Get Used to Him?

"Chloe, could you come here a moment, please?" Mrs. Taylor motioned me to her desk. "Your daddy is here to pick you up a little bit early, so get your backpack from the hallway and I'll put your folder in." She kept her voice low.

"Okay." I walked fast to the hall and grabbed my backpack and jacket. MeMe had told me this morning I would probably be picked up early if Momma and the kid came home.

I tiptoed back to Mrs. Taylor's desk. She shoved my folder inside my backpack and zipped it up. "I'll see you tomorrow." She winked.

As I walked toward the front office I wondered if having Momma and the kid home would make things a little better. Poor MeMe just couldn't seem to help me with the Read Across America Week dress-up days. Hopefully Momma would have time to help me with Wacky Wednesday tomorrow.

"Hey, there's my girl. Come on. I brought Momma and Peyton home." Daddy patted my back. "It'll be so good to have everyone back at home together again."

I smiled, but I wasn't sure how I felt.

************
Daddy pulled the front door open and a shrill cry echoed our way. I glanced up at Daddy. He nodded and gently pushed me toward the living room.

Momma held the kid on her shoulder and banged on his back. She smiled. "Chloe, sweetie, come here." She held one arm out. I could barely hear her above the kid's screaming.

I ran into Momma's arm and she hugged me. "What's wrong with him?"

"Probably gas. Babies sometimes have trouble with that." Momma patted his back more.

All of the sudden a huge burping sound flew out of the kid's mouth. How could something so small burp that loud?

"There now. He should feel better." Momma slid him off her shoulder and into her elbow.

He stared at me.

I looked at Momma. "Tomorrow is Wacky Wednesday. I need to wear my clothes all backwards and crazy."

"That sounds like fun."

"Yeah and then on Thursday I need to dress like some story character."

Momma patted my arm. "We'll have to think about that." She stood up slowly. "Right now I need to change a diaper."

Momma shuffled past me, and my nose sniffed at the wrong time. "Ew." I fanned my nose.

"Here, let me take him," MeMe said.

"Are you sure?" Momma said.

"Of course. Come here you little precious thing."

"He doesn't smell too precious to me." I continued to fan my nose.

*******************
I settled into bed after Daddy tucked me in. As he walked out loud crying came from the kid's room across the hall. I rolled my eyes. Didn't he know I needed to get some sleep for school tomorrow?

Twice during the night the screaming woke me up.

The next morning when MeMe woke me up, I was so tired.

All day long at school I yawned and yawned.

Everybody in Mrs. Taylor's class was talking about what character they were going to dress up as tomorrow. I still had no idea.

***********************
At home that afternoon everybody was so busy with the kid that I knew exactly what I needed to do. "Momma, Daddy, can I go over to Sara's house?"

"Be back before supper," Daddy said.

I nodded and dashed across the street. When I stepped onto the small porch, the front door opened.

"Well, hello there. Your Momma just called and told me you were coming for a visit." Sara smiled.

"Yep. I need some help." My shoulders drooped.

"Come on in."

I followed her to the den and plopped down into a chair.

"Now, what can I do for you? You look a little down."

"MeMe came to stay with me. She isn't very good with the dress-up days at school. Then Momma and the kid came home and it got badder. That kid screams so loud. He made me wake up last night. Momma says he gots gas." I rolled my eyes. "So I asked Momma to help me with dressing up like a story character, but she just doesn't have time. Everybody's so busy with him. I just don't know if I'll ever get used to that kid." I folded my arms across my chest and huffed out a big breath.

"It will take some time to get used to him. But he has to get used to you too."

"Huh?"

Sara nodded. "Just think about it. When he was in your momma's belly, he didn't have to cry for anything. He had everything right there. Now he has to cry when he needs something. And he has to get used to you and being out in the big world."

"I never thought about that."

Sara leaned forward and rubbed her hands together. "Now, about that story character. I think I have just the thing."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She jumped up and grabbed a book from her tote. "Have you ever read this book about an imaginary friend?"

I shook my head.

Sara read the story to me.

"I love that story."

"Me too. You can go as an imaginary friend. We'll make you a name tag. I have a lanyard you can borrow."

I jumped up and down. "I love it." I hugged Sara. "Thank you."

She winked. "Here, use my markers and decorate your name tag."

I couldn't wait for everyone to see who my story character was. Sara let me borrow her book, so I could show everyone where my character came from.

