The Ten of Them – Chapter 30

Amanda on my shoulder burps loudly. Wiggles a bit, and then drapes herself against my shoulder, as I gently rub circles across her back. The baby is asleep in moments. Ron chuckle softly and asks, “Can you teach me how to do that?”

I shake my head yes, although I feel Ron probably already knows it is just that he is a bit insecure, just as I felt on the day Amanda was born. Daniel has the same look, and I give him a nod as well.

Charles chuckles and says, “It looks like these young men forgot we gone through this too.”

I chuckle and say, “No I have not, I am planning on asking you and Dad to help me with Ron and Daniel.”

George chuckles, “While you are at it, I will need a refresher course too.”

Several of our wife’s giggle, Kathryn says, “I bet they do not make it through the afternoon.”

I step close to my wife, I am unable to let go of Amanda at this moment so I make the best contact I can allowing my hip to push against her gently. Mentally I ask, (can you hear me?)

Kathryn giggles in her mind, (yes, what did you have on your mind?)

Mentally I ask (what is the bet for?)

Kathryn flashes a mental image of me licking her, and then she is in a doggy style position as I pleasure her repeatedly.

With a mental chuckle I flash an image, of Kathryn given me a blowjob, followed by her on top writing me until I have another orgasm. Mentally I say, (That is what I want if I win.)

Kathryn giggles, looking up at me she thinks, (I do not think I will lose either way.)

I kiss Kathryn to seal the bet.

They only let a few family members at a time to visit Reese when she is in her room. When I finally do get to visit, Reese is nursing Robert John. Although she cannot jump up and give me a kiss, I see the joy in her eyes at my presence.

I smile is a grinning Ron as Robert John holds to his little finger, the baby’s hand barely wrapped around his father’s pinky. Smiling I say, “Take lots of pictures, they grow so fast during these months. Amanda’s hand are ready can go around two fingers.”

Chuckling Ron says, “I know, thanks for letting me hold my goddaughter. JJ, would you be willing to be Robert John’s godfather?”

In a soft voice not to disturb the baby I say excitedly, “I would love to be.”

Reese smiles and says, “It settled then, you and Kathryn are to be the godparents. In three days we will have a christening.”

The next three days went by exceedingly fast, I swear I let Amanda down on the floor and she moved when I was not looking. I am not sure if she was crawling, scooted, or rolled and set backup but she definitely was not in the same location I set her down. That was the first time, and I missed it. I was determined not to miss the next time Amanda moved on her own. At three months that is rather fast for a baby to begin to move, but not unheard of happening.

I know she has already started to roll when in her crib, that something we even have video of Amanda rolling around the crib. We have to be very careful, we cannot leave her on the bed, or a couch without someone there for fear she will roll off.

Robert’s christening goes well, and Kathryn and I do our parts as godparents. The entire family is there, including Rick Denton, he had us dropped the major because he is retired now.

Then we all went to lunch afterwards at Bobby’s and Mary’s restaurant now gets crowded every time the family shows up. I notice a new item on the menu, Alyssa’s meatloaf, apparently Alyssa and Mary exchange recipes. I just have to order that, it is excellent like most of Mary’s cooking, but I still swear Alyssa’s meatloaf is better.

Leave a two hundred dollar tip for Debs after the end of the meal. I pay the check before we head home.

Kathryn runs the class for that afternoon as I take care of Amanda. Cindy, Sam and Crystal are working on their home school, they should just be finishing third grade shortly. The Coaches judging their physical education portion, Amanda sitting on my lap watching the girls swim, Crystal and Sam barely trail Cindy as they race through twenty-five laps.

Sam is taking her time; I think she has giving Cindy the win. It is not that Sam pities Cindy is that she loves her and wants her to feel better. Losing a race occasionally is not a bad thing if you push your opponent to their limit, making them search for new strength within themselves. Sam is not exactly swimming at the top of her game, and Dad knows it, the smile he gives me tells me he and Sam are working together. Cindy’s victory will be a very close one, she and Crystal are neck and neck and Sam is only a tenth of a second behind, I notice Crystal messes up on the last flip turn, giving Cindy the lead. Sam purposely missed the last flip turn to turning too early.

Cindy wins with the second faster than Sam, and eight tenths of a second faster than Crystal. She beams went handed the first place trophy of the three small trophies Dad had gotten them. Some kids would tease the others for losing, but I think Cindy had been there herself. She hugs Sam and Crystal. She gets a hug from her grandfather as well.

