1985

Big Boy

December 25th 1985

Christmas Day

"Danny! Danny! Danny!" Two year old Jamie Reagan toddled into his big brother's bedroom where eleven year old Danny Reagan had just woken up. Jamie ran to his bedside and started tapping him on the head. "Danny wake up! Sanna!"

"I know kid, Santa Clause," Danny mumbled sleepily. "Okay I'm awake now. Where's Joe?"

"Joey is downstairs and Ewin is in the kitchen with Mama." Jamie answered impatiently. "Let's go!"

He tugged at Danny's hand. The two of them raced each other downstairs, Danny obviously letting Jamie win at the expense of him falling down the stairs.

"I beat you!" Jamie chirped with a grin as he hopped off the stairs.

"I'm gonna beat you next time though!" Danny smirked. "Come on, let's go and see what Santa bought you!"

Jamie tripped over with excitement in his haste to get into the living room. Danny followed him in. Eight year old Joe was already ripping off the wrapping paper off his present. "Wow Knight Rider! Cool!"

"Joe got the Knight Rider car!" Frank said gleefully as he entered the room. "Well done Joe. Santa must've seen your last school report."

"Really?" Joe's eyes widened and he made a mental note to do better in school from then on.

Frank spotted Danny and winked at him. Danny had already cottoned on to the whole Santa Clause thing and then told Erin. It felt like the two of them were in on a special secret as they watched Joe and Jamie ripping open their presents with laughter.

"Daddy look!" Jamie exclaimed excitedly as he ran towards his father, clutching his puzzle book. "Puzzle!"

Frank laughed as he picked up his youngest and started tickling him. Jamie squealed with laughter and squirmed out of his father's arms.

Ten year old Erin came running into the room, "Dad! Dad! Ma needs your help in the kitchen!"

"Okay." Frank left his delighted children and went in search of his wife. Erin kneeled down next to Jamie and rooted around the tree for one of his presents.

"Here you are Jamie, this is from me, Joe and Danny," Erin said proudly giving Jamie their present.

"What is it?" Jamie asked curiously. The present felt hard and very heavy. Too heavy for him to carry.

Erin giggled, "Just open it. Here let me help you."

Erin helped Jamie tear open the large package. Jamie frowned as a thick heavy book of bedtime stories lay open on his lap.

"It's a book of stories Jamie," Danny said, kneeling down next to him and turning the pages. "You know how you like us to tell you stories?"

Jamie nodded, his eyes widening in awe at the colourful pictures as Danny turned the pages.

"Well, here you have a whole book of stories!"

"I can't read," Jamie mumbled in embarrassment. "I'm not a big boy like you and Joe."

Joe noticed Jamie's lip quivering and sidled up to his little brother. "I'll read it to you Jamie."

"And then when I'm a big boy like you and Danny then I can do it myself!" Jamie said hopefully.

Danny laughed and hugged him, "Yes, you can!"

Mary entered the room smiling at her children, "Can do what?"

"Read the book of bedtime stories we got him when he's older," Erin explained.

Mary bent down so she was eye to eye with her youngest, "Well, first he needs to learn how to use the big boy potty."

Jamie pouted, "I will!"

"And he needs to stop putting things in his mouth and swallowing them!" Danny said in annoyance as he remembered the liberty heads of his dime coin collection a few months ago.

"I don't have a present for you," Jamie said in a voice laced with worry.

"Oh that's okay Jamie," Erin said tenderly, nuzzling his head. "You don't have to get us a present until you're a big boy because only big boys get people presents."

"I'm going to be a big boy!" Jamie announced proudly.

Frank laughed as he strode into the living room, "Yes you are! Okay… you know what time it is kids!"

"Picture time!" Danny, Erin and Joe chorused cheerfully.

"Yay!" Jamie squeaked. "Picture!"

The four Reagan's clustered under the tree for their now annual family Christmas picture. It was interesting to look at the photos and see how much they had grown over the past two years since the first one was taken. Danny pulled Jamie onto his lap while Erin and Joe scuffled into their usual positions. Joe held up his Knight Rider car and beamed.

"Say Christmas!" Mary said with a grin.

"Christmas!" They all cheeped.

The polaroid hummed and buzzed then spat out the picture. The four children clamoured over each other to try and get a look in.

"Let me see first!" Joe cried, elbowing Danny out of the way.

"Ow!" Danny angrily shoved him into Erin.

"Hey!" Erin pushed Joe back into Danny who lost his balance and almost fell onto Jamie.

"Erin!" Danny scolded, as he grabbed onto Jamie's head to stop himself from falling on top of him, "I nearly crushed Jamie!"

"Kids!" Frank said sternly, "Behave yourselves or Christmas will be cancelled."

"Noooo!" Jamie wailed, jumping up and down. "I wanna see the picture!"

Everyone laughed. "Okay Jamie, you can see the picture first," Erin said as she took the picture from her father and gave it to her youngest brother. Jamie took the picture in his small little hands.

"I'm going to be a big boy next Christmas!" He said in delight.

Danny groaned, "Is that all he can say?"

Happy New Year: 1986