97chrissy: "Could you maybe write a cute prompt (?) (Hopefully this is the right word😂 sry if not) where we see the averys morning or night or day routine with their kids?😊"
Do you know the little boy that pops into my head sometimes named Julian? He's the sweetest little boy in the entire world and his parents are perfect parents in the perfect marriage and at one point I thought about expanding his universe into a multi-chapter but it is so nice to have a universe to go into that is pretty much just pure fluff so I will not be doing that. Anyway….I hope you don't mind that it's just 1 child (well 1.5 actually). And I hope you like him. This idea got me so excited!:) It's kinda long b/c there's a place I could've ended it but didn't want to!
100 Encore Day 2: "Kelsey (One Home)"
"Rise and shine, J….it's a beautiful day to fill your brain with knowledge." April's son groaned when she opened his curtains to let what little light there was outside into his room. He rolled over and planted his face into his pillow.
"Mommy, daddy doesn't say that to me."
"What's he say?" she asked, going to his closet to pick out outfits outfit for him.
"He says, 'Sorry buddy I know it sucks but mommy will be so mad at me if you're late for school."
"Oh is that what he does to get you out of bed? Act like you're doing him a huge favor saving him from me, huh?" Julian nodded, sly grin on his face, and April tickled him, making him burst with laughter. "Well he's right. We can't be late. I have to go to work right after I drop you off at preschool. Come on, Jul. Kiss your sister good morning and pick out which outfit you want to wear. I picked two choices you pick the winner."
He sat up, letting his legs dangle over the side of the bed as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. "Mommy, daddy don't make me kiss his belly." Julian cracked himself up.
"No, but he makes you kiss mine whenever I ask….will you please kiss your sister good morning?" April glared at her son and he sighed in defeat. They both knew she was right.
"I am not gonna talk to her mom, she just hears you an' daddy!" He kissed her pregnant belly but then crossed his arms in defiance.
"I still think you're wrong about that but come on pick out your outfit. Spiderman or train shirt, bud."
"If dad was here he would jus' say pick out your clothes, J. He even jus' lets me pick my underwears mom. 'Acause you don't pick that for him."
"Julian, what is with you today? Dad is at work right now and picking you up from school this afternoon. Sometimes I wake you up, sometimes daddy does, sometimes we both do. Why are you all the sudden obsessed with what daddy does in the morning?"
He just shrugged and took his Spiderman outfit from her. April kissed the top of his head. "I will leave you alone to get dressed yourself just like daddy does. But then I want you to get your butt right to the kitchen for breakfast, you hear me? No getting distracted by your racetrack or spaceships or anything else. Mama can't be late."
Julian nodded and April shut the door to give him privacy. His sadness alarmed her though. He and Jackson were close, sure, but it was just a normal day as far as she knew, and Julian was very used to his parents' changing schedules. They'd made sure of it. It was difficult for the whole family at times, but they had gotten pretty good at making it work. She had no idea why he was wishing for Jackson so hard this morning.
"I made you the same smoothie I left for daddy in the fridge this morning, And an egg in a nest, it's his favorite. And I gave you two pieces of turkey bacon, this time."
"Ok," Julian said, sitting down in front of his plate fifteen minutes later. "Thanks mom. But dad will just make cereal or sometimes he toasties waffles."
"He toasties waffles, huh?" April said, cutting up an apple and putting it on Julian's plate.
"Yeah. And I not oposed to tell you that we don't eat a whole fruit ourself, we shares it."
"Oh well that, your sister and I have no problem doing this morning," she answered, stealing an apple slice off his plate. "What else do you and daddy do in the morning, Jul?" He was obviously missing Jackson pretty badly if he was giving up their secrets, she wanted to try and help.
"He reads da paper an' tells me the scores and 'portant news."
"The important news?"
"Yeah, someone always is mad at Obama, mom! It crazy!" Julian rolled his eyes and April giggled, loving that her husband was teaching him about current events so young. "You know da basketball winner, Mama?" he asked hopefully, and for the first time in her life April wished she did.
