Chapter 2
By the time I got home, Shawn and Zack were there. "Hey guys, how was the zoo?" Zack spoke up first, excitedly; "it was awesome Belle. We saw kangaroos and polar bears and koala bears and monkeys and alligators and giraffes. They were my favorite. Then we went to Grandpa Shawn's pub for lunch. Then Shawn called Mom and Dad and asked if it was OK if I stayed here with you guys and they said yes so we went to my house to pick up some jammies and toys and then we came here and you came home . . . that's about it." "Well it sounds like you had quite a day." I told him. "We did and we bought you something. I'll go get it." Zack said as he ran out of the room. Shawn came over to give me a kiss hello. "I hope you don't mind if he stays over. He begged me and I thought it would be nice to give my parents a little more time to themselves." I explained, "No Shawn, it's absolutely fine. You know I love Zack like he was my own little brother." As I finished my sentence Zack bounded back into the room. "Here Belle." He held out a bag to me and then snatched it back. "Wait, Shawn said that you could only have this if you were a good girl today. Were you?" He questioned, looking at me suspiciously. I replied with a wink at Shawn, "Oh yes Zack I was, I promise." "Ok, here." He handed the bag to me. "I picked it out, do you like it?" I opened the bag to find a stuffed giraffe looking up at me. "Oh Zack, he's so cute. Thank you, it was a great choice. What do you think I should name him?" Zack looked from the giraffe back to me a couple of times and proclaimed, "I think you should name him Zack!" "Zack it is. What do you think we should do now?" Zack thought for a moment then suggested, "Watch 'The Lion King' so we can show giraffe Zack the giraffes on the movie." Shawn said, "Sounds like a good idea. Why don't you guys go get in your jammies, set the movie up and get settled on the couch while I make some popcorn. Just make sure giraffe Zack doesn't take my spot."
Zack didn't make it to "Hakuna Matata" before he fell asleep. I turned to tell him that Timone and Pumba were my favorite characters and I saw him asleep nestled in his big brothers arms with the stuffed giraffe nestled in his. I was about to alert Shawn to the cuteness he was involved it, when I noticed he was asleep too. Not wanting to miss the Kodak moment, I carefully got up and took a picture of the guys with my digital camera. The flash woke my husband up. "Sorry! I didn't mean to wake you. The brothers Brady were just too cute so I had to take a picture to e-mail to your mom" I whispered. Shawn smiled and replied, "It's OK. We should probably bring this little guy up to bed anyway." Shawn swept Zack up in his arms gently so as not to wake him and we headed upstairs. I tucked him into bed, turned on the night-light as Shawn shut the curtains and overhead light. We stood for a minute in the doorway looking in at the sleeping child. "Just think Belle, some day we'll tuck our kids into bed like this." I agreed, "I can't wait."
The next morning Shawn and I were awakened by the pitter-patter of little feet. Zack came in to get us up at 6:00am. It was earlier than we were used to, but he was so cute that we couldn't help but get up with smiles on our faces. "Mommy and daddy say that I can get up when the first number on my clock is a 6." Shawn whispered in my ear, "remind me to set the clock in his room back an hour the next time Zack stays over." I had to giggle. I whispered back, "We'll make our kids stay in their rooms until the first number is 7." Zack piped up, "What are you guys whispering about? Secrets don't make friends you know." "Sorry Zack, your brother and I were just trying to figure out what we should do for breakfast. We wanted to surprise you." I thought that was pretty good thinking on my feet about that one. Zack took that answer really well. "Cool, I'll go get dressed and meet you downstairs." He yelled as he ran out of the room. Shawn and I headed downstairs to the kitchen. "OK smartie, good recovery, but what are we going to make for him for breakfast?" Shawn said, "hmmm, well what does he like?" Shawn thought for a second before replying, "Chocolate chip pancakes." "Perfect. I can make those." Zack bounded into the kitchen. I told him to take his big brother into the living room to finish watching "The Lion King" while I made breakfast. The guys left and I got to work making chocolate chip pancakes. Using a cookie cutter, I managed to make dog-shaped pancakes that looked like Dalmatians because of the mini chocolate chips. Zack was soooo excited. "Thanks Belle, this is so cool! I've had the best time staying with you guys. Can I stay here every weekend?" Shawn fielded this question, "Well, buddy, you can stay here once in a while, but I think Mom and Dad would miss having you around on the weekends. Besides, all of your toys are at home. I think you'd get bored here every weekend." Zack looked around the kitchen and then declared, "You're right. You guys need to get some toys around here."
