Our Life Together

Is This Really a Birthday

"Can you please stop splashing me?" I beg the boys "I just wanna lay out here for a little."

It seems like since they know I want to relax they're even worse than normal. I finally get a few minutes alone on my birthday and they won't stop splashing and annoying me.

"Seriously, Gabriel!?!" I sit up pissed off "If this toy hits me one more time I'm taking every one of your toys away for the rest of the day! All I asked is for a few minutes to myself."

Just then, adding into all the frustration, Jackson pushes Olivia over in the grass because she took his toy.  She starts to scream immediately which makes me even more crazy.

"Why did I ever have kids?" I ask myself.  I could have had a nice day with Brad today but instead I'm stuck taking care of the animals that we just had to have.

"Come here, honey." I walk over towards her.  She reaches out her arms right away for me to hold her.

I carry her back over to where I was sitting and hand her a new toy to play with. She calms down a minute later, watching Brad cook dinner and talking to her toy.

"Hey, mom!" Liam calls out just before splashing both Liv and I.

"Okay that's it!" I pick up Olivia, who is screaming again, and walk over to the edge of the pool "I'm really sick of the three of you and your shit!  All I asked for my birthday was to have some time to myself and you boys can't even give me that!"

"Boys!" Brad yells from where he's cooking "Get out of there!  Now!"

They all get out and sit around the table on the chairs.  It's quiet for a while, and Liv even goes over to join them, giving me my much needed break.

"Stop touching me!" Gabe yells a few minutes later.  I look over to see Liam repeatedly poking him in the back.

"Liam! Stop doing that!  He doesn't like it." Brad says "Let your mother have a break for once."

Brad gets up a few minutes later to go wash his hands.  Olivia starts to cry because he was the one feeding her and now she has to wait a minute. She starts to calm down when I hand her a little of my food, but the second Brad walks out she freaks out again because he doesn't get to her fast enough.

"My hands are still wet." He says dropping her spoon.  Instead of getting a paper towel to dry them like a normal person, he decides to cause trouble.

He flicks the water off his hands at each of the boys.  They think it's hilarious and decide to do the same. Liam flicks water at Jack, Jack flicks it at Brad, and Brad flicks it at Gabe.

"Seriously, Brad?" I mutter under my breath, knowing something bad is going to happen.

"I need more water!" Liam says reaching over to get Olivia's cup.  As he's reaching for it, Brad gets some of his water and flicks him right in the face with it. This surprises him, causing him to bump over a full cup of water which drips right onto me.

"Jesus Christ, Brad!" I get up trying to dry off "You just had to get them started, didn't you?!?"

"Jen, just calm down." He glares at the boys to stop "We were just having fun."

"No!  I asked for one thing for my birthday!  You guys can't even give me that!" I yell at all of them "I wanted one day to myself!  One freaking day and it's not even halfway through before I have to yell like a freaking lunatic to get you guys to act like decent humans! I'm sick of this!"

I pick up Olivia, who is completely drenched and reasonably upset, and walk inside.  Brad calls for me to go back out and talk, but I don't want to see any of them until they can act reasonable. All I asked was for one day of peace.

"It's time for you to take a nap." I lay Olivia down in her crib with a bottle "You won't be so cranky after you wake up."

I go to our room and get ready to take a nap myself. I need a break from everything. For once I need to be able to rely on Brad to take care of the kids.

"Jen!" Brad yells "I know you're in here. I just wanna talk to you."

I get out of bed and unlock the door to let him in.

"What?"

"Let's go out." He suggests "You need to get away from them, and probably me too, but you can start by getting a little break from them."

"Nobody wants to watch them, Brad." I start before getting cut off.

"I'll figure that part out." He walks me towards our closet "You figure out what you're wearing.  No sweat pants or t-shirts. Find something that makes you look like you weren't just bitching at your kids."

I walk into the closet and throw around almost everything I have. All my clothes seem to be gross "mom" clothes. Most of them are either stained or torn.

"What about this one?" Brad holds up a dress "It doesn't look like you've ever worn it."

"Okay, yeah I like that one." I put it on and look in the mirror. I might not think I look perfect, but at least I can try to convince myself I do.  Especially when Brad is standing next to me telling me that I do.

"You look beautiful." He leans in to kiss me "Almost as beautiful as when we first met."

"Almost?"

"Well, I mean, I can't lie.  You got really old." He jokes "You really do look great though. We should do this more."

"You look good too." I look back at him as I walk out "Almost as handsome as you were on our first date."