Carpet cleanering appointment meant that APC moved heaven, earth, and most of our worldly possessions to maximize our annual free "treatment" while GMK drove the J-crabs to camp and I took Charlie-boy to Speech and Physical therapies. Naturally, the cleaner didn't arrive until Charlie and I were home (drat) so "we" (meaning mostly APC) got to corral him in the 20-sq-ft of our quarters that are not either carpeted or piled high with stuff removed from the carpeting. Initially, Charlie was "scarred" but then wanted to watch (not an approved activity) "Bob the Builder" cween the cah-pet. Later, the cleaner-guy left the vacuum going but went outside and Charlie announced in a loud voice, "MY TURN!" Not so "scarred" apparently.
Alas, this meant that we needed to stay off the carpet for 3-hours. So off we went, after a nice and not-very-brief talk with Lonnie the bus scheduler for San Diego City Schools. To Islands for burgers and A/C. WWF lunchtime with Charlie on my side of the booth. Well, I had a clinic meeting to attend so I was driving separately from this point forward. I suggested that we exit the restaurant and then I'd return in (to use the restroom) to which APC responded, "We're tricking him, huh?"
Fine, have it your way. So I left them at the table ...
WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....Mommy's HERE-GUH! Mommy's HERE-GUH!
Charlie was still thrashing and wailing in the CR-V when I emerged.
As the story goes, he was likewise engaged when GMK and APC (and Charlie) reached the entrance to Marshall's 15-minutes later.
So they abandoned the plan of shopping and went to Kate Sessions park for a sunburn & shriek march of joy, interrupting meditators, musicians, and wildlife. Even the flora complained to the Parks & Rec Dept.
Fast-forward to my exit of my meeting...I call home and reach my sitter who says Charlie's fine but Tim is having drama. Apparently, it took GMK, APC, and Patty Kiki to take Tim to Jack-in-the-Box for an outing (to give the carpet another 20 minutes of dry-time). This drama in spite of our earlier call to his school to forewarn him of the slight change in routine. Reported overactor's theatre performance featured chucking his sneakers at the exterior of the house and general tantrumming.
Only 2 more hours until the rugs are "dry"! Whee!
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Overheard in the castle late last night, as Aunt Patty Cake surveyed the State of the Castle, in a faux British accent:
"Ewww...things at Hogwart's are FAR worse than I'd anticipated."
Therefore, she has so far schooled the Crab Queen on a more appropriate furniture arrangement of the master bedroom, many aspects of child-rearing that are advanced for her years and number of offspring (zero), the benefits of more organized kitchen cupboards (discarding--recycling, natch-- a vast array of plastic storage and children's food containers), the need for immediate initiation of Operation J-Crab Chore Intensive Remediation, and so on.
Here she is, Aunt Patty Cake and Fixer of My Life:
2 comments:
Let me be the first to comment:
1- yes, that is me in the best Cousin It impression in My Lucky Shirt (circa February 2008)!
2- I just flew in and boy are my arms tired from all this moving of sutff.
3- the Tim-off-the-bus was not really THAT bad. GMK tends to be even in tone so things are not always as good, or bad, as they sound with her One of her better qualities really.
4- I never could get Charlie to admit that Mommy was coming back.
5- Tonight will be stage 1.5 of getting Charlie out of Mommy's bed!
mwah ha ha
APC was her-ahhh
To Think Who Was Running My Tour for 2 Weeks...
Jack
p.s. This looks like me if I become a female Sasquatch.
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