Could Things Really Get Much Worse?

There have already been so many bad experiences for Elise in the sixth grade; you may be wondering could things really get worse?  Well, yes things for Elise have gotten even worse.  Aunt Bessie's sister Annie and her baby are now going to stay with Aunt Bessie, Uncle Hugh, and Elise.  Elise is really concerned about Annie and her baby coming to live with her.  Elise doesn't really like babies.  "Babies make me nervous.  If they're screaming because something's wrong, they can't tell you what to do about it.  I'm afraid I'll break them when I touch them.  And they make me think of my mother (LaFleur 53)."  Not only is Elise 'afraid' of the baby, but the baby seems to get all of the attention.  

     

            When Annie and the baby arrive Aunt Bessie takes into the baby and starts talking to it in a high squeaky voice.  Aunt Bessie hollers for Elise to take all of Annie's bags to the extra room downstairs forgetting all about Elise's bummed thumb.  It takes Elise over five trips to get all of the bags into the room downstairs because she is only able to use her left hand.  This weekend is also Elise's birthday. 

            For Elise's birthday all of her cousins and friends come over to see her and they have the 'Biggest Sloppy Joe Fest'.  Although all of the attention is supposed to be towards Elise it is focused on the new baby.  "'Look at you girl!  All grown up!' she shrieked as she gave me a hug.  'There's a baby in the house right?  I'm dying to meet her!'  She ran up the porch steps.  Whose birthday was it, anyway? (LaFleur 66)" The guests have just arrived and the attention is already focused towards the baby.

            Elise and Aunt Bessie always send time in the kitchen together.  It's there thing, and it's a time where they bond and create a lot of memories and fun.  When Elise walks into the kitchen she not only finds Aunt Bessie but she finds the strangest combinations of food.  There is butternut squash, a banana, an avocado, and a bag of apples.  Elise comes to find they are not making food for themselves; they are making food for the new baby.  Now Elise and Aunt Bessie can cook while bonding over the new baby.  After preparing food for the baby Elise asks Aunt Bessie if they were going to cook dinner for themselves.  Aunt Bessie replies and said she had already prepared their dinner and it was waiting for them in the refrigerator.  As you can see Elise's experiences of being eleven have not gotten much better.