Puck Learns a Trick

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Puck giggled all morning, especially when OLeif tossed him up and down and all around. Thankfully, he didn’t lose his breakfast.

“Look at our son, the daredevil,” said OLeif.

He balanced Puck, standing up on his Dad’s knee. OLeif let go, and Puck, holding both chubby fists in his mouth, giggled loudly as he fell into his dad’s arms.

Tuesday. A quiet day at home with the Puckster, who had become a little man overnight. That was the thing about being sick for two or three days and being unable to see one’s baby very much. He suddenly looked and even acted older than she remembered. His gurgles seemed more intelligent, more controlled. His hand movements were more intentional. That, of course, was probably only her imagination. But it was fun to watch the apparent changes anyway.

That morning Collette started cleaning the kitchen while Puck rolled over onto his stomach on the rug. Collette washed dishes, keeping an eye on him out of the corner of her eye. But somehow he slipped out of view.

“Puck, where are you?”

Collette came out of the kitchen.

“No, Puck! Give me that.”

The guilty Puck had somehow scooched himself across the rug to a tantalizing pile of papers and books which Collette had set on the floor by the coffee table.

“Come on, buddy. You can’t have that.”

Collette removed several folded papers from his hands which he was ravenously stuffing into his face before he could be caught. Collette removed her Israeli tour papers just in time before he gnawed the edges too badly.

Collette distracted him with a walk around the neighborhood. Clouds were enormous that morning. Islands in the sky.

For Puck’s afternoon catnap, Collette created a cave of crags and tunnels with blankets and pillows. Puck enjoyed watching this new world from underneath the blanket canopy before falling into a snooze next to his mom.

Come evening, Puck had learned a new game. As they sat on the front porch, he watched her for a moment, as if he was remembering something. Then opening his mouth wide in a baby growl, he threw himself forward toward her face and attacked.

“Ahhhhhhr!” He said.

Collette laughed aloud.

“Are you eating me, Puck?”

She did the same back to him. Puck thought about this, and then ate his mom again. The game continued until his next walk. Puck was happy with his new trick. He had also enjoyed singing with his Grandma Combs on Friday afternoon. He was learning all sorts of new things and it brought many a grin to his chubby baby face.