Post by chrissandypants on Sept 27, 2022 10:38:17 GMT -8
All was quiet on the Seattle front. Chris Sanderson was at peace with a cup of tea beside him, the kids off doing their thing, Olivia taking a nap and Ali taking one herself. Chris had a book, like a damn nerd, placed at his side as he just exists. He does enjoy existing as most do. A sip of tea enhances the calm as the sun beats into the reading room. Of course, all the calm is damaged when he hears yelling.
The yelling of an 8 year and a 7 year old. Kayleigh and Tyler fighting again, no doubt about it. Chris, along with Ali, were finally getting used to the bickering of the half-siblings. It has only been a year and a half or so since Chris and Ali reunited along with their daughter Kayleigh. Ali did know about Tyler as it was a rather public thing between Chris and Tyler’s birth mom. But the birth mom ghosted and hasn’t been around for Tyler for nearly six months.
Not that it bugged Chris anyways. She was rather rude to him but he took it in stride given what he did to Rogue. It was one of the few things that really haunted him and something he was going to be honest about when Tyler was old enough to understand. Either way, the yelling was getting worse and the last thing Chris wanted was for Ali and Olivia to wake up. Olivia has been a fussy baby the last couple of weeks and her sleep schedule is all sorts of off.
It was Ali’s turn to last night so Chris got up and began to walk out of the sun room to handle the situation. It was a long walk to the children’s rooms, which were across the hall from one another. They had done it intentionally despite having a massive home with more than enough bedrooms to put a three families in.
Chris put on his stern dad face and began to take control of the situation. As it usually boils down to, the siblings were fighting over LEGOs. He had banned them once for a week, the fights subsiding but have now picked back up.
Chris: Hey, hey. What is going on in here? Thought I told you to keep it down…
Like deer in the headlights, the kids put their attention on their dad and both pointed the finger at one another for starting the fracas.
Chris: Don’t do that. I don’t care who started it. I just want it done with. Mom and Liv are trying to sleep, okay? They don’t need all the ruckus right now. Do you want a cranky baby and a crankier mommy?
Both shook their heads no.
Chris: Good. Me either. So keep it down and if I have to come in here again, neither of you are going to like it.
He thought that should put the fear into them. Chris left the room only to hear it start right back up as he left. He stood in the hallway as he kept listening to them fight. Then, it happened. A loud couple of SMACKS. Chris hasn’t moved this fast since Ali told him to come to bed in a see through nightie a week ago.
Chris: And what did I just tell you…?
The scene wasn’t what he expected at all. Kayleigh was crying holding her arm as Tyler had his hands back down. Chris sighs and rushes to his daughter.
Chris: Are you okay, Kayleigh?
There were a few sniffles and a couple of tears, more from the shock of her little brother hitting her than anything else. This was the first time they had actually gotten this violent with one another.
Kayleigh: He hit me! Twice! Ground him forever!
She couldn’t be feeling too hurt if she said that.
Tyler: Ground her for being a bitch.
Oh no. Chris nudges Kayleigh out of the room, which was hers, and shuts the door. His face is a shade of red as he kneels down.
Chris: First thing. You are never to say that word again. Especially towards girls. It’s not nice and it’s not right. If you ever call your sisters or Ali a bitch, you’re not seeing daylight for a year, got me?
Tyler slowly nods his head. He had never seen his dad this mad before.
Chris: Second. Never, ever, ever, ever hit a girl.. I don’t care what Kayleigh did. I don’t care if she hit you. I don’t care if she kicked you in the jimmies. Never hit her. Never hit Olivia. Never hit Ali. Don’t hit girls, you got me?
Again the 7 year old nods his head.
Chris: I know it’s weird, okay? You see me hitting girls when I wrestle, right?
Tyler: Yeah!
Chris: But it’s different. It’s a competition to see who is the better wrestler. There’s generally not a lot of ill will involved in it. There were times, Tyler, when you real mom made me furious and I really wanted to hit her but you know what I did instead?
He had no idea.
