PART 2
1961 Maine
Hawkeye sat in the middle of the living room floor looking around the room. It was decorated for the season. The tree was lit, and he and his wife were in the process of filling up the room with gifts from Santa. Christmas had just gotten better and better throughout the years. Once he and Margaret had gotten married they had once Christmas where it was just the two of them, and that was when he got the best present he had ever received. Margaret had placed a small box under the tree with his name on it and when he opened it there was a piece of paper that told him he was going to be a daddy for the first time. He and Margaret both cried once he found out. It was now seven Christmas and four kids later and they were still has happy as ever. The only thing he didn't like was that he was stuck putting together a tricycle for their three year old.
"Margaret, where the hell is the screwdriver?"
"What?" She looked over at him.
"I can find the damn thing."
"Calm down," she smiled. "You'll wake the kids. I don't know where it is. You're the one that's been using it."
"Why do we buy this stuff? Why can't we get one that's already together?"
"Because we can't hide it as easily." She was sitting by the fireplace filling the stockings with little goodies.
He looked around and felt around for the tool. It was on his lap the whole time. "I found the thing."
"Okay." She placed some things in the kids' stockings. They had four children now. The oldest was five and a half now and the youngest was five months old. There was a four year old in there, and a three year old. Needless to say they kept their parents very busy.
Hawkeye was still sitting on the floor cursing to himself about the tricycle. All of the kids were getting bikes this year for Christmas and this was the last one he had to put together. "Margaret, I'm never doing this again! I hate it!"
"Oh, stop your whining. When you see the looks on the kids' faces it'll all be worth it." She finished the stocking stuffers and moved over to him and sat in front of him to help him. "What do you need?"
"I need a new pair of hands. I can do any kind of surgery that you want, but I can't seem to put together kid toys."
"It's a different talent." She took the tools from him and started to assemble the tricycle. "Its not that hard, honey."
"Fine, you do it."
"Fine," she smiled.
Hawkeye stood up and stretched out. He loved his kids more than anything and would do whatever he could for them, but he never wanted to put another toy together again. He walked over to the tray that the kids had set in front of the tree and grabbed a cookie. They were all so excited to leave milk and cookies for Santa and some carrots from the reindeer. The carrots always made their way back into the refrigerator, but Hawkeye would take care of the milk and cookies without a problem.
"Let me go check on the kids while you finish that."
Margaret didn't have a problem with that. "Okay. Make sure to see that the baby is okay. She's been trying to fight a little cold."
"Yep." Hawkeye headed upstairs and checked on the four children and then went back to the living room. When he got there Margaret had finished everything, and polished off the last cookie. She was just looking over things to make sure everything was there. "Anything missing?"
She glanced at him and smiled. "I don't think so. Santa did a good job this year."
"Santa may have gone a little overbroad." Hawkeye wrapped his arm around her and held her close. "We're spoiling them."
"Yeah. We have four spoiled brats. They won't be little forever though." She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. "Were they okay?"
"Sleeping like little angels."
She smiled against him. "The baby?"
"She's fine, but she's going to get that cold."
Margaret sighed. "I hate when she's sick."
"Yes." He kissed her on the head. He looked around the room at all the toys and smiled. "They're going to be so happy tomorrow."
"I know," she pulled back so she could see his face. "I love Christmas."
"Me too." He gave her a peck on the lips. "Do you remember our first Christmas after the war?"
"Yes. When you proposed to me?"
"That's right. You know I hadn't planned on doing that then."
"Oh?"
"I was going to wait until New Years, but I couldn't do it."
"I didn't know that," she smiled.
"Yeah. When I fell for you, I fell hard and fast. Look at us now. Eight years and four kids later we're still in love."
"That's right. I'm tired," she yawned. "Let's head to bed. The kids will wake us up early."
"Yes." He took her hand and pulled her upstairs with him.
Hawkeye had been right all those years ago when he said that each Christmas would be better than the last. He didn't know then how much better it could get. At one time he was scared about having children, but they made everything worth while. He was now that family man that he never thought possible. The one that walked into the store with kids hanging all over him and the one that pulled out pictures when someone asked about his kids.
With his kids so little and believing in Santa Clause, it brought a whole knew dimension to Christmas. The joy he got from his kids was unimaginable. The holidays were the best time of the year.
