Fighting with the Devil

When I got back from working the school lunch room early that afternoon, Yali had found a new friend. An “ancient” Winnie the Pooh hand puppet, as Puck described it, amongst all the grandkid toys at the Silverspoon’s. This had apparently inspired him to learn the Winnie the Pooh theme song which he began to sing over and over and over and over and over again. His first song – and he only knew the first three words of it.

Carpool.

Three kids camped around Hans’ desk and the bottomless candy box. Yali knows where to find it now. Then Heidi decided to put on a puppet show with the Winnie the Pooh puppet and a cardboard box from the recycling bins. Both boys took a seat for the show, and some giggles, until Yali started tiger growling at everyone instead.

Meanwhile, Mom had just left for about two weeks in Germany, catching her first flight from a little airport somewhere in Illinois that I’d never heard of before.

Back at the Silverspoon’s. Puck had homework, but it was way more interesting to play with and/or annoy his little brother. About three Yali-screams later, I broke up the bumper cars on the driveway.

“Come on, boys. Be good.”

“I’m sorry, buddy. It’s okay. It’s okay, buddy. We’re just playing.”

Yali ended the ear-blasting screams due to the soothing tones of his older brother’s voice.

“Thanks for being good to him, bud. Thanks for being patient.”

I could see the honesty wheels already turning. “Well, Mom, I’m fighting with the devil right now. Whether I should be nice to Yali or bother him. I can’t decide. I’m fighting which one to do. I’m also secretly chasing him to annoy him.”