Babysitting the Munchkins
Neither Booth nor Brennan could remember when they'd been so exhausted this early in the evening. Christine's twins had given them a run for their money all day. At age three, Maggie and Max were barely out of toddlerhood, but the speed with which they raced around the house belied their young age. Named for Booth's beloved Grams and Brennan's unforgettable father, the children lived up to their namesakes' tireless reputations. The benefit of their active day was that both grandparents and grandkids slept soundly all night. Only four days to go til Chris and Michael returned.
The agent had so many memories of Grams cooking delicious dinners, keeping her two story basemented house as spotless as two sloppy grandsons would allow, scolding them all the while to pick up after themselves, and volunteering countless hours at the church, all the while cooking tasty lunches for St. Anthony's grade schoolers five days a week. Max was endlessly curious, constantly peppering Brennan with 'why' and 'how' questions as he followed her around like a Bassett hound puppy. The dog's long ears would drag the floor in much the same way Max's blankie did.
The couple's energetic grandchildren had been visiting for a week. Angela had suggested she and Hodgins take little Max to stay with their older brother William, but this arrangement only lasted one night. No one got any sleep in either household until the 'M & M's" finally cried themselves out at 3 am. Inseparable at pre-school and upset by their mother's absence, the twins were easier to handle as a package deal.
Hodgins reminded Brennan and Angela of when he had mounted a car seat atop his tornado simulator when baby Michael Vincent kept them up all night. And so, the two sets of loving but tired grandparents had decided to cope by trading off. Taking care of eight-year old William was a cinch by comparison to his whirlwind younger siblings.
The reason for these extended sleepovers with Grammy and Pops, Grangie and Grogg was Christine's and Michael's tenth anniversary on December 30th. When Christopher Pelant's armed drone forced Hodgins to choose between his money and saving Afghani schoolgirls, most of his assets had been lost. But having paid cash for Angela's Paris apartment when Brennan fled to Maluku, the bug man was able to keep it and still took his wife there periodically.
Booth and Brennan, Angela and Hodgins had gone together to purchase airline tickets for their kids and sent them off for a romantic anniversary week in France. The unchangeable flight dates precluded them returning early, and they also needed the break. There was no way the grandfolks were going to ruin their trip with tales of childish energy, and they soldiered on.
Calmer than the twins, William adored his Uncle Parker, and loved hearing stories about the lab 'back when'. He was also fascinated by all the ornaments bedecking his grandparents' very different Christmas trees. Hodgins' and Angela's was mostly covered with her creations, and keepsakes from travels. Booth's and Brennan's displayed worn baubles heirlooms from past generations he wished he could have met.
Each also sported paper trees and such drawn when his parents were young, and similar objects he and the twins had created. Each year he helped undecorated the Christmas trees in return for hearing the history behind the objects being removed from green branches and packed away. He could've listened for hours about Hank and Grams, Jared and Shrimp, Tempe and Russ, and Ripley.
Brennan was thrilled when William had named his new Australian Shepherd puppy Rip. Since the breed requires lots of exercise to curtail their innate curiosity and herding instinct, boy and dog spent hours roaming Hodgins' estate and the woods behind Booth and Brennan's house. Teaching Rip to catch a ball in mid-air hadn't gone so well, but William trained the dog to retrieve items for Hodgins, open door knobs, turn off lights, and lie quietly beside his grandfather's wheelchair in the bug lab as the pair fed his corn snake. Christine insisted the reptile stay at her father-in-law's place after the twins had felt sorry for Corny and turned him loose in her house. Michael understood his kids' good motivation, but explained that Mommy, like Grammy and OomaA, didn't share their love for the colorful creature.
Several days later, Michael and Christine's plane landed and the whole family headed to the airport to meet them. Refreshed by the wonders of the French countryside and Paris, the young couple were grateful for their parents' generosity and happy to hug their exuberant children.
"New Year's Eve in Chartres was amazing. Seeing the sunset from the parapets during our tour of the roofline and towers, and its supportive nave architecture is amazing. We got to see the back side of stained glass window as well," Michael told them on the drive back from Dulles. "Those 200 spiral steps, and the labyrinth made me dizzy."
"I really enjoyed our day trip to Giverny where Monet's family lived for four decades. Angela, you were right about appreciating the genius of his art more deeply by seeing their home and village. Paris was wonderful too, but seeing the countryside was my favorite experience," Christine added.
"We're both glad to be home, but thank you for the trip of a lifetime, Mom and Dad, Angela and Uncle Bugs," she said softly. After many hugs and hunting for lost possessions, they were ready to the family climbed into Michael's SUV to return home, Maggie piped up.
"Mommy, why do you call Grandpa Uncle Bugs?"
"That's a long story for another day, Little Miss. It's time for us to get you three home to bed and sleep!"