By the time I got home, Shawn and Zack were there. "Hey guys, how was the zoo?" Zack spoke up first, excitedly; "it was awesome Belle. We saw kangaroos and polar bears and koala bears and monkeys and alligators and giraffes. They were my favorite. Then we went to Grandpa Shawn's pub for lunch. Then Shawn called Mom and Dad and asked if it was OK if I stayed here with you guys and they said yes so we went to my house to pick up some jammies and toys and then we came here and you came home . . . that's about it." "Well it sounds like you had quite a day." I told him. "We did and we bought you something. I'll go get it." Zack said as he ran out of the room. Shawn came over to give me a kiss hello. "I hope you don't mind if he stays over. He begged me and I thought it would be nice to give my parents a little more time to themselves." I explained, "No Shawn, it's absolutely fine. You know I love Zack like he was my own little brother." As I finished my sentence Zack bounded back into the room. "Here Belle." He held out a bag to me and then snatched it back. "Wait, Shawn said that you could only have this if you were a good girl today. Were you?" He questioned, looking at me suspiciously. I replied with a wink at Shawn, "Oh yes Zack I was, I promise." "Ok, here." He handed the bag to me. "I picked it out, do you like it?" I opened the bag to find a stuffed giraffe looking up at me. "Oh Zack, he's so cute. Thank you, it was a great choice. What do you think I should name him?" Zack looked from the giraffe back to me a couple of times and proclaimed, "I think you should name him Zack!" "Zack it is. What do you think we should do now?" Zack thought for a moment then suggested, "Watch 'The Lion King' so we can show giraffe Zack the giraffes on the movie." Shawn said, "Sounds like a good idea. Why don't you guys go get in your jammies, set the movie up and get settled on the couch while I make some popcorn. Just make sure giraffe Zack doesn't take my spot."
Zack didn't make it to "Hakuna Matata" before he fell asleep. I turned to tell him that Timone and Pumba were my favorite characters and I saw him asleep nestled in his big brothers arms with the stuffed giraffe nestled in his. I was about to alert Shawn to the cuteness he was involved it, when I noticed he was asleep too. Not wanting to miss the Kodak moment, I carefully got up and took a picture of the guys with my digital camera. The flash woke my husband up. "Sorry! I didn't mean to wake you. The brothers Brady were just too cute so I had to take a picture to e-mail to your mom" I whispered. Shawn smiled and replied, "It's OK. We should probably bring this little guy up to bed anyway." Shawn swept Zack up in his arms gently so as not to wake him and we headed upstairs. I tucked him into bed, turned on the night-light as Shawn shut the curtains and overhead light. We stood for a minute in the doorway looking in at the sleeping child. "Just think Belle, some day we'll tuck our kids into bed like this." I agreed, "I can't wait."
The next morning Shawn and I were awakened by the pitter-patter of little feet. Zack came in to get us up at 6:00am. It was earlier than we were used to, but he was so cute that we couldn't help but get up with smiles on our faces. "Mommy and daddy say that I can get up when the first number on my clock is a 6." Shawn whispered in my ear, "remind me to set the clock in his room back an hour the next time Zack stays over." I had to giggle. I whispered back, "We'll make our kids stay in their rooms until the first number is 7." Zack piped up, "What are you guys whispering about? Secrets don't make friends you know." "Sorry Zack, your brother and I were just trying to figure out what we should do for breakfast. We wanted to surprise you." I thought that was pretty good thinking on my feet about that one. Zack took that answer really well. "Cool, I'll go get dressed and meet you downstairs." He yelled as he ran out of the room. Shawn and I headed downstairs to the kitchen. "OK smartie, good recovery, but what are we going to make for him for breakfast?" Shawn said, "hmmm, well what does he like?" Shawn thought for a second before replying, "Chocolate chip pancakes." "Perfect. I can make those." Zack bounded into the kitchen. I told him to take his big brother into the living room to finish watching "The Lion King" while I made breakfast. The guys left and I got to work making chocolate chip pancakes. Using a cookie cutter, I managed to make dog-shaped pancakes that looked like Dalmatians because of the mini chocolate chips. Zack was soooo excited. "Thanks Belle, this is so cool! I've had the best time staying with you guys. Can I stay here every weekend?" Shawn fielded this question, "Well, buddy, you can stay here once in a while, but I think Mom and Dad would miss having you around on the weekends. Besides, all of your toys are at home. I think you'd get bored here every weekend." Zack looked around the kitchen and then declared, "You're right. You guys need to get some toys around here."