Snowmen, Snowball Fights, and Snow Cream

Hello future readers!

Is there enough "snow" in the title of this entry? *giggle* Well, it's because I'm surrounded by it! I'm having such a far out time here! This morning, after a big breakfast of pancakes, sausage and fruit, (Man, is Vivienne's mom ever a super cook!) Vivienne asks me if I wanna go outside an build a snowman. Is she kidding? YES! So we asked her mom for some old clothes, so our snowman wouldn't get cold. Vivienne's mom just rolled her eyes at our little joke, and told us to look in the hall closet, in an old trunk.  We found a hat, a vest, and even some Christmas stuff. We got a carrot from the refrigerator and got to work. I think we did a terrific job! Not bad for my first snowman!

The both of us were in a pretty goofy mood, so we started singing "Frosty The Snowman" kinda loudly. The neighbors must have thought we were crazy! Suddenly, I hear a voice behind me saying, "Goofy girls, don't even know it's not Christmas anymore!"
 That was Kevin. (You remember him, right? Danny, Jason and Kyle's pen pal? He's also Betta's brother). Kevin and his little brother C.J. had just come over from down the block.
"We got a letter from the Trailblazers yesterday, and they'd said you'd be spending the week here." (The Trailblazers was the boys cabin at camp last summer).
So I said Hi to Kevin and C.J. I've never met C.J. before, but I've seen pictures of him. So I asked, "How do you like our snowman?"
"It's OK", Kevin answered. "But he looks more like a snow girl with that flower on his hat."
That made C.J. giggle.  And then Kevin gets the funny look on his face and picks up a handful of snow.
"Hey C.J., those girls look hungry. What do you say we give 'em a snowball sandwich?"
"You better not!", I yelled, and I picked up an handful of snow myself.

Then Kevin yells, "Fire!" , and suddenly my whole face is covered in snow. It was even going up my nose!

Vivienne called after them "You jive turkeys! We're gonna get you for that!" C.J. and Kevin took off running and Vivienne helped me get the snow off my face.

"Are you OK, Julie?" Vivienne asked me.
"Yeah, I'm OK", I told her. "Snowball sandwich, huh? I'm gonna get those two for that, but good!"
"I'm with you", Vivienne agreed. Then she said we should go inside and get some hot cocoa. That sounded like a great idea!

Later as we were sitting there, drinking our hot cocoa, Vivienne said, "I'll bet those 2 are at home acting like nothing's happened."
"Yeah, probably...but like my friend Robyn always says, "Don't get mad, get even! We'll come up with a way to pay those turkeys back!"
Then we heard the doorbell ring, and Mrs. Walton answered it. We heard her say "They're in the kitchen, boys." Boys? Kevin and C.J, were here?

Kevin walked in the kitchen with C.J. behind him.
"Sorry we beaned you with the snowballs, Julie", Kevin mumbled. He couldn't even look me in the eye. C.J. just nodded. "We brought you some suckers."
Kevin handed both of us a sucker, then turned around and walked out with C.J. right on his heels.
"Well what do you know?" I said. I was kinda shocked.
"I know that those 2 probably came running in the house, and their mom got the whole story out of them, and she made Kevin go into his candy stash and bring us these suckers."
"So they're really not sorry?"
"Knowing Kevin, probably not yet. I bet C.J. is, but he won't admit it 'cos he doesn't wanna look like a baby in front of Kevin."
"So our plan for revenge is still on?"
"Definitely."

When we finished our cocoa, Betta called and invited us over. Outta site! I've been waiting to meet her mom, Mrs. Fleagle for a long time. Since Danny, Jason and Kyle are pen pals with Kevin and C.J., they're always sending each other cards and toys and stuff. That's when I decided I needed a pen pal too, and Kevin's mom wrote to me and told me about Vivienne. Mrs. Fleagle is super nice! When I twisted my ankle in Gym class, she sent me a get well card. She even sent me a groovy purse once, so wouldn't feel left out when she sent the boys gifts. When we knocked on the door, Mrs. Fleagle answered it and gave us both a big hug. She said it was nice to finally meet me, and she was sorry for the boys little "welcome" before. She smelled like cinnamon, like she had been baking or something.  She told us that Betta was on the sun porch, and we should go out there. Betta had all the fixings for ice-cream sundaes. But where was the ice-cream? Betta told me we were gonna make "snow cream". Ice cream made outta snow? Far out! She went outside, and filled a mixing bowl full of snow. and then we added a little sugar and a little milk, and a dash of vanilla flavor, and presto! Snow cream!

Vivienne and Betta wanted chocolate syrup on theirs, and I wanted strawberry on mine. Wow, was it ever good! I can't wait to tell my mom about this!

Betta finished hers first and went to her room and got her new puzzle, and asked if we wanted to help put it together. I love puzzles. But Vivienne doesn't like doing puzzles too much. She says trying to figure out where all those pieces go gives her a headache. So Betta and I worked on the puzzle on the sun porch floor, (no room on that small table), while Vivienne played with Betta's Etch A Sketch.

When we were almost done with the puzzle, I heard a weird sound, like someone crying. I heard Mrs. Fleagle yell, "Betta? Will you please get Little G? I'm putting laundry into the dryer." I asked who Little G was, and Betta explained he was her baby brother. His real name is Glenn, but everyone calls him "Little G". Wow, another brother? Poor Betta's surrounded by boys! Vivienne and I followed Betta inside and we went into the baby's room.

I looked down into his cradle. Awww...he was so cute. He kinda reminded me of that doll I got for Christmas. the "My Real Baby" doll. Only Betta didn't need a doll, she has the real thing!

Betta said we should give him his bottle until her mom could come in and change him. She asked me if I wanted to hold him. Me? I've never held a baby before. I've played with them, you know, Patty Cake and stuff like that but I've never held one. Betta showed me how. She picked him up and put him on my lap. And he stopped crying!

I talked baby talk to him and he smiled and drooled. I bounced him on my knee softly and sang "Pony Boy" , and that made him giggle. Then Betta handed me the bottle and said I could feed him!

When Mrs. Fleagle came in and saw me feeding Little G, she said, "You do that very well, Julie. You're gonna make a good mommy someday."  Wow! That made me feel really grown-up!

It was getting close to dinner time, so Vivienne and I had to go. We had fried chicken, mashed potatoes and salad for dinner. We cleaned our plates and got chocolate pudding for dessert. Yum!
Later on, while we got ready for bed, we kept trying to think of a way to get Kevin and C.J back for that snowball sandwich.

"We'll talk to Betta about it tomorrow and see if she can come up with anything", Vivienne told me. "After all she lives with them. She should know better than anyone how to get back at 2 pesky brothers." Super! We'll tell Betta! I can't wait to see what she comes up with!

Until tomorrow, future readers,
Your friend,
Julie Newman