Notes: Mari and Sammy - Thanks for the always awesome feedback. You're the best, ladies!
Readers and REAL McRollers - Thank you for your amazing support! It is always appreciated.
Apologies for the late posting. There was a site glitch most of the day.
Hope you enjoy!
Extra Vigilant Christmas (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
"Everyone ready?" Steve asked from the side of the tree.
"Ready!" DJ said excitedly from his spot in the middle of the living room with Catherine, Angie, and Cammie.
"Weady!" Angie echoed, clapping in anticipation. "Tu'n dem on, Daddy!"
Catherine smiled at their enthusiasm.
"Okay," Steve said. "One …"
Angie held up two fingers while she and DJ said, "Two …"
Catherine and Steve joined with, "Three!" and he stepped on the foot control that turned the lights on.
They'd decided to keep their tradition of putting the light strands on the tree before plugging them in so they could make a moment of the tree lighting. Once again, it was worth it.
The multi-colored lights reflected in Angie and DJ's eyes as they stared at the tree in utter delight.
"Ohhhh," Angie said, the first to find her voice.
"They're so pretty," DJ said.
"So pwetty," Angie echoed.
"I think you two were right," Catherine said, a hand on both of their shoulders in front of her. "It looks even better with an extra strand of lights."
"Agreed," Steve said as he came to join them.
"Is it time for the ornaments now?" DJ asked.
Angie bounced in place. "Yay! O'maments!"
Catherine grinned. "Definitely time for ornaments."
Steve opened the tub as the kids gathered around. "You know, I'm kind of surprised Pumpkin hasn't explored the tree yet," he commented, glancing over to the hallway where they'd last seen the kitten. While she had watched the initial tree construction with Cammie, she'd eventually disappeared, seemingly enjoying having free reign of the house while everyone else, including Cammie, stayed in the living room.
"Maybe it's too big for her," Catherine suggested. "Could be intimidating."
Steve looked doubtful given the kitten's climbing proclivities, but shrugged. "Not that I'm complaining …"
His voice trailed off as Angie squealed, pulling her favorite ornament out of the tub. She plopped on the floor and began pulling the string that made Donald Duck's legs and arms move.
"He' jumpin'," she said, beaming as she showed everyone.
Catherine chuckled, kissing her head. "Last year you said he was dancing."
"It does kinda look like he's doing jumping jacks," DJ said. "Like we do in gym class."
"Looks like Donald is someone else's favorite sailor now, too," Steve teased. "Is he going to be first on the tree again this year?"
Angie nodded and pushed herself up, hurrying over to the tree. "I do it!"
Catherine sighed a little. "Last year you needed help."
Angie's brow furrowed as she concentrated on getting the string over one of the low tree branches she could easily reach. Succeeding, she stepped back and raised both arms. "Ta-da!" She looked back at her family and pointed excitedly. "Look! He on da twee now!"
"That looks great, baby girl," Catherine said, holding out her arms. Angie immediately ran over for a hug.
"What do you want to put up first, DJ?" Steve asked, looking at DJ who had gone back to searching through the tub for a particular ornament.
"Here it is!" DJ said excitedly, taking out a box. Steve smiled at the label and waited for DJ to open it.
DJ carefully removed the white heart Our First Family Christmas ornament with the picture from last year's Thanksgiving of the new family. He looked up at his parents. "I want to hang this one first," he said. "Can I?"
"Of course, honey," Catherine said, blinking back tears.
They watched as DJ found a spot on the front of the tree and carefully hung the ornament. He tilted his head in a very Catherine-pose, looking at it. Turning back to the others, he said, "Maybe we can get another ornament so we can put a picture in with all of us and Pumpkin, since she's part of the family now."
Catherine smiled, pulling him close and kissing his head. "That's a great idea. We'll definitely do that this month."
They continued hanging ornaments, the old and the new, homemade and store-bought, sharing memories of each as they went on the tree. Catherine and Steve shared a smile as Angie and DJ hung their respective "First Christmas" ornaments close to each others'. DJ watched with barely-controlled joy as Steve, Catherine, and Angie hung the individually engraved brass snowman he'd gifted them with help from Nonna in New Jersey last Christmas. And Steve and Catherine watched proudly as DJ showed Angie the directions on the True North compass before hanging it on the tree as well.
"Oooh, he playin' football," Angie said as she removed another ornament from the box. "Silly Santa."
Steve and Catherine chuckled at her description.
"Oops!" Angie exclaimed as she dropped the ornament. The football playing Santa hit the hardwood with a thud, the hand holding the football breaking off with the impact.
Angie's eyes widened. "Uh oh." She looked up worriedly at her parents.
Before Steve or Catherine could respond, DJ rushed over to his sister from where he'd been hanging one of Joan's homemade ornaments on the tree.
"It's okay, Angie," he said reassuringly as her gaze locked on his. "Mommy and Daddy won't be mad because it was a accident and you're sorry."
She nodded emphatically. "I' sowwy. I' vewy vewy sowwy." She looked over as Steve and Catherine knelt beside the kids.
"It's okay, sweetheart," Catherine said. "It was an accident. Thank you for saying you're sorry."
Angie nodded again. "I' vewy sowwy," she reiterated. "Poo' Santa," she said, looking down at the broken ornament.
Steve picked the two pieces up carefully. "Looks like a pretty clean break," he said.
"I bet a little glue will fix him right up," Catherine said, holding out a hand.
"I get da glue!" Angie said, running into the dining room to find a glue stick among the craft supplies.
