Ch. 264; Vol. 10

Carrie offered her services that morning to help me paint the trim on the house, because…

“Dad’s grounded me from any more renovations,” she said. “He doesn’t like the mess.”

“Feel free to come over any time,” Bær graciously offered.

Scrapers, primer, white exterior paint, brushes, four of my good Tupperware, two ladders, and a couple of sweaters. It was a cool morning.

Bær left Puck on my laptop sculpting fictional worlds, while Carrie and I shaved ancient paint into our faces. But surprisingly – even for Minecraft – Puck was Tom Sawyer-ed to the front porch…

“CAN I HELP?!”

“Well…” I looked around, trying to figure out the best way. “Here, I’ll let you paint something else…”

“THIS ROCK?”

“Sure…”

Puck turned over a gray rock by the lilac bush…

“Ughck! Roly polies all over it.”

I promise it couldn’t have been more than two seconds I was turned around.

“I’M PAINTING THE DOOR!!!”

SLAP!

It wasn’t really surprising or anything. Trails of white paint all over the porch cement while the young artist “helped” paint the door into a masterpiece. Fortunately, the door was white…

“Puck!”

“I’m trying to help, Mom!”

“Well, I wasn’t going to start in on the door today…”

“Well, I didn’t know!”

I let him finish the brush out anyway, manipulating some of the drips, while I scrubbed most of the paint off the porch. Most.

Anyway, I guess it took about three hours. Carrie works fast and didn’t mind climbing all over the roof in my place, reminding me that rooftops and vertigo weren’t close friends.

Gloria got us Chick-Fil-A for dinner. For the kid who consumed two whole cucumbers in two days, I think I could allow some French fries in lieu of the apple wedge side option. And a parrot book.

After two episodes of Andy Griffith, we prepared to leave.

Sebastian joined us, frolicking into the street like a crazy dog.

“COME BACK, SEBASTIAN!” Puck yelled.

“Get in the car, son.”

“Can I watch? PLEASE? It’s such a fun show!”