Home For the Holidays

: : Author : : EvieFan ( [email protected] )

: : Summary : : Its the holiday season, and the O�Connells first one in England. Alex is two in this little story.

: : Home : : Back to Archive : : Chapter Two : :

Home for the Holidays

Chapter 1: The Christmas Tree

As soon as December arrived, Evelyn had insisted that they needed a tree, and now in the parlor stood a very tall Christmas tree, in need of some decorations, something she and Rick were spending the day doing. This was their first Christmas in London, and a new experience for Alex, who had just turned two in November. He had never been around snow, or colder weather, and thus far he wasn�t too sure about all of that. As they unpacked the ornaments, Alex played with his trucks and his blocks. He still had on his fuzzy yellow pajamas, the ones he loved with the feet in them.

�Vroom vroom,� he said, as he pushed a truck over to where his mum was sitting sorting through various ornaments. Evie looked up and smiled at her baby.

�Alex maken tuck go,� he told her pushing it past her, crawling on his hands and knees. A little away from her, Rick was sorting through candles, which would go in Candle holders at the ends of the branches once everything else on the tree was decorated. Alex pushed his truck over to his daddy, and before Rick could even think, his little boy grabbed a few candles and ran. Rick stood and went after him, catching him at the foot of the stairs, turning him upside down which got lots of laughter from him. Evelyn came over, and tickled under his arms which made him let go of his stash of candles.

�Top top,� he begged, laughing harder as his mum ticked him. She did, and Rick set him down. Again Alex headed for more ornaments, but this time his father caught him before he could get to them, holding him cradled in his arms.

�Hmm, I think I see some berries growing on Alex�s neck,� Rick commented. Alex laughed again.

�No tick Alex,� he said, and laughed hard as his father nibbled on his neck. As Rick tickled him, Alex was squirming to get away from him.

�I see more berries behind his ears,� Rick lowered his head and nibbled behind his baby boys ears, and Alex screamed

�Mummy help Alex,� he yelled. Evelyn was back to sorting through the ornaments, but upon her baby�s request for help, she abandoned her task and walked over to them.

�What are you doing tickling my little boy without me to help you.� Alex got a double dose of tickle torture before his father finally put him down. By then he was out of breath, and ran from them, back to his trucks ready to play a game where his parents didn�t gang up on him. While he occupied himself with building a block tower, Evelyn went to where Rick was sorting through the candles and candle holders.

�We will need to get those cleaned off,� she said. Most of the holders were brass, and needed to be polished.

�I think we have enough candles for each holder,� he informed, as he set those aside. She nodded.

�I have gotten all the ornaments ready for the tree, now all we need to do is decorate. I was also thinking that I would take the cranberries that we purchased and string them, so we would have that for the tree,� said Evie.

�Alex help wif da tee,� Alex told them, coming over to where both of them were seated on the floor. He plopped himself onto his mum�s lap, and she smiled holding him close, kissing the top of his head.

�Yes you may help. You have a very special job,� she told him.

�Alex do?� he asked. He always referred to himself as Alex, not me or I.

�Yes baby. You get to put the angel on the top of the tree after we get the ornaments put into place. He clapped his hands, but stayed seated in her lap, which meant that he was tired. He had been up since 5:30 in the morning, and now that it was almost noon, it would soon be time for his nap.

�Why don�t I make some lunch for us to eat,� Evelyn said.

�Alex help,� he told her standing, running to the kitchen. Both of his parents followed him.

In the refrigerator, Evelyn got out some ham that they had eaten for dinner the night before, and some fresh bread, as well as a few other things to make sandwiches.

�Alex help,� their son said a little louder, as they got things ready. Rick walked over and picked him up.

�You can help daddy set the table,� he said holding Alex, so that he had one hand free to get plates out of the cabinet. Rick walked over to the table, and together they put the three plates around, as well as one for Uncle John in case he decided to get up for lunch, then they put napkins down, and siliverwear. By then Evelyn had lunch ready. As Rick moved to settle Alex in his highchair he got a protest.

�Nooo Not sitten dare,� he said kicking his feet making it nearly impossible for his father to get him into his seat. His struggling was another sign that he was ready for his nap.

�Here just let him sit with me,� Evelyn said, not in the mood to make to big a deal out of things, especially with Christmas so near. She wanted things to be happy for her family. Rick nodded, and handed Alex to her, and in a moment he was calm and happy once again. She had his plate next to hers, as well a small cup with milk. He was learning how to drink out of a cup like a big boy, though he still made messes from time to time. His meal was just bread and ham cut up into small Alex sized pieces, and an apple, as well as his cup of milk It wasn�t too long after they started to eat lunch that Jonathan walked in. He looked tired, wearing his robe, and settled down in the seat they had set up for him.

