When Doc was a kid, he remembers various occasions of being in the store with his brother and parents. Occasionally, Doc and his brother would gradually make their way around their parents and end up in front of them as they perused the merchandise in the aisle.
As they were trooping down the aisle, all of a sudden a giant hand would clamp onto their heads with brute force and a thunderous voice from above would growl, "You follow us. We don't follow you."
Doc also remembers the "shoulder squeeze". Occasionally, he would feel that one whenever he and his brother "acted up".
My sons have a healthy fear of their father. After all, he is bigger and has a booming voice that is not pleasant to listen to especially when they are "acting up" in the van and their father is developing a headache from the noise inside the enclosed space.
One morning, Doc was still laying in bed trying to get a few more minutes of unconsciousness with all the boys in the kitchen making noise and creating a din. I was making breakfast for everyone, so I asked Grumpy to go upstairs and ask Doc if he wanted some scrambled eggs.
Grumpy trooped upstairs and then tiptoed right back down. "He's asleep," he said. "He's not asleep in all this racket," I said. "He's probably just laying there with his eyes closed."
No can do. Grumpy was not going up there and disturbing his father. So, I asked Sleepy. "But, he'll growl at me like a bear!" he wailed. When I assured him that Doc would do no such thing, he was all for it and ran up the stairs. As he went to do his duty, Grumpy covered his ears and eyes and said, "I can't look! I can't look!" as if a bomb were about to go off.
Sleepy skipped downstairs just moments later with the happy announcement that Doc would be joining us for breakfast.
Later, Doc told me what happened. Sleepy came to stand beside the slumbering bear. "Dad!" he yelled happily. This explosion of noise startled Doc abruptly. "Aaah!" he cried. When Sleepy asked if he wanted eggs, Doc's heart slowed down and he fell back to the bed with a grunt of assent.
It's not easy being the father of five sons.
As they were trooping down the aisle, all of a sudden a giant hand would clamp onto their heads with brute force and a thunderous voice from above would growl, "You follow us. We don't follow you."
Doc also remembers the "shoulder squeeze". Occasionally, he would feel that one whenever he and his brother "acted up".
My sons have a healthy fear of their father. After all, he is bigger and has a booming voice that is not pleasant to listen to especially when they are "acting up" in the van and their father is developing a headache from the noise inside the enclosed space.
One morning, Doc was still laying in bed trying to get a few more minutes of unconsciousness with all the boys in the kitchen making noise and creating a din. I was making breakfast for everyone, so I asked Grumpy to go upstairs and ask Doc if he wanted some scrambled eggs.
Grumpy trooped upstairs and then tiptoed right back down. "He's asleep," he said. "He's not asleep in all this racket," I said. "He's probably just laying there with his eyes closed."
No can do. Grumpy was not going up there and disturbing his father. So, I asked Sleepy. "But, he'll growl at me like a bear!" he wailed. When I assured him that Doc would do no such thing, he was all for it and ran up the stairs. As he went to do his duty, Grumpy covered his ears and eyes and said, "I can't look! I can't look!" as if a bomb were about to go off.
Sleepy skipped downstairs just moments later with the happy announcement that Doc would be joining us for breakfast.
Later, Doc told me what happened. Sleepy came to stand beside the slumbering bear. "Dad!" he yelled happily. This explosion of noise startled Doc abruptly. "Aaah!" he cried. When Sleepy asked if he wanted eggs, Doc's heart slowed down and he fell back to the bed with a grunt of assent.
It's not easy being the father of five sons.
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