It's Always Something
Puck’s talent for collecting knick-knacks shines every morning, usually about the time I’m trying to get us out the door for school. However, this talent can be useful in its own way.
“Yali, come here. I need to get you dressed.”
Yali just grinned at me from the kitchen, big fat dimples.
“Yali!” Puck ordered him.
When I looked over at the two of them again, Puck had attached a small yellow plunger to Yali’s bare stomach, escorting him out of the kitchen by the handle, Yali giggling all the way. Then he packed Oxbear’s motorcycle gloves to bring to school; no real explanation.
In another fast day, it was after three o’clock and we were back on the playground after carpool. Heidi was busy cutting through a dismantled yogurt box from the recycling pile with my pocket scissors while Puck yakked about how big of a nerd he is. When he finally got a little too silly for Heidi’s tastes, she had a few choice words for him.
“Want me to leave, sonny boy?”
It was movie night again. I got things together while Yali didn’t try too hard to stay out of trouble. When I looked at him again he had bit clear through the green peel of a young banana because dinner just wasn’t being served fast enough.
A few hours later the gang was all back for another Friday night of terrible movie-watching, all Snicketts kids and spouses, plus Thumper. Snacks such as Amish gummy bears were shared over a somewhat terrifying film called “The Innocents”, just after Carrie-Bri told us about waking up Francis for class that morning.
“So he was all wrapped up in his blanket downstairs like something blubbery that just washed up on the beach, so I took his Philmont walking stick and poked him in the gut.”
“Yeah,” Francis grimaced. “Then she made me hot chocolate for breakfast with oat milk.”
Carrie-Bri grinned and held up a hand for a high five. “Health!”
Francis wasn’t biting. Instead, he dove into a box of donuts, knocking one onto the 47 year-old basement floor.
“I’m still going to eat it,” he insisted.
“Francis, do you know what’s on that floor?” Rose protested. She and Irish informed him at the same time. “Asbestos!”
Francis just laughed and ate it anyway.