Boy Days at Daddy's Work

It was the end of shift at Station 51 and the A crew were giving report to B shift before going to change into their street clothes.

Since Mike was well rested and their day care person, JoAnne Desoto, had one child coming down with what looked like strep throat that had been going through the neighborhood, Mike was going to take care of his identical offspring for the day. Since Laura had her monthly early morning meeting of the Emergency Action Committee she needed to drop the boys off at the station on her way to her meeting.

The draft pump on the engine had been acting up this shift and the mechanic didn't have time to look at it so Mike was giving his successor a detailed description of the problem and what had been done so far, telling him what he was told to watch for and what to tell the mechanic when he did arrive. Mike was in the middle of this briefing when his wife stepped into the bay carrying the diaper bag on her shoulder and holding the hands of the two year old Stoker twin boys.

As soon as the two boys saw their father they started tugging at the hold their mother had on their hands. Mike stooped down and spread his arms out in an invitation to come to him and Laura released the two hands she was holding tightly allowing the two boys to run, not walk, into their father's arms.

After a quick hug Mike looked at his two boys. "Daddy needs to talk with this man, so can you stand right next to me for a minute and then I'll let you go look at the fire engine."

Both boys gave an eager nod of their heads and as soon as Mike stood up again both boys wrapped their arms around Mike's two knees and held on tight.

"You can go ahead and go," Mike assured Laura knowing that her meeting was important. "If we were to get a call now the next shift is here to take it."

Laura Stoker was assured by not only Mike but the rest of his outgoing crewmates that all would be fine and each one of the men promised to hang around to help with the boys for the few minutes it would take to give his report to the next shift.

Checking her watch Laura smiled and with a wave to her boys and a, "Now you boys be good for Daddy," admonition, Laura set the diaper bag on the floor next to the office and was on her way.

Laura had no sooner pulled out of the drive when young Gregory reached up and tugged at his father's pocket to get his attention.

"Potty," was all he said but that was enough to get Mike to blush the same color as the squad he was currently standing next to.

Knowing that Mike had some important information to pass on Roy stepped forward, "would you let Uncle Roy take you to the potty while Daddy talks to this man?"

Roy had hoped that since his wife was taking care of the boys while both Mike and Laura worked that they would feel safe with him and allow him to take them to the potty in place of their father. His nose also told him that it was likely too late but he knew from experience that it was best to take the child to the potty anyway to get them in the habit.

"No! Daddy boy day," Gregory answered tightening his hold on his father's knee, and Mike knew he needed to take his boys by the hand and run.

The Stokers were just starting into this world of potty training and so far it was hit and miss, mostly miss, as to whether the deposits made it to their mark. Most often it was the boys' way of telling a parent that they wanted their diaper changed.

It was no real surprise when Chet sauntered out of the locker room in search of the diaper bag. It was also no real surprise, to the married men on both platoons at least, that Chet stopped by the supply closet on his way back and picked up the bucket of latrine cleaning supplies.

It was Roy who stepped in to help clean up the latrine since he knew how important the conversation was that Mike was having with the next shift's engineer. When he stepped into the locker room Roy walked into a potty party.

"Hey that was great Gregory, you got the poopoo in the potty, yaaaah," Mike cheered as he was standing in the open door of one of the bathroom stalls holding his young son under his arms to keep him from falling in the adult sized toilet. On the floor at his feet was a hastily removed diaper filled with a lot of smelly brown substance but Mike had apparently managed to lift him fast enough so that he was able to add the remainder of his deposits in the proper receptacle.

Meanwhile in the next stall little Mikey had managed to drop his own diaper down around one ankle and was dutifully taking hold of his little fire hose. He wasn't quite tall enough to reach the toilet bowl but that didn't seem to really matter since his actions were more of a sweeping motion of a fire fighter not a well aimed target shooter.

Roy was actually very glad that they were 'daddy's boys today'. He was looking forward to a restful afternoon reading stories to and taking a nap with his sick daughter. He was becoming very aware that his time to do those things was rapidly coming to a close. Chris was already too old to do such things with his father and Jennifer was in agreement that she was too, except when she felt totally crappy like she did today.

Roy pulled out the container of premoistened wipes and handed them to Mike who managed to wipe up his son's backside and the toilet seat before stepping back to see the little puddle his other son had made for him to clean up.

Roy had to give it to his crew mate though; Mike just proceeded to throw another potty party for his other son and promised them both popsicles on the way home for going potty like big boys.

In short order both boys had clean dry diapers fastened to their bottoms. Little Mikey had managed to get his diaper wet in his sweep of the bathroom stall. Both soiled diapers were placed in a plastic bag that was quickly tied shut and ran to the outside dumpster before it was picked up that morning. When he got back Mike found Roy mopping up the latrine pausing only to wave Mike off to finish his conversation with the next shift's engineer. Both boys were quick to wrap their arms and legs around each of Mike's legs and he proceeded to walk back to his conversation lifting the giggling boys with each step.

The two boys remained attached to their father's legs while Mike finished giving the information he had to share and then as promised the boys were given a chance to see the fire engine up close. First the boys ran up to the engine and stood by the front wheel. When Mike caught up to them each boy was turned around and backed up to the front tire and a hand was placed at the top of their head and then they were pulled away to see how tall they were getting.

It was amazing how much the boys had grown since their birth. They weighed in at around three pounds each when they were born now they reached the top of the rim of the engine's front tire.

"When you're this tall," Mike pointed to the first foot hold on the fire engine, "You can get up into the cab and sit behind the wheel and pull the fire siren." Mike gave his young offspring something to look forward to. The goal was still a good foot and a half above the boys' heads.

Roy didn't say it but he knew that time was coming faster than even Mike realized it would. Before they left each boy took turns wrapping their arms around the edge of the tire and giving the fire engine a hug then went off with their daddy to get their popsicles for going potty.