Picked on
Luke: Every once in awhile, one of the families would watch all the kids so the other band mates could take their wives out for a nice night. This time around it was Luke's turn to watch them all. It wasn't so bad, considering that the kids were beginning to come up in ages. Jake was almost ten, the twins were seven, Kayla was six, and Nebraska was four. That meant everyone was potty trained, could speak at least somewhat clearly, and thank god, no one was breast feeding.
You had spent the day cleaning house and cutting up fruits and veggies to have out as snacks. Luke had ordered pizza for dinner, seeing as that was a simple meal to feed a bunch of kids, but you decided there needed to be something healthy for the kids to snack on if they wanted.
Things got really hectic really fast as soon as five children were running around. Luke and yourself had put out games and put on a movie, but the kids were content to chase each other in and out of the house, circling the backyard and just using their imagination.
You excused yourself upstairs at one point while the children played and you and Luke ate some of the leftover pizza. Luke nodded and pulled out his phone, but it was just a couple seconds later that Kayla launched herself into the kitchen, wailing dramatically.
"Kayla!" Luke gasped as soon as he swallowed his food, reaching for his daughter. "What's the matter?"
"Jake said I was stupid and couldn't play with him!" she cried. "He pushed me out of my play house!" Kayla sobbed, burying her face in her father's chest. Luke frowned and began to pat her back, shushing her and trying to calm her down. It took a few minutes, but then Kayla's crying had stopped and she was sadly eating grapes off her dad's plate.
"Let's go talk to Jake then, yeah?" Luke murmured. "We'll get this worked out." Kayla held tight to Luke's neck as they headed to the backyard and called Jake over. The boy trotted over to his uncle with an innocent grin.
"Yes, Uncle Luke?" he asked sweetly.
"Did you tell Kayla she was stupid?" he asked point blank. The entire family had learned early on that Jake was a blunt child and responded well to being asked things straight out, not trying to beat around the bush.
"Yes." And in response, the family usually received straight and blunt answers. "She wanted to play house in the playhouse but it was already a fort for me and my knights to practice sword fighting! So it couldn't be a house," he said calmly.
"Well you know we don't call people names, Jake. And we need to share, don't we?" Luke asked, giving his nephew a look. Jake sighed and slumped his shoulders.
"Yeah, I guess," he mumbled, swinging his shoulders from side to side as he looked at his shoes.
"Then what do you need to say to Kayla?" he prompted gently.
"I'm sorry Kayla. Do you want to come play knights with me?" Jake asked, and Kayla grinned, jumping up.
"YEAH!"
Ashton: "You're old," Nebraska grinned up at her oldest cousin. Jake had just turned ten a few weeks ago, and his five year old cousin found it quite hysterical.
"I'm not old, Nebraska. I'm just older than you. Our dads are old. We're not," Jake insisted as he sat down with his Transformer toy.
"You're too old for dolls," Nebraska said innocently.
"They're not dolls," Jake muttered. "They're Transformers and no I'm not!"
"Yes you are!" Nebraska laughed. "And Transformers are stupid anyway," she said before toddling away. Jake frowned and looked at the toys in his hands before pouting and putting them down, walking away from the toys.
Ashton came through the living room later and sighed. "Jake! Come clean up your toys!" he called. Jake came stomping into the room and gathered up all his Transformers in his arms before heading to the kitchen and throwing them in the bin. "Jake? What was that all about?" Ashton frowned.
"I'm too old for toys," he mumbled before turning to leave. Ashton looked on in confusion and then followed him out of the room.
"What's that supposed to mean? You love your Transformers!" Ashton was completely confused. "You're not too old for them."
"Even Nebraska knows that I'm too old for them and she's still a baby!" he insisted, stomping his foot. Ashton looked at his son curiously.
"So this is about Nebraska? You don't want to give up your toys?" Ashton asked, crouching down in front of him.
"I have to. Because I'm the oldest and I'm too old for playing with Transformers," Jake frowned, rubbing his eyes with his fists.
"Oh buddy. Just because you're the oldest doesn't mean you have to grow up so fast. You've got time to play Transformers if you want. You don't have to give anything up before you're ready to, okay?"
Jake looked at Ashton almost hopefully. "You sure?" Jake asked.
"Buddy, I know for sure. I've been there, remember? Now just relax, and let's get your Transformers from the trashcan." Ashton calmly helped him pull the toys out - luckily the trash had just been taken out so there was nothing in them and his Transformers were still clean. Ashton sent Jake to his room with his toys and then headed off to find Nebraska, and he found her sitting on the couch watching a TV program.
"Honey, can we talk?" Ashton asked as he sat down and muted the TV. "Did you tell Jake he was too old for his toys?"
"He's ten years old, Uncle Ashton. He's like, way old!" Nebraska pouted. Ashton sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Nebraska, that's not nice. We don't say things like that to people," he replied. "What if I told you that you can't cuddle with your daddy anymore because you're too old?"
"But I'm not too old, Uncle Ash," Nebraska replied.
"But neither is Jake, Nebraska. He can keep playing with his Transformers if he wants, and it's really not nice for you to tell him that he can't." Ashton explained to her. "You need to apologize to him, Nebraska." Nebraska pouted but nodded, sliding off the couch and trotting off to find her cousin. When Ashton glanced into the playroom later on, Ashton saw Jake playing patiently with Nebraska, her with a Barbie and him with a Transformer. Ashton smiled and quietly slipped out of the room, glad things had smoothed over.
