Breakfast was peaceful. Alex let Marie put him in his highchair and did his best to eat with his spoon and his fork While he ate, Evelyn made a call to the Museum to see if a shipment of artifacts from the museum in Cairo had come in. She was pleased to find that they had, and would go down and make sure all was in order. Her job there was head over the Egyptian section, and anything that went on display was a decision that she made. Once she was done with her phone call she came to the table and sat down as Marie set a plate of food in front of her.

“Hey I done,” Alex said

“Alex, use your manors,” Evelyn told him. He sighed.

“Mah-ee, I done now hep me pease?” The older woman came, and wiped his hands and his face, then set him down and he ran out of the room, down the short hall to the parlor. His toys were there in a box set against the far wall, and he bypassed them climbing up into one of the chairs that sat beside the chess table. The pieces were all in order for the next game, but Alex had plans and knocked them all off.

“Torm commin,” he said to the pieces, as he jumped down and kicked them around. Marie came in to find the mess and scolded him.

“Alex you know your not to bother this. Help me pick these up please.” He kicked more across the room not listening, then was grabbed by the arm.

“Alex I do believe Marie asked you to help her with this mess,” Evelyn said using a stern tone of voice.

“Ut Don’t unt too,” he wined. He didn’t get any sympathy from her.

“Then you may sit in time out until you decide to do so,” Evelyn said carrying him over to a stool, which was set in the corner. That was his time out place, and he hated it and cried when she put him down there. Marie left them to work things out on their own, and after about 2 minutes Evelyn came over to talk to her baby who was still crying.

“Come on lets pick up then we will go out for the day,” she said to him. She held him and he calmed down, then they put the pieces back on the table. Once that task was completed, they went back upstairs, and Evelyn got a small bag ready for Alex with a change of cloths and some diapers, then they left for the Museum.

Being at the museum was something Alex loved, and as they walked in the guard greeted him.

“Hi Mack, I heppen mum day,” Alex said to Mack the guard.

“Well she has a very good helper,” he said. Alex nodded and they went on inside, and up to the Egyptian level. Her office was up there, and when they walked in Alex ran over to a box which had the toys he played with when he came for visits. There were cars and trucks in it as well as blocks and other toys he loved. He dumped the entire box out and went to playing, leaving his mum to work. Play for Alex lasted all of ten minutes before he got tired, and he looked up to find that his mum was very busy, so he walked right out the door and down the short flight of steps that led to the different parts of the Egyptian section. He found a statue of a cat.

“Ceo,” he said thinking of their cat at home. He went under the rope, which was there to keep people from touching things like the statue, and pet it. It was made of pure gold, and touching it was not good.

“Not talk me?” he asked it. His Cleo always talked to him. He smacked at it, but it just stood there.

“What are you doing there, you’re not supposed to be here,” a strange man with a beard said to him. Alex looked at the man, and ran away back upstairs where his mum was still working, and ran to her hiding his head in her lap as the Curator came barging in.

“Where is he?” The curator asked.

“Who,” Evelyn asked not realizing that Alex had gotten away.

“That child was down touching the gold cat statue,” he said in a hateful tone Evelyn frowned.

“Mr. Havez I’m sorry I won’t let him out of my site again,” she said lifting Alex to sit on her lap. He huffed and walked out.

“He bad mens,” Alex said looking up at her, and got a scowling look back.

“You know better than to go out of here without me,” she said to him.

“Sowwy mum not do gain,” he said in a sad tone.” She sighed and set him down.

“Go play with your toys, and I won’t be too much longer. He went back to his toys, wanting to go back out but too afraid of that bad man.

Once mum was done with her work, they headed away from the Museum to a store where Evelyn needed to purchase some new cloths for Alex. He held her hand for the first little bit, then managed to get away from her, and ran up some stairs to a sort of Balcony. Being Alex and liking to see things fly, he took a pair of pants and threw them over causing a ruckus below, which got his mum’s attention. She ran up the stairs and Alex ran from her, and right into a whole rack of cloths that he managed to knock over. Evelyn grabbed him and held him close. They got yelled at by the store manager, and by the time they finally got everything taken care of, and were on their way, Evelyn was not a happy mum.

