Chapter 13
December 2, 1994
It was Friday and it was raining. Blair was at rehab and Mrs. Garrett was watching the kids who were home from school that day. Kelsey was helping Mrs. Garrett in the kitchen and Annie, Tisha and Jamie were playing upstairs in the bedroom.
"What should we do?" Tisha asked.
"Let's play 'Monkey in the Middle.'" Annie said.
"How do we play 'Monkey in the Middle?'" asked Jamie.
"You stand in the middle while me and Tisha throw this bear to each other and you try to catch it before we do." Annie explained.
Annie and Tisha threw the bear back and forth to each other while Jamie tried to catch it. Fifteen minutes had passed and Jamie was still trying to catch it. Tisha threw the bear to Annie but Jamie grabbed the bear by its middle as Annie grabbed its head. Jamie and Annie began to fight over the bear.
"I caught it." Jamie said.
"No, I got it." Annie said.
"I got it first." Jamie said.
Annie and Jamie continued fighting over the bear each one tugging it away from the other. With each tug they could hear the stitching coming out. Annie and Jamie tugged at the bear until the head came off and they both went flying in opposite directions.
"There's gonna be trouuubblllleeee." Tisha said.
~*~
December 3, 1994
The next day Mrs. G was in the kitchen with Kelsey and Jamie giving them breakfast. Jo was sitting in the living room reading the newspaper. Jo looked up from the newspaper to see Blair making her way down the stairs. Jo set the paper down and started laughing. Blair looked at Jo with a confused look.
"So you dressed yourself this morning." Jo said. "Your pants are on backwards."
Blair shook her head.
"Yes they are." Jo said. "Go back upstairs and fix them."
Blair went back upstairs and came back down twenty minutes later.
"There you go." Jo said. "Much better."
Blair sat down on the couch and started putting her shoes on.
"Wrong foot." Jo said.
Blair switched her shoe to the other foot. When Blair got both shoes on she attempted to tie them. Blair became frustrated trying to tie her shoes and ended up taking them back off and throwing them across the room.
"Hey, we don't throw shoes." Jo scolded. "I would have tied your shoes for ya."
~*~
Blair was irritable for the rest of the day. The girls and Mrs. G kept Blair up from her nap so she would be in bed earlier than usual. Tad had promised the babysitters that Blair would be asleep before they got there, so they wouldn't have to deal with her bad mood.
"Kelsey, I'm leaving." Tad said. "I love you. I'll be back in two days."
"I love you too Daddy." Kelsey said as she kissed Tad goodbye.
Tad gave Mrs. Garrett the phone number of where he would be staying and left. The babysitters arrived a few minutes later.
"Hi, Megan." Mrs. Garrett said. "Who is this?"
"This is my friend, Amy." Megan said.
"Hi Amy, nice to meet you." Mrs. G said.
"Nice to meet you too." Amy said.
"So where are the kids?" Megan asked.
"Kelsey is in the kitchen with Tisha. Tisha's mother is in the play we are seeing tonight." Mrs. Garrett said. "Jo is bringing Jamie and Annie over soon and Blair is in bed so she shouldn't be any trouble."
"When do you want the kids in bed?" Megan asked.
"No later than 8:30." Mrs. Garrett said.
A few minutes later Jo brought Jamie and Annie over and she and Mrs. Garrett left for the play. At 8:30 Megan sent the kids to bed. Kelsey went upstairs and Annie, Tisha and Jamie were sent to the rooms next to the living room. At 9:00 Mrs. Garrett called to check on Blair and the kids. Megan told her everything was fine and that the kids went to bed without any problem. Fifteen minutes later Kelsey came down the stairs.
"What are you doing up?" Megan asked.
"Mommy's sick." Kelsey said. "You need to take her temperature." "OK" Megan said. "Come on Amy."
Megan and Amy followed Kelsey up the stairs. Kelsey went in the bathroom to get the thermometer. Blair was still sleeping when Amy took her temperature. The thermometer was the kind you stick in the ear and it had a digital reading.
"105" Amy said. "We need to call Mrs. Garrett."
Megan went downstairs to look for the number but all she could find was Jeff's pager number.
