It was nearly eleven at night. The house was dark, quiet except for the
glow of Christmas tree lights and the sounds from the television. Lee was
on the couch watching a tape of Alistair Sim in the movie “A Christmas
Carol” with Amanda. They shared a hand-crocheted afghan that was a gift
from Dotty.

Lee’s memory flashed back to ten that morning. Amanda had some holiday
errands to run, and he was in charge of their toddler, Michael Lee.
Handing over the youngster, she was out the door. Lee had some gifts to
wrap for her, anyway.

Jamie and Phillip weren’t home. Joe had picked them up the afternoon
before for a weekend visit and to help them do some Christmas shopping.
They weren’t due back till dinner on Sunday.

Lee pulled a brown paper shopping bag out of the hall closet. “All right,
Michael, let’s get to work.”

Putting the child down to roam the main floor, Lee dumped out the gift
wrap, ribbons, bows, scotch tape and scissors. Then he remembered what
he’d forgotten.

Carrying Michael upstairs, Lee pulled a cardboard moving box out from
“his” side of their bedroom closet. They had moved to this house shortly
after marrying and this box held some belts, old ties and shoes that Lee
kept as a back up if he was in a hurry to be somewhere, but didn’t to
appear one hundred percent pressed…or if he needed a spare pair of
wingtips, he had them.

What Amanda didn’t know was that for the last six weeks, he’d hidden a
couple of her gifts in there. Lee pulled out a rectangular velvet box and
a plastic bag that held a new address book (her old one was tattered to
bits) and a brand new copy of Quicken for their home computer so she could
update the old one and keep up on the household finances. He owed her a
big kiss and a whole lot more for taking care of the money management end
of the household.

Placing the velvet box in the plastic bag, he scooped up Michael, who had
been dancing around his father’s shirts as they hung from the rail in the
closet. Back down the stairs they went to the gift wrap supply pile.

Lee’s first step was to sit on the scissors to make sure Michael wouldn’t
get at them. No need to worry there, the baby was busy picking through
rolls of green, red and white ribbon. Lee peaked his gifts, ensuring that
Amanda really hadn’t disturbed them.

In no time at all, he had wrapped the triple diamond solitaire necklace
and other items to his satisfaction. He smiled as he put the finishing
touches on…the To/From gift tags, a bow for each and some ribbon.

He made himself a cup of coffee and fed the baby, who had been good as
gold the whole time, a snack.

Lee flashed out of his remembrance when Amanda snuggled deeper into his
shoulder, then stretched and yawned.

“Hey, bedtime?” he asked.

“Mmmm, yeah.”

Lee hit the remote, turning off the television. “Okay, mama, let’s go.”
He kissed her forehead and helped her up the stairs to their room.

As Amanda watched Lee set up the tape for “A Christmas Carol,” she
reflected back on her day. It had been a productive one, thanks to her
husband staying home with their baby, Michael.

Waking just after seven in the morning, she retrieved him from the crib in
his room. She’d heard him babbling and playing with toys. Nothing made
her feel more like a mother again than the light coos of her baby.

With Jamie and Phillip gone to Joe’s for the weekend, she had some alone
time with Michael before Lee woke up. Settling the baby on her hip, she
dug through a laundry basket on a chair in the room and pulled out a red
sweat suit. The top had a smiling Santa Claus on it and the words “Santa
Claus is coming to town” in white letters.

The next step, after changing and dressing, was to get downstairs and get
him a bottle of milk. She turned on the radio at low volume to the All
Christmas Songs station for mood music.

When Lee came downstairs, he gave her a morning kiss. She was just
finishing her toast, so she was glad he didn’t squish her death.
Although, that would’ve been okay, too. Michael was snacking on Cheerios
and grinned when he saw his father.

They chatted about Christmas preparations and how work had been the day
before. Lee offered to cook dinner later and she took him up on the
offer. Then Amanda thought it was a good time to let him know she had
some errands to run.

Once she heard the okay from him she headed straight to the hallway and
put on her coat, then grabbed her purse. Lee had freed Michael from the
high chair and the boy wandered over to her.

Picking him up, she informed Michael he’d have to baby sit Daddy today.
Lee chuckled, took the little one from her, and told Amanda not to hurry.

She should’ve known then that Lee would be up to something. But without a
further thought, she was out the door and starting the engine of the car.

Amanda arrived at the bustling mall with patience in her heart. Christmas
was always busy and she knew it would be. There just hadn’t been a chance
to go shopping till the weekend before the big holiday. For Lee’s things,
at any rate.

The two older boys’ shopping had been easy. They’d both asked for
videogames and that’s what they were getting. And sweaters…she’d seen
that theirs from last year were nearly threadbare and boys never ask for
clothes for Christmas.

Her husband was something of a challenge, and on top of that, work had
been nearly impossible to get away from since the week after Thanksgiving.
As she made her way through the men’s department of one store, she spied
what she wanted…an electric razor. Lee had told her he wanted one. With
trying to get out of the house earlier in the last weeks, he cut himself
shaving once too often. Nothing serious, but it was annoying to him.

Amanda felt at ease as she purchased the gift and then a new robe for him.
In the back of the store, free gift wrapping service was available for
purchases over twenty dollars. Well, she’d made that mark, and it would
make getting the gifts under the tree all that much easier.

As she wandered back out into the bustling mall, Amanda made her way
lazily among the couples, singles, and children pushing their way around.
It wouldn’t be hard to find the other things she needed.

She arrived home in the middle of the afternoon, just after Michael got
up from his nap. He never slept longer than a couple of hours. Lee and
Michael were playing together when she stepped inside with her shopping
bags.

