*They get home and the kids throw their bags on the floor and Ste and Brendan tie mini aprons around them to keep them clean. Brendan makes some icing sugar and the kids help to smear it all over the two cakes taking the odd little lick of the spoon when they think they're not being watched. Next Brendan brings down all the decoration stuff from the cupboard the kids dip their little hands into bags of sweets and enthusiastically shake edible glitter and silver balls all over the place.*
"These are gonna taste amazing" Leah says licking a bit of icing sugar off the side of her hand.
"Can we eat them now daddy?" Lucas asks
"We need to wait for the icing sugar to set so you kids take off your aprons and go and wash your hands and you can have some after tea."
The kids moan but do as they're told and watch TV whilst Ste makes the kids chicken dippers, chips and beans and steak and chips for him and Brendan.
Brendan pops the cakes into the fridge to help them set sooner and entertains the kids to keep them off of Ste's case.
Once the kids have eaten tea Brendan gets the cakes out of the fridge and cuts them into slices and serves them with ice cream.
"Yummy!" Leah says rubbing her full little tummy appreciatively
Lucas' little belly sticks out of his t-shirt and he lays sleepily on the sofa using Ste as a pillow. Moments later and he's fast asleep with chocolate ice cream around his mouth. Ste scoops him up and washes his face and makes him have a quick wee before bed while Leah gets herself dressed for bed. Ste and Brendan tuck them both in and they're asleep in seconds. They head into the living room and cuddle up whilst having a chat about the baking and other things.
*The next day with the kids at school Ste and Brendan buy a lot more things for the teddy bears picnic and continue trying out all these different types of cakes and biscuits. Brendan makes funny face biscuits and cookie monster cupcakes and Ste tackles sponge cakes of all flavours and toffee. After hours of messy baking and sampling their creations they decide that they're both ready for the picnic in two days time.*
*The day before the picnic and Brendan and Ste are working like mad to get as much done as they can before the kids get back from school. They make and decorate over 100 cakes and biscuits and it becomes hard to find room for everything. Brendan runs to the shops to get a lot more containers for the things but it doesn't solve the space issue. When the kids come back they help make another batch of cakes and once cooled they decorate them too. With the kids bathed for school the next day and all the cakes stored pretty much everywhere there's only a matter of Brendan and Ste getting washed but they're so tired from so much baking they decide it can wait until tomorrow.*
*Waking up early to get the kids ready for school, Ste leaves Brendan tucked up in bed. The picnic isn't until 12 and Ste can't bare to wake Brendan when he looks so peaceful. Once the kids are dropped off with their favourite teddies (the ones that daddy Brendan bought them on the first time they met) he climbs back into bed and snuggles into Brendan*
"Steven you're freezing!" He mumbles sleepily.
"Sorry. Hey we can have a lie in for once but gotta be at school by 12"
"Are we meant to have bears?"
"Well I was thinking about this yesterday and I'm gonna take the one you got me the first time the kids came over and well I bought you a little something" Ste says reaching under his bed and bringing out a cuddly wolverine teddy
"Aww he's so cool!" he says giving him a hug. He leans over and kisses Ste "Thanks baby"
They lay in bed for another half hour before getting up, having breakfast and getting showered and changed before they start the long task of getting all the containers in the back of Brendan's car.
They arrive at the school with 10 minutes to spare and they start unloading the car with the help of staff.
"My word you boys have been Busy bees! You must be Leah and Lucas's fathers?" The teacher says. She'd shake their hands but they're kind of all full right now.
"Yeah spent most of yesterday cooking and decorating" Ste says climbing the steps into school and placing another batch of cakes down.
After much to-ing and fro-ing the lads are taken to Lucas' classroom where they collect him and head over to Leah's class. The teachers take their children out one class at a time and Brendan and Ste hold the kids hands whilst children and parents alike chatter amongst themselves.
Once out in the massive field every member of staff and the year 6's help bring out the food and start leaving it in piles so everyone can get some. Leah and Lucas sit patiently waiting, playing with their teddies while some of the other children dash to the food without being given permission. The teachers send them back empty handed and start handing out paper plates and plastic cups to everyone. Leah and Lucas say please and thank you and wait while the other children shove to get their food first. When the rush has died down a bit Brendan, Ste and the kids go and get themselves some food leaving their teddies sitting on a patch of grass. The kids fill their plates with their cakes and sandwiches and other bits and their cups with fizzy. Brendan ends up carrying two paper plates and two cup (balancing his one in his teeth) while Leah carefully carries hers back to her sit. They all sit together in a little circle and the kids pretend to feed their teddies and Brendan laughs and pretends to feed his wolverine toy. Kids are running around and shouting and parents are paying no attention, just letting them run riot, helping themselves to way too many cakes and fizzy stuff then running around. In one case a child has eaten so many sweet things and run too much that he's sick in the distant and has to be taken to get mopped up by his parents.
Leah and Lucas finish eating and wait a while before asking if they can play with their friends.
"Of course, your tummies will be settled now so you can go and play. Be good"
"Do you want us to look after your teddies so they don't get lost or muddy?"
Leah and Lucas nod and pace their bears back on the grass. Once gone one of the teachers comes over and congratulates them both on raising such well behaved children.
"That's our kids" Brendan says proudly. "Always so well behaved"
"I don't know how you two do it but you're doing such a splendid job, and the cakes and stuff you made are truly delicious!"
After a while the kids are called back inside to get ready for home time whilst the parents wait outside.