your family."
"Chaos," I said. "I don't believe I know him."
That got Libby really mad. "Chaos," she yelled, "a state of utter confusion or disorder," Then she stomped back to the house and went inside, letting the screen door slam behind her. I couldn't help laughing.
When Mom and Dad saw Fudge's garden, I expected them to really let him have it! They've always taught us to respect other people's property. But when Fudge explained his reasons for
65
planting rocks Mom said, "That's very good thinking."
"A good baby-sitter encourages creative thinking," Sheila said.
"But doesn't this show a lack of respect for other people's property?" I asked.
"Well..." Mom said, "It would have been better if Fudge had checked with us before he started. But his idea was so well-thought-out. Rocks don't need sun or water, animals can't eat them..."
"Yeah... yeah..." I said. "I've heard all about it."
Grandma wandered across the yard with Buzzy Senior. She took one look at Fudge's garden and said, "Isn't my grandson an original, Buzzy?"
"Actually, it was mostly my idea!" Sheila said.
"That's not what you said this morning!" I shouted at Sheila. "This morning you said it was his idea."
"Just shut your face for once, Peter Hatcher!" she shouted back.
"Who's going to make me?" I yelled.
"Children..." Grandma said. "Let's be kind."
"Kind is a word your grandson doesn't know, Muriel!" Sheila shouted.
"He knows it," Grandma said. "But sometimes he forgets what it means."
66
"And she doesn't?" I asked. "Sometimes she forgets, too," Grandma admitted. "I don't see why you two can't get along as well as your dogs," Buzzy Senior said. I looked toward the house. Turtle and Jake were playing together. You'd think Turtle would show more loyalty. You'd think he'd understand about Sheila and me. Tootsie grabbed my leg. "Up, Pee... up..." "Not now!" I said. "Now... now... now..." But I wasn't in the mood for baby tricks. So I shook her off and she fell over on her backside. It took a few seconds for her to react. Then she scrunched up her face--her mouth started twitching--her breath came fast. She made her little hands into fists, shut her eyes tight and opened her mouth. WAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! Once she got going, you could hear her a mile away. "What happened, Tootsie Pie?" Dad asked, as he lifted her into his arms. Tootsie kept screaming and Mom looked at me. "Was that necessary, Peter?" "Was what necessary?" I said. Mom just shook her head. "You see how much trouble you cause for everyone?" Sheila shouted at me.
67
How come I'm getting blamed for this? I thought.
All I did was ask one simple question.
Fudge held his arms out to Mom. "Up..." he said. "Up... up... up..."
"You want to play baby?" Mom asked.
"Goo goo gaa gaa," Fudge said, jumping into Mom's arms.
"You're getting heavy," Mom said, planting a kiss on his head.
"But not too heavy for my mommy... right?"
I shook my head, then turned away and watched Dad, galloping around the yard with Tootsie on his shoulders. In a minute Tootsie was laughing. I remember when Dad carried Fudge that way. And there's a photo of me on his shoulders, too. I'm laughing really hard and grabbing Dad's hair. He had a lot more to grab then.
"Go, horsey... " Tootsie called, as Dad galloped in the other direction.
Being a baby is so easy, I thought. Riding around on Dad's shoulders, knowing he'd never let you fall. And doing and saying whatever you please, without worrying about what the other guy will think.
Grandma put her arm around my shoulder. "It's not easy being the firstborn, is it?"
I looked at her and smiled. She knew exactly what I was feeling.
68
9 Dizzy from Izzy
I hung out at the beach almost all day on Friday, hoping to catch a glimpse of Big Apfel. I guess Mrs. A finally noticed because she came out on her porch and said, "If you're looking for Fudge he's down at the tide pool with Mitzi and Sheila."
"I'm not looking for him," I explained. "I... uh... just wanted to ask Big a
"Chaos," I said. "I don't believe I know him."
That got Libby really mad. "Chaos," she yelled, "a state of utter confusion or disorder," Then she stomped back to the house and went inside, letting the screen door slam behind her. I couldn't help laughing.
When Mom and Dad saw Fudge's garden, I expected them to really let him have it! They've always taught us to respect other people's property. But when Fudge explained his reasons for
65
planting rocks Mom said, "That's very good thinking."
"A good baby-sitter encourages creative thinking," Sheila said.
"But doesn't this show a lack of respect for other people's property?" I asked.
"Well..." Mom said, "It would have been better if Fudge had checked with us before he started. But his idea was so well-thought-out. Rocks don't need sun or water, animals can't eat them..."
"Yeah... yeah..." I said. "I've heard all about it."
Grandma wandered across the yard with Buzzy Senior. She took one look at Fudge's garden and said, "Isn't my grandson an original, Buzzy?"
"Actually, it was mostly my idea!" Sheila said.
"That's not what you said this morning!" I shouted at Sheila. "This morning you said it was his idea."
"Just shut your face for once, Peter Hatcher!" she shouted back.
"Who's going to make me?" I yelled.
"Children..." Grandma said. "Let's be kind."
"Kind is a word your grandson doesn't know, Muriel!" Sheila shouted.
"He knows it," Grandma said. "But sometimes he forgets what it means."
66
"And she doesn't?" I asked. "Sometimes she forgets, too," Grandma admitted. "I don't see why you two can't get along as well as your dogs," Buzzy Senior said. I looked toward the house. Turtle and Jake were playing together. You'd think Turtle would show more loyalty. You'd think he'd understand about Sheila and me. Tootsie grabbed my leg. "Up, Pee... up..." "Not now!" I said. "Now... now... now..." But I wasn't in the mood for baby tricks. So I shook her off and she fell over on her backside. It took a few seconds for her to react. Then she scrunched up her face--her mouth started twitching--her breath came fast. She made her little hands into fists, shut her eyes tight and opened her mouth. WAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! Once she got going, you could hear her a mile away. "What happened, Tootsie Pie?" Dad asked, as he lifted her into his arms. Tootsie kept screaming and Mom looked at me. "Was that necessary, Peter?" "Was what necessary?" I said. Mom just shook her head. "You see how much trouble you cause for everyone?" Sheila shouted at me.
67
How come I'm getting blamed for this? I thought.
All I did was ask one simple question.
Fudge held his arms out to Mom. "Up..." he said. "Up... up... up..."
"You want to play baby?" Mom asked.
"Goo goo gaa gaa," Fudge said, jumping into Mom's arms.
"You're getting heavy," Mom said, planting a kiss on his head.
"But not too heavy for my mommy... right?"
I shook my head, then turned away and watched Dad, galloping around the yard with Tootsie on his shoulders. In a minute Tootsie was laughing. I remember when Dad carried Fudge that way. And there's a photo of me on his shoulders, too. I'm laughing really hard and grabbing Dad's hair. He had a lot more to grab then.
"Go, horsey... " Tootsie called, as Dad galloped in the other direction.
Being a baby is so easy, I thought. Riding around on Dad's shoulders, knowing he'd never let you fall. And doing and saying whatever you please, without worrying about what the other guy will think.
Grandma put her arm around my shoulder. "It's not easy being the firstborn, is it?"
I looked at her and smiled. She knew exactly what I was feeling.
68
9 Dizzy from Izzy
I hung out at the beach almost all day on Friday, hoping to catch a glimpse of Big Apfel. I guess Mrs. A finally noticed because she came out on her porch and said, "If you're looking for Fudge he's down at the tide pool with Mitzi and Sheila."
"I'm not looking for him," I explained. "I... uh... just wanted to ask Big a
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