Saturday Mornings -- Playing House

Except for the winter months, my wife Ann works on weekend mornings. That usually means that I'm home with Joey, my 15-year-old son, and Nicole, my 5-year-old daughter.

It also usually means that Karlee, our 13-year-old neighbor and my "emergency backup daughter," comes over as well.

Karlee was only a couple of years old when her mom died. Her father has done a respectable job bringing up Karlee and her older sister Kim. Both girls are mature beyond their years, probably due to life's hard knocks forcing them along. They both seem lonely somehow.

I'm not going to even pretend that having been a single parent of two boys for three years is anything like being a widower, but Karlee and Kim soak up family time with us. We enjoy having them here, and consider Karlee and Kim as part of our clan.

However much she might pretend to hate it, I know that Karlee loves it when I grab her and forcibly hug her. She smiles and squeals, half-heartedly tries to get away, but always ends up squeezing me tight and putting her cheek on my chest. I don't think she is used to getting hugs. Once in a while, when nobody's looking, she'll even come up behind me and put her arm around my waist. That's her way of asking for a squeeze and a kiss on the forehead.

So, getting back to the point, Saturday mornings have become somewhat of a tradition with me, Joey, Nicole, and Karlee. The kids make a huge breakfast, and I supervise. I treasure the time spent with these kids.

My sole job is to turn up the music (BB King, Clapton, Dave Brubeck ... you know, Saturday morning stuff) and get out of the way. I watch, glow with pride, and chuckle in amusement. The kids "play house" without realizing they're doing so.

Nicole, being an adorable little girl, is the center of attention. Karlee dotes on her, and Joey takes on a stern "dad" role. Karlee cooks the bacon, Joey and Nicole mix ingredients for pancakes from scratch ... then add experimental ingredients. Karlee decided that this Saturday's experimental pancake batter ingredient would be food coloring. She had us each put a few drops in our mouths. I got yellow, Karlee green, Joey blue, and Nicole red.

Karlee good-naturedly pushes Joey out of the way when the mixing begins, orders him to take over the bacon duty, and stirs the pancake batter with Nicole. Joey finishes cooking the bacon, Karlee "steals" a piece or two from Joey, then Karlee cooks pancakes while Joey asks us how we all want our eggs prepared.

It's noisy, chaotic, and a mess. It's absolutely wonderful.

My wife calls Nicole "Baby." Karlee picked up the habit, but I think she does it because she likes playing the part of a mom. She's trying it on for size, and enjoying it. Even if it's only playing house, I think she needs it.

When Karlee was walking out of my house this morning, she suddenly turned around and came bounding back in like only a coltish teenage girl can, gave Joey a hug, Nicole a kiss, and me a squeeze that almost cracked my ribs. Then in a flash she was gone.

Until next Saturday morning.