Seven-year-old Daniel leaned into the tub, holding the shaving cream & squirted some out. How nice, smooth & white it looked. He wondered how his dad used it to remove hair from his face. He tried licking it, but it tasted gross. So he continued squirting...and squirting until there was a little hill of white shaving cream in the tub & the stream was tapering off. Daniel was full of delight at the sight. Shaving cream was so fun to fool around with! He couldn't wait until he was old enough use it...
"DANIEL SEAN LARUSSO!" his dad's voice bellowed behind him. Daniel jumped, dropped the can with a clatter, & turned to see his dad towering over him, his green eyes flashing in anger. Daniel KNEW he done something wrong! His dad was MAD. "Is that MY shaving cream?!"
"Y-yes..." Daniel squeaked meekly, cowering by the tub.
"Well, young man, for wasting my shaving cream, you get a nice swat & get to spend the rest of the afternoon in your room!" With that, Frank pulled Daniel up by the arm & swatted Daniel smartly several times on the butt. Daniel tried not to cry, but the tears filled his eyes & spilled down his face. "Get to your room & stay there until dinner!" Frank barked. "And don't ever let me catch you in my shaving supplies again, you understand?" Daniel nodded, catching his breath, tears running down his face. Head down, he scampered to his room. He hoped his dad wouldn't be mad at dinner.

Daniel & Matt made faces across the kitchen table. Liza & Renee giggled, then showed them their mashed-up Spanish rice. Daniel picked at his food while the others ate. Did he really have to eat all those little red tomato-like little specks? He didn't like tomatoes. And that *tomato* mush! Just then, Pookie, his cousins' dog wandered into the kitchen & peered hopefully up at the table.
"Can't have our food," Matt told him.
"Sorry, girl," Renee added, stroking Pookie's brown, long fur. Pookie waved his tail, then saw Daniel, who suddenly had an inspiration. As if Pookie read Daniel's mind, she trotted over to Daniel & Daniel lowered his plate. Matt giggled. Pookie panted in delight & eagerly began lapping up Daniel's dinner.
"Nice girl..." Daniel stroked her ear. "Nice girl, thanks for eating this for me..."
"DANIEL LARUSSO!" His mom's voice startled him. Daniel was so startled in face, he dropped the plate with a clatter.
"Uh-ohhh..." Matt muttered, stifling a snicker. Daniel looked up to see Lucille standing over him, looking very angry.
"Oops..." Daniel mumbled, not knowing what else to say.

Daniel knew he was in trouble. The girls & Matt tried to stifle their snickers.
"Daniel, help me pick this mess up, then go upstairs to the room for the evening & stay there," Lucille ordered once she'd gotten a measure of control. Daniel's face burned as he picked up the plate & rug & took it to the sink to wash off. Lucille got the mop out & cleaned up the grease off the floor. Pookie, who'd been also startled by Lucille's yell, lay by the closet. Daniel then slowly went upstairs to the guest bedroom. He know his mom wouldn't be mad long; she never stayed mad long. Good thing because he didn't like having his mom mad at him.