December 2, 1994
It was Friday and it was raining. Blair was at rehab and Mrs. Garrett was watching the kids who were home from school that day. Kelsey was helping Mrs. Garrett in the kitchen and Annie, Tisha and Jamie were playing upstairs in the bedroom.
"What should we do?" Tisha asked.
"Let's play 'Monkey in the Middle.'" Annie said.
"How do we play 'Monkey in the Middle?'" asked Jamie.
"You stand in the middle while me and Tisha throw this bear to each other and you try to catch it before we do." Annie explained.
Annie and Tisha threw the bear back and forth to each other while Jamie tried to catch it. Fifteen minutes had passed and Jamie was still trying to catch it. Tisha threw the bear to Annie but Jamie grabbed the bear by its middle as Annie grabbed its head. Jamie and Annie began to fight over the bear.
"I caught it." Jamie said.
"No, I got it." Annie said.
"I got it first." Jamie said.
Annie and Jamie continued fighting over the bear each one tugging it away from the other. With each tug they could hear the stitching coming out. Annie and Jamie tugged at the bear until the head came off and they both went flying in opposite directions.
"There's gonna be trouuubblllleeee." Tisha said.
~*~
December 3, 1994
The next day Mrs. G was in the kitchen with Kelsey and Jamie giving them breakfast. Jo was sitting in the living room reading the newspaper. Jo looked up from the newspaper to see Blair making her way down the stairs. Jo set the paper down and started laughing. Blair looked at Jo with a confused look.
"So you dressed yourself this morning." Jo said. "Your pants are on backwards."
Blair shook her head.
"Yes they are." Jo said. "Go back upstairs and fix them."
Blair went back upstairs and came back down twenty minutes later.
"There you go." Jo said. "Much better."
Blair sat down on the couch and started putting her shoes on.
"Wrong foot." Jo said.
Blair switched her shoe to the other foot. When Blair got both shoes on she attempted to tie them. Blair became frustrated trying to tie her shoes and ended up taking them back off and throwing them across the room.
"Hey, we don't throw shoes." Jo scolded. "I would have tied your shoes for ya."
~*~
Blair was irritable for the rest of the day. The girls and Mrs. G kept Blair up from her nap so she would be in bed earlier than usual. Tad had promised the babysitters that Blair would be asleep before they got there, so they wouldn't have to deal with her bad mood.
"Kelsey, I'm leaving." Tad said. "I love you. I'll be back in two days."
"I love you too Daddy." Kelsey said as she kissed Tad goodbye.
Tad gave Mrs. Garrett the phone number of where he would be staying and left. The babysitters arrived a few minutes later.
"Hi, Megan." Mrs. Garrett said. "Who is this?"
"This is my friend, Amy." Megan said.
"Hi Amy, nice to meet you." Mrs. G said.
"Nice to meet you too." Amy said.
"So where are the kids?" Megan asked.
"Kelsey is in the kitchen with Tisha. Tisha's mother is in the play we are seeing tonight." Mrs. Garrett said. "Jo is bringing Jamie and Annie over soon and Blair is in bed so she shouldn't be any trouble."
"When do you want the kids in bed?" Megan asked.
"No later than 8:30." Mrs. Garrett said.
A few minutes later Jo brought Jamie and Annie over and she and Mrs. Garrett left for the play. At 8:30 Megan sent the kids to bed. Kelsey went upstairs and Annie, Tisha and Jamie were sent to the rooms next to the living room. At 9:00 Mrs. Garrett called to check on Blair and the kids. Megan told her everything was fine and that the kids went to bed without any problem. Fifteen minutes later Kelsey came down the stairs.
"What are you doing up?" Megan asked.
"Mommy's sick." Kelsey said. "You need to take her temperature." "OK" Megan said. "Come on Amy."
Megan and Amy followed Kelsey up the stairs. Kelsey went in the bathroom to get the thermometer. Blair was still sleeping when Amy took her temperature. The thermometer was the kind you stick in the ear and it had a digital reading.
"105" Amy said. "We need to call Mrs. Garrett."
Megan went downstairs to look for the number but all she could find was Jeff's pager number.