Cakewalk
Georgie shrieked, bursting into tears. "Hey, hey, hey..." Lucky ran over, followed by Emily. "What's going on," he asked, lifting a sobbing Georgie out of the sandbox and bouncing her in his arms. Her arms and legs instinctively wrapped around his body and she hid her tearful face against his shoulder. "Lucas and Dillon were throwing sand," Maxie tattled loudly, from the top of the slide. She swished her blonde pigtails defiantly. Maxie's words caught Bobbie's ears. She turned from the gazebo where she was helping Mac and Tony string up balloons, and headed toward her son, indicating for the men to continue decorating. "Lucas Jones," she said sternly. "You know that sand is not for throwing." "But Mommy," he protested, his face turning red, "Dillon called me a booger- head." "He started it," Dillon objected. "He called me stupid-face." The boys faced off. Lucky jostled a still-whimpering Georgie. "I don't care," Bobbie replied to her son. "That is unacceptable." Emily rolled her eyes toward the heavens. "This is punishment, right?" she mumbled. "For reading Cliff's Notes?" Sighing, she reached under Dillon's arms, lifting him up and out of the sandbox. "You solve problems with words," she reminded her cousin, "not by hitting or throwing things." Dillon scowled at her. She raised an eyebrow. "Don't look at me in that tone of voice," she warned him. "You're getting a time out, for throwing sand and for making Georgie cry." She pointed to a nearby bench. "Ten minutes. Go." "I want Ned," Dillon protested, standing his ground. "Ned is in a recording session," the teenage girl informed her cousin. "I'm in charge of you, and I say you have a time out." She pointed to the bench once again. "Now you march your little behind over there." Sulking, Dillon moved toward the bench. "Lucas should have a time out too!" Maxie called. Lucas turned around, sticking his tongue out at Maxie. She stuck hers out as well, sticking her thumbs in her ears and wagging her fingers at him. "Maxie, you mind your business, please," Bobbie said sternly, but she too pointed to the bench. Lucas slunk over, pouting.
"Georgie," Felicia said, as she lit the candles on the daisy shaped birthday cake. "How old are you today?" Georgie held up four fingers. "This many!" She exclaimed. The adults clapped. "Very good!" "I'm one-two-three-four-five-SIX!" Maxie proclaimed proudly. "I'm a big girl!" "Yes you are," Mac assured her. "You're the biggest girl here." Maxie peered at him. "Emmy's bigger. And Mommy and Aunt Bobbie." Bobbie laughed. "She's got a point." "Okay," Mac conceded. "You're the biggest little girl here." Maxie seemed satisfied with this response. "Come on everyone," Felicia called. "It's time for cake." They all gathered around the picnic table, singing.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Georgie
Happy birthday to you Mac lifted Georgie up, holding her over the cake so she could blow out the candles, as everyone cheered and clapped. Bobbie began to cut slices of cake, distributing them on paper plates. Dillon sidled up to Georgie, sitting down next to her on the picnic blanket. "I'm sorry I maked you cry Georgie," he apologized. "I don't wanna be mean." Felicia looked bemusedly at the pair. "That's very nice of you, Dillon," she told the little boy. "Georgie, what do we say?" Georgie hid her face. "Thank you," she said shyly. "Hahaha!" Lucas yelled, pointing. "Dillon loves Georgie! Dillon loves Georgie." "Yech!" Dillon shouted. "I do not. She's a girl. I hate her!" To prove his point, he took a handful of his cake and mashed it defiantly into Georgie's hair. Georgie threw her head back, opening her mouth wide. "Georgie! Georgie!" Emily called out in a rush before the girl could start screaming. Georgie looked curiously at her, red-faced. "It's funny," Emily assured her. "Look!" She smashed a piece of cake square in the middle of Lucky's face, smearing icing down his nose. Lucky stuck out his tongue, crossing his eyes. Georgie giggled, and picked up her piece of cake, smushing it into Dillon's face. "God bless Tide," Bobbie sighed as Lucas rubbed icing in Maxie's hair and took off running, Maxie in hot pursuit. "Good lord," Ned said, coming up on the scene. "What did I miss?" Mac shook his head, bewildered. "And people tell me that boys are more trouble than girls," he marveled. Ned laughed. He handed a gift bag to Felicia. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to wrap it properly," he apologized. "Oh no," she brushed off his regrets, "it's the thought that counts." She reached into the bag, pulling out a video of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. "Dillon seems to adore it," Ned assured her. "Oh thank you," Felicia said, "that's so sweet. I'm sure Georgie will love - MAXIE!" She yelled, spotting her elder daughter who was seated firmly on top of a shrieking Lucas, feeding him mudpies. "Stop that!" With an apologetic look, she rushed off toward the two. Lucky laughed. Mac watched Felicia run toward Maxie and Lucas. He sighed as he looked from Maxie to Georgie, who was busying herself licking buttercream frosting off of Dillon's cheek. He pressed his fingers to his temples. "I swear," he muttered to himself, "they're going to a convent for high school."
