December 18

Over at the house for a few more shots at math with Francis before the Christmas week.
Dad was working in the basement.
Mom took Francis to his orthodontist appointment before returning for Christmas shopping with Carrie-Bri.
OLeif was working from home for the day.
Joe was still in Rolla.
Linnea was practicing gymnastics stretches in the living room.
And Puck stuffed himself on the remaining bacon from breakfast asking for, ‘More meat?’, with a huge grin on his face.

The rest of the day stayed mildly cool until the evening.
Dad went for a jog in the light mist, possibly a bit of snow mixed in, wearing his reflective vest that Grandma Combs had purchased for him.
“She probably thought I’d make a better target wearing it,” he joked.
Mom prepared for her evening run to get Linnea and Eleda around to their basketball practice and a slumber party.
Kitts arrived in the early afternoon to do some additional shopping with Carrie. They returned later for some play time with Puck and some reading of books. Puck was very happy to have another aunt race matchbox cars through wood block cities with him, and made loud, continuous declarations throughout their play time together. He also warmed up to the idea of someone else being able to read Dan the Bandage Man to him, and had several selections read to him by Kitty before their departure.
Thor was fixing a special dinner for Carrie that evening.
Joe was on his way back from Rolla at around three o’clock or so, hitting what he labeled a ‘blizzard’ sometime nearing five.
Rose was planning to spend the evening with Juliet, who was back from Mizzou.
And Collette and Puck dropped off Linnea and Gretyl at Dairy Queen on their way to drop off Francis at Creole’s, (who had, apparently, finally decided it was cold enough to start wearing pants instead of shorts), for them to bike to Puff ‘o Lump’s house.

That evening, after a drive home in the light rain, Collette put together chicken chili and biscuits for her boys before it was time for her little man in red footy pajamas to be escorted to his crib for the night. And OLeif resurrected their first little white-lighted Christmas tree, the old twenty-dollar Target find five years ago, to put in Puck’s room, upon request.