*********************
Why do you think Chloe thinks she will never get used to having her little brother home?

If you had to dress as your favorite story character, who would it be? Why would you dress as that character?

50 Precious Words Challenge

Our regularly scheduled Chloe post will still happen tomorrow. But I'm posting this 50 word story for a Seussical type challenge by Vivian Kirkfield. I had to come up with a story with only 50 words. Since the losing of teeth has been a hot topic at school lately, that became my theme.
For my Chloe readers - this challenge of using 50 words to create a story was given to Dr Seuss. He came up with Green Eggs and Ham. There are only 50 various words utilized in that book. This is a great ending to our Read Across America Week activities. But the challenge from Ms. Kirkfield was to have a maximum word count of only 50 words, not including title.
Here's what I came up with:

Maddie’s Loose Tooth

Maddie’s tooth wiggles.

It needs to come out.

Biting an apple; tying a string

But the tooth held stout.

Maddie danced on the porch

One very rainy day.

Though grandma warned

Maddie didn’t obey.

Down she splatted

Flat on the floor.

She should’ve listened

But her tooth was no more!

What? The Kid's Here?

"Chloe, when is your little brother supposed to be here?" McKenzie said as we were packing our backpacks at the end of the day.

"Momma said it would be about four more weeks. I don't know that I'm ready." I rolled my eyes.

Mrs. Taylor's phone rang. "Yes, okay. I'll send her right down." She hung up the phone. "Chloe, you need to take all your things and go down to the office. Mrs. Church is picking you up today."

"Mrs. Church?"

"Yes, honey. Now go on down to the office."

I shrugged. My feet fast-walked down the hall. What was going on?

Mrs. Church stood in the hall outside the office with Brooklyn. "Hey, Chloe. You're going home with us." Mrs. Church bent closer to me. "It seems your baby brother decided to come early."

"Already?"

Mrs. Church nodded. "Sometimes babies do that." She motioned for me to follow. "But that's all right. You can just come home with Brooklyn."

The idea of being with my friend from church didn't sound too bad. I hopped into the back of the car and buckled my seatbelt. But I thought about Momma.

Mrs. Church glanced back at me as she drove out of the school parking lot. "Brooklyn's daddy has to work late tonight, so we can have a girls' Friday night."

Brooklyn clapped her hands. "Yeah. How about we make pizza and watch a movie?"

I nodded. "That does sound like fun." My voice didn't sound excited.

"Don't worry about your momma. I talked to her and your daddy, and she is doing fine. Little Peyton came around lunch time. They're both doing well. We should be able to go see them tomorrow at the hospital." Mrs. Church waved her finger. "I almost forgot. I stopped by your house, and your MeMe had gotten some clothes together for you. They're at our house. So we're all set!"

*********
I did have a fun night at Brooklyn's house. After breakfast I gathered all of my things. I wiggled in my seat during the drive to the hospital.

"Are you okay, Chloe?" Brooklyn said.

"I'm a little bit shaky. I don't know how I feel about having a brother."

Mrs. Church pulled into a parking space at the hospital and turned around. "Things are going to be different. Your parents will have to give your brother lots of attention at first. But they'll do their best to give you attention too. You can help by bringing them things they may need."

"What will I do with him?"

"Well, it will be a while before he can play with you. He'll just need mom and dad for a while." She opened her car door. "Come on. Let's go meet Peyton and see your mom and dad."

I slid slowly out of the car. Brooklyn grabbed my hand and held it all the way into the hospital and up the elevator. Too bad I hadn't gotten a big sister like her. But nobody asked me. I sighed.

We walked quietly into Momma's room. She was propped up in bed, holding a small bundle of blankets.

"Chloe, sweetie, come meet your new little brother." Momma smiled.

I eased around to the side of the bed and stood on my tippy toes. A tiny face was all that showed. His eyes were closed. He had the tiniest nose. All of the sudden his mouth opened into a big O yawn and then closed.

Daddy patted my shoulder. "What do you think of your new brother?"

I shrugged. "Well, he's little."

MeMe laughed. "That he is. I got you something."

I whirled around. I could always count on MeMe.

She slipped a shirt over my head and stepped back. "Perfect."

I looked down, trying to see what was written on the front.

"It says: I'm the Big Sister." MeMe winked at me.

Oh, brother!

************
Why do you think Chloe was nervous about meeting her new brother?

What do you think will happen when Momma and Peyton come home?