benedicimus te

[bright_and_beautiful]

Jenny's siblings are particularly tiring that morning. She suspects it's left over from the Christmas holidays; you would think a month would be enough time for the mania to wear off, but Jenny makes a point of never underestimating her siblings. And of course her parents are both at work and aren't home to help her.

After a while, though, she has finally successfully bludgeoned everyone into eating, cleaning themselves up, and getting all of their stuff together. She contemplates a cup of coffee, decides she didn't really need all of her growth anyway, downs it and gets everyone out the door.

An hour later, her siblings are in their respective classrooms, Jenny's safely ensconced in her own seat, and man is she feeling bouncy. Today's a great day, it's going to be great, let's go!

(Coffee was not Jenny's best idea ever.)

Comments

[bright_and_beautiful]

"Or French toast! I make it for the ducklings a lot."

[keyed_up]

"Aww!"

[cross_and_bow]

"The who now?"

[keyed_up]

"She's got little siblings."

[bright_and_beautiful]

"And when we all go out together they follow me around in a little line, so they are my tiny blonde ducklings and I am the mama duck."

[keyed_up]

"How old are they?"

[bright_and_beautiful]

"Oookay, let's see. Michael's fourteen, Thomas is twelve, Anne's nine and Patrick just turned eight."

[keyed_up]

"Do you have to babysit a lot?"

[bright_and_beautiful]

"Yeah, all the time, Mommy and Daddy are never home. But Anne and Patrick get out of school later than we do and Michael and Thomas have soccer today, so I don't have to rush home or anything."

[keyed_up]

"Perfect for ice-cream-ing."

[bright_and_beautiful]

"I take my ice cream where I can get it," she agrees solemnly. Mostly solemnly.

[keyed_up]

"Such wisdom. Teach me."

[bright_and_beautiful]

"Only when you have proven yourself worthy in today's ice cream quest!"

[keyed_up]

"How may I be worthy, great master?"

[bright_and_beautiful]

"...meh, it's really not more complicated than 'eat ice cream, find it delicious.'"

[keyed_up]

"Oh. I should be good, then. Unless I have a tragic ice cream accident."

[bright_and_beautiful]

"Then we might have to try again. More ice cream!"

[keyed_up]

"But after a tragic ice cream accident I could be out of ice-cream-eating condition for weeks! Months! What if it goes up my nose? What if my brain is so frozen that all I can think about is snowflakes?"

[bright_and_beautiful]

"Then we'll get you a scarf and a carrot for your nose and name you Snowgirl?"

[keyed_up]

"Frosty the Snowgirl, was a jolly happy soul. With a frozen brain and a carrot nose and some ice cream in a bowl."

[bright_and_beautiful]

Jenny attempts to say something, but she's definitely laughing too hard.

Finally she gasps out, "Mercy! I still have to eat my lunch!"

[keyed_up]

"Oh, all right, since you asked so nicely."

[bright_and_beautiful]

"Pretty please with chocolate on top?"

[keyed_up]

"I already said all right. You have my permission to eat your lunch. I will not improvise further belated Christmas music."

[bright_and_beautiful]

Jenny finishes her lunch contentedly. As promised, no further Christmas music ensues. (She has nothing against Christmas music, but it's hard to eat when laughing hysterically.)

And later, there will be ice cream adventures.