Chapeter 3

"EWWWWW, GIRL!" Leif said, pointing at Naomi.

"EWWWWW, BOY WITH YELLOW HAIR!" Naomi responded before going upstairs.

Michael rolled his eyes; it was always the same exchange each time his baby sister and Leif saw each other.

"Dude, why don't you just admit you like my sister already?" he sighed.

"Oh yeah, I like a girl." Leif made a face. "Don't you know they have cooties?"

"Hey, I resent that," Kira said, looking up from her magazine. "I could have had Mac find and killed you two after that whoopee cushion prank you pulled on her the other day, you know."

"I don't think he meant all girls," Michael winked at his older sister, and then poked Leif. "Didn't you, Leif?"

Leif finally got it. "Um….yeah, right. And count our moms in not having cooties too."

"That's better," Kira grinned.

"Are you boys studying?" Montana called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, Mami," Michael answered. "Dumb old math."

"It sucks," Leif agreed. "Mikey, what is this?"

"300 minus 144. Think about it, Leif."

"I think I'm too stupid for this."

"No you're not. You just read different. It's no big deal. Here, I can tell you how to do it. Put a one by the first zero to make a ten and subtract from the four."

"Six?"

"Right. Now the next zero, you 'borrow' like they showed us in class. Cross it out and make a nine over it. Now subtract the nine from four."

"Five!"

"There you go. Next you will borrow again. Cross out the three and put a two and subtract it from the one."

"That's easy enough. One."

"Okay. You got your answer."

"One fifty six."

"Now add it to the 144 to check it."

Leif did. "Three hundred!"

"See? You aren't so stupid," Michael grinned.

Kira looked up and smiled. "Anyone that can fix a DVD player that Papi had apart for weeks and make it work perfectly again can't be too stupid anyway."

"Yeah," Michael agreed. "Papi's really going to be surprised when he sees that! But it's like what he and Uncle Spanky say; sometimes we're better at some things than others. My thing is science, math, writing, and sports. Leif, your things are art, sports, and putting things together. It's what makes us……us!"

"Ah, nothing like wisdom coming from the mouth of a ten year old," Kira chuckled, going back to her magazine.

Meanwhile:

"He did what?" Mariah asked.

"Leif fixed the DVD player Paul had in six million pieces for God knows how long," Montana replied.

"Oh dear God…."

"Every piece in place and it's working like brand new," Montana added proudly. "I can hardly wait to see Paul's reaction to this."

"Yeah, I bet. Brian still thinks his good watch was fixed at the jeweler's. I don't have the heart to tell him it was taken apart and put back together in better condition by a nine year old."

"Did you ever set up that testing for Leif you were telling me about the other day?" Montana wondered.

"Yes. I thought I'd take Leif in before his dad got back. We're going tomorrow after he gets in from school."

"Keep me posted on what you find out. I will admit I'm quite curious."

"To be honest, Montana, so am I, especially since this fascination of his with taking things apart and putting them back together came to pass lately. By the way, is he doing his homework?"

"Michael's helping with his math, at least between the moments Leif was heckling poor Naomi."

Mariah had to laugh. "If I didn't know any better, I swear that child has a crush on her. He can 'eww, girl!' her all he wants, but some of us know better."

"I won't argue there," Montana said. "I say it's only a matter of time before they're going to the prom."

"Oh gosh, woman, don't talk about that just yet! I feel ancient enough as it is!"

"You and I both. My God, it's hard to believe Mac's going to be graduating next June. It seems like yesterday she was only in first grade and I'd just married her dad."

"How has Mr. Excitement been anyway?" Mariah asked.

"The usual line between goofy and grumpy," Montana laughed. "And the kids still think they can get away with murder when he's home."

"Well, at least Leif knows that isn't the case here," Mariah replied, "although he tries to test me when his dad's gone. I will admit I'm more lax on some things than Brian, but Leif knows overall there's rules he has to stick to. Now if we can both get that child from keeping his room looking like a war zone, it will be a miracle in the making."

"I think that must be a stage most kids go through."

"How on earth do you get Michael to keep his so neat?"

"He and Kira got their dad's anal retentiveness," Montana responded. "Too bad Mac and Naomi didn't, though."

"Mami!" Michael called from the living room. "Papi's on IM! He says get your butt off the phone."

"Speaking of the devil," Montana said. "I guess that's my cue to get off of here. I have to start dinner eventually anyway. Leif can stay if that's fine with you."

"Sure, no problem," Mariah agreed. "I won't have to cook anything then. Just make sure he doesn't eat you out of house and home. He got that from his dad too."