The "Time to Quit" Story

It was an ordinary day. We had just returned to 925 Janet Ave. with our third child. But, the story really began five years earlier. Carol and I were excited with the news that we were expecting our first child. Boy or girl? What name do we have picked out? What color should we paint the baby's room? All the same questions asked by everyone expecting the first. Well, we needed to start with equipping the bedroom for the baby. Crib, changing table, rocking chair! OK, now when will this little bundle of joy arrive at 925? Carol and Dr. M. estimated March 2nd. What's next? I guess wait! We went out and bought a baby's name book and picked out a few names for both a boy and a girl. At the time we were pro hockey fans and enjoyed games on TV. Our favorite player was Derek Sanderson. OK, there's a name. How about a girl's name. I don't remember! We just knew it had to be a boy. I think! That was a long time ago, remember. Well we waited and waited and waited. I was coaching rifle at MT at the time and every day after school I would go to the rifle range which had no phone in it and cell phones hadn't been invented yet. I would station one of my shooters by a phone in the school office in case Carol would call with a message. Well March 2nd arrived and no call. March 3, 4, 5, 6........ 19, 20, 21, then the season was over. Holy miscalculation!!! March 28th came and it was finally time. Derek Charles (named after Carol's father) was finally born at St. Joe's Hospital in Lancaster. 8 pounds, 15 ounces. BIG BABY. Just ask Carol! I can remember bringing him home because it was a cold, windy day and I placed the flowers we received in the hospital on the top of the car until I could open the door and they all blew off onto me as I reached for them. Time passed and we had the fantastic news that another member of the family would arrive. Already had the baby supplies so we were set. Oh yeah! The name. We studied the book for a girl's name and a boy's name. We were big TV game show fans now and I saw a neat name for a girl on one of the game shows, Brynn. Goes to the top of the list! Really, that could be for a girl or boy, right? The date picked this time by Carol and Dr. M was almost right on and Brynn Ann (middle name is Carol's middle name) became a fire cracker with a July 4th birthday at Lancaster General Hospital. I remember wearing my red, white and blue checked pants to the hospital to bring in some home made ice cream from our holiday celebration. Now, Brynn was 9 pounds, 9 ounces. REALLY BIG BABY, right Carol? As time passed we found out that Carol was expecting another addition to the family. Another name was needed. By now we figured we didn't need the book, since it did no good for the first 2. It was 1976, the Bi-Centennial year, and we decided we needed a patriotic name. I had a student in class by the came of Tad which I thought was neat and we managed to make that fit with Thadeus Stevens, a Lancaster signer of the Declaration of Independence. What if it's a girl? I'm not sure what we did about this. April 9th rolls around and Carol and I head to Lancaster General again for the birth of Paul (named after my father) Thadeus. A whopping 10 pounds!!! GIGANTIC BABY!!! OUCH!!!! Time to quit. It was an extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.