Catherine flashed DJ a warm smile for his quick reaction before following Angie. "We're going to need a little stronger glue than that, baby girl."
As she, too, disappeared into the dining room, Steve smiled at DJ who was checking the floor for any stray broken pieces. "Good job reassuring Angie it was okay," he said. "You're a very good big brother."
DJ beamed at the praise. "I remembered how you weren't mad last year when I broke your special ornament."
Steve nodded, his mind having also gone right to that incident during the previous year's tree trimming, relieved that DJ's reaction was so different this year.
"I'm glad Mommy can fix the Santa ornament," DJ said. "Not like the special Dad one. That was too broken."
"It was," Steve acknowledged, leaning down a little to catch DJ's slightly downcast eye. "But remember, it's not things that are important …"
"It's memories," DJ finished, smiling again.
"That's right," Steve said, giving him a hug. "And I think Angie will always remember how her big brother made her feel better this year, learning from his own experience." He pulled back and smiled. "I know I will."
DJ smiled proudly.
"What d'you say we get the rest of the ornaments ready for when your mommy and Angie finish? Then we can make some more memories."
DJ nodded eagerly. "Let's do it!"
Once football Santa had been repaired and hung on the tree, they finished up with the remaining ornaments.
"We have one new one already," Catherine said, retrieving a bag with an ornament box. "I'm sure we'll get a few more new ones this month, but I saw this at the store last week." She opened the box and handed it to Angie to remove the ornament.
"I's Pun'kin!" Angie squealed as she removed the orange cat ornament.
"It looks just like her!" DJ said in amazement.
"Pretty darn close," Steve agreed.
"Let's put her on the tree by Cammie," DJ said, motioning to his sister. Steve and Catherine watched with a smile as they did indeed hang the new ornament right next to the one that looked like Cammie.
"How about that, pretty girl?" Catherine asked, giving Cammie an affectionate rub. Cammie chuffed happily in response.
"I think that's it," Steve said, moving the green tub so they could stand in the middle of the living room to admire the tree.
"Perfect," Catherine said, smiling to see that most of the ornaments were on the lower third.
Suddenly, an orange streak flew past them and directly under the tree and up the metallic trunk.
Cammie was the first to react, barking once at her young charge.
"Pun'kin!" Angie exclaimed, running toward the tree.
"So much for it being too big," Steve said as they followed, searching the branches for the kitten.
"There she is!" DJ pointed to one of the highest branches where Pumpkin could be seen poking her head out. She batted at a red ball ornament, knocking it off its hook and to the ground where it broke into several pieces.
"Uh oh!" Angie said, even as Catherine scooped her up so she wouldn't step on them.
Catherine backed up, gently pulling DJ with her as Steve reached into the tree to get Pumpkin, trying to avoid dislodging any other ornaments as he had to use both hands when his first attempt failed.
"It's okay, Pun'kin," Angie said, leaning toward the kitten once Steve had managed to retrieve her. "Mommy an' Daddy won' be mad 'cause you' sowwy. I's ac'iden'."
DJ beamed, recognizing his own words now coming from his sister.
"You sowwy, wight, Pun'kin?"
DJ nodded. "I think she's sorry," he said seriously.
Catherine fought a smile, exchanging a quick glance with Steve. "She's also very young so she's curious and likes to explore," she said. Turning, she set Angie down and gestured to her and DJ. "Can you two go get washed up for lunch while Mommy and Daddy clean up the broken ornament?"
"Okay, Mommy," DJ said.
"You not mad, wight, Mommy?" Angie asked.
"We're not mad," Catherine assured her, kissing her head. "Go wash your hands, honey. Chicken nuggets for lunch sound good?"
"Yay!" both kids cheered as they hurried for the downstairs bathroom.
Once they'd disappeared down the hall, Catherine took Pumpkin from Steve.
"I don't believe for a second that was an accident," he muttered.
"Shh," she said, chuckling.
"Cath, she looked right at us first."
"Steve …"
"And she waited till we finished. You can't tell me that wasn't a plan."
"Get the broom, Steve."
He shook his head, glancing back at the tree.
"I'm going to put Pumpkin in Grace's room," Catherine said, "and then maybe take a couple of the more breakable ornaments off the tree."
"Good plan," he said, chuckling as he noted Pumpkin staring at the tree even as Catherine carried her toward the stairs. "I guess with a new kitten in the house this is going to need to be a vigilant Christmas."
Catherine grinned back at him. "Sounds right up your alley, Commander."
That evening, the kids were upstairs getting ready for bed when Steve noticed an ornament missing from the tree.
"Hey, did you take the train ornament off the tree?" he asked Catherine.
"No," she said, joining him. "It seemed pretty sturdy." They looked around the base of the tree for the ornament. "Was it at Pumpkin-height?"
"The whole tree is Pumpkin-height," he said, and she nodded her acknowledgement. "No, it was at Angie-height."
They both turned to look upstairs, then smiled knowingly at each other.
After reading two books together in DJ's room, they tucked DJ in and then Steve picked up a very sleepy Angie who was practically asleep after the excitement of the day. They brought Angie to her own bedroom and settled her under the covers with the usual kisses and "Sweet dreams."
As they were leaving the room, Steve spotted the train ornament hanging from one of the knobs on Angie's dresser. Chuckling softly, he removed it to take back downstairs and replace it on the tree.
"What was that about vigilance, Commander?" Catherine said with a grin after Steve had closed the door.
He grinned back, planting a kiss on her temple as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "With a kitten and a three-year-old, make that an extra vigilant Christmas."
Hope you enjoyed!
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