�Uncle John you help us wif da tee,� Alex said to him as he took another bite of ham.

�Sure I will,� he said smiling over at his nephew. The rest of lunch was relatively quiet. Alex finished his first, and Jonathan offered to watch him while his parents finished their lunch.

Now the two of them were in the parlor, playing with his trucks. He let Jonathan have his red truck, and he had a black car pushing it around the carpet.

�No no, not doen right,� he said as Jonathan pushed his truck around with Alex.

�How do I do it then,� came Jonathan�s response.

�Have to do it dis way.� Alex pushed his truck again crawling on his hands and knees.

�Vroom Vroom,� he said, then he sat up.

�Do it dat way,� he instructed. Alex was the only one Jonathan would ever do things for without a second thought, so he got on his hands and knees and pushed his truck.

�Vroom vroom,� Jonathan said. What he didn�t know was that Rick had come in to take Alex up for his nap, and was watching very amused by all of what the two of them were doing.

�Hi daddy,� Alex said. Jonathan quickly sat up trying to act as if he had not be crawling about on his hands and knees, but it was evident from Rick�s grin that he had been caught.

�Don�t say a word O�Connell,� Jonathan said as he stood.

�No go pay wif Alex,� he said standing. He ran to his Uncle and pulled on him to sit down.

�I won�t. Come on Buddy lets go read your special Christmas book,� Rick said, in an attempt to get his son to bed without to much of a fit.

�No naps,� he retorted, and ran away from his father. Rick patiently took a few big steps and caught Alex tossing him into the air which got a lot of laughter.

�Do again,� Alex said. Rick tossed him up one last time then took him upstairs for his nap.

With Alex asleep, his parents worked on the actual task of decorating the tree. The ornaments consited of several gold and silver bows, some crystal ornaments, which had been in the family for a long time, and several handmaid ornaments that Jonathan and Evelyn had made when they were little.

�How should we go about doing this?� Rick asked as his wife strung cranberries onto a very long string.

�First I need to get this strung, then we will put that up.� Rick nodded, and decided to sort out the ornaments. One he found was made out of pipe cleaners and lace. It was a reef.

�Who made this one?� he asked. At his question Evelyn looked up.

�Hmm I think Jonathan did that one,� she said. It was a little bent out of shape, and the lace was not put on as perfectly as the next reef Rick found.

�I suppose you did this one?� he asked holding hers up. She smiled and nodded.

�I had more patience. Jonathan was always ready to go out and have snowball fights,� she explained. He found some ornaments that were made of string dipped in something that had caused it to harden. The shapes of the ornaments made snow flakes, and there were several of those. The last group of handmaid ornaments were cookies, that had somehow been preserved. There were several Angels, and a few that were balled up and painted with some sort of paint. All of them had long looping strings to be hung on the tree.

�There I think this should be long enough,� Evelyn said bringing her string of cranberries to the tree. Rick got on a step ladder and was able to drape it around the tree.

�You have a good eye,� he said as he finished wrapping the string of cranberries around to the bottom. When he stood she came into his arms.

�I hope that isn�t the only thing that I have thats good,� she said. He leaned in a kissed her.

�Not at all,� he said ,as the rubbed noses.

Upstairs, Alex woke up from his nap. He had only slept for an hour, and easily climbed out of his crib. He grabbed his bear, and his Bink, which was an old burp cloth that he always slept with. It was well warn, and he had fits when ever anyone washed it. He made his way to the stairs, and sat down on his bottom sliding from step to step till he got to the ground floor, then walked in where his parents were putting up ornaments.

�Alex up now,� he said rubbing his eyes. Rick was on the ladder, so Evelyn put down what she had, and walked over to him, lifting him into her arms.

�Lets get you dressed,� she said. He placed his head on her shoulder, still sleepy from his nap.

�Alex help wif da tee,� he said as she carried him up to his room.

�Yes you can, but we need to get your cloths put on you.� He sighed.

�Why?� he asked.

�Because its day time, and when its day time, big boys where their cloths,� Evie explained as she got out his jeans and a warm top.

�Alex not big boy, Alex baby,� he told her as she sat in the rocking chair unzipping his warm sleeper. She stood him on the floor and got that off, then carried him to his bed and got a clean diaper put on him, as well as getting him dressed.