“Et go me mum,” Alex said mad at her.

“No I won’t you have to hold my hand.” He tried to pull away, then sat down so she couldn’t go anywhere. Evelyn was getting tired of this.

“Alex please stand up, and we can go home.” He wouldn’t do it.

“Right now,” She said trying to be firm with him.

“No not doin it I not up not hold hand mum.” They were on a sidewalk and Evelyn wasn’t much for scene making, so she picked him up and Alex screamed kicking and hitting at her. She wished Rick were her, but he wasn’t so she would have to deal with him.

“Alex if you don’t stop right now I’m going to spank you here in front of everyone.” she said into his ear. He stopped then, and she was thankful that he had. The rest of the trip home was quiet and when they arrived, he was asleep in the back of the car. Marie came out as Evelyn was getting out, and took the bags while she got Alex who thankfully stayed asleep.

It was quiet with Alex asleep, and Evelyn spent that time in the Parlor reading a book. She was reading a new book on a find in Egypt of some new tombs near Thebes. That made her think how much fun it would be to go on a dig once Alex was old enough to go with them, and not get into allot of trouble. Upstairs Alex was awake, and had emptied out all of his cloths on to the floor, and dumped a whole bottle of baby powder all over the place, so that both he and his cloths were covered. Now he was in his closet pulling cloths off of his racks when Marie walked in.

“Alex what have you done,” she asked. he came out.

“I payen,” he said.

“You’re making a terrible mess,” She told him. She led him into the bathroom and got him all dusted off, then carried him down to his mother and told her what he had done.

“Alex, you know better,” she scolded.

“I haven fun,” he wined Evelyn sighed and rubbed her head. This day was going to be a long one and she could feel it. Deciding it better if they went outside, she got up and put his jacket on him, then they went out to the gardens and for a while he behaved playing chase with her, and they both had a good time.

“Mum I hungy now,” he told her. Evelyn looked at her watch and noticed that it was lunch time.

“Well we need to go in and eat,” she said. He took of running, and tripped, falling on the concrete and scraping his knees and his face up. She ran to him as he screamed and cried, lifting him into her arms and carrying him inside drawing Marie’s attention. They took him into the kitchen, where Marie got a clean wash cloth, and wet it with warm water, while Evelyn soothed her baby’s cries.

“Nooo,” he screamed, as Marie came to clean off his cuts. He smacked her hands, and Evelyn held him still letting Marie wipe the dirt and blood away. The next part was iodine, and he really cried then.

“Shh, it’s all done now,” Evelyn carried him to the table, and sat down with him while Marie brought both of their lunches.

“Not hungy,” he cried. Evelyn tried to get him to eat, but he was worn out, and needed a longer nap, so she took him up to his bed. Once they were settled in the rocking chair with Teddy Bear in his arms, he calmed down. His little nose had a scrape on it, as well as his forehead. Gently she leaned down and kissed his head and his nose.

“Ted Bear have owie too,” Alex said pointing to the bear’s nose. Evelyn kissed it and Alex giggled and yawned. She hummed to him a lullaby and he fell asleep safe in her arms.

It was fairly late that night when Rick and Jonathan came home from their day out on the town, and as they walked in, they heard Evelyn yell at Alex to come out from someplace. Rick put his coat and keys over the table.

“Time for me to be a dad again,” Rick said. to his brother-in-law. He walked into the parlor and found his wife in tears which was never a good sign. He came to her and gathered her into his arms, and she cried softly against his chest.

“What happened?” Then he looked at the floor and found a vase broken that had belonged to her mother. He kissed the top of her head.

“I take it he has been wild today?” Rick asked her softly.

