The Strength of a Family
One
Oh the weather outside was frightful, but the fire was so delightful.
“Come on boys, let’s go find Mommy,” I said to my sons. We had just gotten back from hockey practice where the twins played together. I knew my wife was decorating the house with the Christmas decorations today and it was the best day for it too. The winter wind was blistering and it made it impossible to enjoy any activities outside, so her decorating inside was a great idea.
I heard the boys rush around the first level of the house while I went to change into more comfortable and warm clothes in the bedroom. The twins were seven now and always full of energy, even after playing hockey. I surpassed the bed without much of a glance but went straight to the walk in closet where I changed into sweats and my old college hoodie. I stepped out of the closet and saw my wife and sons on the bed watching TV.
“Did you boys shower yet? If not, you are stinking up my bed!” I teased as I rushed towards them. I reached Dylan first and started to tickle him. Elle must have gotten my drift and started to tickle Derrick too. The boys quickly called uncle and rushed to the separate bathrooms. We heard the water start and then I kissed my wife’s cheek. “How was your day?” it was still early, not even noon, but we have been up since eight with the boys so it feels much later.
“Busy, I think the tree is ready for ornaments tonight. I got all the snowmen set up around the house, the stocking are on the edge of the bed, and the boys each have their small trees set up. It is so much easier to do without the two of them tearing everything down the moment it is up,” she sighed and leaned against my shoulder. Our bed was king sized with a grey comforter and white head and foot boards. From my spot on the bed, I could see the grey tinsel like things hanging from the posts and the tops of the stockings. Ever since the boys were born, we would hang the stockings from the bed so that we could open them in bed before going down for presents. It was just easier in our opinion and kept the boys a little less rowdy.
“How was hockey practice?” she asked quietly. I knew she was tired; she has been an awful lot lately. I have been working long hours at the office and therefore she has even longer hours with the boys. They may be big boys now, but there is a lot more running them places than there ever was when they were toddlers.
“They are doing really well. They are practically unstoppable when they play on the same line. Bobby and I tried to split them up once and it just was not the same. They complete each other’s playing style if you get what I mean,” I said in reference to myself and their other coach. Coaching hockey was one of my favorite parts of being a dad.
“Kind of like the Sedin brothers who play for the Canucks, right?” she referenced the Vancouver professional hockey players. I nodded.
We lay in bed silent for a little while. The boys were heard just down the hall making lots of noises as they got dressed and then engaged in some kind of game. It sounded like the racetrack that we had put up last Christmas in the toy room was running. I relaxed a little more than because I knew that could keep them occupied for at least a half an hour.
“I’m going to make lunch while they play, any suggestions?” Elle asked as she started to sit up. Her red hair flowed down her back and splayed across her curves in all the right places. She was a beauty in my eyes, but some would say not the hottest mom on the block. She was perfect though, as a mother.
“Whatever you make will be fine,” I kissed her shoulder as her face was too far away. She smiled quickly before heading out of the bedroom.
I took that moment to look around our room to see what decorations had been put up besides the stockings and tinsel on the bed. To the left of the bed was a white miniature tree on a table that was covered by a gray tree skirt, to the right of the bed was snowmen town as I liked to joke. Elle’s mother passed away the year after the boys were born and had left her all the Christmas things that she acquired over the years, snowmen town included. I flipped the TV off and started to head for the door when I decided to look at how she displayed the stockings this year.
It took me a moment, but I realized that there were five stockings instead of four. The newest was a darker gray than the others which were more a silvery color. I was supremely confused as to why there were five stockings.
“Come on boys, let’s go find Mommy,” I said to my sons. We had just gotten back from hockey practice where the twins played together. I knew my wife was decorating the house with the Christmas decorations today and it was the best day for it too. The winter wind was blistering and it made it impossible to enjoy any activities outside, so her decorating inside was a great idea.
I heard the boys rush around the first level of the house while I went to change into more comfortable and warm clothes in the bedroom. The twins were seven now and always full of energy, even after playing hockey. I surpassed the bed without much of a glance but went straight to the walk in closet where I changed into sweats and my old college hoodie. I stepped out of the closet and saw my wife and sons on the bed watching TV.
“Did you boys shower yet? If not, you are stinking up my bed!” I teased as I rushed towards them. I reached Dylan first and started to tickle him. Elle must have gotten my drift and started to tickle Derrick too. The boys quickly called uncle and rushed to the separate bathrooms. We heard the water start and then I kissed my wife’s cheek. “How was your day?” it was still early, not even noon, but we have been up since eight with the boys so it feels much later.
“Busy, I think the tree is ready for ornaments tonight. I got all the snowmen set up around the house, the stocking are on the edge of the bed, and the boys each have their small trees set up. It is so much easier to do without the two of them tearing everything down the moment it is up,” she sighed and leaned against my shoulder. Our bed was king sized with a grey comforter and white head and foot boards. From my spot on the bed, I could see the grey tinsel like things hanging from the posts and the tops of the stockings. Ever since the boys were born, we would hang the stockings from the bed so that we could open them in bed before going down for presents. It was just easier in our opinion and kept the boys a little less rowdy.
“How was hockey practice?” she asked quietly. I knew she was tired; she has been an awful lot lately. I have been working long hours at the office and therefore she has even longer hours with the boys. They may be big boys now, but there is a lot more running them places than there ever was when they were toddlers.
“They are doing really well. They are practically unstoppable when they play on the same line. Bobby and I tried to split them up once and it just was not the same. They complete each other’s playing style if you get what I mean,” I said in reference to myself and their other coach. Coaching hockey was one of my favorite parts of being a dad.
“Kind of like the Sedin brothers who play for the Canucks, right?” she referenced the Vancouver professional hockey players. I nodded.
We lay in bed silent for a little while. The boys were heard just down the hall making lots of noises as they got dressed and then engaged in some kind of game. It sounded like the racetrack that we had put up last Christmas in the toy room was running. I relaxed a little more than because I knew that could keep them occupied for at least a half an hour.
“I’m going to make lunch while they play, any suggestions?” Elle asked as she started to sit up. Her red hair flowed down her back and splayed across her curves in all the right places. She was a beauty in my eyes, but some would say not the hottest mom on the block. She was perfect though, as a mother.
“Whatever you make will be fine,” I kissed her shoulder as her face was too far away. She smiled quickly before heading out of the bedroom.
I took that moment to look around our room to see what decorations had been put up besides the stockings and tinsel on the bed. To the left of the bed was a white miniature tree on a table that was covered by a gray tree skirt, to the right of the bed was snowmen town as I liked to joke. Elle’s mother passed away the year after the boys were born and had left her all the Christmas things that she acquired over the years, snowmen town included. I flipped the TV off and started to head for the door when I decided to look at how she displayed the stockings this year.
It took me a moment, but I realized that there were five stockings instead of four. The newest was a darker gray than the others which were more a silvery color. I was supremely confused as to why there were five stockings.