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Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Trading Favors

Don lost Dane's Cub Scout book last night. Dane's den was supposed to visit a Fire Station and we couldn't remember what time he had to be there. Don told me several days ago that it was at 6:00, right during the dinner hour. I got Dane dressed in his Scout shirt, belt and neckerchief and fed him dinner at 5:30, prodding him to hurry and finish. I had him ready to go by 6:00, but no Don. Finally, at about 6:38, Don strolled through the door. I was a little frantic and was very quick to question the lateness of the hour.

"I don't think they have to be there until 7:00," he said. That is NOT what he told me after the meeting last Monday night. "Where's his Scout book? I wrote the time down in it."

The last time I saw the Book, Don was taking it to bed with him. As some of you may remember, Don reads every evening in bed while he flosses. I suggested he look there.

"I'm certain I left it on the computer desk," he responded, "but now I can't find it."

He wandered around the house aimlessly, supposedly looking but not really seeing. I finally convinced him to call the wife of the Den Leader and get the necessary information. He called, talked for a few minutes, and hung up.

"So, what time do you have to be there," I asked.

"I don't know. I didn't ask. I think it's 7:00."

He and Dane made it on time and Dane had a blast. When they returned home, very late last night, Dane had a handful of "stuff" they had given him - a hat, a coloring book and pencil, a sucker, a badge... While they were gone, I looked for a Kitchen Catalog I needed to compare prices for dumpling makers between the on-line store and the catalog price. The last time I saw it, Don had it in his hand while talking on the telephone.

I walked into the bedroom where Don was already in bed, reading and flossing. I asked him if he knew where my catalog was and explained that I had found a similar item on-line.

"The catalogs with Dane's Scout book." He grinned at me. Sometimes it's hard to tell is he's joking or just pleased with himself that now he's found a way to get ME on the job. I turned towards him, raised one eyebrow (I taught myself to do this when I was a teenager, practicing in the bathroom mirror for hours), and shrugged. He laughed.

This morning, when I walked into the kitchen, I could see something sitting on the stove in the semi-light from the Holy Candle I keep lit. I flicked on the overhead light and there was the Kitchen Store catalog. I guess I'm going to have to return the favor and look for Dane's Scout Book.

2 comments:

Mom said...

Oh you have the funniest stories!
It would be such a thirll to be in your house.

Let's see, what do we lose around here?
Shoes, school papers, and we still haven't found all the pacifiers from the boy's babyhood.

How is the Parmalat idea working out for you all?

Patti Doughty said...

Talli, I threw a container of Parmalat in the fridge last Friday when it looked like we weren't going to make it through Friday morning. Turns out, Deanna already had a full glass of milk hidden in the fridge and the boys sippers were full, as well, so we didn't need it. It's back in the pantry for the next emergency. But it's sure good to know it's there. It saved me a trip to Kroger at 9:30 p.m. last week.

By the way, the children heard me telling a friend of ours whose husband works at the Fire Station the boys visited on Monday about the missing Cub Scout Book and they all yelled at once, "I know where it is!" When we got home, Deanna retrieved it from the Den and we presented it to Don when he got home from work.