Two-Cute Koolridges

“I'm sorry, Honey.”

“Chrissy, what do you have to be sorry for?”

“The Christmas gifts I got for you. I'm still confined to minimum activity until my Cesarean scar heals more so I could only shop online. The Carhartt vest is too tight on you. Even though I love to cuddle with you I didn't realize how big your chest really is. And then I ordered that lame meat and cracker assortment. How original is that?”

“If I recall, you recently presented me with the greatest gifts any woman can give a man. Two bundles of joy. Bouncing twin boys! My world is complete. You don't have to worry about any other gifts, Silly Filly, come here and cuddle with me.”

“They are so fragile we can't even bring them home from the hospital yet to feel like a complete family. We had to open Christmas gifts at the hospital, Russ. I couldn't even make a holiday meal.”

“It was fine. The room was charged with Christmas spirit surrounded by loved ones. Andrew took us and Nana out to eat afterwards so she didn't need to fuss either. Remember the reason for the season. There will be plenty of years to make up for not being home this time, Dear. And that tray of goodies will make the perfect New Year's Eve feast. We'll be able to send Nana off to spend a month down in Arizona close to Andrew in fine style. She wants to come back when the babies come home to help you out.”

“Speaking of babies we still have an all important decision to make before we get them christened this Sunday. The Pastor will come to the hospital after church to do the honors.”

“That's right. We've been mulling around exactly what to name them long enough. The deadline is here.”

“We've had such a busy schedule over the last couple of months we kept putting that off. Can't keep calling them Thing1 and Thing2. It's time now before Nana leaves.”

“You are so right. Ever since Carson's sixth birthday in early November, then Thanksgiving with Darwin, the boy whose parents couldn't be home with him, and your publishers, the Conovers. We've had event after event including the birth of our precious boys.”

“I was there for that but some I had to watch on video. Like that Christmas party you had for your science class at school. I laughed so hard I was afraid I would rip out my stitches. Where ever did you get that idea to dress everybody in blow-up costumes and have a race?”

“You remember one of the trick-or-treaters came to our door dressed as a sumo wrestler in one of those blow-up suits and it sparked the idea. Our class won a science fair and got money to hold a party. We ordered them from Amazon.”

“Let's see, you had a T-Rex, an eagle, an alien with a human riding piggy-back, a camel with a rider, a shark, an clown walking on it's hands and half a dozen more. A couple of them fell down at the start and it was hilarious watching them try to stand up again. Then they all danced bouncing off one another. Such an uncoordinated riot! Ah, oh! I'm laughing again just thinking about it. Russell, you're cracking me up!

“Take it easy there, Mrs. Koolridge. We gotta agree on some names for our new family members. What ones are still on our list?”

“Alexander, Daniel, Matthew, Gideon, Carter, Cooper, Anders, Henry, Sebastian, Arthur, Luke, Lucas, Simon, Jonathan, Andrea, Christopher, Elijah, Joshua.”

“Oh! That narrows it down so-o-o much!”

“Exactly!”

“Want a hat to pull two out?”

“No, I want thought and wisdom to go into this important decision. We have to live with it for a long time.”

“They'll have to live with it their whole lives! I know of one little girl named 'Crystal'.”

“That's not bad for a girl.”

“The family's last name was 'Ball'.

“We are not going to be those parents!”

“Remember we can give each one two names but they must have good flow with 'Koolridge'. Let's eliminate some.”

“'Christopher' was my dad's name but I really didn't want to do that. What if we change that one to 'Christian'?”

“That's an idea and maybe better for a second name? What if we focus on Biblical names?”

“Think that takes the number down to eight. Too bad we didn't have quadruplets. Luckily, now we only need three others if we use 'Christian' as a second name. Does either one of them strike you as a 'Christian'”.

“Hopefully, they both will be but it's up to us to start them on that path. Having them Baptized Sunday will be a good beginning.”

“'Sebastian Christian Koolridge'?”

“Too match-y, match-y and hard to spell. Try again, Sweety.”

“Simon Alexander Koolridge'?”

“I had an 'Uncle Alexander'. That would remind me of him every time I said it. And kids would tease 'Simon says' continuously.”

“'Joshua Luke Koolridge', 'Jonathan Daniel Koolridge'?”

“I like the names Jonathan and Joshua but aren't they getting over used these days? They'll be in classrooms with four others by the same names. But Luke Koolridge has a strong ring to it.”

“Kind of 'Cool Hand Luke' vibe to it? That could be good or bad.”

“Oh, come on! You know you fell for my cool vibe, right?”

“I got vibrations all right and be careful where you put your hands. I'm extra sensitive there these days.”

“Oh, my! It's time to pump again, isn't it? I can help, please let me help. Talk about a big chest, Girl, you are excelling! We'll figure out names before Sunday. Let's take care of you, now.”

>>>>>

“Skeeter Isaac Koolridge. I Baptize you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

“Scooter Anders Koolridge. I Baptize you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.”

“Thank you so much, Pastor. Well, Chrissy, we finally got that settled. Thank you, Anna and Andrew for being here for this momentous occasion.”

“Quite alright, Russell. You chose some memorable names. You know they will be known as SIK and SAK don't you?"

"Oh, no. Did we become those parents, Russell?

"Well, we have some news for you. We didn't want to put any more stress on you but Anna and I have have decided we are going to tie the knot on New Year's Eve before we head down to the South for the winter. Nothing fancy. A simple service the pastor will perform at the gathering that night. Then off we go as man and wife.”

“How wonderful for you both, Nana. And don't worry about us. If you don't make it back when the babies come home, there are people from church that will help if necessary.”

“And I'm a man looking forward to having all of my family under one roof.”