Parenting Skills

Monday: Thunder Buddies

Monday

​Dave awoke to hearing everyone else up. Great. He heard the happy giggles of the two toddlers in the living room. What was going on now? He walked out to the main room of the hotel to see Chester and Mike battling with little foam swords. Which was totally not what he was expecting.

​"What?" he cried in surprise. Everyone turned to face him and Chester ran over to him, almost tripping, and hit him with the sword.

​"Joe bought them toys," Brad explained. Mike was waiting for Chester to come back so they could keep playing. Dave watched them start fighting again before turning to Joe.

​"And you thought this was a good idea how?" he asked.

​"They needed something different and they're having fun."

​"It's dangerous for them. They could hurt themselves," Dave said as he looked over at the two boys who were fighting happily.

​"Dave, you are the worst parent ever," Joe said shaking his head, "Everything has to be so strict with you. What's life without a little risk? They love this."

​Dave glanced at the boys again who were giggling and running around, obviously having fun. They didn't swing very fast so the other could block most of the attacks. It looked really cute. That is, until Chester jabbed the sword right into Mike's stomach who fell backwards and started crying.

​"See?" Dave asked as Brad went to pick up Mike and Chester kept saying that he was sorry. Joe rolled his eyes.

​"It wasn't a bad idea."

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​He and Dave had run out to grab some more food for the week. More stuff that the boys could eat without having trouble. They still had little teeth. But they'd learned the lesson that taking the boys to the grocery store was not a good idea.

​"Let's get them some more macaroni."

​"We should totally make spaghetti tonight," Brad said with a grin. Dave nodded.

​"That sounds manageable."

​"It does. And it sounds good," Brad said. Dave laughed and they checked out with bread and other things for sandwiches, canned vegetables, apples, noodles, and pasta sauce. They headed back to the hotel.

​"So what do you want to do with them huh? I'm honestly running out of ways to keep them interested."

​"Well......I was thinking and I realized that we should probably move on from here. We haven't left and people might start figuring us out."

​"That's not a bad idea," Brad agreed.

​"So I think tomorrow, we're going to pack up and head out towards California again."

​"All the way home huh?"

​"It'll be easier that way. We can all spend time at my place since it's pretty empty and there's a lot more room. We can actually raise them in a house instead of a hotel."

​"That might be for the best," Brad said with a small smile, "It's crazy that they're kids."

​"They're so sweet though. And to think. We only met Chester a year and a half ago. And now we have to take care of him as a toddler."

​"I know. What would be really freaky, is if he had the tattoos he had when we met him."

​"Oh that'd be so wrong," Dave laughed as they pulled into the parking spot of the hotel. They took the grocery bags and hurried up to their room. Before they got in, they knew something was wrong. First of all, they heard screams and cries. So obviously, Chester or Mike or both of them were upset. They hurried inside and Brad stared at the sight in front of him. Rob and Joe were watching television on the horror movie channel. The loud noises and scary music must have scared the shit out of the boys who were crying and hiding in their blankets. Mike was covered completely in a mound of blankets, crying his eyes out. Chester had tears all over his face and snot running from his nose as he sat on the floor. It was disgusting yet heartbreaking.

​"Fifteen minutes," Dave sighed, "Fifteen minutes. We were gone for fifteen minutes."

​Brad nodded at Dave, "Go ahead Dave, you're closer to Mike."

​Dave looked surprised but picked the bundle of blankets that was Mike off the couch. Brad knelt down next to Chester and lifted him off the ground.

​"Hey buddy, come on up here."

​He'd never really held Chester that often apart from when Dave and Rob were busy. Holding Chester was a lot different than holding Mike. Mike liked being up over the shoulder so he could look around or hide in his neck when he was scared. Chester liked being......cradled. Apparently that was more comfortable for him. He found some tissues and wiped Chester's nose and shuddering before throwing them away. He did not want to experience that anymore, it was nasty.

