December 25 // Reese's birthday
Christmas Eve was a blast, and the kids enjoyed themselves more than usual this year while we stayed in all day telling them stories, baking and just enjoying ourselves as a family. We baked three or four batches of cookies and some muffins and more and then Reese cooked us one of the best meals we've had in a while. Not that the other meals she's cooked for us weren't amazing, but she's been wary about cooking since her surgery, but last night she just completely let loose. "Mama, mama!" Everybody yells making me smile. I knew they'd be awake but they have a rule that they can't wake her up before seven.
"Morning babies," she smiles while I sit. She moves laying her head in my chest sitting herself up. Everyone sits themselves in our bed, the little ones crawling under the blankets and cuddling us. "Merry Christmas!" She smiles at the kids.
"Happy birthday mama," our baby boys squeeze her with all they can making her smile.
"Never grow up," she mumbles laying back against my chest. I kiss her forehead smoothing her hair out, she knows they'll grow up and leave her one day, she just doesn't want to admit it.
"And merry Christmas!" They giggle not having picked up what she said. It was intentional of corse but sill she looks a little upset they didn't promise her a lifelong childhood.
"Thank you guys," she squeezes them before looking at me. "Now?" She trails on still staring at me making them gasp.
"Merry Christmas daddy!" They jump into my arms using their tiny little legs to jump up and down as fast as hey can. "Can we go open our presents? We checked already daddy Santa came!" They nod really fast. We made a deal with all of them last year with old toys that they've already set aside today we're going to visit homeless shelter all over for those who have children and everyone else gets a meal, that we donate to the shelter. It's a new thing and this is the first year we'll do it but Reese really wants to and I want to make her happy.
"Well I guess we should probably," before I can even finish the boys are gone running downstairs, helping Davi do they're moving a little slower but they're on their way and quicker than the rest of us. "Alright you know the drill," they all sit waiting for all of the gifts to be distributed. We pass them all their gifts and they wait until everyone has what they need before they open any of them. Reese sits in the kitchen, she makes us each some coffee and once it's done she's back on my lap. The kids waited for her to open their presents.
"Look mama!" They squeal. "Look at this baby," Mercy smiles at her son. His name comes from her favourite old book series and i think it's super cute, she's such a nerd, just like her mama.
"Mama daddy," they rolls their eyes giving us our few gifts. We never want much, and we never get much more than what we want but we always get each other gifts. "Look at what I got you daddy!" Athena gasps grabbing the poorly wrapped box on the ground. "I wrapped it myself," she smiles. "And look," she points to the corner. "I even signed it for you." She smiles wider than what I've ever seen. She's been growing a lot lately which is exciting both her and Reese a lot, she's almost taller than Davi but doctors are saying she might have little growth spurts but she'll never be super tall.
"Princess this is super cute," I lift her onto the couch next to me gently tearing at the wrapping, I want to keep it, in memory of my baby girls first time wrapping presents and her cute little signature in the corner makes it so much nicer. She even wrote daddy in big letters on the front just for me. "Athena!" I gasp looking at what's inside the box. She jumps up and down with the biggest smile on her face, Reese smiles wider and my heart just melts. "Baby girl," I give her a tight hug and she hugs me back.
"Do you like it daddy?" Her voice is shaky and full of worry. I smile kissing her cheek.
"I love it princess," I give her a kiss and then squeeze her yet again. "You know it didn't have to get me anything," I smile at her nod. "Well thank you darling," I whisper while she hugs me.
"Your welcome daddy," she is really the cutest little being anyone's ever seen. She cares so much about others it's amazing and she loves seeing other people happy. She's do anything to put a smile on anyone's face and there aren't many people like that left in the world.
"Go open the rest of your presents sweetie pie." I point and she nods walking off, Reese sips her coffee.
"We spent the whole day in the mall looking for those you know." She points. "And nothing else was good enough, she listened to fifteen different records just to find those four, for her daddy." She sets her coffee down while Athena hands out the presents she's got people. She is the most amazing big sister, she doesn't know much and she doesn't understand how she's the older sister if she's smaller but she still loves her brothers a lot and she's very close with them and she's very good at telling them to stop because something might hurt them. "I'm gonna make breakfast,"
"Let me know if you need help," our lips softly connect. She'll never tell me she needs help but I like her to know that I will help her if she asks, or if she needs it. She always helps me regardless of the task she'd do anything I asked of her and I want her to know I'd do the same.
