Page 36 of Artemis

“How are we going to get the flour out of our hair?”

“Let me flip these pancakes and then we’re going to do a little experiment.” Pancakes flipped and cooking on the second side, Artemis sat Alexander on the counter beside the sink. “Let’s see what happens to the flour when we wash our hands.” The white powder washed off easily under the water.

“Will that happen with our hair too?” Alexander asked excitedly.

“I’m worried it might clump,” Artemis said, drying her hands on the cloth.

“I can shake it off!” Alexander shook his head like a dog, flour flying everywhere.

Artemis tried to stop him before it was too late and then sighed in resignation. “I was thinking more of using the vacuum.”

“On me?” Alexander stared, wide-eyed.

“On you, me, and the entire kitchen!” Artemis replied dramatically.

“Wow! Vacuum me, Mom!” He stood still with his arms outstretched.

“Just a minute, I need to pull these off.” Pancakes saved on a platter, and a new batch put on the stove, Artemis retrieved the vacuum and turned it on her son. He wiggled and giggled under the suction. It didn’t get everything, but it got most of it, at least. Then she turned her attention to herself. The kitchen would have to wait until the pancakes were off the burner and kept warm in the oven.

Finally, she turned off the stove and started to clean up.

“Get the broom and sweep everything on the floor into a little pile on the X tile, please,” Artemis asked Alexander.

“Yes, Mom!”

She watched him out of the corner of her eye. He loved to help so much that she’d bought him a child-sized broom. Using painter’s tape, she’d marked a large X on the tile closest to the under-cabinet suction, and he was always happy to help her with the chore.

She cleaned off the counters and stove using a wet cloth, and got the widely dispersed flour with the vacuum. By the time she was done, so was Alexander.

“Can I push the button, Mom? Please?”

Artemis pretended to hesitate. “Well, I don’t know...”

“It’s my birthday! Please, Mom?”

“Sure you can.” She lifted him up onto the counter so he could reach the switch that turned on the suction, and then put him back down so that he could use his broom to sweep the dirt closer to the opening. When it was all gone, she said, “Oh no! Don’t let your toes get taken! Noooo!!”

Alexander giggled. “My toes are fine, Mom. See? Can I turn it off?”

Artemis picked him up again to flick the switch. Then she made a big show of checking his feet, counting all his toes and pretending to miss one. “Only nine! Oh no! What should we do? I’ll call Hera, maybe she can grow it back!”

“It’s there, look! See, Mom?” Alexander wiggled his toes and pulled them up so that he could count them too. “Ten!”

“Oh, thank goodness!” Artemis gasped, hand to her chest. “I really didn’t know how to fix that!”

“You’re funny, Mom.” Alexander gave her a tight squeeze around her neck. “Can we eat now?”

“Have some blueberries. We both need to get clean,” Artemis said. “Actually, why don’t we take the bowl with us? Then you can eat them in the bath.”

“I candothat?” Alexander asked incredulously.

Artemis laughed. “Yes, of course. Not every day, and not with crumbly things. Can you imagine trying to get clean and there are cookie crumbs in the bath with you?”

“It would be messy.”

“Quite,” Artemis agreed solemnly. “Come on then.” She picked up the bowl and held out her hand for him.

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