​"What were you two thinking? We can't leave you alone for fifteen minutes with the kids without you terrifying them or one of them getting hurt!" Dave said. Brad wanted to laugh. Dave was in his bitchy, motherly, mode. He was holding Mike over his shoulder. The boy was still hiding in his blanket.

​"Man, I just wanted to see the one scene," Rob said, "Joe said it was really good."

​"I don't care!" Dave said angrily, "You were here with them. You're supposed to take care of them and make sure they're safe!"
​
​"Mad at me?" Chester whispered. Brad shook his head before bouncing Chester lightly in his arms.

​"No, no, he's mad at Rob and Joe."

​"Why is he mad at Daddy and Uncle Joe?" Chester asked. The whole room froze. Dave, Rob, and Joe all stopped arguing and looked at them. Brad was surprised too. Since when did they refer to Joe as Chester's uncle? Did that mean Dave and Rob were Mike's uncles? Wait, they weren't married! He wasn't married to Joe! And Chester had called Rob his dad too. He really thought they were his parents. Chester sniffled and then reached his arms out towards Rob, begging to be carried by him. Rob shuffled over and lifted Chester out of Brad's arms. Mike had stopped crying and was peering out from under the blanket. Brad laughed softly and relieved Dave of Mike's weight.

​"I wasn't mad at you or Mike, Chester. I was just worried for you two because I don't want you to be afraid," Dave said stroking the three year old's hair. It was quiet as Chester yawned and stuck his fingers in his mouth again. Brad glanced at Mike who was smiling at him and occasionally shifting.

​"Anything to say Mike?" Brad asked softly.

​"Hungry!" Mike said with a smile. The group laughed softly and Dave nodded before going to get the spaghetti ready for them to eat. Brad set Mike down on the ground and let the boy go back to drawing happily with his crayons. Chester begged Rob to play catch with him. It was a little soft ball with a Mickey Mouse shadow on it. Chester loved it. He liked to play with it all the time with Mike. Soon they were all playing catch with the ball in the living room. Brad grinned as Rob bounced the ball off of Chester's head causing Mike to giggle and Chester to pretend to pout.

​"Hey dinner's ready!" Dave called. They got up and led the two boys into the kitchen. Chester was bouncing happily around the table until Dave told him to sit down. Brad watched as Mike slurped his spaghetti into his mouth and got it all over his face. It was really odd to think that Mike in his twenty three year old mind would never do something like this but now he was fine with it. Chester probably would have been fine with it when he was older. Brad laughed at the thought. They finished eating, after Chester and Mike both had sauce covering their shirts.

​"How many baths are we going to have to give them?" Joe asked and Brad shrugged as Mike picked up a handful of spaghetti and put it in Chester's hair. Not his own hair of course, why the hell would he do that? It was almost like Mike bullied Chester in a loving way. The funny thing was that Chester just let it happen. He sat there and let the noodles fall down his face and on to the table again. Dave looked close to tears by that time.

​"What the heck," Dave muttered. Brad laughed softly and then took Mike away from the table as Dave and Rob started fighting over who would bathe Chester this time. He set Mike down in the bedroom and got him a new shirt so he didn't get spaghetti sauce everywhere. He noticed Chester's drawings on the wall in the bedroom that Rob had told them about earlier. They were in a lot of trouble once they moved on. Which was tomorrow. He heard Dave muttering and assumed he'd been the one who had to give Chester his bath.

​"Sleep!" Mike said tiredly. Brad nodded.

​"Yep. I'll tuck you in ok?"

​Mike nodded, "Where is Chesser?"

​"He's getting a bath. He'll be in soon."

​"He can sleep on my bear too," Mike said with a smile before closing his eyes. Brad smiled and wrapped the blanket around Mike. Dave came in about five minutes later with Chester in his arms. Chester was yawning and rubbing his eyes tiredly.

