I woke up to Avery sitting on my chest singing who-knows-what right in my face.
“Well, good morning to you too, Ave,” I mumbled. “Why must you always feel compelled to wake ME up?”
“Cuz... Ike’ll get mad. And... Zac’s not as nice to me.”
“Hmm...” I said thoughtfully. “Maybe I should stop being nice to you.”
“NO!” she shrieked. “That would be mean!”
“Uh... duh?” I retorted.
She giggled. “Get up, Taybear. It’s time to go to church.”
I looked at the clock. “Aves, it’s two hours before we have to be at church.”
“Oh well, you’re awake now,” she sighed. “Might as well get up.”
“You are so cunning,” I shot back sarcastically. I sat up quickly, causing her to fall over backwards, and began tickling her.
“NO! Tay! Stop!” she screeched, trying to push my hands away.
I obediently picked her up off of me and sat her on the floor. Then, forcing myself out of bed, I declared, “There. I am up. Be proud.”
“Now,” she insisted, dragging me over to the dresser, “you must get dressed.” She opened the drawer and started rummaging through my clothes. She pulled out a pair of blue jeans and a baby blue button-up shirt, and handed them to me. “There. Get dressed.”
I gave her a questioning look.
“I like that shirt,” she announced. “It looks good on you. Your eyes, ya know?”
I nodded. “Uh, okay.” Now, I don’t know what made me decide to take my seven-year-old sister’s fashion advice, but I changed into the clothes she had given me, then returned to my room.
Mackie had now joined Avie, and was pretending to shoot our two sleeping brothers with a toy army airplane. As soon as I walked through the door, he turned it on me.
“I’m going to blow you up!” the plane said. Several ‘gun’ noises followed as the plane swooped around in front of me.
I glared down at it. “What is the meaning of this?” I continued to watch it carefully, then did my best Beavis impersonation. “Are you threatening me?”
Avie sat on the floor and laughed, as all the noise woke the sleeping giants.
The plane continued to fire at me.
“Don’t force me to do something!!!” I threatened.
“Heaven forbid he should actually do something!” Ike retorted, a little cranky at being woken so early.
“What is your problem, Tay?” Zac whined. “You shouldn’t be up. Go back to bed.”
“I agree completely,” I answered. “Try telling Avie that. Not that it would work, I mean, I tell her that about every Sunday morning, and it doesn’t seem to do any good.” I paused. “I think for once, you guys should suffer with me.”
He groaned and rolled over. “Go away.”
“NEVER!” I yelled. “GET UP!!!” I began bouncing up and down on the edge of his bed. “Get up, get up, get up!”
“Why??” he whimpered. “I’m tired.”
“So am I.”
“Then stop bugging me and go back to sleep, you idiot,” he suggested plaintively.
I sighed and started downstairs, with Avie and Mackie close behind me. Mom and Dad were sitting in the kitchen, as usual, Mom feeding Zoè and Dad reviewing his sermon notes.
“’Mornin’,” I greeted them.
“’Morning Taylor,” the two of them and Jessie chorused.
“Where are Ike and Zac?” Jessie asked.
“Exactly where they always are on Sunday morning,” I answered. “In bed.”
“Oh, I thought I heard Zac yelling at you,” she said.
“You probably did,” I told her, laughing. “He was yelling at me because I woke him up. This doesn’t automatically mean he stayed awake.”
We passed an hour watching TV before Ike and Zac finally made their grand appearance.
“Well, good morning.” I glanced at my watch and mumbled, “Okay, it’s still morning.”
“You’re just jealous we got more sleep than you did,” Zac determined.
“Next Sunday, buddy,” I warned good-naturedly. “Next Sunday I sick Avie on you.” I turned to her. “Right Aves? You and me, we’ll drag Zac out of bed next Sunday.”
She grinned and nodded. “Then,” she embellished, “if he doesn’t wake up good enough, we can throw him in the shower and turn the water on.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” I approved.
“You wouldn’t dare...” Zac let his sentence trail.
“Oh, but I would,” I proclaimed. “It’s our last Sunday in Tulsa, I want to make it a memorable experience for you.”
“You needn’t feel obligated,” he assured me.
I shrugged. “The pleasure’s all mine.”
“NO!” he groaned, smacking his forehead.