SHAYTARDS AGES:

Gavin (Sontard): 15 years old

Avia (Princesstard): 13 years old

Emmi (Babytard): 11 years old

Brock (Rocktard): 8 years old

Daxton (Brotard): 5 years old

Brailee: 13 years old

Gage: 10 years old

Cooper: 11 years old

BRATAYLEY'S AGES:

Caleb: 16 years old

Annie: 14 years old

Hayley: 10 years old

Olivia: 14 years old

Sydney: 14 years old

KITTIESMAMA'S AGES:

NOAH: 18 years old

JONAH: 16 years old

EMMA: 15 years old

"Mom, I can't watch a movie, I have final exams to study for!" called 16-year-old Caleb from his bedroom. All of his family was gathered downstairs in front of the TV. "No, I'm not coming down!" This didn't make sense to Caleb. Weren't his studies to be more important than movies?

The door of his room suddenly opened, and there was Caleb's mom, Katie, holding her camera. "Caleb, we would like you to come down and be a part of the family, for once," said Katie in a stern tone. "You can do your homework later."

"It's better if I get it done now," Caleb protested. "I don't really want to watch a movie, Mom. I'm not in the mood for it." He turned his attention back to the Algebra problems that sat on his desk. Then he realized that Katie wasn't going away. "Mom, I'm not watching a movie!"

"You're a part of this family, Caleb, and you will come down and be with us," said Katie. "It's almost time for the holidays. It's a time for spending time with family and friends. And you're going to do just that." But Caleb still didn't move. "Caleb, I mean it. Get your butt off that chair and come down."

"Caleb, please!" begged Caleb's younger sister, Hayley, who stood in the door. "It's a really good movie!" Her puppy dog eyes merely amused Caleb. "Please!" She stuck out her bottom lip. "I'll be your best friend!" But Caleb already had a best friend. He didn't need Hayley to be it.

"You know what, Caleb?" asked Katie. "I'm done. Let's go, Hayley." She slammed the door, something Caleb never thought she'd do. He knew she was trying to use reverse psychology on him. Guess what? It wasn't going to work.

Five states away, another family was having a similar problem. "Sontard, we're making cookies!" called the voice of fifteen-year-old Gavin's mother from downstairs. "Come and join us!" Gavin put his headphones on and blocked her out.

"I can't right now, Mom!" exclaimed Gavin. "I have homework to do!" Christmas finals were in just a few days, and Gavin didn't want to fail. He didn't understand why his sisters, Avia and Emmi, weren't studying as well. Their loss, he supposed. It would be their fault if they failed.

Gavin suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. "Gavin, come and hang out with us," said Colette, Gavin's mother. "Your homework can wait. It's almost Christmastime. Come and be a part of the family." She took a look at his Biology homework. "You haven't got that much more to do."

"But I want to get it done now so I don't have any more to do," Gavin explained. "And then I want to do some studying for the finals. They're not that far off, only a few days. They're the most important thing that's happening this semester."

"Gavin, please come down and spend time with the family," Colette begged him. "Your cousins want to see you! They say that they've hardly seen you since we got here! You need to spend time with the family while you can! We don't see them all that often."

"Mom, I promise I'll spend time with you guys later!" Gavin exclaimed. "But, right now, I want to get all this stuff done. Please, just leave me alone. Tell Cooper and Gage that I'll watch Avengers: Age of Ultron with them after supper."

Colette sighed. "Your cousins want to watch How The Grinch Stole Christmas," she said. "It's a more appropriate movie for this time of year, don't you think?" She smiled. "You used to love that movie. I have a clip from Christmas 2013, of you and Brock cuddling together. Watching it."

"Mom, I said I'd watch Age of Ultron with them!" Gavin snapped. "They haven't seen that movie yet! It's really, really good! And plus, The Grinch isn't all that interesting a movie. It's just the same as the animated version, only in live action."

"Gavin!" Colette scolded. "Just stay up here and do your homework." She sighed. "I'll tell your cousins what you said." Disappointed, she shut the door on her oldest son. It wasn't the outcome she had wanted, or expected.

Over in New Jersey, a third family was having much the same kind of problem. "Mom, I have final exams to study for, homework to do, an end-of-school party to organize... I'm busy!" exclaimed 18-year-old Noah when his mother asked him to come down and participate in family time.

"The final exams aren't for a few days," said Jessie, his mother. "You'll be fine. The homework can wait until later. And the party isn't the most important thing in the universe. You have to come down and spend time with the family, that's an order."

"Aye, aye, Captain." Noah rolled his eyes, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Mom, just let me finish this one thing, and then I'll come and hang with you guys. What are we doing?" He had a feeling it would be related to the upcoming holiday.

"We're going tobagganing!" exclaimed Jessie. "And then we're going to Step-Great-Grandma's! She's so excited to see you guys!" They usually went to their Step-Great-Grandmother's house just before Christmas or on Christmas Eve.

"The tobagganing I'll do," Noah said, "But I'm not going to Step-Great-Grandma's." It was the same, boring thing every year. It would be nothing new to Noah. He really didn't want to go, whatever anyone said to him, no matter what bribe.

"But why not?" asked Jessie. "Step-Great-Grandma looks so forward to seeing us every year! She'll be so upset if you miss going this year." Great-Grandma's step-great-grandchildren were one of the prides in her life.

"Mom, I'm not going," said Noah. "I'm either going tobagganing and not going to Step-Great-Grandma's or I'm not doing anything at all. I could be doing something worthwhile, like studying, homework, or helping Elli with planning the party."

"Fine," sighed Jessie. "But you'd better hold true to your promise, or I'm coming up here when it's time to go and dragging you down." She sent him a death glare that meant she was serious. "We'll see you down in an hour."

"All right," Noah said, and turned his attention back to his homework, not giving any thought to how upset his behavior might be making his family - which it was. Noah had changed over the past few years. Just a few years ago, he had been a Christmas-zilla, now he was the equivalent of the Grinch.

Each mother, at that exact moment, was thinking the same thing: What has happened to my son? Will he ever get back to the way he used to be? Is there a way to make that happen? It was stressing each of the mothers out. Unbeknownst to them, there was a solution in the very near future.