There was no school today and Tio invited a sleepover that was coming at 9:30 in the morning for 24 hours. Four boys in the house is potential for a disastrous day under the best of circs. Especially as I only got 5 hours sleep before Tish and Bud headed off to work and left me to fend.
Turned out to be a great day. Tio and his friend took Kit along with them all day. The weather was great. They walked into town, invited another boy over to play football in the yard, and all roared through some video games without a single fight. I played Betty Crocker and baked homemade peanut butter cookies, grilled cheeses and grape slop (our name for Kool Aid), and a big chicken parmigiana for supper. Being boys, they jostled and wrestled for top dog through the whole works but even a couple of sharp elbows and knocked heads didn’t dislodge their good moods.
By the end of the day the only dark cloud was Doc’s desire to cuss. He’d been threatened with a mouthful of soap and he was determined somehow to get one. I told him he’d hate it and said it would make him cry and gave him every reason to stay clear of that line. Finally, after supper I had to honor the threat because he wouldn’t stop. I took him in the bathroom and pushed a soapy finger around the insides of his cheeks and tongue. He didn’t complain a bit. Then I got him ready for bed, rinsed out the soap, and brushed his teeth.
He ran downstairs to Tio’s room as fast as he could. “I’m going to tell the guys I got my mouth washed with soap and didn’t cry!” he crowed like he won the prize for tough nut of the day by surviving the biggest dare there was.
I don’t think I understand boys all that well and I’m one of them.
