Diary 25: January 3
- Leigh was busy over the break running errands.
- At school, he writes a fake name on his lunch and nothing gets stolen this time. Score one for Leigh.
Diary 26: January 8
- Dad calls from Oregon while waiting for a load of potatoes.
- He says Bandit is doing great, he's sorry about forgetting to send money to Mom, and he hopes Leigh likes the jacket.
- When Leigh asks if he can ride with him in the summer, his dad says he'll have to see.
- Nothing is stolen from his lunch so hooray about that.
- Mr. Fridley is funny because when he reminds kids not to throw away their retainers, he calls them "false teeth."
Diary 27: January 9
- Wanted: missing cheesecake from Leigh's lunch. Guess the pseudonym stopped working.
- Mr. Fridley suggests a burglar alarm. That gets a laugh out of Leigh.
- Leigh has high hopes that his dad is going to call. Mom does not.
- He asks why she divorced him and she says, "It takes two people to get a divorce" (27.4).
- Tomorrow, Leigh is going to tape the heck out of his lunch bag so no one can get in.
Diary 28: January 10
- All that tape means Leigh himself has a difficult time getting into his lunch.
- Dad is supposed to call today or tomorrow, so Leigh will ask him how to make a burglar alarm for his lunch bag.
- One of Mr. Henshaw's writing tips is to listen, so Leigh writes down a conversation between him and his mom.
- He asks her why she doesn't get married again.
- Mom says she doesn't want someone who just wants her to take care of him or who's in love with his truck.
- Leigh wonders: how can someone be in love with a truck?