Suburban Shenanigans

Part 3 of 6

Chapter 3: 6-month pregnant Astrid

"Hiccup?! You ready?" Astrid asked as she placed a water bottle and a pack of Zephyr's favorite chips in her toddler-sized backpack. It was blue and had glittery fairy wings attached to it. It also had a leash so that Astrid wouldn't lose sight of her daughter in the busy crowd. She grabbed her big handbag just as her hubby came down the stairs dressed in jeans and a T-shirt.

"What happened to your brown shoes?" Astrid asked as she noticed Hiccup wearing the dark grey ones.

"Bedazzled," Hiccup sighed while looking at his daughter who only had an innocent look on her face. It was going to take him ages to get the stickers and glittery stuff off. Instead he asked "We got everything? Stroller, diapers, bear?"

Astrid patted her handbag and gestured to the folded-up stroller near the door that sat at the ready. "Zephyr insisted on walking today so I have this as well," She then added, showing Hiccup the blue leash attached to the fairy backpack.

"I'm a BIG gurl!" The two-year-old babbled as she made a motion for her daddy to pick her up.

"Yes you are Zephyr, now what about your bear? You want to take it with you?" Hiccup asked as he indeed picked his daughter up and put her against his hip.

"NO!" she replied instead and crossed her chubby little arms.

"And why not?" Hiccup raised a brow since he knew she literally dragged that bear with her everywhere for a month.

"He was mean and tried to eat Boo!" She explained. Boo, being her T-Rex. "A bear eating a dinosaur, kids come up with the darndest things I say." Hiccup laughed.

"So we ready to go?" He asked and just as Astrid was about to say yes she clutched her stomach.

"Aaah," She muttered. "Gotta pee. Be right back."

Astrid rushed to the bathroom and for a 6-month pregnant woman she was quite fast. When she came back she saw that Hiccup and Zephyr were right where she left them. No 'incidents' had occurred. Hiccup grabbed the folded-up stroller as they made their way out of the house and down the block.

Since their house was situated in a cul de sac they had to walk a block before they came to the cordoned-off area of the street where the party was being held. There were makeshift food stands lining one side of the road, lawn chairs placed near them, and on the other side was the entertainment for both adults and kids. Hiccup put Zephyr down as she looked around with wide eyes. There was a bouncy house, a big blow-up slide, a carousel and even someone painting faces. Hiccup looked a bit further back in the crows and he thought he could make out a ball pit and a dunk tank.

"Mommy! Daddy! Let's gooooo!!" Zephyr was like a ball of energy as she grabbed her parents' hands and tugged them.

"Why don't we go find a place to sit first and then we'll go exploring," Hiccup suggested.

"Yeah sure hon," Astrid said and Hiccup looked to her to see her distracted by a certain pie stand they had just walked past.

They soon found a place a bit near to the dunk tank. There were a set of picnic tables placed there and one wasn't fully occupied.

"Mommy! Mommy! PONY!" Zephyr pointed to the pony rides kids could take.

"Let mommy just take a breather honey," Astrid said. She hadn't thought that walking so little would already tire her out so she sat down at the table while Hiccup placed the folded-up stroller to lean against it.

"I can get you something to eat and drink and then I can take her on some rides," Hiccup suggested as he looked around. "Anything in particular you want?"