"No honey, I don't, sorry. But I can look it up on my phone for you."
"No it's OK. Daddy tells the asiting plays."
"Well I know for a fact daddy missed the game last night, if that makes you feel better."
"Doin' what?"
"Oh errr….playing games with mommy instead…"
"What games, kissin' you big huge belly?" Julian laughed.
"Yeah, so what if he did. It's not my fault your sister still has time to cook but mama already looks like a whale."
That made Julian laugh even harder. "A beau-a-ful whale mama."
April shrugged considering. "I'll take it, thanks," and leaned over to give him her cheek for a kiss.
"Always have to know the weather."
"I can tell you the weather today, J. It's gonna be kinda yucky and rainy."
"Oh so we will have more center time, no playground."
"Aww, he has to tell you the weather so you can plan your day. I get it, Jul. Why don't you and dad just tell me this stuff so we can always do it?"
Julian shrugged and April started packing his lunch. "Don't know…jus' fer us. Hey mama?"
"Julian Harper don't you tell me daddy packs your lunch any differently than I do," April turned again, eyes wide. "I taught him how to do it. Sandwich, drink, fruit, vegetable, crunchies for protein and a snack. He knows! He pinky promised and sealed it with a kiss. We both want you to eat healthy so you grow up big and strong. He wouldn't give you junk, I know it!"
"He doesn't!" Julian rushed to his dad's defense. "One day he jus' puts two snacks astead of crunchy! Don't be mad mama! He says out loud when he put it in "San-witch, drink, a fruit, a vege-ble, a crunchy, a snack! And he serious when he asks me the rule, mom!"
"OK, Julian. I'm not mad but tell mama the rule."
"If I don't eat eve-thing afore the snack, no dessert later."
"Good boy. Good job eating breakfast too. Time for vitamins and brushing your teeth."
"Ok! Mama? When he forgotted my lunch an' goed to McDonald's he gotted me the healthy toxy meal. An' he maded me jus' share fries."
"I know sweetie. He told me. I'm not mad, I promise, OK? I love your daddy so much." He nodded, finally smiling, and ran to finish getting ready.
"I really need daddy now," Julian whispered to the floor as he was getting his shoes on.
"It sucks that mama can't bend but you can put your shoes on yourself, little man."
"I know. Daddy will give me abice now," Julian sighed.
"Advice on putting your shoes on? You are doing it perfect, love!" April smiled encouragingly.
"No abice fer da day. I tells him if to get you flowers or stuff and he tells me if to go on the swings or monkey bars or other stuff."
"Oh I see. You need advice on something serious, bud? Is that why you've been thinking of him?"
He nodded but didn't say a word.
"Try me out. Dad asks me for advice all the time."
"Kelsey. I want to give her a kiss."
April gasped and feigned shock. "What, you don't think girls have cooties?"
"No mom!" he said, letting her know with just his tone what a ridiculous theory that was. "You are a girl and don't have them." He finished velcroing his shoes and April checked to make sure Jackson looked over the homework and had responded to Miss Crabtree's note.
"Daddy kissies you all the time!" Julian said, when April was strapping him into his car seat.
"Daddy and I are married bud! And before he even kissed me he was my best friend. Is Kelsey your best friend?" April asked, when she got in the driver's seat and started the car.
"Mom! You know Ryder is my best friend. And daddy. Only boys can be friends wit boys."
"That is not true! Julian Harper you listen to mama right now. Are you listening?" April put on her stern face and looked at her son in the mirror. "Before you try to kiss her you'd better play with her for a long time, be her friend, Jul! I know you are a great friend, right?" He nodded. "So be her friend for a lot of days first otherwise mommy will be so sad. And don't be mean to her, promise?" But there wasn't a mean bone in his body.
"Yeah mom! I will just be her friend."
"OK, good, thank you!" April breathed a sigh of relief. If it came up again daddy would handle it.
"I love you more than I love chocolate Julian Harper. You have a great day and remember what I said."
"I love you more den Buzz and Woody mama. I will but me and daddy don't jus' do 'love you more' an kissies.'"
