February. Isaac is 2. Wind is almost 5

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The living room was alive with the crackling fire place and summersaulting boys. They were launching themselves onto the couch and rolling off again. Their laughted filled the house, now blanketed under fresh February snowfall. Dinner had been cleared away and Clint was doing the dishes. Natasha was working at the table and had a partial view of the chaos. Over the back of the couch would frequently appear bare feet, flailing arms, reddish and sandy brown hair. All the while the two little boys were laughing and squealing happily.

Clint smiled to himself as he listened to his sons playing together. As he was wiping off the counters, something moved in his peripheral and drew his attention to the side door. He looked over and caught sight of a fox making its way around the house. He went over to the windows facing the front porch to see if he could spot it again. This got the attention of the rest of his family. Wind rushed over to see whatever his dad could see. Isaac followed.

"I saw a fox" Clint told the boys.

Wind climbed up on the arm chair to get a good view. Natasha came over too. Isaac was trying to climb up with Wind and she lifted him the rest of the way.

"There is it!" Clint pointed and leaned down to his sons' level to show them where. Just within the glow of the porch light the little fox padded across the snow. His nose brushed across the surface and his ears tilted downward. Clint looked over and grinned at his sons who were breathing heavily on the glass, enthralled at the sight. The fox began sprinting here and there and suddenly bounding onto the snow. Smelling, listening, leaping.

Wind laughed. "Zack, look!"

His little brother was looking intently.

"Dancing." Isaac said, eyes still following the fox. Natasha smiled. "That's right." she said. "He's dancing."

The whole family remained at the window, watching the small fox, until it ran off into the snowy night.

Immediately, Wind jumped off the chair. Isaac followed suit. Wind took off toward the couch and leapt into the cushions. His brother, right behind him, climbed up on the couch and jumped into Wind. They both rolled off the couch laughing and it started all over again.

"This is going to end in tears." Natasha said as she went to add more wood to the fire.

"Oh, 100%" Clint agreed and went back to the kitchen.

Their game did end in tears but the tears ended with hugs, and the hugs ended with a book, and the book ended with two sleeping boys.

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I love writing two people with lost childhoods experiencing wonder through the eyes of their own innocent children. As always I hope you enjoy these little moments. This was yet another nature experience that I've had myself.