Chasing Emmah

Poor Caleb. Only a couple of days into Christmas break and he’s bored already.

I have had plenty of activities to keep him busy. We’ve had two full days of candy-making. We’ve made peanut butter balls, little flower candies using multi-flavored white chocolate bark and candy molds, and Christmas mice out of maraschino cherries, Hershey’s Kisses and Oreos.

He’s cleaned his room and half of the kids’ bathroom (Anna made a deal with him to do half). He’s fought with both Josh and Anna. He’s wreaked havoc loudly for two days. Yet I heard a little sigh from him.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“I’m bored,” he said, and then quickly inserted, “But I don’t want to clean anything! Or read!” He knows those are my go-to solutions whenever he says he’s bored. The older kids learned years ago to omit that phrase from their vocabulary. He’s still young and green.

“I’d rather be at school, I think,” he said. Ouch.

But he elaborated. “I miss chasing Emmah,” he sighed wistfully. Whoa! Hold up!

“Why do you chase Emmah?” I asked, knowing I shouldn’t even go there, but I do anyway.

“Well, Preston and Gibson said I should go after her, so I do. I chase her,” he patiently explained. Another sigh as he rested his head in his hands. “And I miss that.”

This conversation reminds me of another exchange Caleb and I had just a couple of weeks ago. He had asked, “Mom, how do I get a girl to kiss me?”

And I had responded, “You don’t need to be kissing any girls.”

He had muttered, “I guess I’ll just have to figure it out on my own.”

Hmm, I wonder if this Emmah is the same one he wants to kiss. Probably. Poor girl. He’s pretty persistent. And Preston and Gibson are probably egging him on. Good times. No wonder he misses school.

But, alas, he’s home for another 10 days. I’m finished with the candy. Maybe my house will get cleaned. Or he’ll get through all the books on his bookshelf.

But I’m not holding my breath.