"What do you want, a fist bump Julian?" April sighed and he nodded.
"An' you say 'attack it' when you blow it up mama."
"Attack it?" April wrinkled her nose, confused.
"Like attack the day. Right Julian?" Jenn Crabtree casually offered, and April tried her best not to snicker. She hated that her son's teacher, who made no secret of flirting with Jackson, no matter that April was very pregnant, knew her boys' secret handshake.
She gave Julian's little fist a bump. "Attack it!" they said together. "And you be good for daddy. Love you!" April waddled as fast as she could to the car. She loved her son, he was sweet and caring and he hardly ever gave her a hard time. But this morning had been unusually exhausting and technically her day hadn't even started yet.
"Mama don't cook da freezee food, dad!" Julian said when Jackson took chicken nuggets and french fries out of the freezer for dinner.
"I know she doesn't J, but dad does. I have no idea how to go about making a chicken nugget from scratch."
"Mama will say we need a vege-ble."
"She would, you are right about that. Peas or broccoli?" he asked, but he didn't have to. They looked at each other for a split second and then said "broccoli" in unison.
"Dad, mama doesn't let us eat on the couch with the t.v. on at dinner," Julian whispered, when his father put a plate in front of where he sat on the couch and turned on a basketball game.
"So? Mom's not here. We always do this on nights mom's not here. Our secret because no one gets hurt, right? Two dudes are just watching basketball on the couch with some grub, that's all."
Julian shrugged, but eventually nodded and took a sip of his water. "Dad?"
"Hmm?" Jackson asked, eyes glued to the screen.
"Mama says only water at night time. Dis is juicy."
"Oh I forgot J. So I gave you extra juicy today….no big deal. Just watch the game, bud. Why do you want mama here so badly? She'll come in to kiss you when she gets home and you tell us you see us in your dreams when we do that, right?"
"Yeah." Julian nodded.
At halftime, they cleaned up the dishes. "Daddy?"
"What? What's Mama do bud?"
"'Acause I gotted five stars on the chart today, I can have special dessert, not jus' a fruit."
"OK, J…I know," Jackson yawned. "Daddy's tired though and I think you are too, J. You don't feel well or something. I think it's time for bed now. We'll have cookies after lunch tomorrow. You don't have school."
"I want it now!" Julian whined, stamping his feet.
"Hey bud? You know daddy doesn't tolerate whining like mama does sometimes. Please stop right now or you'll go straight to bed with no story."
"Mama sometimes don't make me read da words 'cause she jus' want to read me da story! Why she isn't here?" he huffed and kicked a towel that was on the floor.
"You know what, bud? Neither of us is going to read a story tonight because you are going straight to bed. I'm so sad, little man. You usually are such a big boy, what's wrong?" Jackson asked, picking his son up and carrying him down the hall.
"You an' mama should live to-gether!" Julian wailed as Jackson walked.
"Mom's working Julian. We do live together. And sleep in the same bed. We do! You know this though. We talk about it all the time, J." It was true. April insisted they constantly explain their weird work hours to Julian, and reinforce that they loved him and each other so much even if they didn't always eat breakfast and dinner together like most families. Jackson would complain to April that he understood, he was almost four and this had been his whole life, after all.
But April knew that preschool would change that, when he saw other mommies always picking up their kids, or heard about daddies always home for dinner."You do?"
"Yes Jul! I love your mama so much, I'm gonna sleep in the same bed she does forever!" Jackson tickled Julian and blew a raspberry on his tummy, making him laugh. "Pick jammies now, come on."
"Mama jus' picks the most coziest clean ones fer me."
"Fine J! Just go brush your teeth and go potty then. I'll pick."
"I really need mama now!" Julian said 15 minutes later when he was all tucked in to bed.
"No you don't Jul! Daddy doesn't say prayers but I listen and appreciate being prayed for. You know how prayers with daddy work."
"I need her abice fer prayin' fer Kelsey."
"Kelsey, the girl in your class with the new baby sister Kristina?" Jackson remembered the baby because Julian had watched her breastfeed, and made career day a little more awkward than it had to be for everyone.
