Tony takes Fridays off to look after his kids, Michael and Alex. Sometimes he brings them in to the office if he has to catch up on a little work.

Often I torment poor Michael (nearly four), and today I went too far. I stamped his head with a little red star and it caused great trauma.

To make amends, I asked Michael and Alex to help me draw on the floor. (The floor in my office is bare plywood, and not in good shape.) With Marks-A-Lot permanent markers, we drew a picture of Michael and we drew a picture of Alex. Then, best of all, we drew a race track for Michael's Hot Wheels.

Then we raced the cars on the track. We raced them regular and we raced them upside down and we raced them flying.

When Michael found a die in my desk, we rolled it on the floor and practiced counting the spots.

When that was no longer fun, we wrote in the new phone book. We wrote names of brothers and uncles. We wrote names of objects in the room. We wrote the word bunny.

"I like to pet the bunnies," Michael said.

He told me that when his family gets a new house (for which Tony has no plans that I'm aware), he will get:

• a grey bunny (the best kind)
• bunny food
• only one bunny toy

Michael will name the bunny Semi With Trailer ("I like the name," he explains). Semi With Trailer will not have long ears -- he will have wiggly ears.

Michael told me that bunnies don't poop and pee, they just bounce like frogs.

"Everybody goes potty," Tony explained.

"Bunnies don't," said Michael.

Michael and I searched for rabbit photos on google. This was his favorite:

Michael was quick to point out that this was't his bunny, though. Semi With Trailer will be grey.

Michael told me that Monsters, Inc. is a good movie, but he likes the bird one better.

"The bird movie?" I asked.

"The bird channel", he clarified. "Where the big bird is standing on the part of the wire."

Perhaps he meant Animal Planet?

Michael and Alex ate Cheetos. Alex was playful, chasing Michael, and Michael scolded him: "Cheeto hand, go away!"

Before they left, Tony played Dinosaur with his kids, chasing them up and down the trailer house. He roared and stomped. They squealed and laughed and hid.

All in a day's work at Custom Box Service.

On this day at foldedspace.org

2004 — Sunrise   A lovely sunrise, a visit from my sister- and brother-in-law, and a pleasant evening.

Name


Email Address
(required, not shown)


URL


Comments




Remember info?