Mischief Makers Day 4: Cookie Clutter

“Let’s see, Barrel, what else do we need?” Nim sat on the counter directing the St. Bernard.

Barrel, a St. Bernard the size of a teacup, barked with enthusiasm.

“I think you are right,” he said. “You can never have too many sprinkles.”

Barrel nosed and pawed out containers of sprinkles.

Scushhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

“Oops!”

Sprinkles covered the floor.

Nim floated unsteadily to the ground to clean the mess. As he passed an open pantry drawer, he lost his balance and flipped backwards. He landed hard in a pile of red hots.

“OWWWW!”

Lil and Glitter came fluttering into the kitchen, witnessing the end of his fall.

Glitter, already regretting the shaving cream fight of the night before, lost her antlers. “That’s it Nim! You have GOT to stop helping! You’re making things worse!”

“Now Glitter, he’s not–”.

“You heard Santa tonight, Lil!”

“Glitter, we said we wouldn’t talk about this tonight!” Lil whispered jerking her head towards Nim.

“Well, I think he needs to hear it.” Glitter fumed.

“Hear what?” Nim looked nervously between them.

“Well…Santa is concerned.”

Glitter huffed.

“He feels you should be spending your time getting better. Healing quickly so you can participate in the season.”

“But, I am participating. What about the shaving cream and the Christmas village?”

“Nim, those were…kind of messy.”

Glitter snorted.

“Messy? You both helped make the mess last night!” Nim cried.

“And we were scolded for that,” said Lil.

“Scolded?!” Glitter bellowed. “Scolded? We were told that if something like that happens again we are all in danger of being reassigned!”

Silence fell like heavy snow.

Glitter took a few deep breaths to calm down. “Our mischief is supposed to be merry, not messy.”

Nim scooted through the pile of sprinkles. “My mischief is merry…isn’t it?”

Lil helped Nim to the counter. “What Glitter means is that we should be wrapping up cabinets or decorating the doors with lights and streamers.”

“Not…destroying the house,” Glitter mumbled.

Lil started to clean up the mess while Glitter set out the Christmas craft they had brought for the boys.

“But,” Nim climbed on Barrel’s back. “I can fix that! I can make this season great again!”

Lil watched in horror as Nim rode Barrel to the top of the tree. Too late she realized what he was about to do.

“Nim! Noooooooo!!!!”

“Cowabunga!” Nim swung like Tarzan on a string of garland and crashed into the window. With a yelp, Barrel fell to the ground and the Christmas tree teetered, tottered and then toppled to the floor.

“Oops,” Nim mumbled before sliding down the window and crumpling in a heap.