January 2
Sunday, January 2, 2011
At breakfast, Puck stared at his bowl of oatmeal unhappily. And then at Collette’s bowl of cereal that she had let him finish.
“This is driving me crazy. Now I have two bowls.”
During church, Puck was busy trying to sing along as usual, in a very loud drone. And during the sermon, Collette could hear him whispering to his daddy…
“Why was his body falling apart and he died?”
Someone had been paying attention to the sermon…
Back at the house…
“We may have found observational evidence that there is more than one universe,” Carrie announced, munching a handful of animal crackers.
Then they discussed body signs and giveaways, including the unusual fact that dilated pupils could often mean that the person in question was romantically attracted to the other person. And Rose’s thoughts of eventually purchasing a membership to the Art Museum, which included the upcoming events of: Fiery Pool: the Maya and the Mythic Sea and Monet’s Water Lilies, 42 feet of panels being united for display for the first time in 30 years.
Lunch: red-sauce-meatloaf, blue cheese-bacon potatoes, and crescent rolls. Collette wasn’t a big fan of meatloaf, but this time, it was good.
The afternoon came…
Rose’s room was being invaded by Linnea and Puck while she was busy with a round of Age of Empires.
“Oh,” Rose groaned, “I just came back here to have a little peace and quiet and to destroy some civilizations.”
Out on the piano, a plate of new giant bath bombs waited for use: pink mint maté, which Rose said smelled like cream cheese mints, and yellow tumeric.
And while Collette, Carrie-Bri, and Rose discussed future academic and profession prospects with Joe, Linnea-Rose left to join Gretyl for her Prince Caspian birthday slumber party.
By four o’clock, it was time to leave for everyone but Joe (who had to drop in at work), and Rose, to Grandma Snicketts’ to set up her new digital photo frame. She was doing so well now, that she could sit up and receive company, passing around the peppermint bark from Bristol and Nerissa. And Puck stood in awe at Grandma’s pig collection.
“They’re invading Grandma’s house,” Dad told him. “Pigs like it here.”
And Carrie laughingly suggested that Grandma try out one of the tiny teacup pigs for a pet.
“Oh, I don’t want any of those,” Grandma laughed.
And they all looked over the passing photos on the frame, hundreds taken from the slides that Grandma and Grandpa had made in the 60’s and 70’s. Aunt Corliss, Uncle Clarence, Uncle Balthasar, and Dad: redhead, brown, towhead, auburn (or red), respectively. The four successful, respected, accomplished, and renowned Snicketts children. And the legacy continued — it was just learned that Samwise was to head from MIZZOU with his undergrad in biology, to law school, just like his dad; Uncle Clarence had attended Wash-U law school. Nothing like bragging on extended family…
The slides next included a photo of Uncle Clarence’s seven-foot snowman.
“Was that what the neighbor knocked down?” asked Grandma. “Or was it that igloo you all made out of ice blocks. And that neighbor got drunk and knocked it over.”
Then a photo of a black bear crossing the road while on their vacation to Yellowstone.
“They weren’t supposed to photograph those things,” said Grandma.
“What are they, Amish?” Mom laughed.
“Well, at least not taking pictures outside of their cars,” Grandma chuckled.
Next followed a photo of the bear, clearly being photographed outside of the car, with several other dudes standing feet away from him.
“Yeah, Dad was waiting behind those guys so the bear would get them first, if he attacked,” Dad explained.
Then the photos of Uncle Balthasar and Dad as Boy Scouts, and somehow the tune of Baa Baa Black Sheep, not the nursery rhyme version, was being sung by Grandma, Dad, and Mom.
After five, they returned to the house after picking up an order of 70 chicken nuggets.
And the day ended with Puck’s song, prayers, and the last thing from his mama: ‘I love you, buddy. You’re my best Puck.’ Followed by OLeif reading him to sleep.