Chris: I took a walk. I went away and it helped. But there are some girls, no matter how mad they make you, you wouldn’t want to hit them anyways.
Tyler: Like Ali?
Chris: Exactly. We get into arguments but it just happens when you’re with someone. Life isn’t always going to be easy living around women. We’re not easy to live with either. You’re loud, don’t always listen to Ali, but she never wants to hit you. She just wants you to slow down and listen. I can be loud and don’t listen to her. She’ll ask me if I’m paying attention and it just goes on from there.
Chris couldn’t tell Tyler he sometimes intentionally messed with Ali to get her all riled up.
Chris: Bottom line, Tyler? Girls are pretty awesome. Without girls, we couldn’t exist. They carry us for a long time and go through a lot of stuff along the way. Like when Ali was pregnant with Olivia. You saw how she’d yell at you for nothing but did you want to hit her?
Tyler: Never!
Chris: And why is that?
Tyler needed a moment to connect the dots.
Tyler: Cuz she’s nice and makes me chicken nuggets?
Chris: And because you love her just like you love Olivia and Kayleigh.
Tyler: I don’t love Kayleigh. She’s always mean to me! She takes my toys without askin’ and calls me names.
Chris puts an arm around Tyler and sits on the floor.
Chris: Look, it’s been hard for her to grasp she wasn’t an only child anymore. Just like you. You were used to being the center of attention like she was and now you gotta share the spotlight along with having a baby sister. You’re all adjusting and it might time some more time, but you’re getting there. If Kayleigh does something, just ask her to stop, don’t throw hands. If she doesn’t listen? Tell us, kiddo.
Tyler nodded his head again, finally getting it a little bit.
Chris: But, as it stands, you’re grounded for a month. No TV, no video games, no LEGOs. Just reading. You hit her again, it’s six months. Got me?
Tyler: …Yeah.
Chris: Now go apologize to your sister for calling her a bad name and hitting her. Every 10 minutes you don’t is another day added to your punishment.
That was enough to get Tyler to his feet and running to the door to apologize to Kayleigh. Chris left the room and kept on his trail. With a smile, he saw his son apologize to his daughter and saw them hug on another. He felt someone grab him from behind and whisper “You’re a good daddy.” He didn’t have to look but just smiled instead.
The yelling of an 8 year and a 7 year old. Kayleigh and Tyler fighting again, no doubt about it. Chris, along with Ali, were finally getting used to the bickering of the half-siblings. It has only been a year and a half or so since Chris and Ali reunited along with their daughter Kayleigh. Ali did know about Tyler as it was a rather public thing between Chris and Tyler’s birth mom. But the birth mom ghosted and hasn’t been around for Tyler for nearly six months.
Not that it bugged Chris anyways. She was rather rude to him but he took it in stride given what he did to Rogue. It was one of the few things that really haunted him and something he was going to be honest about when Tyler was old enough to understand. Either way, the yelling was getting worse and the last thing Chris wanted was for Ali and Olivia to wake up. Olivia has been a fussy baby the last couple of weeks and her sleep schedule is all sorts of off.
It was Ali’s turn to last night so Chris got up and began to walk out of the sun room to handle the situation. It was a long walk to the children’s rooms, which were across the hall from one another. They had done it intentionally despite having a massive home with more than enough bedrooms to put a three families in.
Chris put on his stern dad face and began to take control of the situation. As it usually boils down to, the siblings were fighting over LEGOs. He had banned them once for a week, the fights subsiding but have now picked back up.
Chris: Hey, hey. What is going on in here? Thought I told you to keep it down…
Like deer in the headlights, the kids put their attention on their dad and both pointed the finger at one another for starting the fracas.
Chris: Don’t do that. I don’t care who started it. I just want it done with. Mom and Liv are trying to sleep, okay? They don’t need all the ruckus right now. Do you want a cranky baby and a crankier mommy?
Both shook their heads no.
Chris: Good. Me either. So keep it down and if I have to come in here again, neither of you are going to like it.