Georgie shrieked, bursting into tears. "Hey, hey, hey..." Lucky ran over, followed by Emily. "What's going on," he asked, lifting a sobbing Georgie out of the sandbox and bouncing her in his arms. Her arms and legs instinctively wrapped around his body and she hid her tearful face against his shoulder. "Lucas and Dillon were throwing sand," Maxie tattled loudly, from the top of the slide. She swished her blonde pigtails defiantly. Maxie's words caught Bobbie's ears. She turned from the gazebo where she was helping Mac and Tony string up balloons, and headed toward her son, indicating for the men to continue decorating. "Lucas Jones," she said sternly. "You know that sand is not for throwing." "But Mommy," he protested, his face turning red, "Dillon called me a booger- head." "He started it," Dillon objected. "He called me stupid-face." The boys faced off. Lucky jostled a still-whimpering Georgie. "I don't care," Bobbie replied to her son. "That is unacceptable." Emily rolled her eyes toward the heavens. "This is punishment, right?" she mumbled. "For reading Cliff's Notes?" Sighing, she reached under Dillon's arms, lifting him up and out of the sandbox. "You solve problems with words," she reminded her cousin, "not by hitting or throwing things." Dillon scowled at her. She raised an eyebrow. "Don't look at me in that tone of voice," she warned him. "You're getting a time out, for throwing sand and for making Georgie cry." She pointed to a nearby bench. "Ten minutes. Go." "I want Ned," Dillon protested, standing his ground. "Ned is in a recording session," the teenage girl informed her cousin. "I'm in charge of you, and I say you have a time out." She pointed to the bench once again. "Now you march your little behind over there." Sulking, Dillon moved toward the bench. "Lucas should have a time out too!" Maxie called. Lucas turned around, sticking his tongue out at Maxie. She stuck hers out as well, sticking her thumbs in her ears and wagging her fingers at him. "Maxie, you mind your business, please," Bobbie said sternly, but she too pointed to the bench. Lucas slunk over, pouting.
"Georgie," Felicia said, as she lit the candles on the daisy shaped birthday cake. "How old are you today?" Georgie held up four fingers. "This many!" She exclaimed. The adults clapped. "Very good!" "I'm one-two-three-four-five-SIX!" Maxie proclaimed proudly. "I'm a big girl!" "Yes you are," Mac assured her. "You're the biggest girl here." Maxie peered at him. "Emmy's bigger. And Mommy and Aunt Bobbie." Bobbie laughed. "She's got a point." "Okay," Mac conceded. "You're the biggest little girl here." Maxie seemed satisfied with this response. "Come on everyone," Felicia called. "It's time for cake." They all gathered around the picnic table, singing.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday dear Georgie
Happy birthday to you Mac lifted Georgie up, holding her over the cake so she could blow out the candles, as everyone cheered and clapped. Bobbie began to cut slices of cake, distributing them on paper plates. Dillon sidled up to Georgie, sitting down next to her on the picnic blanket. "I'm sorry I maked you cry Georgie," he apologized. "I don't wanna be mean." Felicia looked bemusedly at the pair. "That's very nice of you, Dillon," she told the little boy. "Georgie, what do we say?" Georgie hid her face. "Thank you," she said shyly. "Hahaha!" Lucas yelled, pointing. "Dillon loves Georgie! Dillon loves Georgie." "Yech!" Dillon shouted. "I do not. She's a girl. I hate her!" To prove his point, he took a handful of his cake and mashed it defiantly into Georgie's hair. Georgie threw her head back, opening her mouth wide. "Georgie! Georgie!" Emily called out in a rush before the girl could start screaming. Georgie looked curiously at her, red-faced. "It's funny," Emily assured her. "Look!" She smashed a piece of cake square in the middle of Lucky's face, smearing icing down his nose. Lucky stuck out his tongue, crossing his eyes. Georgie giggled, and picked up her piece of cake, smushing it into Dillon's face. "God bless Tide," Bobbie sighed as Lucas rubbed icing in Maxie's hair and took off running, Maxie in hot pursuit. "Good lord," Ned said, coming up on the scene. "What did I miss?" Mac shook his head, bewildered. "And people tell me that boys are more trouble than girls," he marveled. Ned laughed. He handed a gift bag to Felicia. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to wrap it properly," he apologized. "Oh no," she brushed off his regrets, "it's the thought that counts." She reached into the bag, pulling out a video of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. "Dillon seems to adore it," Ned assured her. "Oh thank you," Felicia said, "that's so sweet. I'm sure Georgie will love - MAXIE!" She yelled, spotting her elder daughter who was seated firmly on top of a shrieking Lucas, feeding him mudpies. "Stop that!" With an apologetic look, she rushed off toward the two. Lucky laughed. Mac watched Felicia run toward Maxie and Lucas. He sighed as he looked from Maxie to Georgie, who was busying herself licking buttercream frosting off of Dillon's cheek. He pressed his fingers to his temples. "I swear," he muttered to himself, "they're going to a convent for high school."