School, Slippers and Spills

     Did these people not have baby Neopets? Did they not understand the concept of 'rest'?

     Obviously not, because here I was, half awake at 5:47 AM, cursing the day I chose public school over private, in-home tutoring.

     Or whatever.

     I finally rolled out of bed to avoid the second round of ear piercing shrieks from my clock and slid on my fluffy Cybunny slippers. Well, at least the left one. I kicked off the right one as soon as I felt the glob of... we'll say gum, in the toe.

     This was it, summer was almost over. We were a little more than half way through the month of Hiding, and today was the first day of school. I stood in the kitchen, enjoying the first couple sips of my borovan in complete silence.

     Well, this was as silent as my Neohome ever got. I could hear soft snores through the baby monitor in my robe pocket. The other monitor was on the dresser in the nursery, where my three lil' tots slept. It was my only alert for when the first wave of chaos would hit.

     The rest of my Neopets were scattered through out the house. Sometimes they fell asleep in the living room, the dining room, the loft, the play room, and once or twice they'd just crash out in tents in the back yard. Didn't matter so long as they didn't sleep in my room or the bath tub.

     The official Usuki clock on the wall chimed softly at me.

     6:30 AM.

     A chorus of alarms erased the silence in our home, each one mixing and mingling with the bells and calls of another further down the hall. I heard groans and grunts, screams into pillows, and smashing sounds followed by loud verbal complaints.

     All the crashing and unpleasant vocalizations started a chain reaction, and soon the baby monitor in my pocket let out a high pitched wail as my baby Skeith, Lullabie, woke up and started crying.

     It had begun.

     - - -

     "Mooooom! I can't find my back pack!" screamed Vdal, the faerie Moehog, as she flew haphazardly around the ceiling, causing several of the pets in the hallway to duck before shaking their fists angrily at her.

     From my place in the kitchen I balanced a rambunctious baby Lupe, Hecton, on my hip as I dodged and weaved around my running pets in order to feed the ones already sitting at the table for breakfast.

     The top of the table was covered in spilled milk, scrambled eggs, bacon, bits of toast, sausage, pancakes, syrup, and juice.

     "Check behind the play pen in the living room, Vdal!" I screamed, causing my Blumaroo, Elleri, to cover her ears and duck as I slammed down a plate of pancakes before her.

     "Gah! Neopians have ears, Ema!" she scolded, fluffing her hair.

     "Do they also have an over abundance of attitude, because that's all I'm hearing," I retorted, naturally backing into my baby Skeith, Lullabie, as she tried to wiggle past me.

     "Where are your pants?" I asked, watching as she squeezed between her siblings to grab a handful of eggs.

     "I 'dunno. Disappeared, I 'uppose," she said, stuffing her mouth.

     I held up one hand and glared at her, slowly lowering my fingers.

     "Find them. Five.. Four.."

     She threw up her little hands and rolled her eyes.

     "Fine! I'll get them." She stormed off and I set down my wriggling baby Lupe who earnestly bounded after her.

     "You seen my watch, Mom?" my Techo asked from behind me, and I shook my head.

     "No, Pqos, I haven't. Is it a nice one?" I smiled and he rolled his eyes before walking away.

     "This is ridiculous!" Vdal thundered, landing next to me as I opened the fridge to pull out more juice.

     "What? What is?" I asked, closing the door with my hip as she held up her back pack. The inside was smeared with peanut butter and clippings of usuki doll hair.

     "Dear Fyora, they got peanut butter in your doll hair!" I patted my cheek with a mock surprise face. Vdal stamped her foot and squeaked with frustration.

     "It's not funny! What am I supposed to put my books in now!?"

     Looking around the kitchen, I looked under the sink and grabbed the bag I used for carrying groceries home. It was old and smelled faintly of avocado baby food and baked pumpkin bread.

     "Use this. We'll get you a new backpack later tonight."

     She took the bag and stormed off. I smiled to myself. That was the third Neopet to storm off from me that morning. I was getting good at this.

     I took a half step back and avoided colliding with my Tyrannian Lupe as he rushed from the bathroom, soaking wet, to the kitchen to gather up all the napkins he could find before darting back.

     I didn't know nor did I care to know about what was happening in that bathroom.

     - - -

     "Bye! Have a good day! I love you all! Be good!"

     I stood holding the door, watching as one by one, my swarmlings headed out the door. Each one was mentally checked for pants, shoes, shirt, supplies, and a lack of peanut butter smudges or juice stains.

     The last two were pretty much evident on every one of their shirts, but it could have been worse.

     Through the chorus of, "Bye, Mom!" and, "Love you!" and, "Don't make me go!!" and, "Knock it off, Lullabie! We're gonna be late!", I felt a moment of pride.

     I closed the front door after making sure they all crossed the street safely, then flopped down on my couch. Something under me squeaked, and I freed a toy before releasing a long sigh.

     Then I grinned.

     Boom! Super Ema! Owner Extraordinaire! Fourteen Neopets fed, dressed, supplied, and out the door! ON TIME!

     My fist pump was short lived as the front door opened back up, and a flurry of shouting Neopets stampeded back through my door. Book bags were thrown down, and Vdal glared at me as she dropped the stinky grocery bag at my feet.

     "What's going on? Hey!" I called, trying to keep them all from scattering to different areas of the house.

     "School starts soon! Get out the door!"

     "No, it doesn't, smelly brain!" Lullabie said, stamping her little baby Skeith foot at me.

     "We don't have school today. It's Sunday," Elleri my Blumaroo said.

     "Yeah! We just saw Ms. Munch watering her roses! She just asked us what we were all doing with book bags- ON A SUNDAY?!" Vdal screamed, throwing up her hooves before stomping up the stairs.

     Suddenly I was on the receiving end of fourteen glares, and I shrugged sheepishly under the intensity. Oops.

     "Practice... wake-up drill?" I muttered.

     They all booed and hissed at me in their own ways before dispersing to enjoy their last true day before School.

     Thus, leaving me alone in the living room with my left fluffy Cybunny slipper, a clock chiming 8 AM sharp, and a cold right foot.

The End