You Still Have to Grow Up Rather You Want To or Not

Life was very busy indeed in the Tea Household. Strawkiwi had been working many hours at the bookstore and had also been spending quite a bit of time at the library. His being gone, in addition to 3 very active toddlers, was leading to a slightly bitter Thistle.


Thistle: Made any progress on the book?
Strawkiwi: I'm working on it Thistle. These things don't come with a snap of the fingers ya know.
Thistle: Well both your editor who is constantly ringing the phone by the way, and I, would like to know if its going to come anytime this century?
*Strawkiwi goes silent and refuses to look at Thistle, his muscle tightens in his jaw line*
Thistle: Fine! Don't talk to me! *lowers her voice upon remembering the toddler in between them* I suppose I'll have to wait just like everyone else around here. But you know Honeydew's birthday is coming up and I'm planning a party rather we can afford it or not. *walks away*


Yes things were a bit tense between the adults in the household and it didn't completely escape past all of the Tea children. Little Bubbles was actually becoming a bit of a "nervous Nelly" and had even started biting her nails.


Candy on the other hand was always in her own little world. She loved to play by herself and spent hours with the peg-box sorting colors and pushing the little wooden blocks through the holes.


Bubbles however, wouldn't play alone unless she was at least commanding someone else's attention. Usually this was poor frazzled Thistle.


Thistle was supermom though. She was teaching Bubbles how to talk properly, planning Honeydew's party, making dinner, cleaning up after everyone and helping Pepper with his homework.


Being so busy, time flew by and Honeydew's birthday was here before Thistle knew it. It was still hard to watch her daughter grow up so quickly but Honeydew was also struggling with not wanting to grow up! She did not want to blow out the candles at first and it took some cajoling from Thistle to convince her.


Reluctantly, Honeydew blew out the candles with her dad and brother cheering her on.


Instead of wanting to slice cake though, Honeydew starting complaining about being tired and ran off to the bathroom.

Thistle followed her into the bathroom and instead of seeing the toddling little girl that Honeydew had still been in her eyes, she saw an older child, a "big kid" who was old enough now to want some privacy. She suddenly understood.
Thistle: Honeydew, are you upset about starting school and still having to share a room with the babies.
Honeydew's eyes widened: How did you know mom?
Thistle: *smiles* Mom's are just like that, we know everything. How about you talk to Peppercini? Maybe he would be willing to let you share a room with him until we can make other arrangements or until the twins are a little older? I think he was outside tossing the football with your dad.

Honeydew: Pepper? Do you think I could move into your room? The babies keep me up at night and, and, well...I just don't want to start school living in the same room with them!
Peppercini: Honeydew, you are more than welcome to stay in my room for now. I completely understand. I felt the same way about you when you were little *laughs* Why did you think I ended up with my own room?

That night Peppercini and Strawkiwi used Thistle's truck to go pick up the bed that Thistle had already picked out for Honeydew. They put it together and even though Peppercini groaned about the pink bedspread, Thistle saw the kindness in her son and felt so proud she almost teared up. To think that at one time she had been worried about Pepper and his jealousness towards his little sister.

Peppercini had been playing his guitar at the park a lot and had started receiving a decent amount of change. The guitar was fun but he knew that it was difficult to make a living out of something like that and he had been watching his little sister who frequently accompanied him to the park. She always made a beeline for the chess-tables. He decided that he would get her a birthday present, and the next day when she arrived home from school. A chess table was waiting for her!

Peppercini: I didn't know where to put it so I just stuck it in mom and dad's room for the time being.
Honeydew: You are the best big brother ever!! Mom, can we put it outside though. I like to play outside.
Thistle: You've got it Honey. But we'll have to put it in the front yard so that I can keep an eye on you.


That night, when Strawkiwi came to bed, Thistle was already asleep. With the busy week that the household had just had, Thistle was not given much time to talk to Strawkiwi about his book but she had not forgotten about it. In fact she was dreaming about confronting hm that very night. Little did she know that Strawkiwi was struggling with his own demons. He tossed and turned all night that night himself. The writer's block was persistent. He had struggled through to the near end of the book but he just could not find a way to end it...