One Hour Too Long
Munch, munch, munch, munch, munch.
I’ve really got to start waking up before the First Grader. Unapologetically crunching through that tupperware of uncooked macaroni on the couch, still clad in footy pajamas. I knew he was practicing for his upcoming spend-the-night at Rose’s condo. Snack buddies.
El Oso was already gone – seven o’clock breakfast appointment with Ethiopia at Starbuck’s.
Even on a Friday at home, one blink and it’s lunch. I prepared the next mealtime missionary story – Mexican Indian villages – while Puck asked about how many types of pasta existed in the world. He guessed two hundred thousand; we found a figure nearer six hundred.
I, half-reluctantly, admit that we later spent half an hour browsing Old Spice commercials housed against the cold wind of a paltry afternoon sun that had still failed to melt Monday night’s sugar dusting.
Cuddled in his jams again on the couch next to me that evening, resting two chubby cheeks in his hands, Puck contemplated God’s omnipresence over a stack of books:
“God can see you even if you’re in a one hundred stack of boxes … He can always see you … no matter where you are … you can’t hide from Him … He always sees you … from Heaven.”
… adding just one more qualifier every time I started to read the next sentence. Love that kid.
Carrie-Bri and Rose were the only guests for movie night – everyone else was tired – over a case of canned Yoohoos and weather-chilled peanut butter cookies. A little baseball chitchat. A little cat chitchat. Before the real show began.
El Oso walked in way late from work, after helping Joe with the wedding website, in his Norwegian fisherman’s skull cap to also partake – gawk – at the madness of 149 minutes of Bollywood’s finest: “Mujhse Dosti Karoge.” Guaranteed laughs. There was very much: gagging sound effects, groans, and, “Are you serious? It’s only half over?” And enough double thumb jokes to land all three of us girls serious roles as sixth grade class bullies in a good-natured 1950’s television program. Good fun. Once you start Bollywood, you never quite go back.