Crystal runs off the show her second-place trophy to her Mom. Has Sam comes and sets on my lap as Amanda sleeps in her stroller. I ask, “You not feeling well today?”

She looks into my face and asks, “Daddy is it wrong that I did not swim as fast as I could?”

I smile and hug her and I say, “Sometimes winning means you come in last place. You made Cindy and Crystal work hard, and you gave them an incentive to keep on working. If you won every single time, do you think they would keep racing you? I am not even sure they would even try after a while. This way you can beat them in the rematch, just do not do it too badly.”

Sam giggles and says, “Daddy you want to race?”

I smile and say, “Okay, but tomorrow morning. That way you can tell the girls you think you are having an off day. You know I do not mind losing to you. I am very proud each and every time you have to work hard to win.”

Sam looks at me suspiciously and ask, “Daddy did you ever let me win?”

I smile at Sam and say, “Maybe once or twice when you just started, but I have not let you win in six months. Now you know what I meant, I made you work hard so you never had it easy. Now, I could not win a race with you if you gave me a full lap head start.”

Sam smiles and says, “Oh, I see winning is fun, because it was fun I worked harder. You think Cindy and Crystal are going to work harder?”

Giving her a kiss on the forehead I say, “I think they feel good about themselves now, sometimes they need that, sometimes you need that. I know you can help them do better. Do you think your sister will love you for it?”

Sam gives me a giggle and says, “Crystal and Cindy love me now, but I think they know I kept missing the flip turns.”

Petting on her I say, “You can always tell them that you are having an off day, when you miss the first you try too hard and kept missing them afterwards. That happens to many people. Sometimes when you try, too hard you will make more mistakes. That is part of life, to learn to deal with the mistakes.”

Sam asks, “If I did not lose on purpose would you still be proud of me?”

Pulling Sam back to my chest I say, “Win or lose Sam I will always be proud to be your Dad. I cannot waterski, are you still proud of me?”

Sam giggles and looks at me she says, “I am still proud of you Daddy. Even if you really funny when you try to waterski.”

I tell Sam, “Nobody’s perfect at everything, nobody is perfect every day even at things they are good at. It does not mean if you have a bad day I will stop being proud of you. I will let you in on a little secret, you swim faster than most ten-year-olds, and Cindy and Crystal do too. If the three if you keep swimming and keep getting better, it would not surprise me to see the three if you on the US Olympic team. However that will be when you get old, like fourteen or sixteen years old.”

Sam giggles and says, “Mommy’s only fourteen. She is not old, silly Daddy.”

I said, “You are only four and five sixth. Sometimes I swear, your ten years older than that, if I close my eyes, you could fool me.”

Sam giggles, gives me a big hug and a quick peck before she runs off. I am not sure if she had a bad day, or just a bad meet, or she threw the match at her grandfather’s request. I do not really care, I love her and still proud to be her Daddy. That is what I want her to know.

I remember seeing Sam watching a commercial, her Crystal and Cindy pointed they laughed at the commercial; two girls were riding in an electric toy car. I am sure that something that the girls would love. I should talk to Kara and Daniel. I would love to get one for Sam and Crystal but would not want Cindy and Anna or Rosie to feel left out of the fun. The five girls hang out at the Playhouse all the time together; they should be leaving shortly to spend time together. It is usually this time in the afternoon, unless Anna is in town. That reminds me, it is my turn to make cookies for the girls.

The three girls come in; Sam and Crystal are dressed in their play clothes, just an older pair of jeans and a T-shirt. I asked the girls what type of cookies they want, Sam and Crystal look at each other before Crystal says, “Chocolate, chocolate chip they are Cindy’s favorite.”

Cindy’s eyes light up and she hugs Crystal then Sam. The three giggle, as they get the mixing bowl and start bringing me the ingredients. If they want cookies, they get to help make them. I do not want my girls to be helpless, having someone else do everything for them.

I do not think that is a good way to live, being very dependent on someone else to do the simplest things for you. Everyone in the family could afford to have that lifestyle, we just choose not to. I am sure if we ran across someone desperately in need of a job we could put them to work. However, I still would insist that the girls do something, help in some manner like rinsing the dishes and loading the dishwasher. You never know, money may not last forever.

I am glad Kathryn has the recipe, and it is not too difficult. The girls are used to helping. They do not try to do the dangerous things. They do love to stir the cookies, although I do use the mixer when needed. Amanda begins to cry, I shudder realize she is hungry. I warm a bottle for her, even though she tries she cannot hold her own bottle yet, but give her a couple more weeks. Fortunately, the cookies are at a step, where the girls could handle their preparation for now.