Otani looked a little green around the gills. He was looking at his first born as if she had just grown horns and was condemning to hell, when all she had done was ask where babies come from. I was, of course, no help because I didn't feel like I had to answer Mimi's question. I had taught my first born how to use the potty therefore Otani got this one. The only way I helped my husband was by looking at him and blinking.

Mimi was the light of my life but she was also hell to be around most of the time, like her name sake. Mimi was named after one of Otani's childhood friends and it seemed that along with acquiring a name she also acquired said person's attitude. Therefore, she was unbelievably cute and utterly terrifying all at once.

We had been sitting in the kitchen helping Mimi out with her homework when this had come out of the blue. The silence in the room was deafening. I moved around a little in my chair placed right next to Mimi and Otani started looking around the room looking for an escape route that wouldn't get him killed. I didn't bother to tell him that given he was just on the other side of Mimi he wasn't going anywhere. He was just too close to me.

Otani gave me a panic filled look, "Aren't you going to say something?"

I came out of my state Mimi had put me in with her question, and grinned evilly from my place at the kitchen table. "Good luck?"

He gave me an ugly face, "What kind of help is that?"

He was going to kill me.

"The good kind?"

If looks could kill I would have been dead. "She's too young to know about such things!"

I think the one who wasn't ready to speak of such things was my husband but I had some instincts when it came to self preservation so I kept my mouth shut… but the thought was there.

The thought was always there.

The seven year old was feeling ignored and she didn't like it. She pouted, "Why isn't anyone going to answer my question?"

Otani gave another horror filled face, "Uhhh…."

I was being in a generous mood, "You're daddy has to think about it first."

"Risa, the child-"

"is smarter then you are." I finished for him.



My husband gave me another look; it was something that I was familiar with, "You could take my side you know."

"And what side would that be?"

I loved playing dumb. I really loved playing this game. We decided that when we had kids we weren't going to argue in front of them to set an example. It never worked and we always ended up arguing, but we tried. Sometimes I just didn't feel like trying though. Mimi and Mai, our three year old, found it funny when mommy and daddy fought, which was a good thing because we Otani and I fought a lot.

We couldn't help it. It was our nature. At least we were funny when we argued.

"Risa!"

"I don't see why we just shouldn't tell her. She's old enough. I knew where babies came from when I was five."

"Can you please spare me and not tell THAT story again."

"Mommy!!"

Ahh, Mai was up… and she was in a good mood.

I got up from my chair with minor difficulty, "You just had to give me two bratty kids didn't you Otani."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to say! And I didn't give you bratty children. They take after you."

Mimi looked outraged, "I'm not a brat."

We both looked at her. "We still love you," I reassured her.

She just gave me a look.

"Our 3 year old needs my attention. I'm sure you can handle this just find without my help."

"Risa!"

My god, men were helpless when it came to taking care of their daughters.

I turned to him with an ugly face. Mimi tried to sneek out of the room. She knew it was about to get ugly.

"Do you want to handle Mai?"



Mai wasn't much better from our seven year old. Mai wanted to know about everything. She just never stopped questions. She wanted to know about why the grass was green and the sky was blue. She wanted to know about dogs. She wanted to know how the tv worked. She wanted to know about everything, and daddy avoided her because he didn't know everything.

Otani looked hopeful, "You could always talk with Mimi after you handle Mai."

My back hurt, I was tired, I had heart burn, and my feet were killing me. It was barely noon and already I wanted the day to end. I found out really fast that weekends did not mean that you had the day off when you had kids.

"Mommy!"

I glared at my husband. "You want me to talk to Mimi after I take care of Mai," I said for clarification.

"Could you? I have so much work."

I gave him another face that would have scared roaches, "Would you like me to do this before or after I hit you with the frying pan."

I got another call from upstairs from the daughter who had locked herself in her bedroom and couldn't get herself out. Mai hadn't said anything, but I knew the cry. The door stuck and she couldn't get out of her room. The door didn't always stick but Mai liked closing the door… and opening it, and closing it, and opening it again.

Sometimes she couldn't get the door open again, and then mommy had to help her.

Over the last six months I had often wondered why I had let Otani knock me up again. I was on our third kid and we could barely contain two. But then I would be laying on the bed and the baby would move and I would smile and think about when I would get to hold him/her for the first time and I would realize that I had a stupid smile on my face. Then I would look over at Otani who was sleeping and I would blush, because I still blushed when I thought about the sex.

It was all worth it. Our house was like a zoo, but it was worth it.

I finally hit the top of the stairs and let Mai out of her room. She wouldn't look at me because she was embarrassed she knew I would be giving her a look. She tried to sneak away but I caught her by the arm, "Are we going to stop playing with the door now."

My daughter who was just as stubborn as my husband gave me a defiant look, "No."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. They're just some times that you had to pick your battles. If Mai wanted to play with the door she could play with the door.



I started down the stairs again and waddled toward Mimi's room were Otani seemed to be telling my daughter about the birds and the bees. I walked out of the room. Call me a chicken but I didn't want to be the one to be on that conversation and any more the Otani did.

Thirty minutes later two people came out of the room and both of them looked a little green around the gills.

My daughter shot me an accusing look, "That's just gross."

I couldn't help it. I blushed.

Because it was far from gross.

My husband told her to go into the kitchen and he would make lunch. She went without saying a word.

Otani moved me over to the couch and we both sat down.

"You should be proud of me."

I should have, but I was a little disappointed that I hadn't been able to hit him with the frying pan. "Well done dear."