​"Alright Chester, lay down with Mike," Dave said with a smile. Chester cuddled under the blanket next to Mike. It was quiet as Chester sighed and then closed his eyes. Mike rolled over and buried his head into Chester's back. It was really cute. Brad grinned at Dave. They stood there for a few minutes before heading back into the kitchen. They didn't stay there for long. It was about ten minutes later before the first crash of thunder was heard, followed closely by screaming coming from the boys' room.

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​The four of them ran into the bedroom to see Chester and Mike hiding in their piles of blankets and stuffed animals. It thundered for a little longer and then it was quiet. He heard crying and then a soft voice.

​"Remember Mikey? The thunder can't get us in here," Chester's quiet voice was heard over the pounding of the rain. He was thrown into the scene from the movie 'Ted' and almost laughed at the image of Chester and Mike sitting under there singing 'fuck you thunder, you can suck my dick.'
Dave and Joe slowly moved forward and slowly uncovered the boys. Chester was sitting up in the bear's lap while Mike was hiding his face in the bear's face. Dave lifted Mike up deciding that he could repay Brad and Joe for holding Chester earlier on. The boy was shaking in his arms.

​"Hey, it's ok. Thunder doesn't hurt people, I know it's scary but it doesn't hurt people."

​Chester was tugging on his shirt and Dave assumed that he was jealous that he wasn't getting to be picked up as well. Chester didn't like to be left out of things. Rob smiled at him before picking the other boy up off the bed. Brad turned to him.

​"I can take him if you want."

​"If you want," Dave handed Mike off to Brad. Brad laughed softly.

​"Alright Mike, you should probably go to sleep or you'll be tired tomorrow."

​"Don't want," Mike said shaking his head, "Scared."

​"Chester will be right with you," Brad said, "It'll be fine."

​Mike sniffled but nodded slightly. Brad laid him down and Rob put Chester next to him. The two boys curled up in their blankets and Mike cuddled next to Chester. He watched as they fell asleep together and then they headed to sleep as well. It was really a difficult job taking care of these two boys.
​It wasn't over yet either. At about three in the morning, they heard more screaming. Dave climbed out of bed and Rob rolled onto the floor. They were exhausted. It was still thundering out so now, for some reason, both boys were crying. Dave grabbed Chester and Joe took Mike off the bed. Mike was crying about the thunderstorm again.

​"What's wrong Chester? Huh?" Dave asked quietly.

​"I had a bad dweam," Chester whimpered as he hugged him, "I had a dream that Mikey died."

​"Oh," Dave said quietly, "It's alright Chester. He's still here see? He's right there."

​"I don't want him to die," Chester cried as he buried his head in his shoulder. Dave sighed.

​"He's alright. It was just a bad dream. It's ok," Dave said quietly. Chester sobbed into his shoulder and then hiccupped a couple of times. Dave rubbed his back and he felt Chester's body bounce in his arms before he felt something on his shoulder. He winced as he pulled Chester away from his shoulder.

​"Oh nasty, he spit up on you," Rob said with a laugh.

​"That's not funny, it's disgusting."

​"Here let me take him," Rob said as Chester started crying again. Why was he always sick? Dave took off his shirt and changed quickly before walking back. Chester was crying about feeling sick and Mike was crying because he thought the thunder was going to kill him.

​"I don't wanna die!" Mike wailed which set Chester off again because of his nightmare. Brad was getting Mike to settle down and Rob had Chester crying quietly into his shoulder. About an hour later, Chester was sleeping in Rob's arms and Mike was being tucked into the blankets again. Rob laid Chester's sleeping body down on the bed next to Mike and the two boys were out.

​"Thank god. I'm so done," Rob yawned.

​"Honestly, if Chester gets sick on me one more time, I'm going to die," Dave said quietly.

​"Tomorrow will be better?" Brad asked hopefully.

​"Hopefully," Joe replied.

​"Alright come on, time to sleep. Before they wake up."

​"To the living room!" Dave said with a smile. They walked into the main room and then found spots on the floor. It would hopefully be a quick night.