March 27

When Collette opened the curtains that morning, the world looked brown. The rain was still falling. Things were pretty quiet at home and over at the house. After Collette worked with Frances on his algebra, Mom took him to his orthodontist appointment and on a list full of errands. Joe and Rose were at college.
After his morning walk, where he was escorted by Collette, Carrie-Bri, and Linnea, Puck was getting hungry for lunch. Collette looked into the dining room and saw him gnawing on the table. He was standing on his tip-toes in his socks, both chubby hands clapped on the hanging rim. His chin was thrust upward so that he could reach it with his teeth.
“Yah yah yah yah,” he said loudly.
Collette brought him into the kitchen where he began to reorganize Mom’s kitchen towel drawer.
“Why is Rose still gone?” Collette asked.
“Probably because I told her that she had to be ready for a 10:00 squishing when she got back home,” said Carrie.
That did seem to be the case, because when Rose returned about ten minutes later, she walked into the living room with her book bag and said:
“So much for that 10:00 squishing.”
She sat down on the couch.
“You mean, 11:00 squishing,” said Carrie.
She prepared for a running leap.
“Ah!” Rose cried.
“You mean 10:45,” said Linnea.
“Yeah! It’s not 11:00 yet!” said Rose.
“10:45 squishing,” said Carrie.
Rose screamed. But they were distracted by lunch. Collette was making bacon sandwiches.
Linnea took Puck into the living room where she took pictures of the two of them on Collette’s laptop.
After Puck was put down for his nap in his happy sunflower onesie, Collette worked on digging through The Apocrypha, beginning with Esdras.
Mom and Frances came back in the mid-afternoon. Linnea was planning a slumber party with the two Pie girls and Eleda. Mom was making last preparations for the Court of Honor and ironed a bright red table cloth for the display table. Rose had also returned and then left again for the library.
“Sorry, they didn’t have any scientific documentaries,” she told Carrie.
“I am very angry now,” said Carrie. “The library doesn’t have anything good.”
“Girls, can we talk about Linnea’s slumber party tomorrow?” Mom asked.
She was in the living room with her notebook, asking for ideas.
“What movie do you think they could watch?”
“Journey to the Center of the Earth,” said Collette.
“How about Winn Dixie?” said Mom.
“No – too boring,” Linnea sighed.
“28 Days Later,” said Carrie.
“I don’t think so,” said Mom.
Eventually, they decided that the girls could pick out their own movie from Dad’s incredibly large collection of DVDs.
“What games can they play?”
“Freeze.”
“Freeze?”
“Remember? We used to play that all the time.”
“Yeah, we even have it on video somewhere.”
After Collette and Carrie explained the game to Mom, using Rose and Linnea for the demonstration, they moved on to the next activity.
“You could give them make-overs, Carrie.”
“I don’t know if their mommies would approve,” said Mom.
“No, Mom. I can’t give make-overs. This is not the way I spend my Friday nights. Giving make-overs is no place for a mighty warrior!” Carried cried from the couch.
She dramatically smashed a pillow over her face.