�Now we need to go finish with the tree, and put the Angel up.� He ran ahead of her, leaving her behind as she washed out his diaper, and put it in the pile which would be picked up by the diaper service. When she got downstairs, Rick was helping Alex put on his first ornament, and Evelyn joined in. It took a good two hours to finish, and most of that time Alex helped, or played with his cars. Currently he was playing with his teddy bear crawling around the floor growling.

�Grr, Alex bear need have cookies,� he said walking over to his parents who were putting up the last of the candle holders, complete with candles. Evelyn looked over at him smiling.

�You may have some after dinner,� she told him. That was not what Alex wanted to hear.

�Alex bear want now,� he growled crawling over to his mum. Instead of arguing with her son, Evelyn picked him up.

�Why don�t you help mum, and dad finish the tree, then it will be time for you to put up the angel. Alex considered that for a moment, and nodded his head. Once he had agreed, Evelyn handed him a candle, and helped him put it into a holder, and then anothe,r and another, until they had finished.

�Now we have to put our Angel up so she can look after us,� Evelyn said. She carried Alex over to a small box and opened it, unwrapping the angel from the tissue paper, and gently lifting her out. She was made of fine porcelain, and wore a white gown. She had wings made of goose feathers, and had rosy red cheeks, and pink lips, as well as a haylow over her head.

�Angel bootieful,� Alex said.

�Yes she is. Your grandfather Carnahan got her once while he was away on a trip,� Evelyn said kissing his cheeks.

�Alex hold her,� Alex said. Evelyn put the angel into his small, chubby, baby hands, helping him hold her.

�All right daddy,� she said to Rick. �You need to help him get to the top of the tree,� she said. While Alex held onto the Angel, Rick lifted his son to sit on his shoulders, holding him steady, The he got up on the step ladder, and Evelyn held him steady.

�Alex put her up on those top branches,� Evelyn said, silently praying that he wouldn�t drop her. On top of his fathers shoulders, Alex held the Angel as gently as he could, and lifted her a little above the tree, and over the branches sliding her on them. He let go, and she stayed just as she should.

�Alex did it,� he said very proud of himself. He was lifted off his fathers shoulders, and cradled in Rick�s strong arms.

�Daddy.�

�Yes Alex,� Rick replied.

�Put Alex down now,� Alex told him. Rick chuckled.

�But daddy wants to hold Alex,� Rick said kissing his cheeks.

�Alex not a baby,� Alex said staying still.

�Your my baby, and mummy�s baby.� Rick told him giving him another kiss. Evelyn smiled watching the two of them, it was clear how much they loved one another.

�Read Alex a tory,� Alex asked. Evelyn got one of the Christmas books, and they snuggled together on one of the couches while Rick read to them.

After dinner, everyone gathered in the Parlor, and Rick lit the candles on the tree, then the lights were turned off. Alex was already dressed for bed in a red pair of fuzzy feety pajamas, settled on his mummys lap, holding his Bink, and his bear. After the candles were lit, Rick settled next to Alex and Evelyn, and eased Evelyn against him. Jonathan shook his head.

�Well you guys have a good time,� he said, starting out.

�Uncle John have to give Alex kisses,� Alex told him. Jonathan walked over, and knelt down giving his nephew kisses on his cheeks, then gave one to his sister and left.

�All right baby, its time for you to go to bed.� Alex shook his head.

�No bed Alex seepen here wif tee,� he said through yawn. Alex was warn out, and it was very evident. Evelyn kissed the top of his head.

�You can�t sleep down here, but mummy will hold you until you go to sleep,� He nodded and yawned again very sleepy.

�Mummy sing Alex song,� he said. Evelyn sighed, trying to think of a Christmas song to sing to him, and then remembered one, and sang as much as she could remember of �Oh Little Star of Bethlehem� It only took one verse to get Alex to sleep. His head fell forward, and he snorted a little, clutching tightly to his Bink and his bear. Rick stood up and turned around kneeling down.. Gently he took Alex from his mothers lap and lifted him against his shoulder. Alex sighed, but remained asleep, and both parents took him up to his room. There Rick laid him in his crib on his belly which was the way he preferred to sleep, then gave him a kiss, and stood back so Evelyn could give him her kiss.

�He is so peaceful,� she said softly, watching him sleep. Rick came to stand behind her, pulling her into his arms.

�Only when he is asleep. Come on, lets go sit by the tree.� She took his hand and they left their little boy to sleep.