“Not that bad until after his nap, then he just got mean, and wouldn’t do anything Marie or I told him to do. He wouldn’t stay in time out. I’m a terrible mother,” she cried. He lifted her head so he could see her face and kissed away her tears.

“You’re a wonderful mother. Alex is just trying out his limits, and we have to help him find his way.” Rick said, seeing his sons head stick out from behind the couch.

“Alex come out here please,” Rick said firmly. Alex ducked behind the couch, not listening to his father. After a final hug and kiss to his wife, Rick walked over to the couch and knelt down.

“Come on buddy, you need to sit in time out for braking that vase.” Rick said.

“Not gonna do it.” Rick stood and pulled the couch out from the wall so he could get to his son, but Alex was fast, and ran past his father. Evelyn tried to grab him but he dodged her and went up the stairs as fast as his little legs would take him and into his room hiding under the bed. His father was quick to follow.

“Alexander O’Connell come out here this minute,” Rick said in a loud booming voice. He didn’t yell but his voice told his son he was serious.

“No,” came his reply.

“Alex if I have to get you out of there your bottom will be spanked,” Rick said, folding his arms. In a moment Alex crawled out, and Rick carried him back downstairs and put him in the corner chair. Then he helped Evelyn clean the mess that was left of her vase. Neither of them noticed that Alex had disappeared, not until they heard another loud crash. When they got to the kitchen the cookie jar, which had also had been her mothers, lay on the floor broken, and Alex was no where to be found. Rick knew where he would be, and walked down to the other part of the house where Jonathan lived. The door was open, and Jonathan was kneeling by the bed.

“Alex come out here right now,” Rick told him.

“Not gonna you pank me.” What his son said was true. He had gotten out of time out, and gotten into something he had not been allowed to get into.

“I’m counting to three.” Jonathan left, not liking to see his nephew get punished, and Rick counted all the way to three but Alex wasn’t coming out. Rick went over to the bed, and got down on his stomach, then reached in, and got his hand hit and kicked before he grabbed Alex by the foot.

In the Parlor Evelyn sat waiting for her husband and son, and his sorrowful cries signaled their approach. Rick came in with Alex in his arms holding tight to his daddy.

“Tell mum goodnight,” Rick said. Alex lifted his head, and sniffed, giving her a kiss, then placed his head back on dads shoulder and continued to cry as they went up to his room. Once they were there Rick sat with him in the rocking chair and in a few moments his cries subsided. It was easy getting him dressed for bed, and once he was in his pajamas and had is teddy, they sat back in the chair to rock.

“I bad boy,” Alex said looking up at his father with matching eyes. Rick kissed his head.

“No Alex, your not a bad boy, but when you don’t listen to mum, and hurt things that she holds dear, then that is bad.” He nodded.

“Do bad tings and owie on my bottom,” he said. Rick kissed him again.

“When you misbehave, and don’t sit in time out like you’re supposed to, then yes you get an owie on your bottom,” Rick said. Alex frowned.

“Don’t like owies on bottom.”

“I don’t like that either, but you have to listen to mum and I. If you listen to us, then you won’t get any more owies on your bottom.” He yawned and Rick stood and got out one of his books then settled down with him again.

“Not books unt pincess tory,” he said. The princess story was one that Evelyn told him, and one Rick had heard enough times to tell him his version.

“Once long ago in Egypt there lived a young princess.” Alex helped

“See have ong back hair,” he said, his eyes getting heavy as they Rocked. Rick only got a little way into the story before his son was asleep. He stood, and walked over to the crib, and as he laid Alex down on his tummy, Evelyn came in picking up his Teddy Bear and laid it in next to him. She got his quilt and pulled it over him, then for a moment they stood and watched him.

“I was just thinking maybe we could turn in for they night,” He told her. She smiled

“I’m already ahead of you on that one,” she said taking his hand in hers. They walked out toward their room planning a night just for two.