After greeting them both, she headed to the tree to add Lee’s gifts to the
pile and saw two with her name on them that weren’t there when she left,
bringing her count up to four. That was when she realized he actually
*wanted* her out of the house…to wrap his things. He’d done a good job,
too. Something she’d remember in the future.

Lee made dinner without complaint while she set the table for two and made
sure to feed Michael first so she could give him finger food while they
ate, instead of trying to spoon feed him his entrée while she and Lee were
doing the same for themselves.

Her strategy for dinner had worked wonderfully. The two of them had
bathed Michael together and put him to bed right around eight.

Amanda came out of her reverie when she heard the microwave beep. The
popcorn was ready.

“Movie time?” Lee asked.

Nodding, she removed the steaming bag of popcorn from the microwave and
grabbed a Tupperware bowl to pour it into. “Snacks are on.”

Lee grinned. “Come join me then, my lady.”

“Of course, my knight in shining armor.” She carefully plopped onto the
couch next to him so not a kernel of their treat would be lost. Lee
kissed her on the lips and pressed play.

I woke up early this morning but was very quiet. I've been
practicing being, `such a good boy,' that's what Mommy always calls
it when I do it.
I like seeing how her face kinda crinkles when she says it, plus
this Santa guy likes it a lot too, so I've been hearing. I saw him
you know. Yep. When I got all dressed up and went with Mommy and
Daddy to work. It's funny, he sounds and even smells, a lot like
Uncle Billy but maybe that was just how anybody in a funny red suit
would look, dunno.

Anyway, Mommy come and got me after awhile, must have known I was
hungry, she ALWAYS seems to know what I do before I even do it,
Mommy's are special like that.
She even knows what Daddy is thinking! It's true! I heard him
talking with her the other day and he was saying "don't think this,
don't think that" and she hadn't even said anything, she was just
kinda looking at him with one eyebrow raised.
She does that to me too when I've been coloring where I shouldn't.
I think Daddy must have done a lot of coloring out side of the lines
too because he gave up pretty quick, Mommy's always win.

Mommy picked a red Santa sweat suit out for me to wear. I didn't
really like it, I think my skin feels better in natural material
rather than polyester but it had `Santa Claus Is Coming To Town'
written on it so it must have been important.
Daddy read out the letters when he came downstairs for his cup of
coffee. It must be like when Aunty Francine wears some of her
pretty dresses, what does Daddy call it?
Ummm, yeah, that's it, `advertising.'

I offered Daddy some Cheerio's but he was too busy talking to Mommy
about cooking dinner and shopping and things so I let him just stick
to his coffee. Pity, breakfast is the most important meal of the
day too.
Mommy kissed me before she went out the door and told me I had a big
job to do today, babysitting Daddy. I don't know why Daddy laughed
at that. He takes so much looking after, guess he just gets into
trouble easy or something.
Not me, I've been being a good boy, remember?

Daddy moved pretty quick once Mommy was gone, we had lots of work to
do he told me.
First we got the bag with all the pretty shiny stuff out of the
closet in the hallway.
We had to go upstairs to get something else but that was okay cause'
I like playing in Mommy and Daddy's room. Daddy's shirts always
smell abit like him and abit like what I smell when I put my head on
Mommy's shoulder, like flowers and stuff.
Plus, when I hide in the shirts on the rail in daddy's closet he
always laughs when he comes and finds me. I like Daddy's laugh, it
makes me feel good, like Mommy's crinkly smile.

Daddy was busy sitting down cutting paper with the scissors so I
made sure he had brought the right sort of ribbon. I heard Grandma
saying that using the right sort of ribbon was really important.
That was when I was at her house watching her cut paper as well. It
must be a family thing. When I get into trouble Daddy always laughs
and tells Mommy he's `a chip of the old block.' Must go for Grandma
as well.
After lots of mutters and groans (who would think that sticky tape
would be so hard for Daddy's to handle?) Daddy took all the paper
boxes and put them under the Christmas tree. I love our Christmas
tree, it's so big.
I wonder how long it would take to climb to the very top?
I know, I know, `good boy' gee, this is going to be harder than I
thought . . .

Daddy gave me a snack and then put me down for a nap. I don't
really like my nap's but Daddy always tells the most funnest
stories. Mommy tells me good ones too. Although in Daddy's stories
the princess is always tired cause' she `sits in the carriage' an
awful lot. He laughs really loud when he gets to that part.

After I woke up I got to play with Daddy. That's always fun. He
swings me high in the air and even plays trains and cars with me.
Daddy makes the best car noises but don't tell Mommy, she'd be sad I
think.
Although it was fun playing I was glad to see Mommy when she came
home. She made me giggle when she rubbed her cold nose on my cheek.

Daddy was busy cooking dinner when I had mine but it sure smelt
good, whatever he was doing. After we finished eating I had a big
bath upstairs. I like it when Mommy and Daddy give me a bath. We
had so much fun, I didn't want to get out. I think Daddy must have
been next for a bath cause' when Mommy said, "I think you enjoy bath
time more than Michael," Daddy just smiled at Mommy and said, "is
that an offer Mrs Stetson?"
She better be careful if she's giving him a bath next, he likes to
tickle me when I'm in the bathtub. Should I warn Mommy? No,
wouldn't want to spoil a good tickle.

I was feeling a little sleepy by the time Mommy turned on my
nightlight and kissed me goodnight. Must have been all the stories
and fun. Mommy told the story tonight, her Princess' are always a
lot less tired than Daddy's. They always get to fight dragons and
even rescue the Princes. Daddy doesn't say anything at that part,
he just grins.
After a big kiss from Daddy, it was time to go to bed.
I'm going to make sure I go to sleep straight away, all good boys
do, didn't you know?


THE END