1961 Maine
Hawkeye sat in the middle of the living room floor looking around the room. It was decorated for the season. The tree was lit, and he and his wife were in the process of filling up the room with gifts from Santa. Christmas had just gotten better and better throughout the years. Once he and Margaret had gotten married they had once Christmas where it was just the two of them, and that was when he got the best present he had ever received. Margaret had placed a small box under the tree with his name on it and when he opened it there was a piece of paper that told him he was going to be a daddy for the first time. He and Margaret both cried once he found out. It was now seven Christmas and four kids later and they were still has happy as ever. The only thing he didn't like was that he was stuck putting together a tricycle for their three year old.
"Margaret, where the hell is the screwdriver?"
"What?" She looked over at him.
"I can find the damn thing."
"Calm down," she smiled. "You'll wake the kids. I don't know where it is. You're the one that's been using it."
"Why do we buy this stuff? Why can't we get one that's already together?"
"Because we can't hide it as easily." She was sitting by the fireplace filling the stockings with little goodies.
He looked around and felt around for the tool. It was on his lap the whole time. "I found the thing."
"Okay." She placed some things in the kids' stockings. They had four children now. The oldest was five and a half now and the youngest was five months old. There was a four year old in there, and a three year old. Needless to say they kept their parents very busy.
Hawkeye was still sitting on the floor cursing to himself about the tricycle. All of the kids were getting bikes this year for Christmas and this was the last one he had to put together. "Margaret, I'm never doing this again! I hate it!"
"Oh, stop your whining. When you see the looks on the kids' faces it'll all be worth it." She finished the stocking stuffers and moved over to him and sat in front of him to help him. "What do you need?"
"I need a new pair of hands. I can do any kind of surgery that you want, but I can't seem to put together kid toys."
"It's a different talent." She took the tools from him and started to assemble the tricycle. "Its not that hard, honey."
"Fine, you do it."
"Fine," she smiled.
Hawkeye stood up and stretched out. He loved his kids more than anything and would do whatever he could for them, but he never wanted to put another toy together again. He walked over to the tray that the kids had set in front of the tree and grabbed a cookie. They were all so excited to leave milk and cookies for Santa and some carrots from the reindeer. The carrots always made their way back into the refrigerator, but Hawkeye would take care of the milk and cookies without a problem.
"Let me go check on the kids while you finish that."
Margaret didn't have a problem with that. "Okay. Make sure to see that the baby is okay. She's been trying to fight a little cold."
"Yep." Hawkeye headed upstairs and checked on the four children and then went back to the living room. When he got there Margaret had finished everything, and polished off the last cookie. She was just looking over things to make sure everything was there. "Anything missing?"
She glanced at him and smiled. "I don't think so. Santa did a good job this year."
"Santa may have gone a little overbroad." Hawkeye wrapped his arm around her and held her close. "We're spoiling them."
"Yeah. We have four spoiled brats. They won't be little forever though." She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. "Were they okay?"
"Sleeping like little angels."
She smiled against him. "The baby?"
"She's fine, but she's going to get that cold."
Margaret sighed. "I hate when she's sick."
"Yes." He kissed her on the head. He looked around the room at all the toys and smiled. "They're going to be so happy tomorrow."
"I know," she pulled back so she could see his face. "I love Christmas."
"Me too." He gave her a peck on the lips. "Do you remember our first Christmas after the war?"
"Yes. When you proposed to me?"
"That's right. You know I hadn't planned on doing that then."
"Oh?"
"I was going to wait until New Years, but I couldn't do it."
"I didn't know that," she smiled.
"Yeah. When I fell for you, I fell hard and fast. Look at us now. Eight years and four kids later we're still in love."
"That's right. I'm tired," she yawned. "Let's head to bed. The kids will wake us up early."
"Yes." He took her hand and pulled her upstairs with him.
Hawkeye had been right all those years ago when he said that each Christmas would be better than the last. He didn't know then how much better it could get. At one time he was scared about having children, but they made everything worth while. He was now that family man that he never thought possible. The one that walked into the store with kids hanging all over him and the one that pulled out pictures when someone asked about his kids.
With his kids so little and believing in Santa Clause, it brought a whole knew dimension to Christmas. The joy he got from his kids was unimaginable. The holidays were the best time of the year.