He thought that should put the fear into them. Chris left the room only to hear it start right back up as he left. He stood in the hallway as he kept listening to them fight. Then, it happened. A loud couple of SMACKS. Chris hasn’t moved this fast since Ali told him to come to bed in a see through nightie a week ago.
Chris: And what did I just tell you…?
The scene wasn’t what he expected at all. Kayleigh was crying holding her arm as Tyler had his hands back down. Chris sighs and rushes to his daughter.
Chris: Are you okay, Kayleigh?
There were a few sniffles and a couple of tears, more from the shock of her little brother hitting her than anything else. This was the first time they had actually gotten this violent with one another.
Kayleigh: He hit me! Twice! Ground him forever!
She couldn’t be feeling too hurt if she said that.
Tyler: Ground her for being a bitch.
Oh no. Chris nudges Kayleigh out of the room, which was hers, and shuts the door. His face is a shade of red as he kneels down.
Chris: First thing. You are never to say that word again. Especially towards girls. It’s not nice and it’s not right. If you ever call your sisters or Ali a bitch, you’re not seeing daylight for a year, got me?
Tyler slowly nods his head. He had never seen his dad this mad before.
Chris: Second. Never, ever, ever, ever hit a girl.. I don’t care what Kayleigh did. I don’t care if she hit you. I don’t care if she kicked you in the jimmies. Never hit her. Never hit Olivia. Never hit Ali. Don’t hit girls, you got me?
Again the 7 year old nods his head.
Chris: I know it’s weird, okay? You see me hitting girls when I wrestle, right?
Tyler: Yeah!
Chris: But it’s different. It’s a competition to see who is the better wrestler. There’s generally not a lot of ill will involved in it. There were times, Tyler, when you real mom made me furious and I really wanted to hit her but you know what I did instead?
He had no idea.
Chris: I took a walk. I went away and it helped. But there are some girls, no matter how mad they make you, you wouldn’t want to hit them anyways.
Tyler: Like Ali?
Chris: Exactly. We get into arguments but it just happens when you’re with someone. Life isn’t always going to be easy living around women. We’re not easy to live with either. You’re loud, don’t always listen to Ali, but she never wants to hit you. She just wants you to slow down and listen. I can be loud and don’t listen to her. She’ll ask me if I’m paying attention and it just goes on from there.
Chris couldn’t tell Tyler he sometimes intentionally messed with Ali to get her all riled up.
Chris: Bottom line, Tyler? Girls are pretty awesome. Without girls, we couldn’t exist. They carry us for a long time and go through a lot of stuff along the way. Like when Ali was pregnant with Olivia. You saw how she’d yell at you for nothing but did you want to hit her?
Tyler: Never!
Chris: And why is that?
Tyler needed a moment to connect the dots.
Tyler: Cuz she’s nice and makes me chicken nuggets?
Chris: And because you love her just like you love Olivia and Kayleigh.
Tyler: I don’t love Kayleigh. She’s always mean to me! She takes my toys without askin’ and calls me names.
Chris puts an arm around Tyler and sits on the floor.
Chris: Look, it’s been hard for her to grasp she wasn’t an only child anymore. Just like you. You were used to being the center of attention like she was and now you gotta share the spotlight along with having a baby sister. You’re all adjusting and it might time some more time, but you’re getting there. If Kayleigh does something, just ask her to stop, don’t throw hands. If she doesn’t listen? Tell us, kiddo.
Tyler nodded his head again, finally getting it a little bit.
Chris: But, as it stands, you’re grounded for a month. No TV, no video games, no LEGOs. Just reading. You hit her again, it’s six months. Got me?
Tyler: …Yeah.
Chris: Now go apologize to your sister for calling her a bad name and hitting her. Every 10 minutes you don’t is another day added to your punishment.
That was enough to get Tyler to his feet and running to the door to apologize to Kayleigh. Chris left the room and kept on his trail. With a smile, he saw his son apologize to his daughter and saw them hug on another. He felt someone grab him from behind and whisper “You’re a good daddy.” He didn’t have to look but just smiled instead.