spamalot } { of flying peas and beta max

[impetere]

Cora: [pulls up to the parent pick up line after escaping the high school for the day, waiting for the kids to come out and pile into the car]

Dina: [and there is the ball of sunshine coming running to the car] Mommy! Mooooommmmmmyyyy!

Cora: [opens the back door so she can get in] Hey, sweetie. You have a good day?

Dina: Uh huh. It was a great day.

Cora: Good, I'm glad. Did you see Ryan?

Dina: Uh huh.

Cora: Is he on his way here?

Dina: He was.

Cora: Good. [and two minutes later, Ryan runs up and climbs into the car]

Ryan: Hi, Aunt Cora.

Cora: Hey, kiddo. Everybody buckle up.

Dina: [is already] So Mommy, we are having a science fair!

Cora: Oh yeah?

Dina: Uh huh. And we need to have our parents help up make things and I want you to help me make a robot!

Cora: We can totally do that. Did the teacher give you rules?

Dina: Uh huh. In my bag.

Cora: Okay, we can look them over when we get home.

Dina: [bright Stilinski grin] I want to make a beta max.

Cora: [there's a beat] Sweetie, that's a VCR. It's not a very impressive robot.

Dina: No. No, the big white superhero robot.

Cora: [she laughs] Oh. Gotcha. Well, we'll see.

Dina: [looks at Ryan] You can be a part of the superhero team.

Ryan: Cool. Aunt Cora, can I help build it too?

Cora: We'll see, kiddo. I have to read all the rules first.

Dina: Okay. But I get to have the cool robot riding suit.

Cora: Build the robot first. Then we get the suit later.

Dina: Okay. [leans to Ryan] We can make Noah the lizard suit.

Ryan: [grins] But he can't be around while we're building it or he'll smash it.

Dina: Agreed.

Cora: Have you managed to work out a happy medium there, Ryan?

Ryan: [makes a face] No. Mom only lets me build when he's outside so that he won't knock it down.

Dina: We should get you a tent and you build in the tents.

Ryan: That would be cool. Or a fort!

Dina: Yes! A big fort.

Ryan: Aunt Cora, can we build a fort in Dina's room?

Cora: Sure, sweetie. Just as long as it isn't too big.

Dina: And you can hide all your legos here.

Ryan: I think this is a good plan.

Cora: [smirks before she pulls up to the McCall house] Alright, kiddo, time to trade you for Ben.

Dina: Awwwww.

Cora: But you guys have a play date this weekend, so you can build your fort then.

Allison: [is coming out with Ben in his baby carrier]

Dina: Yay! Bring the legos.

Ryan: I will. [climbs out of the car] Hi Mom. I have to bring legos to Dina's on Saturday.

Allison: I will make sure you don't forget. [and she hands off Ben to Cora] He just went down for a nap so he should be out for a bit.

Cora: Thank you. You are a life saver.

Dina: Hi Auntie Allison! We're gonna build a beta max robot!

Allison: Oh yeah? That sounds cool.

Dina: Uh huh and then I'm gonna ride on his back and we're going to be superheroes.

Allison: [looks at Cora. Cora shakes her head as she straps Ben in] That sounds like a lot of fun.

Dina: we're totally going to kick ass at the science fair.

Cora: Dina.

Dina: Yes?

Cora: Kick butt. Kick butt at the science fair.

Dina: But isn't it the same thing?

Cora: It is, but my version won't get you into trouble with your teachers when you say it in school.

Dina: [pouts] But I don't say it in school.

Cora: Which is good. But it's good to keep in practice outside of school so that you don't slip up okay? And so that your grandmother doesn't give my dirty looks.

Dina: Okay.

Cora: Thank you. [and with Ben strapped in, she'll turn back to Allison] And thank you.

Allison: [nods] I'll see you guys later?

Cora: [nods] Say goodbye to Aunt Allison, Dina.

Dina: Bye Ryan. Bye Aunt Allison!

Cora: [and back in the car they go to drive home!]

Dina: [and then she will head in, dropping her bag on the floor and going right to the fridge for grapes]

Cora: [her and Lucy with the grapes. But Cora will go put her teaching stuff away before making her way into the kitchen] So let me see these science fair rules.

Dina: Yes! [and she will rush back to her back, leaving the fridge open but holding onto the bag of grapes. She will bring it back, holding the paper out for Cora]

Cora: [and she will close the fridge while she's gone before taking the paper from her. she figures that the rules are not as such that they will be building a beta max]

Dina: [it's totally like the future from now. STEM is in. BUILD CHLIDREN BUILD]

Cora: [yes, but it still needs to be reasonably built by a child]

Dina: [bounces on her feet] Can we build a robot?

