When Mom and Dad Aren't Around
During the congregational meeting following the worship service, Bær found Puck sitting at the Sunday School table with his buddies, their hands folded on top of each other like they were in an important meeting.
“We’re going to be in the sanctuary, so you can play back here for awhile,” Bær told him.
“Well,” Puck replied, “I guess that frees up some of my time then.”
Mom and Dad were still in Branson. Rose was busy painting or something with friends; wasn’t sure; sometimes she likes to live cryptically which, I confess, is a rarity in this family. And Jaya was playing more music someplace. So Carrie placed an order with Pizza Hut before we discussed the most immediate family happenings, unaware of Linnea preparing to baseball-pitch a cat toy into Francis’ awaiting four-foot wood stick poised bat-style across the living room.
“This is going to end well,” Bær noted.
Again. This is what happens. Impending disasters are almost ignored. So I chaperoned Linnea’s drive to the pizza site while Francis commandeered the credit card and the back-seat driving…
“LINNEA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”
“LOOK OUT!”
“SLOW DOWN!”
Back at the Big House, when the pizza stampede had tapered, Snuggles and Pumpkin saw their opportunity and made their ascent. Carrie charged…
“You know what, you two are going to spend some quality time in the laundry room!”
Of course she wasn’t fast enough to catch Snuggles from drinking out of the toilet later that evening… The Cat Who is Dog.
The afternoon rolled away quickly. Bær, Joe, and Francis took the truck to pick up Rose’s cat-clawed chalky green-blue couch which Linnea was incorporating into her bedroom.
Puck’s Minecraft began to play a contemplative little tune. Carrie saw an opportunity. “Oh, Puck. Puck, this seems like some good cuddling music.” She put her head on his shoulder.
Puck next to rolled his eyes, but just smiled a little. “I don’t care because I can play Minecraft.”
“This will be our cuddling music then.”
He agreed. A deal was struck.
Francis got cozy with the cat before splitting a pomegranate with Bær.
Puck put down his pizza slice. “I already ate my dinner. I want a cucumber now.” Dessert.
Bær walked into the kitchen after brushing Puck’s teeth. “Multiple times today,” he said, “Gus would just pause what he was doing and say, ‘Massachusetts‘, and wiggle his eyebrows.”