The Entertainer from Gisele Puckett

From early on, Adam assumed the role of "entertainer" in the family. He could always make us laugh and I can honestly say I don't remember dull moments whenever Adam was around. Even when I was mad at him, it was hard not to laugh at the faces he could make, trying to avoid getting punished. He loved Halloween and dressing up in characters and always had a plan of what he wanted to be. For the first few Halloweens, he wore Jeremy's hand-me-downs, but that quickly failed to satisfy his need to be something really spectacular. My favorite costume that he had me make was the Joker. He helped pick out the color of the fabric and he chose an orange shirt with a purple jacket. I think he settled for black pants and of course we had to find a child size felt hat to complete the ensemble. I don't remember who painted his face in white with the red smile plastered across it, but it was perfect. Can you think of anyone else with a better smirk for the Joker than Adam? Not me!

When the boys were in elementary school, St. Margaret School had a lip sync contest and I think Adam entered it just about every year. If I remember right, he also won every year. His first year (kindergarten or 1st grade), he was in a group with his buddies and he played a mean saxophone to a rock and roll song. Another year, he did a solo and slicked his hair back, put on tight jeans and a cool shirt. The song (I believe it was "Do you want to dance?") called for him to do several dances from the 50's, and I did my best to teach him. God knows he didn't get his dance skills from his parents, as we are both mediocre in that area. It must have come from his grandmothers, who were stars on the dance floor. Adam rocked the house and had the audience on its feet, clapping. When Jonathan entered school, he wanted to be on the lip sync, too, and Adam was gracious enough to share the stage with his younger brother. They lip synced "Barbara Ann," and it was fantastic. I made a life size doll (Adam couldn't convince Jonathan to be Barbara Ann), and Jonathan settled for being the guitar player. Sure wish I could see the video again, because Adam made Barbara Ann come alive when he danced with her. I still have Barbara Ann, who was returned to us after a stint with Adam's female cousins. Such wonderful memories and so much fun! I don't think I could ever forget the joy he had in entertaining others. That was a big part of what made him Adam.