Cora: We can, but I don't think it'll be as big as beta max.

Dina: [pouts] A mini one?

Cora: I think we can manage a mini one. But it's going to involve a lot of tiny parts that your brother might choke on, so we can only work on it at a table where he can't grab them.

Dina: Okay!

Cora: Okay. Right now, though, we have to decide what we're going to do for dinner.

Dina: Tacos?

Cora: Hmmmm. [and she'll go to see what they have in the fridge]

Dina: Or we could make mac and cheese.

Cora: I think mac and cheese is probably a better bet.

Dina: Can we put bacon in it?

Cora: Sure. Why don't you call your dad and see when he's getting home?

Dina: [grins and she goes to grab the tablet and Skype's her father at work. And there is going to be a long conversation about robots and legos and finally she will ask him when he is coming home]

Stiles: I should be home by six. Is that ok?

Dina: Mommy, is six okay or does Daddy need to come home sooner?

Cora: [glances at the clock before shaking her head] No, that should be fine. I just won't start cooking now.

Stiles: Do I need to bring anything home?

Cora: Milk, if you can grab it?

Stiles: Got it.

Cora: Thank you.

Stiles: Love you all.

Cora: Love you too. [and once Stiles hangs up] Okay, Dina. That means homework first, for both of us.

Dina: [sighs] Okay.

Cora: [and she will go grab some papers to grade so that she can do "homework" with her]

Dina: [and she has all the worksheets. One for math, one for science, a spelling sheet, and a geography sheet]

Cora: [and she's grading tests and labs, working through two classes before Ben starts to stir in his car seat with grumpy noises]

Dina: Ben's up!

Cora: Yeah, sweetie, I hear him. [and she'll get up and scoop up Ben bouncing him a bit to cheer him up]

Ben: [look it's the mommy. Hi Mommy my eyes are heavy and I am wet]

Cora: [and she will change him and get him into his pjs for easy bedtime later]

Ben: [and he is going to be clingy and want to just be in Mommy's arms]

Cora: [she can work with that, sitting him against her chest while she tries to grade some more papers]

Ben: [is going to nom on his fist a moment, and then lean in to try and get that pen]

Cora: [and she will stretch it out of his grasp, replacing it with one of his favorite toys] Sorry, kiddo, I need that pen.

Ben: [but mommy I want the pen oh wait hi giraffe]

Dina: [looks up] He likes that one.

Cora: [smiles a bit] Yeah. He's starting to pick favorite things.

Dina: Did I have favorite things?

Cora: [she pauses for a moment] I don't know, sweetie. You'll have to ask your dad.

Dina: Oh yeah, you weren't my mommy yet.

Cora: No, I wasn't. But I know you loved your tutu when we met.

Dina: [smiles] It doesn't fit anymore.

Cora: No, it does. But we could get you a new one.

Dina: Do you think I could maybe take real dance classes? Like Lucy?

Cora: If you want to, sure.

Dina: I wanted to, but it was never a good time to ask.

Cora: You can take whatever you want, honey. So long as you're not taking too much.

Dina: I want to do everything, though. How do I know what I will like if I don't try it?

Cora: That is very true. And you can totally try it. But there are only so many hours in a day.

Dina: Could I go there instead of school?

Cora: No.

Dina: But isn't there a bunch of dance schools?

Cora: That's for people who only want to do dancing.

Cora: But I'd be going to do dancing.

Cora: Yes, but do you know that you'll want to be a dancer for the rest of your life?

Dina: I won't know until I try!

Cora: Which is why you can't go to an all-dance school just yet.

Dina: [pouts]

Cora: We'll sign you up for dance lessons after school and we'll see how it goes, okay?

Dina: Okay. [and she will go back to her homework]

Ben: Ba. [and he will bang the giraffe against the table.]

Cora: [smirks a bit] What's up Benny? Having fun with your giraffe?

Ben: [and there is a big grin as he shoves the giraffe head into his mouth, drooling all over it]

Cora: [laughs before kissing the top of his head] Good boy.

Ben: [ grins and pulls the giraffe out] Ma.

Cora: [she laughs a bit, and finishes the class she's working on, before placing Ben in his playpen so she can start cooking dinner]

Ben: [and he is going to just sit there, bouncing a bit] Mamamamamamamama.

Cora: What's that Ben?

Ben: Mamamamamamamamama.

Dina: [sighs and goes back to coloring in her map]

Cora: [she laughs as she sets up the macaroni to start cooking] Are you having fun?

Dina: There are a lot of states that have the letter T in it.

Cora: Yes, there are.

Dina: I can't spell Connect-i-cut.

Cora: Can you spell "connect"?

Dina: C-o-n-n-e-c-t.

