Ch. 4

 Life with Wilbur looked very similar to life before Wilbur. There were, however, quite a few noticeable changes that accompanied the new four-legged family member. Two shiny metal bowls in the kitchen sat on a rubber mat. After Wilbur drinks from his water bowl, there are water droplets, almost like a trail leading to his bed. A leash now hung by the door, and tufts of tan fur would often be seen rolling across the kitchen floor like tumbleweeds. Mildred did her best to keep up with the fur in every corner of the house. Oscar made sure to take Wilbur to the groomers regularly to try to minimize the shedding as well. James loved having the dog. Everyone in the family loved Wilbur, but James had a special connection with him. Every morning, when James would get out of bed, he would run downstairs, often before anyone else was up. He’d fill the water bowl, let Wilbur into the backyard, and feed him. Then, they would sit on the couch together and watch cartoons until the rest of the house had awoken. James enjoyed these early morning cuddle sessions and was not looking forward to returning to school because that would mean less time with Wilbur. He knew that Wilbur would be there when he got home from school and that they would still have their evening walks together until the weather got too cold, and that gave him some solace. 

This morning, he was expecting to shop for back-to-school supplies. His mom had mentioned that they needed to pick up some items before the school year, and she didn’t want to be caught in the traffic and crowds that accompanied the weekend before school started. He pondered what particular item his mother would let him pick out for this year. She would allow each child to pick an item that was meaningful to them every year. It could be an eraser, a new backpack, even if their old one was perfect, or a lunch box with a favorite person or character on the front. The first to rouse this morning was Violet. She loved her sleep and often slept until ten or eleven on weekends during the school year. Violet greeted James with a groggy “ Good Morning,” scratched Wilbur on the head, and headed towards the kitchen for breakfast. James was surprised she was up this early, asking, “ Why are you up so early today?”. Violet rubbed her eyes before answering, “ I just woke up this morning and couldn’t go back to sleep.” After fetching a bowl of cereal, she joined them in the living room, sitting on an old but comfortable leather chair deemed no longer worth trying to keep in mint condition. When one had four children, most furniture would eventually go into this category. Next up were Mildred and Oscar, who always started their mornings with a cup or two of coffee before having breakfast. What caught James’s attention this morning was that his dad didn’t lumber off to get ready for work like he did on most mornings. He seemed in no rush and lazily rummaged through the fridge, looking for his favorite coffee creamer. 

“ Are you not going to work today?” asked James. Having found the elusive coffee creamer, Oscar turned around to answer his son’s question. “ I am taking a day off today.” James cocked his head to one side, confused by this statement, “ We just got back from vacation.” In his experience, after returning from a trip, his father didn’t take another day off. He would typically hear him muttering as he walked out the door about the many problems that needed his attention at work after taking time off. Sometimes, the muttering would begin the day before he returned to work. Oscar smiled gently at his son. “ There’s something your mother and I want to talk to you and your sisters about.” Violet did not respond to this answer positively.  “Are we going to have to return Wilbur? Is someone in the family dying? Why are we having a family meeting? Violet almost always assumed the worst. A naturally anxious child, she had required a lot of soothing as an infant, and while she had gotten better at self-soothing over time, she would be on alert at the first sign of something changing. 

Mildred went over to Violet and gently rubbed her back. “ No one is dying, and we are not giving Wilbur back; we just want to talk to everyone about an adventure we’ll start soon as a family.” Violet calmed down and was now focused on discovering precisely the adventure. “ I’m going to wake up Rose and Lilly so we can have the family meeting.” Oscar shook his head. “ No, don’t wake them up yet. Give them another twenty minutes; if they’re not up by then, I’ll wake them up.” The next twenty minutes passed agonizingly slowly for Violet; when her father eventually climbed the stairs to wake her younger sisters, she could hardly contain her impatience. Once he returned with the two sleepy girls following him, she said, “ Now you can tell us about this adventure.” Mildred sighed. “ Give your sisters a few minutes to wake up, and then we’ll start the family meeting.” Luckily for Violet, the twins were morning people ready to hear the news themselves. The four children sat on the couch in the living room while their parents sat on the ottoman parallel to the sofa. Oscar sighed once more. “ Your mother and I have decided that we’re going to homeschool the four of you for this upcoming school year.”

The responses were immediate and visceral. Rose began to wail, “ I’m never going to see my friends again.” Violet was quietly crying and reaching for the tissues on the side table. Typically very composed, Lilly had curled up into a ball and looked terrified. James looked perplexed. “ Is this because I almost failed reading last school year? I have gotten much better, and I’ve been doing all the work you’ve given me this summer. I’d like to be able to go back to school.” Oscar and Mildred exchanged concerned looks. Mildred said, “ This is not because we’re upset with you or because any of you has done anything wrong. Your father and I made this decision because we think it’s best for you and our family. We think this will be a wonderful adventure”. This did little to quell the concern of her four children. She continued reassuringly, “ We’re all going to go shopping once we get dressed so we can decorate the school room together.” The schoolroom was to be what had been the playroom but was now devoid of toys. Mildred had wanted to repaint the room, but after being overwhelmed with choosing four different curriculums, she was persuaded to leave the room in its current light shade of blue. Once everyone had calmed down after the unexpected announcement, the four children went upstairs to get dressed for the day. Mildred had told them that once everyone was dressed and ready to go, the family would get some posters to decorate the schoolroom and pick out their particular item for the new school year. 

After much nagging and many reminders, the White family was loaded into their minivan and off to the school supply store. Upon arriving, the four children set about the task set before them. James picked out a poster on the solar system for the school room. Violet found a poster that explained the anatomy of a horse. She wanted to have a horse and take lessons, so she placed this poster into the shopping cart. Lilly and Rose selected a poster explaining a pond’s ecology; making their way through the pond on the poster was a family of mallards. An hour and a half later, with posters and other school supplies purchased, the family made the journey back home, with everyone feeling better about what the new school year would bring. Upon arriving at home, the children set about decorating the schoolroom. While the children were decorating, the parents collapsed, exhausted, on the couch in the living room. “ Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?” Mildred asked, looking at Oscar. He looked at her and smiled. “ I’m sure we’re doing what’s best for our family. Also, if it doesn’t go well, we can always put them back in school next school year”. They looked over at the schoolroom, and the children helped each other hang their posters and put away the school supplies. Maybe this adventure wouldn’t be as rough as they’d expected.