not continue to be a turkey butt.”
“He’s driving me crazy,” I said. “He almost killed everyone with the rocket, and I think he’s going to eat all of Gams’s rolls. I’m afraid I won’t get any.”
“The rolls are not a problem,” Matt said. “When they’re passed around the table to us, we’ll each takesome extras and keep them in our laps. Then we can share them with each other if one of us comes up empty-handed.”
“Okay,” the Squid said. She was excited about being included in a plan with her big brothers.
“What are our other objectives?” Matt asked. He was beginning to sound like Buck Meson!
“Well,” I said, thinking about what else Chip might do. “I just hope I get some whipped cream on my pumpkin pie. Remember last summer when we were making strawberry shortcake and Chip used up the whole can of whipped cream?”
“That was
him?
” Matt asked. “What a sneak!”
“Yeah!” I said. “He squirted the whole can on his strawberries.”
“Not today,” Matt said. “You’ll have as much whipped cream as you want.”
“Can I have some?” the Squid asked.
“All the Bumpers children will have whipped cream,” Matt announced. “When it’s time for dessert, we have to be the first up to clear the tablebefore anyone else gets in the kitchen. Follow my lead. Do you understand?”
We both nodded.
“What else?” Matt asked.
“Well,” I went on, “the only other thing I’m really worried about is getting to watch the Buck Meson special when it comes on.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Matt said. “Even though it’s a dumb show, I’ll make sure you get to see it. Anything else?”
I thought of one more problem.
“What if I have to eat Mrs. Gritzbach’s brussels sprouts?”
“You’re on your own with that, Charlie,” Matt said. “I can’t stand them either.”
“Neither can I,” the Squid said.
“Charlie,” Matt said, “just remember the first rule in dealing with younger relatives: ‘Don’t let them bug you.’”
“It’s hard,” I said.
“You can do it,” he said. “You’re smart.”
Wow. Matt had never told me
that
before.
“Though not as smart as me,” he added, grinning.
Just then we heard Dad calling up the stairs. “Matt! Charlie! Mabel! Down here right now!”
“Let’s go, Team Bumpers,” said Matt. “Our mission is to help our bozo brother.”
“Thanks, guys,” I said.
“Guy and
girl,
” the Squid corrected me. “They both begin with
g
but they are not the same.”
We piled back down the stairs and headed for the Thanksgiving table.
14
What on Earth Do You Think You’re Doing?
Mom had labeled each of the Squid’s toilet-roll turkeys with the name of the person who was supposed to sit at each place and arranged them on the table. I walked around until I found mine. Mrs. Gritzbach was on one side of me.
Guess whose toilet-roll turkey was on the other side?
Right. Chip, the Perfect Little Turkey himself. While everyone else was busy finding their seats, I saw Matt reach into the basket of rolls. He handed a couple to the Squid and kept some for himself.When they sat at their places, they slipped the rolls into their laps. Holy moly! They were really doing it!
The Squid looked like she had a secret she really wanted to tell and could hardly wait. Matt had a smirk on his face.
“I’m so glad I’m next to you,” Mrs. Gritzbach said to me as she unfolded her napkin. “You can help me serve.”
That’s when I noticed what was right in front of her.
The brussels sprouts.
I hoped she would let me serve myself. Then I could serve myself nothing.
Mom and Aunt Sarah came in from the kitchen and Aunt Sarah set Tilly in the high chair next to her. Ginger settled down under the table, which is where she likes to be in case anyone drops something by accident.
“Let’s give thanks,” Mom said.
We all held hands and bowed our heads. It was quiet for a moment, which was amazing, sincethere were fifteen of us.
“He’s driving me crazy,” I said. “He almost killed everyone with the rocket, and I think he’s going to eat all of Gams’s rolls. I’m afraid I won’t get any.”
“The rolls are not a problem,” Matt said. “When they’re passed around the table to us, we’ll each takesome extras and keep them in our laps. Then we can share them with each other if one of us comes up empty-handed.”
“Okay,” the Squid said. She was excited about being included in a plan with her big brothers.
“What are our other objectives?” Matt asked. He was beginning to sound like Buck Meson!
“Well,” I said, thinking about what else Chip might do. “I just hope I get some whipped cream on my pumpkin pie. Remember last summer when we were making strawberry shortcake and Chip used up the whole can of whipped cream?”
“That was
him?
” Matt asked. “What a sneak!”
“Yeah!” I said. “He squirted the whole can on his strawberries.”
“Not today,” Matt said. “You’ll have as much whipped cream as you want.”
“Can I have some?” the Squid asked.
“All the Bumpers children will have whipped cream,” Matt announced. “When it’s time for dessert, we have to be the first up to clear the tablebefore anyone else gets in the kitchen. Follow my lead. Do you understand?”
We both nodded.
“What else?” Matt asked.
“Well,” I went on, “the only other thing I’m really worried about is getting to watch the Buck Meson special when it comes on.”
“Don’t worry about that,” Matt said. “Even though it’s a dumb show, I’ll make sure you get to see it. Anything else?”
I thought of one more problem.
“What if I have to eat Mrs. Gritzbach’s brussels sprouts?”
“You’re on your own with that, Charlie,” Matt said. “I can’t stand them either.”
“Neither can I,” the Squid said.
“Charlie,” Matt said, “just remember the first rule in dealing with younger relatives: ‘Don’t let them bug you.’”
“It’s hard,” I said.
“You can do it,” he said. “You’re smart.”
Wow. Matt had never told me
that
before.
“Though not as smart as me,” he added, grinning.
Just then we heard Dad calling up the stairs. “Matt! Charlie! Mabel! Down here right now!”
“Let’s go, Team Bumpers,” said Matt. “Our mission is to help our bozo brother.”
“Thanks, guys,” I said.
“Guy and
girl,
” the Squid corrected me. “They both begin with
g
but they are not the same.”
We piled back down the stairs and headed for the Thanksgiving table.
14
What on Earth Do You Think You’re Doing?
Mom had labeled each of the Squid’s toilet-roll turkeys with the name of the person who was supposed to sit at each place and arranged them on the table. I walked around until I found mine. Mrs. Gritzbach was on one side of me.
Guess whose toilet-roll turkey was on the other side?
Right. Chip, the Perfect Little Turkey himself. While everyone else was busy finding their seats, I saw Matt reach into the basket of rolls. He handed a couple to the Squid and kept some for himself.When they sat at their places, they slipped the rolls into their laps. Holy moly! They were really doing it!
The Squid looked like she had a secret she really wanted to tell and could hardly wait. Matt had a smirk on his face.
“I’m so glad I’m next to you,” Mrs. Gritzbach said to me as she unfolded her napkin. “You can help me serve.”
That’s when I noticed what was right in front of her.
The brussels sprouts.
I hoped she would let me serve myself. Then I could serve myself nothing.
Mom and Aunt Sarah came in from the kitchen and Aunt Sarah set Tilly in the high chair next to her. Ginger settled down under the table, which is where she likes to be in case anyone drops something by accident.
“Let’s give thanks,” Mom said.
We all held hands and bowed our heads. It was quiet for a moment, which was amazing, sincethere were fifteen of us.
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