Happy Birthday, Mom!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
In which Mom’s birthday is mildly celebrated a day late on the first day of advent…
Dreams of packs of Buddhist monks in yellow robes…
OLeif had 1970’s New York jazz and 1600’s sea chanties going that morning over breakfast…
In the cold gray morning at church, the day kicked off with a 7:45 rehearsal. Puck sat next to Collette, listening…
“I want to be a pastor, Mama.”
“Why do you want to be a pastor? What do they do?”
“They preach.”
“Do you want to preach?”
“Yeah. But I’m not gonna stand up there that long. I’m going to sit in a chair and preach.”
He began to peruse the church newsletter and found a map of Egypt…
“Mama!” he cried, pointing to the map, “Baby Hesed is on that orbit!”
Then poor (possibly 85 year-old) Georgia Owen falling and perhaps fracturing her wrist. She was driven to the hospital by Phineas after Liepaja had inspected it.
In happier news, Mom was looking happy with her birthday pink puff-sleeved cardigan and white crocheted floral necklace.
“Oh, look,” said Mollie walking past, “the Snicketts’ latest fashion!”
Puck, who was busy ridding himself of a cold, was obliged to sit with Collette during Nicodemus’ final Sunday School lesson of the quarter. So he amused himself with two keys from Collette’s purse for an hour.
Lunch followed back at the house with dollar sandwiches on none other than Hawai’ian sweet rolls.
The boys were arguing about car tires…
The name of Carrie-Bri’s company was discussed.
And Mom’s gifts were opened, which included a black ivory Pashmina shawl from OLeif, Collette, and Puck. And a porcelain rose coffee mug with green silicone lid from the rest of the family in addition to her gifts from Saturday.
Somewhere during the last part of the meal, Francis was asking for trouble…
“Let me pinch you, Francis,” Carrie commanded him.
Francis immediately threw up two arms over his gut; not fast enough.
“The cat’s eating the ham,” Dad called from the kitchen.
“Better than the three shrews he ate yesterday,” Carrie replied.
In other news…
Carrie and Rose had heard the ‘worst music ever‘ at church on Saturday while sandwiched between Dr. Hu and Benedict. And apparently Benedict had fallen asleep during the sermon.
“I smell something old in here,” said Dad, sniffing as he walked through the living room.
“It’s basil, Dad.”
The Christmas tree was shining in tinsel.
And Puck had brought up bunches of Mom’s balloons.
“You should have seen Earnest yesterday, herding them around,” said Carrie.
Francis was busy judging the current scene of the living room, rubbing at his hairless chin.
“You should grow out a mustache,” Carrie advised. “Let it grow over your mouth so we don’t have to hear you talk.”
Francis just grinned.
Then everyone argued about the vehicle situation…
“We can’t use the green van to move Rose’s stuff.”
“The doors fly open and Rose’s stuff flies out all over the highway.”
“She’s so embarrassed, she just keeps driving. ‘Those aren’t mine. What? That’s someone else’s blue couch.’”
Then Francis ran out of the kitchen before Carrie and Rose could beat him up for some forgotten reason.
The afternoon arrived.
Mom and Dad napped.
So the four girls departed for World Market. Rose had a few more things to add to the apartment list.
“I’ll bring you back something special, Squishy,” Carrie promised Puck as they walked out the door.
They piled into the Fit.
“Why is there a can of diced tomatoes in here?”
Rose cranked up Pachelbel’s Canon as they careened down the road, attempting to drown out Carrie’s narration of her Saturday…
“So I woke up… started my day off with an R.C. Sproul lecture… and then I squished Rose… and then I made my selection of what to wear for the day…”
World Market was always an interesting look-around: red elephants from Kenya, rhubarb soap, twig colored pencils from India, Korean grocery sacks, red velvet pancake mix… In the end, Rose selected two Trade Winds decorative throw pillows. And Carrie picked up more Pellegrino and a large box of fortune cookies for Puck, which Dad consumed throughout the rest of the day. Well, so did pretty much everyone else. Stuff about old friends, the beach, and wealth.
After World Market, Rose dropped into Lowe’s for new hardware for her refinished cabinet.
When they returned, it was time for Mom to have her birthday wish. So the Fit caravan departed for downtown:
Old Fit: Joe, OLeif, Francis, Linnea-Irish, Rose
Mom’s Fit: Dad, Mom, Carrie-Bri, Puck, and Collette
First stop in the misting afternoon…
A house in U. City. Big two-story, brick. Nice neighborhood. As they were departing following the brief look-about, a little girl next door waved to OLeif and yelled…
“Bye! Bye!”
Then a drive-by Rose’s new apartment.
Followed by the lights in The Loop.
“Momo’s is down that way,” Carrie pointed.
And memories of Collette’s 25th birthday, including the belly dancer…
“Does Grandpa belly-dance?” Puck asked.
“Belly-dance?” Carrie asked.
“Ballet!”
“Oh, ballet. You think Grandpa would look good in a tutu?”
“No. He’s not a girl.”
On the road home, the rain continued to mist as Dad suggested that the boys should start working out together…
“Of course, I never worked out with my brothers,” he said. “They couldn’t keep up.”
Mom wanted White Castle for dinner. So two Crave Cases later, and national news wrapped up the evening, as Puck did some ‘astronaut training’ with his Uncle Joe.
The night was to include a movie on the Hallmark station for Mom and Dad, and for Carrie: Skype chat and a business meeting.
Puck walked out the door with a ‘secrets pouch’ from Carrie to house his fortunate cookie tag.
“Put it under your pillow tonight and it will come true soon,” she advised him.
A small lucky package is on its way to you soon.
He was very excited.
“Will it work, Sun?”
“If you obey your mama and you’re very good, it might come true.”
Exemplary behavior for the remainder of the night. There was good reason Puck’s Christmas wish list included an Etsy t-shirt that read:
I’d rather be with my aunt.