Baxter B. Ballyhoo Rides Again

Baxter’s mother put the last shirt in Baxter’s suitcase and closed it with a loud SNAP. She gave it a satisfied little pat, then turned around to find Baxter. He was busy spinning around the room. He looked like a whirlwind as he bumped into his desk, bed, and toy box. His mop of red hair was a blur as he twirled faster and faster. It was only when the toe of his scruffy gym shoe caught on the edge of his rug that he slowed down. Down he went into a freckled heap at his mother’s feet! She helped him stand up and held him steady until he was no longer dizzy from the crazy spinning. Baxter loved the tickle feeling he got in his tummy from spinning and twirling around with his eyes closed. He loved to spin until he could no longer stand up and then he would open his eyes and watch as the room danced around him. It was one of his very favorite games! Baxter squinted his eyes as his mother’s face slowly came into focus. She had been speaking to him for several minutes, but he only started listening to what she was saying when she held him close and gently rubbed his back. He knew that this meant that he must “wind down” and pay attention to her. He tuned in just in time to hear his mother say, “Now Baxter, I’ve packed enough clothes in your suitcase to last you all weekend. If something happens that you get something spilled on your clothes, just tell Grandma and she will take care of it. Are you even listening to me, Baxter?” Baxter gave one of his famous eye-rolls. Nobody could do it like him. He would roll his eyes back into his head and let them stay there for at least 3 seconds before bringing them back into view. His dad warned him on several occasions that one day he would roll his eyes so far back into his head that they would get stuck up in there. Baxter wasn’t sure if something like that could really happen or if his dad was just messing with him, but even if it did happen he would look really cool. Every now and then he would place himself in front of a mirror to see just how far back his eyes could roll…just in case his dad was right. Imagine being able to see the inside of your brain! He had seen pictures of a brain in his health book at school. It looked like a big, gray, wrinkled raisin. It would be all wet and squishy and slimy. It would probably even be able to drip through your fingers like a raw egg… “Baxter, I am talking to you!”” Mother said loudly, cutting off any further thoughts of squishy brains. “Are you hearing what I am saying to you?” “I’m standing right here. My ears are here with me. I would think that they are hearing you because you sure are talking loud,” Baxter said with a grumble. He did not want to talk about boring stuff! Before his mother could answer him he continued, “Did you pack my tee shirt that has the racing bike on the front? What about my favorite blue shorts? I can’t go all weekend without my favorite clothes!” Mother sighed and shook her head. She was getting very frustrated with her son. She counted to ten in order to give herself time to cool off before she answered Baxter. This was something she always told Baxter to do if he felt himself getting angry with someone. “Really Baxter, we’ve been all through this. You can’t expect me to send those raggedy old clothes to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. What would they think?” “They would think that I have a really neat mom who lets me wear my favorite clothes!” Baxter exclaimed with a shout. “ A boy should be able to wear what he wants to!”