Don't Eat the Candle
Sometimes Yali finds things that I forgot about awhile ago. This time, it was a package of little once-used pirate-themed cake candles that Mom had passed off to me for the boys. Mixed in there were a few tiny stick candles. I allowed Yali to hold one of them on our drive to the Big House late that morning.
“Just don’t eat the candle,” I teased him as we walked out the door.
He ate the candle.
Halfway down the highway: “Ma! Ma! Ma!”
I turned around to see what he needed. He was trying to pass me a handful of candle mash that he had clearly chewed to bits and spit back in his little brown hand. I never thought he’d actually do it. I don’t know; maybe some flecks managed to find their way down his throat, but he certainly wasn’t bothered.
Podcast Episode 76 was in the books by the time Yali and I left again to collect Puck from school. Carrie-Bri has some long days working with all those lads in A&P downtown. Frankly, it sounds like a pretty smelly event to me. But she still finds the energy to yak with me about baseball twice a week for the podcast.
She did have the privilege of working closest to the radio at class that week to catch the first game of the double-header. Occasionally when the rest of the class heard cheers from the radio, all riveting would spontaneously cease for an update.
“Carrie! Carrie! What happened?”
Anyway, with an off day, an NL division clinch, and a meaningless – hopefully relaxing – weekend of ball coming up in Atlanta, we were guaranteed at least one week of tension-free baseball. That hadn’t happened in some time. Not since Spring Training, I guess.
Back at school the baby battles continued. Seven weeks into the school year and Yali is still the toast of the town.
“He’s my baby,” Violet reminded one of the other girls as carpool commenced. “But, you can hold him, just until Puck comes out. Then I get him again.”
After the distribution of Yali had been administered, and some goofing around in the sanctuary, we hit the road home before traffic.
That evening, both boys got in their footy pajamas around the same time. Puck already cuddles Yali whenever he gets the chance, but it’s just that much more fun when they’re both decked out in footies for the occasion.
Soon, the blue flash of Oxbear’s Mazda pulled up the street. I hardly had to encourage them. Puck grabbed Yali and they both ran for the door, down the driveway, Yali on Puck’s hip, to greet their dad.