Hair, Nails & Hockey

Chapter Four

"So you're telling me, that you're boss said that it was all right to bring the kids into work with you?" I asked and Ian smirked and nodded his head.

"Yeah, I mean, come on, they're great and well behave kids," Ian said and I nodded my head, "Just during a game, I have to keep them in my office. The guys are excited to meet them and so is Mario."

"I can't believe this," I said and Ian shrugged his shoulders.

"Like I told you yesterday, everyone there is pretty cool," he said and I sighed.

"Well, what happens when you have to do something for the Steelers?" I asked an Ian shook his head.

"I'm in charge of baseball and hockey now," he said and I nodded my head, "The Steelers and Penguins' schedules clashed too much and I couldn't do both, so they got another guy to handle the football."

"Oh," I sighed and then sat on the couch.

It was late, the kids were already in bed, having eaten and done their homework. Rocko was plopped in the middle of the living room, Ian was sitting on the coffee table in front of me, and the local ten o'clock news was muted on the TV. Work had been crazy today, my half hour lunch turned into like ten minutes because I was stuffed with clients. We had a wedding party come in today and that was a nightmare, it was definitely all hands on deck, but on the plus side, I made so much in tips.

"We can do this, Sar," Ian said and I nodded my head, "The kids get out of school at three, I'll leave work at two thirty, pick them up and bring them back to the arena, and then after you're finished with work, you can come and get them- But that's only when the guys have home games."

"What about away games? You go with them, how am I suppose to pick the kids up?" I asked and Ian sighed and rubbed his face.

"You're just going to have to make sure that you don't stay late at work. I mean, we still have the daycare, and with the amount of money we pay them, they should be willing to stay until the last kid is gone," Ian said and I nodded my head, "I'll print out the schedule and you can bring it into work."

"All right," I sighed and Ian patted my knee.

"We can do this," he said and I just sighed.

"I wish Craig was here," I muttered and Ian stood up, wrapped his arms around my neck and kissed my head.

"I miss him too, but he'll be here at the end of March," Ian said and I nodded my head, "Go take a bath and get to bed, I'll bring the schedule into you."

"All right," I said and then stood up and walked out of the living room, up the stairs and into my room, i got my clothes ready for the next day, sorted the laundry, made sure the kids were asleep and then walked back into my room so that I could stripe down and prepare my bath.

I brushed my hair and teeth, pulled my hair up into a messy bun, poured some bubbles into the water and then climbed into the warm water.

I'm usually in bed by midnight, up by six, I shower and get ready for work, wake the kids up and get them in the shower. By that time, Ian's awake and starts on making breakfast and packing lunches for all of us, he takes the dog outside and then goes back to bed after saying good morning to all of us.

Jake is in charge of feeding Rocko in the morning and Missy brushes him every Saturday, she gives him a bone once she comes home from school, I think that's why he likes to stick close to the two of them. Once the kids are all showered, dressed and ready for school, we go downstairs and have breakfast, usually Ian makes eggs and bacon, French toast or waffles. After that, it's time to head to school, I get them to school at eight thirty and head to work to start my nine o'clock shift. Usually after work, if I didn't have to stay later, I pick the kids up at daycare, but I guess with Ian's new schedule, that might change.

I hear a knock on my door and know that it's Ian, he comes in, leans against the tub, his back towards me and hands me the laminated paper of the game schedule. I sighed and looked at the first date, January 19th, it's a Saturday, it's a week away and it's an away game.

'...Saturday? That's not bad, I'm home all day...' I thought and looked at the next game day, January 20th, it was also an away game, "When do you leave?"

"Saturday morning," he said and I nodded my head, "We come home Monday afternoon. Tuesday the guys have practice and then Wednesday is their first home game."

"You're going to have to show me around, show me where your office is before the game so that I don't get lost."

"It's pretty easy to get to," Ian said and I nodded my head, "It's right down the hall from the boys' locker room."

"Because I know where that it," I laughed and Ian smirked.

"I'll show you before that game," he said and I nodded my head, "Get some sleep Sar, you look tired."

"I am, had a long day at work," I said and Ian sighed and then patted my arm.

"I'll get the kids' clothes ready for tomorrow."

"Thanks, I don't know what I would do without you," I smiled and Ian chuckled.

After I finished with my relaxing bath, I changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed. I slept with a lot of pillows, one between my legs, one behind my back, two under my head and I snuggled with one. Ian teased me about it, but he's just as bad.

Just before I close my eyes, I go through the list in my head of my routine before bed, I mentally check off everything that I've done and find that everything is finished. I breathed a sigh of relief and get myself comfortable and close my eyes.

I knew they weren't closed for five minutes before I heard that bedroom door creaking open. I open one eye and see a tiny shadow walking into the room, "What are you doing up?"

"My bed's wet," I heard and sighed.

'...Missy...' I thought as I pushed myself up and looked at my little niece in her princess onesie and saw that Rocko was at her side, "All right."

I pulled myself out of bed and walked over towards her, placed my hand on her head and we walked out of the room, into the hallway and into the kids room. Jake was still fast asleep, I didn't want to wake him, so I didn't turn the lights on. I shined my phone over the bed and saw that she had wet the bed.

"Did you go to the bathroom before you went to bed?" I asked and she looked down and shook her head, "Why not?"

"I didn't have to," she said and I sighed, I was going to have to turn the lights on.

"Go get another onesie and meet me in the bathroom," I said and she nodded her head and walked over towards her dresser and I walked over towards Jake, picked him up and walked towards me room. He didn't wake up or move when I walked into my room and laid him on my bed. I smiled and then walked back into Missy and Jake's room and flipped the lights on. I stripped the bed, got new sheets, fixed her bed up and heard a door open.

"What are you doing?" I heard and turned to see Ian, he looked like he hadn't fell asleep yet.

'...He's the one that doesn't have work in the morning, he should be doing this...' I sighed and threw the dirty sheets at him, "Washer please."

Ian nodded his head and I walked into the bathroom, to see Missy in the tub with her wet onesie on. I sighed and motioned for her to stand up and I helped her take her clothes off, cleaned her off and then put her new clothes back on. Rocko came into the bathroom and stood on the back of my legs, since I was kneeling. I shoved him off and got Missy ready for bed again.

After I kissed her head and tucked her into bed again, I walked into my room, grabbed Jake and brought him back to his room, the kid still hasn't moved. Once he was asleep, Jake was like the dead, we use to have to wake him up in the middle of the night to make sure that he was alive because he didn't look like he was breathing.

"You want me to get that?" Ian asked as he came up the stairs and I was walking out of the bathroom with Missy's dirty clothes.

"Thanks," I said and then took a step forward and felt Rocko run in front of my, almost tripping me, "Dammit, Rocko!" I growled and saw him push the kids' door open with his nose and then jump onto Missy's bed.

"Go to sleep," he said and I sighed and nodded my head, "I got this."

"Thanks," I muttered as I walked into my room and then into the bathroom, washing my hands and then heading to bed. I looked at the clock and saw that the little red numbers were reading one eleven, I sighed and snuggled into my pillows, '...If I fall asleep now, I can get about five and a half hours...'

---

It felt like I blinked, my eyes were closed and they were being shot open again at the sound of my alarm going off. I groaned and then rolled over and saw the lights blinking that it was six in the morning. I stretched in my bed and felt something lying on my feet. I looked down and saw Rocko there and smirked. I looked back over towards the alarm, turned it off and then sat up.

'...Here we go again...'