Cora: Can you spell "cut"?

Dina: C-U-T.

Cora: All you have to do is put those words together and put an "i" in the middle.

Dina: [she does it softly to herself and smiles] That works!

Cora: You can do that with a lot of big words. Just break them down into smaller words and put them together.

Dina: You're so smart.

Ben: [and he will throw his giraffe out of the pen] MAMA.

Cora: [sighs as she looks back over her shoulder] What, Benny?

Ben: Mamamamamamamama.

Cora: [she sighs as she picks up his giraffe for him and brings it back again, before reaching in to scoop him up] Is this what you want?

Ben: [big grin] Mama.

Cora: [she smiles softly at that, pressing a kiss to the side of his head] That's right. That's me.

Ben: Mama! MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA.

Cora: [she laughs] I guess he has a new favorite word too.

Dina: Daddy says I said mama first too.

Cora: Most babies do, I think. [and she moves back over to keep stirring the mac and cheese]

Dina: He's been trying to get him to say daddy.

Cora: He will. He just has to give him a little time.

Dina: he probably won't be able to say Dina for awhile.

Cora: I don't know about that. [glances to Ben] Can you say Dina, Benny?

Ben: Mamamamamamama.

Cora: [she laughs] Not "Mama" Di-na. [she says it slowly so he can hear the syllables]

Ben: Na?

Cora: [she smiles] That's it, baby. Di-na.

Ben: Nana.

Cora: [she smirks a bit] It's a start.

Dina: I will take it!

Ben: [grins and squeals happily because Dina is happy]

Cora: [she laughs] Look at that. He's happy you're happy.

Dina: He's a good brother then.

Cora: Yes, he is. [kisses the top of his head] How's that homework coming?

Dina: Almost done. I just need to draw stars in the states that start with New. I have New York, New Jersey. And New Mexico.

Cora: So you've got one more then.

Dina: I do?

Cora: Yep.

Dina: Where?

Cora: That's the part you have to figure out.

Dina: [she bites her lip and looks at the map, trying to figure it out]

Cora: [she can do it. Cora has faith in her. she's just going to keep making dinner, giving Ben gentle bounces as she does]

Dina: [give her a moment and] It's other Vermont!

Cora: [she laughs] Which is called?

Dina: New Shire.

Cora: Not quite.

Dina: Close?

Cora: Very close.

Dina: New.... Ham Shire?

Cora: [smiles] Now you've got it.

Dina: [and she finishes her homework] Done!

Cora: Good! Now you can help me set the table for dinner. Your dad should be home soon.

Dina: Okay! [and she will do just that and then go to sit in front of her brother and make faces at him]

Cora: [and she will settle him in his high chair and sit so that she can start feeding him some of his mushed food]

Stiles: [and eventually Daddy will be home with the milk and maybe a few other things because this is why he shouldn't be allowed in the store alone, Cora] Honey, I'm home!

Cora: [and his wife and daughter may be covered in peas thanks to his son] Hey.

Dina: [laughing and picking peas out of her hair] Hi Daddy!

Ben: MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMA!

Cora: Yes, Benny, we know you can call me by name. Could you also not cover me in peas at the same time?

Stiles: [looks at them and laughs] I guess I'll be giving everyone a bath later tonight.

Cora: Apparently. You missed the main event.

Stiles: [puts the milk in the fridge, the bags on the counter, and leans down to eat a pea out of Cora’s hair before kissing her] I see.

Ben: MAMA! [and throws the last peas at daddy]

Cora: [she laughs] Okay, kiddo, I think that's enough peas for you. Time to clean you up for bed.

Stiles: He can wait until we eat?

Cora: [she shakes her head] No, it's fine. You guys start and I'll be back in a bit.

Dina: You can give me a bath after?

Stiles: I can do that. Come on, kiddo. Tell me how school was. [and daddy/daughter dinner a go]

Cora: [and she will go clean up Ben and gently put him to sleep, because it is time, before she showers herself and heads back downstairs]

Stiles: [looks up as he is getting seconds] Aw, and here I was hoping to get to give Mommy a bath after Dina]

Cora: [she laughs] Sorry. Not tonight.

Dina: Guess you're just stuck with me.

Cora: I'm sure he doesn't mind.

Stiles: Of course I don't mind. I mean, we totally have the color on the wall tub crayons. It's going to be awesome.

Cora: And while you guys do that, I can get some more grading done.

Stiles: Well, first I'm going to have another bowl of bacon and mac.

Cora: Oh, me too. I'm starving.

Stiles: We left you a lot.

Cora: I appreciate that.

Stiles: [and he smiles over at her, focusing on his food]

Cora: [smiles back and does the same]