December 17 - Snow Globe
Christmas shopping with three kids under five isn't for the faint of heart. Some might call it a special type of endeavor. An ordeal might be a better term for it, but he tries not to be dramatic.
Most of the time.
Okay, some of the time.
Either way, it is certainly an interesting task to bundle his four and one-year-olds up with the promise that they'll get to see and do something extra exciting at the conclusion of their already super fun excursion (he may be exaggerating the fun factor, as the stores are understandably packed, given that it's exactly one week until Christmas Eve). He loves it, though, loves helping Lily wiggle her hands into her gloves, and he loves tucking the boys into their stroller. It's time spent with his kids, time that he knows is going to pass too quickly. Soon enough they'll be making their own shopping trips and won't need him to take them anywhere anymore. And then a few blinks after that, they'll be going off to college and moving out and they won't need his help for much at all.
Of course, his sentimentality doesn't change the fact that taking three kids under five out Christmas shopping in New York city could be considered a sign of insanity. Especially when they get out on the sidewalk and Lily immediately swerves between him and the stroller, nearly tripping him up and sending them both to the concrete.
"Easy, Sprout," he says. "You gotta warn me before you do that; I almost fell on you and that would've hurt."
Lily looks up, her head resting against his stomach through his coat. The deep purple and green knit hat she wears makes her eyes look so bright and – as always – he's lost; he has no chance when she looks at him like that.
"Sowwy."
He lifts a hand from the stroller handle and taps her nose. "You're okay, honey, you just startled me, that's all. Are you ready to go find some great presents for Mommy?"
Lily smiles, showing him her teeth in her enthusiasm. "Uh huh."
"Uh huh, me too," he says. "Okay, will you help me push your brothers?"
"Ya, Daddy." She lifts her hands, taking the center of the push bar and giving the stroller a mighty shove. With two one-year-olds and their things inside, it doesn't go very far but Lily is undeterred, grunting a little and heaving herself forward.
(He helps get the thing moving, just a little.)
Although he has a couple of stores in mind for them to pick some new clothes and jewelry for Kate, he's surprised when Lily points to a specialty shop at the end of their block.
"Daddy, s'go in here."
Rick looks at the sign, glancing in the window to make sure Lil's not just getting distracted by a display that's unrelated to what's actually in the store. It's not that he doesn't trust her, but experience tells him sometimes she likes looking at things that aren't for sale more than she likes looking at the things that are.
The window seems to promise an eclectic selection of trinkets, old and new, and he can see why Lily would be taken with it; it's warm, it's inviting, it looks exactly like Kate's style.
"Good idea, Sprout. This place looks like it'll have some things Mommy would like."
His daughter beams, squirming out from under his arm and running to the door. She grunts with the effort to tug the door open, insisting she can do it when he tries to open it for her (he gives the door a little push to get it started for her when she's not looking).
He stops her before she can charge inside. "Lily wait," he says, shouldering the door open wider, hoping they won't be blocking anyone from leaving. "Remember, we need to be careful in here. There might be things that are breakable, and we don't want to hurt ourselves or anything inside. Okay?"
She nods. "Uh huh. No wunnin'."
"And?" he prompts.
"No touchin'," she says, nodding resolutely.
"Good girl. You can point and show me anything you like, and we can look at it together."
"Kay, Daddy."
She steps inside, her mouth opening wide with awe. "S'so pwetty."
"It is pretty in here," he agrees, steering the stroller gingerly. After warning Lily not to break anything, the last thing he needs is to smack the stroller against something and send an entire shelf to the ground. He can afford it, of course, but he doesn't want to have to buy a bunch of broken things if at all possible.
Lily grins over her shoulder, reaching into the stroller to pat Reece and Jake's legs. "M'gonna pick for ya, kay PB an' J?"
The boys bounce in the stroller, babbling in return. They're slowly learning more words but yes, no, mama, dada, banana ('nana, anyway), and something resembling Lily's name are still their greatest hits. Everything else can be extrapolated from the context of the conversation.
Lily turns around a moment later, moving to the display that had captivated her so. He watches her peer at the antique cameras before turning her attention to a pedestal near the edge of the tableau.
"Daddy," she says, pointing to the top of the column where an ornate snow globe rests. "Daddy, s'a elephant."
Glancing around the store to be sure he won't be breaking any shop policies by touching what's in the window, Rick reaches out and lifts the trinket, bringing it down for Lily to see.
True to her word, his daughter leans in but doesn't touch the piece. He watches her eyes sweep over the ornate brass base and take in the elephants in the scene inside the globe. It's a playful scene: there's a trio of elephants with their trunks in the air, the blankets over their backs colorful and beaded.
Rick looks it over too, glancing at the bottom to find both a price and a winding key for a music box.
"It looks like it plays a song," he says, watching Lily's eyes widen. "Should we try it?"
She nods, eager. Rick grins, checking on the boys quickly before turning back to the globe and winding it up. A delicate tune he doesn't immediately recognizes comes trickling out, making Lily's smile widen.
"You love it for Mommy, don't you?" he asks, reaching over to brush his thumb over her cheek when she nods.
"Uh huh."
"Then we'll get it. Good find, baby," he praises, shifting his grip on the gift and looking toward the back of the store where he assumes the register will be. "Let's look around to see what else Mommy might like."
His daughter grins, nodding again. She walks ahead of him once more, keeping her head on a swivel and pointing out a few more items that make her think of her mother on their way. He's under no illusion that she'll be able to keep the gift a secret, not with as much as she talks about it as they finish the rest of their shopping, but he doesn't think Kate will mind this one not being a surprise if Lily happens to spill the beans.
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay warm and be safe, everybody!
Until next time.