Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Practicing the Piano (But She Does Love Being in Recitals) by Peggy Gifford Page B

squished together on the counter-top. He called it “150 Cupcakes Made by 1 Mother in 183 Minutes.”

    “150 Cupcakes Made by 1 Mother in 183 Minutes,” by Mark Maxwell
.

chapter 18
In Which Something
Smashes to the Floor
and Breaks into
Smithereens
    Moxy went directly to the cupboard to get the jar of Green Grass Power Shake powder.
    But it wasn’t there. It wasn’t on the first shelf, where it belonged. It wasn’t on the second shelf, where it didn’t belong. It was on the highest shelf, where it had never been before.
    “Mark, could you please get the Green Grass Power Shake powder down?” asked Moxy.
    But Mark just stood there takingpictures of cupcakes, which is why it wasn’t Moxy’s fault she had to climb up on the counter. And reach a little higher than her comfort zone. And grab the jar of Green Grass Power Shake powder.
    Just as it wasn’t her fault when the Green Grass Power Shake powder slipped a little from her grip, bounced briefly on the counter, and exploded on the kitchen floor (taking down seven marshmallow-frosted cupcakes with it).

chapter 19
In Which the
Question “How Green
Was the Green
Grass

Power Shake Powder?”
Is Answered
    The Green Grass Power Shake powder was
    a great and gorgeous green

a lean

mean

light bright

just right

traffic light

shade of green
.
    And the Green Grass Power Shake powder was, well, it was everywhere. It was onthe floor and on the counter and sifting through the air. And when the air cleared, Moxy could see that the Green Grass Power Shake powder was all over her mother’s hair.
    Here is a picture Mark miraculously took of the Green Grass Power Shake explosion just as it went off. *

    “Why, Mother!” said Moxy after the green dust had cleared. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
    * I think Mark used a Canon ZX with 1,873-mph-speed film and an aperture opening of just under 1 million to catch the Green Grass Power Shake powder in midair.

chapter 20
What Mrs. Maxwell
Said to Moxy Next—
a Short Quiz for
the Reader
    Q: What did Mrs. Maxwell say to Moxy next?
    (Circle one)
    1. “Oh, Moxy, sweetheart, are you hurt?”
    2. “Don’t worry, I had to wash my hair anyway—after all, today is
your
big day!”
    3. “Darling, let me clean up this unavoidable mess while you go upstairs and warm up your voice in case they ask you to sing tonight.”
    4. None of the above.

chapter 21
In Which We Learn
the Correct Answer
to the Quiz
    And the correct answer is: 4!

chapter 22
In Which We Pause
for a Chapter to Give
Those of You
Who
Guessed
the
Right Answer
an
Opportunity to
(Briefly)
Congratulate
Yourselves

chapter 23
What Mrs. Maxwell
Really Said Next
OR
The Amazing Mind
of a Tired Mother
Who Is Not Too Tired
to Focus
    Even though there was Green Grass Power Shake powder in her hair and on her sweatshirt and all over her bunny slippers (with the happy exception of one left ear), Mrs. Maxwell said nothing about it. Instead, Mrs. Maxwell said,
“Where’s the note from Ms. Killingher, Moxy?”

chapter 24
About the Hum
in the House
    Have you ever noticed how sometimes houses have hums running through them? You can’t really hear a Hum in a House. But you know it’s there—sort of the way you know that your own heart is beating—even if you’re not exactly listening. It happens when everyone in the house is happy.
    And just before Moxy spilled the Green Grass Power Shake powder all over her mother, everyone in the Maxwell house was happy.
    Pansy was in Moxy’s room trying onone of the glitter crowns that Moxy had made for them to wear at their piano recital tonight. She was humming “Heart and Soul.”
    Granny George was happy. She was at her sewing machine out on the porch, enjoying the slight (5 mph) spring breeze coming from the northeast. She had almost finished stitching the red satin linings into the black velvet capes she was making for Moxy and Pansy to wear.
    And Ajax was happy. He was in his office muttering
“Beak like a broad-head spear—The