Born Blue

A New Addition?

Saturday April 29th 2023

•Alaina just turned 3
•Ryan is 9 months

Jamie and Eddie were relaxing on the couch watching tv, drinking their coffee. The kids were playing on the floor together.

"Jamie look how cute these puppies are!" Eddie showed him a picture on her phone, the breeder was advertising them for sale on Facebook.

"Yeah they're cute." He said and then turned his attention back to the tv.

"I want one." She said looking through the pictures.

"C'mon look at this one! Look how fluffy!" She said showing Jamie.

"I know I see." He said and then back to his coffee.

"No Jamie, I want one..." she said and he looked at her with a laugh.

"Eddie we aren't getting a dog." Jamie said.

"Why not?" She asked.

"They are way too much work" Jamie told her.

"Well so are kids and we have 2 of them." Eddie said, Jamie cocked his head at her.

"Dogs are easier then kids" Eddie said.

"No they aren't, trust me. They chew stuff, they need to be house trained, they bite, they bark." Jamie said.

"Babies do the same thing." Eddie said shaking it off.

"Babies bark?" Jamie asked sarcastically.

"Cry! You know what I meant." Eddie said.

"No." Jamie said.

"How comes you get to make the decision?" Eddie questioned.

"Well how comes you would? We don't agree on it." Jamie said and got up to get more coffee.

"Daddy some?" Alaina followed him holding up a play cup.

"Ha no sweetie this is daddy's drink. You drink your drink." He said and pointed to the cup she had in hand.

"Does mommy need more?" He asked and looked at Eddie from the kitchen. She ignored him but Alaina walked over to her.

"More?" She asked.

"I'll get it honey but thank you." She told Alaina and went to the kitchen. Jamie of course studying her facial expressions. She was mad at him.

"Eddie I just don't think a puppy is a good idea...the kids are still little...it's going to be too much." Jamie told her as nicely as he could.

"Huh okay." She accepted his decision and dropped it.

"That's it? You're not mad?" He asked watching her go back to the couch.

"No." She replied. Ryan pulled himself up to the couch wanting to sit with her so, she picked him up and let him snuggle under the blanket with her. Jamie went back and sat down beside them.

"Daddy pay." Alaina said grabbing Jamie's hand and trying to pull him onto the floor.

"What do you wanna play?" He asked and got down on the floor with her. She handed him an "I Spy" book and helped herself into his lap.
——
Later that day they decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather outside and take a little family walk to the park, eat a little lunch, let the the kids play, and then they'd head home to take naps.

They got to the pavilion area and Eddie started to unpack the lunches. Alaina wanted to go play though.

"First we're going to eat and then we get to play okay?" Eddie told her.

"No!" She snarled crossing her arms and making her angry face.

"Hey. We're not doing that here." Jamie added when Eddie just raised her eyebrows and kept at getting everyone's food ready.

"Here mommy got your lunch out, why don't you sit down next to me and we'll eat so we can go play." Eddie said.

"No." She sassed. Eddie sat down anyway and Jamie did the same beside Ryan in the stroller.

"Okay that's fine. Then you can stand there and watch us eat and then go play. But you aren't allowed to play until you eat your lunch. Your choice." Eddie told her and took a bite out of her sandwich. Alaina still with her angry face, and arms crossed grunted and sat on the ground forcefully. They ignored her and ate.

After a couple minutes she still sat on the ground, but Jamie, Eddie and Ryan finished.

"Good job bud, you ate all your food now we can go play." Eddie said getting up with him. Alaina got up to follow them.

"Ah ah. You need to eat first remember?" Jamie said catching her. She looked at him and then started to run off toward the playground. Jamie was quick enough though that we got her by the arm. It scared her she started crying. Eddie turned around to see what was happening.

"You do not run off!" He scolded her, it scared him too, even though Eddie was close by kids have a mind of there own and you never know the strangers you're around. They didn't let there kids wander off like that. Accidents happen, kidnappings happen and they are the ones that have to see it everyday.

He picked her up and sat her beside him at the picnic table, she still cried.

"What happened?" Eddie asked coming back.

"She started to run off." Jamie said shaking his head, Eddie shook her head in disbelief.

"Alaina all you have to do is eat your lunch and then you can come play. Your wasting your play time, we have to leave in 15 minutes to take naps so you better hurry up." Eddie told her firmly. Alaina looked at her food and started to eat it. Jamie and Eddie both exchanging surprised looks with each other.

When she was done Jamie took her hand and went to the playground so she could play. He looked around to find Eddie and Ryan and then finally saw they were off in the grass petting a dog. Ryan was surprisingly not scared of it. Maybe a dog wouldn't be such a bad idea after all Jamie thought.