Free The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney Page A

Something tells me that after this weekend, he's not a real big fan of Troop 133, either.

    Sunday

    Today was Mother's Day, and I didn't have anything to give to Mom.
    I was going to ask Dad to take me to the store so I could at least get Mom a card or something, but Dad was still recovering from the father-son campout. And I don't think he was looking to do me any favors, anyway.
    [Image: A boy looks at the person in bed.]
    So I had to come up with a homemade gift.
    181
    Last year I made Mom a "Chore Coupon" book for Mother's Day. Each coupon had something like "One free lawn mowing" or "One free window washing" on it.

    [Image: A board of a CAR WASH]
    The caption reads: "
    One free car wash"

    I give Dad a Chore Coupon book just about every Father's Day, and it always works out great. It's a way for me to take care of my gift obligation without having to spend any money, and Dad never actually uses any of his coupons in the book.
    [Image: A boy looks at the man sitting on the sofa.] The caption reads: "HUH? OH, UM, THANKS."
    182
    Mom cashed in every single ONE of HER coupons last year. So I didn't want to make the same mistake this year.
    [Image: A boy come out of the door and the lady looks at him.] The caption reads: "I'M GOING UP TO ROWLEY'S TO PLAY VIDEO GAMES!
    RIGHT AFTER YOUR POLISH ALL THE SILVERWARE!"
    I tried to think of something original to make for Mom today, but I ran out of time. So I ended up just piggybacking on Manny's gift.
    [Image: A drawing with a boy with specks in it.] The caption reads: "TO MOMMY FROM MANNY GREG"
    183

    Monday

    I figure the best way to get Dad to forget that father-son camping mess is to have a do-over. So tonight at dinner, I asked Dad if he wanted to go on a camping trip, just me and him.
    I've been studying up on my Boy Scouts manual, and I'm pretty eager to show off what I've learned.
    [Image: Two boys at a camping site.]
    Well, Dad didn't exactly jump at my offer, but Mom thought it was a GREAT idea. She said we should go this weekend and that Rodrick could go, too. She said it would be a great "bonding" experience for the three of us.
    184

    I wasn't too enthusiastic about that idea, and neither was Rodrick.

    [Image: A family at the dinning table.]

    In fact, one of the reasons I wanted to get out of the house this weekend is because me and Rodrick are in a fight.

    Last night Mom was giving Rodrick a haircut in the Kitchen. Usually when Mom gives us boys a haircut, she puts a towel around our necks so the hair doesn't get all over our clothes. But yesterday Mom used one of her old maternity dresses instead of a towel. So when I saw Rodrick like that, I knew I had to take advantage of the situation.

    [Image: the lady cuts the boy's hair as the other clicks snaps.]
    The caption reads: "
    FLASH

    SNIP
    "

    185
    I ran upstairs and locked myself in the bathroom before Rodrick had a chance to catch me and take the camera. And I didn't come back out until I was sure he was gone.
    Rodrick got me back, anyway. Last night I had a nightmare that I was sleeping on a nest of red ants, and that was thanks to him.
    [Image: A boy shakes the dirt from the cloth on to the bed.] The caption reads: "SHAKE"
    The way I see it, now we're even. But if there's one thing I've learned about Rodrick, it's that he's still not gonna let it go. So that's why I'm not that eager to hole up in a tent with him for the weekend.

    Saturday

    Today me, Dad, and Rodrick headed off on our camping trip. I picked a place that had a lot of manly activities that you could do.
    186
    On the way to the campground, the sky got dark, and then it started to rain.
    I wasn't all that concerned, because our tent is waterproof, and Mom packed ponchos for everybody. But by the time we got to our campsite, it was six inches underwater.
    [Image: A family in a car in the rain.] The caption reads: "SITE 8"
    We were pretty far from home, so Dad decided we should just find a place to stay for the night.
    I was really bummed, because