A DAY WITH A TODDLER
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Dear Mum and Dad,
Betty Kane is quite the young lady now. She's a little charmer.
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She has made the acquaintance of Alfred, the stuffed bat.
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So far, dinner time has been without incident, and we hope that continues.
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And she loves being read to. In addition to warmer pajamas, she also has the onesie that Bruce bought for her on Plopsy.
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Bruce has been hard at work, trying to find out where Betty came from, in addition to his regular duties as a lieutenant.
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As for me, I was horrified when I looked at the plumbing on the island, and set about making sure that the toilets were not over-taxing the septic system. While I was working on the one in the bar, someone told me that the toilets in Strangerville were also sub-par.
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"Who was that masked woman?" I heard someone ask -- in a whisper, of course, because we were in the Strangerville Library. I only had time for one upgrade, but it's obvious that much more remains to be done.
For the rest, Dick has given me permission to include some pages from his journal:
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Saturday -- I encountered my mother's spirit outside our home late last night.
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My father's spirit was with her. They told me they were doing well, having become one with the storm that swept them away. But then they said that they were disappointed in me for turning my back upon our family's traditions. I managed to calm them down and told them that I intended to work on preserving Sulani's natural glory.
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Besides working as a conservationist, I was also trying to clean up the land and the water. It's only when you look closely at the trash that you realize how big the problem is. They thanked me for my work, and said they would visit me again.
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Sunday -- Today, I held my baby sister Betty. It's funny, I don't really think of Bruce as my father, and I certainly don't consider Linda to be my grandmother. She's much too young, for one thing. And I've managed to reach young adulthood without having any siblings. But although I have only just now acquired a baby sister, for Betty, I will always be her big brother. She and I are family, and because we're family, Bruce and Linda are too.
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Tuesday -- I worked from home today so that Bruce and Linda could go to their jobs. Linda, in particular, gets tense and anxious, even when she works from home. Anyway, that meant I would be looking after Betty.
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She had a bowl of cereal in her room while I had my breakfast in the kitchen. Where she found the paint, I don't know, but I came into the living room to find a mess.
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The scolding hurt her feelings so I had to give her a hug. Betty promised to be good and play with her toys while I went and took a sample of the ocean water.
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I wasn't gone long, but when I returned, she was cross that I'd gone off and left her all alone. I was about ten feet away, on the edge of the beach, so could have heard her if she called.
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The only way I could make it up to her was by giving her a dinosaur ride. During the day I had to give her a ride three times. I hope my back will hold out. I have tomorrow off, so can look forward to more bonding time. But I still love the little rascal.
And that's it from everyone. Love, Linda, Bruce, Dick, and Betty