Chapter 339

While the babies slept and Jenny napped and we watched over them with watchful eyes, I read 200 pages of gobble-de-gook and nothing. An orchestra could have not been better played or a play better choreographed. I hoped the next 300 pages were more informing.

The weekend was consumed with babies, in between work and house guests. Mom and Lisa made repeated trips to the house to remind us of things they had forgotten to tell us about baby care. They always stayed until they had a chance to hold Jacob and Robert.

Every night at the first cry, the doorway was filled with 4 girls to make sure we were up looking at the boys.

Jenny took advantage of all the child care to visit the gym. A strong physical fitness regimen is addicting; without it you just feel like something is missing. Doctor Peterson had given Jenny a list of preferred exercises and a time frame the she should be able to start them over the next few weeks.

Jenny had already been four days without any exercises, excluding the workout from childbirth. As that saying goes, "Damn the schedules - full speed ahead." Two hours later with both Jacob and Robert telling the world that it was past mother's milk time, it took two of us to help Jenny into the Suburban to come home.

Jenny was already leaking as the boys made the latch like a vacuum cleaner. Being sweaty and stinky did not deter their demand for mother's milk.

By Sunday evening I had managed to highlight multiple pages in the last 300 of the report and put sticky tabs to make them easy to find. I explained what I had found to the girls. Vicky was going to carry the report to Robert and Burt in the morning and explain what I had found, hoping it would assist them.

Monday I was back to the work routine; kisses all around, including gentle ones on the forehead of the boys before I left. I was working all day today and then half days Tuesday and Wednesday, again in the mornings.

Thursday and Friday I was spending all day in the gym on the final training push, part of which would be spent on hostage rescue. I was promised the compound would be clean of snow and ready to go.

The rapid response team was in their last week. The state department was coming back today to finish up their presentation. Then four days were left to finish out the training. Then they would get to spend the weekend at home.

I carried two framed blow-ups of my family, the five of us surrounding Jenny holding the boys and then another of me holding the boys. I placed them on my desk.

The meetings that were postponed on Friday were on for this morning. I carried my laptops with me in case I needed them. At the meeting room when I opened the door and walked in, there was clapping and congratulations. On the big screen were the pictures I had blown up on my desk. Patti had sent them around on the administrative email.

After the oohs and ahs and kidding about sleepless nights, we had our normal college business meeting. We broke for lunch and ate in the cafeteria with other faculty and students.

At one before the meeting resumed Bob Jackson played a short clip of Atlantic 709, from the low fuel warning until the wheels touched down. Then he played the Hanna interviews of Lorrie and me.

"You may not realize it but you are turning into a politician one news event at a time," Bob replied.

The meetings lasted until three. I was glad to be finished with them and go home.

I was late getting to the nightly meeting and was surprised to see that Jenny was there.

"Where are the boys?" I asked.

"The two mom-moms each have one and we now have two rocking chairs in the living room. They are going to be so spoiled rotten," Jenny said as she was laughing.

"That's what grandparents are for, that and babysitting," I replied before I broke out laughing. I had forgotten that Jason was sitting at the table with us.

"You do remember that us Grand-Pops are supposed to teach them how to pee on the tree trunk, we could change that to the potted flowers in the living room," Jason replied trying to hold back a smile.