More Basketball

For the past several weeks, Puck had been waking in the morning with a fanfare of, “Daduu! Daduu!”
And usually, Collette would walk sleepily into his room where he would already be grinning a chubby grin, and she would give him his “bunny book” to read until she had finished getting ready for the morning.
Back to basketball.
It was a red star for Linnea that week in a near victory, 23-24. A good game. Rose, with her brand new Canon camera, took a score of shots while Dad and Francis kept an eye on the action from above at the top of the folded-back risers. Puck enjoyed watching his Lila play the game and munched on a bag of animal crackers passed down the row to him from Grandma Combs.
Over at the Silverspoon’s house, Puck had a treat waiting. A small open-roof playhouse with mailbox, letters, red, blue, and yellow birds, and small vegetable garden. He enjoyed this new novelty while Izzy kept an eye on the pizza casserole in the oven.
Then to Francis’ game. A loss — 38 to 17. The boys were looking tired before they even began the game. Francis’ legendary rosy cheeks were even more red by the end of the game.
Back at the Silverspoon’s, Gloria had found another toy for Puck. After sitting him in a tall laundry basket, like his own carnival ride, she began to swing him back and forth. Then Theodore helped swing him too.
“Swing, swing!” Puck began to sing.
And then he heard the magic word, “bath”, and hurried for the tub calling out, “Bubbles! Bubbles!”