Loud Things
I was at the Big House just before nine o’clock to drop off Yali for his morning babysitting. Carrie-Bri was helping Irish with an Arabic assignment and required some additional resources.
“Oh, wait, I have a copy of the Quran,” Carrie remembered.
While Irish followed her to check out some wording, I caught up on a little typing in the living room. That’s when I heard a scuffle coming from the bunny room. Some larger commotion.
“AHHH!!”
What began as a routine check-in – I gather – of the bunnies by Carrie-Bri and Irish, had suddenly become a personal duel with a spider.
“Irish! Bring me a book! Quick!”
“Use the Quran!” I heard Irish tell her.
“I can’t do that!”
I can’t even begin to guess how insulting this statement would have been if overheard by any potential Muslim guest. However, the Quran was not used as a weapon against the eight-legged invader. Instead, Irish ambled out looking for something a little less… controversial.
“Ah.”
She grabbed Carrie’s copy of The Psychological Aspects of Crisis Negotiation. Unfortunately by this time, the spider had disappeared to some cranny, presumably never to be heard from again. He had evaded the smushing.
I spent my morning at school during a very Western-themed “Teacher Appreciation Day”, including line-dancing and a “bucking bronco” in the gymnasium. After Puck had observed a variety of teachers try their hand at this game, he concluded that one of the 5th grade teachers had done the best.
“He’s the strongest,” he told me solemnly at dinner.
The afternoon was just about as wild, with Yali tearing up and down the hallways with Puck, Heidi, and friends, alternating between shrieking tantrums, nervous whining, and deep belly laughs. Whatever mood suited at the time.
That evening while I prepared dinner, Yali whined some more when he discovered that no bananas remained in the fruit bowl. Or “noog-nas” as he calls them. That’s what happens when you buy two whole bunches on Monday and they disappear by Tuesday. Growing boys. Puck is taking this diet seriously. Can’t let any of the girls at school surpass him in height.
A little while after the meal I saw him walk into the shower wearing a snorkel mask.