

But you do what you have to do.

“Oh, your favorite!” Ivy teased, after the fact.

Fortunately, two and a half hours and three easy kids later, including the nephew of my 2nd – 7th grade crush [that’s just fun to say], my back was only slightly worse.

Rose had already presented Puck with a gift when I walked in the door – a new t-shirt from Target reading: “YOU WANNA PIZZA ME?”

“I was going to get him one with a UFO abducting a pizza, but they didn’t have his size.”

Another hit.

Francis walked in with two boxes of donuts – there had been a slight miscommunication regarding lunch – right about the time Carrie was ready to give Rose a kick in the seat of the pants for contradicting everything she said.

“Did you get any chocolate long johns?” I asked.

“Long John Silver had a cold upon his chest…” Carrie sang.

“No he didn’t!” Rose protested with a cackle.

I’m pretty sure Carrie had to restrain another kick.

“Francis!” Mom exclaimed. “Stop tying my curtain in knots!”

“It looks good!”

“Francis…”

“I’m not doing anything, Dad! I’m not the one causing trouble!”

The Bear walked into the kitchen, also hunting donuts. He pointed to the large bronze Persian pendant hanging around Carrie’s neck…

“What does your necklace mean, Carrie?”

Rose answered for her…

“It means ‘jerk’!”

Another cackle.

Dad eyed the double lines of assigned water glasses waiting by the kitchen sink…

“You can put me on the back row now, Adel,” he instructed.

“Dad’s requesting a transfer,” Francis grinned.

Puck fiddled with the loose knob of the toy drawer near where his uncle was standing…

“Francis, are you responsible for this?”

Linnea missed all of this and everything else of course, because she was in Oklahoma with Cherry and a bunch of adults, aiding with tornado relief.

Joe and Rose didn’t hang around long. Disc golf was waiting with Thunderbird and Annamaria at Creve Coeur Park. [Jaya was in Silver Dollar City.]

“Adel, why are you sweeping up everything so much?” Dad asked, relaxing on the couch.

“There are six animals in this house,” Mom answered, still sweeping. “Not including Joe and Francis.”

“They’re animals,” Dad agreed.

“We’re all animals,” Grandma added.

While three of the nine took naps, Puck walked back in the front door with Minecraft…

“Puck,” Carrie grinned at him. “You are a stinky, sweaty little boy.”

“Heh heh heh heh heh.”

Carrie was leaving to meet Lucia. And Francis walked up from the basement: blowing things up with his buddy someplace…

“Francis, come give Earnest a kiss.”

“Nope.”

“Yup, come on.”

“Fine.”

Aunt Galena walked in the door after three o’clock, on her way back from Mexico to Virginia to see everyone for three hours, toting sacks of cheesecakes, peanuts from Virginia, a gift for Mom, and a card for Francis’ Eagle Scout ceremony.

“Wow!” Mom laughed. “Why do you have to live all the way in Virginia?”

And the stories and ideas and observations. Everyone should have an Aunt Galena.