Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, I just write about them
The next day, Eric brought Annie, Sam and David home from the hospital. When they arrived, they were greeted by their other five children, all anxious to hold the babies.
"Mom, can I hold one first?" Mary and Lucy said in unison.
"Hey, I'm the oldest, I get first dibs," Matt argued.
"Well, I want to hold them first," said Simon. "I am the best with babies, you know."
"Hey, Lucy and I asked first. We should get to hold them first," Mary told her brothers.
"Yeah, we asked first," Lucy chimed in.
They all looked expectantly at their parents. "So, who's first?" Simon asked.
Annie looked at her five children. After a long pause, she said "Ruthie."
"What?!" they shouted in surprise.
"You heard me. Ruthie gets to be first. She's the only one who was fighting to be first. Ruthie, go sit on the couch."
"That's not fair!" Lucy cried out.
"No one ever said that life was fair," Eric told his daughter.
After that they all filed into the living room to have their turn to hold the twins. Once everyone was finished, Annie said, "I'm going to put the twins to bed now."
"Hey Mom, I read in a magazine once that you shouldn't refer to twins as 'the twins.' You should say their names. Then its more like they have a separate identity from each other, you know what I mean?" Lucy said. "I don't want to be responsible for giving them low self esteem when they're older because they don't have their own identities."
"That's very nice Lucy, but I don't think they will suffer from low self esteem by calling them 'the twins.' And I am sure they will develop their own identities and personalities as they grow older, like you all did."
"Hey, its just a suggestion. Don't complain to me when they are diagnosed with clinical depression because of poor self-esteem."
"Lucy!" Eric warned.
"Ok, ok. Shutting up now."
As Annie headed up the stairs, Eric had a pow-wow with his children. "Now, your mother is going to need a lot of help around the house and with the twins - with Sam and David," he corrected himself. "I want you to do things without being asked. Things like, laundry, dishes, taking care of Sam and David. Ok?"
"Ok," they all said in unison.
"Thanks. I'm going up to help your mother now."
The next day, Eric brought Annie, Sam and David home from the hospital. When they arrived, they were greeted by their other five children, all anxious to hold the babies.
"Mom, can I hold one first?" Mary and Lucy said in unison.
"Hey, I'm the oldest, I get first dibs," Matt argued.
"Well, I want to hold them first," said Simon. "I am the best with babies, you know."
"Hey, Lucy and I asked first. We should get to hold them first," Mary told her brothers.
"Yeah, we asked first," Lucy chimed in.
They all looked expectantly at their parents. "So, who's first?" Simon asked.
Annie looked at her five children. After a long pause, she said "Ruthie."
"What?!" they shouted in surprise.
"You heard me. Ruthie gets to be first. She's the only one who was fighting to be first. Ruthie, go sit on the couch."
"That's not fair!" Lucy cried out.
"No one ever said that life was fair," Eric told his daughter.
After that they all filed into the living room to have their turn to hold the twins. Once everyone was finished, Annie said, "I'm going to put the twins to bed now."
"Hey Mom, I read in a magazine once that you shouldn't refer to twins as 'the twins.' You should say their names. Then its more like they have a separate identity from each other, you know what I mean?" Lucy said. "I don't want to be responsible for giving them low self esteem when they're older because they don't have their own identities."
"That's very nice Lucy, but I don't think they will suffer from low self esteem by calling them 'the twins.' And I am sure they will develop their own identities and personalities as they grow older, like you all did."
"Hey, its just a suggestion. Don't complain to me when they are diagnosed with clinical depression because of poor self-esteem."
"Lucy!" Eric warned.
"Ok, ok. Shutting up now."
As Annie headed up the stairs, Eric had a pow-wow with his children. "Now, your mother is going to need a lot of help around the house and with the twins - with Sam and David," he corrected himself. "I want you to do things without being asked. Things like, laundry, dishes, taking care of Sam and David. Ok?"
"Ok," they all said in unison.
"Thanks. I'm going up to help your mother now."