"Yeah mama said don't kiss her jus' be her friend firs'."
Jackson nodded. "Good advice."
"So I colored wit her at centers an' she was sad an' I say why an' she say her and her mommy and sister don't live in the same house as her daddy anymore 'acause they gettin' a vorce."
"Oh man, bud! Sometimes that happens because mommies and daddies can't find their love anymore but me an' your mama love each other so much that's not gonna happen. I promise." Jackson kissed Julian's cheek.
"I knows now but I don't want Kelsey's mom and dad to get a vorce an' make her cry. I wanna tell God, OK?"
"Jul how about you just ask God to make her happy everyday and to watch over her when she's sad, OK?"
Julian yawned. "OK."
"And then you can try to make her laugh everyday at school."
"Good abice dad."
So that's what Julian did. And then he asked his dad to stay with him because he didn't want to be alone. So April found Jackson snoring on their son's big comfy chair when she got home.
"Babe, wake up, what are you doing in here?"
"Hi beautiful whale." Jackson yawned as she came to sit on his lap. "He had to have a crush on the girl whose parents are in the middle of a nasty divorce if the kid picked up the word. So I helped him ask God to keep the her happy and then he didn't want me to leave and so now every time we have a different shift we're going to have to explain it's not a divorce."
"Oh, great!" April answered cheerfully. "Good thing we both have off tomorrow. You helped him pray, babe?"
Jackson smirked. "Yeah well he wanted to ask God for no divorce for Brenda and Rick I think his name is… so I felt it necessary to step in."
"I love you!" April said, after a kiss.
Jackson heard little giggles and the night light glowed just enough for him to see two little green eyes peeking at them from behind his fingers. He pulled April in for a deeper kiss and then whispered in her ear. "Ask me if I'm ready for bed."
"Oh umm…ok…ready for bed, daddy?" Her face said, 'This better not get dirty."
"Only the same bed you're sleeping in, Mama."
"It better be! Same bed," April grumbled. "Tryina act like you don't sleep so close to me every night you steal my pillow."
That made the little giggles louder, but Julian was too tired to talk. And neither his mommy or daddy turned the lights on after prayers. "Goodnight, J! I love you the most." Jackson paused at his son's bedside so April could kiss him goodnight before carrying her to the bedroom. It took him a little longer to get there lately, but he always made it.
"Rise and shine, J! It's a beautiful day to fill your brain with knowledge." Jackson announced the next morning, walking in to Julian's room to open the curtains.
"I know it sucks, bud! But your dad will be so mad at me if we get to the planetarium too late." April whispered in her son's ear.
"You guys sayin' eve-thing wrong." Julian yawned, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Kiss my belly," Jackson insisted, lifting up his shirt.
"No I won't, only mama's 'cause my sister in her belly." Julian smacked his head with his hands. His mom and dad were so crazy.
April shrugged. "Ok you can if want to, but then I'm gonna go to the kitchen and probably burn the waffles so bad we have to eat Trix for breakfast!"
"Hey don't! Ony daddy dos that!"
"Not today, today I'm gonna help you pick out clothes and then go make a smoothie."
"Why you doin' dis wrong?" Julian was entertained, but very confused.
"It's not wrong, bud! It doesn't matter who does what because we are one family and we both love you very much, understand?" April asked. Julian nodded.
"So we talked last night and we told each other everything we do with you in the morning and at night so this always feels like one home for you. It's silly you noticed all of those differences bud! We're sorry. We love each other and you and your sister so much and we will always be a family no matter where we live or who is home, OK?" Jackson kissed April to further prove his point and Julian rolled his eyes, jumping off the bed.
"Yeah. Kelsey jus' gotted me so confused all day yeserday." Julian sighed.
"I feel you, little man….girls will never stop making your day a little extra confusing." Jackson patted his son's shoulder.
"Hey!" April screamed, waddling toward the kitchen. "We heard that. Just for that I'm gonna burn your waffle!"
"See, what'd I just say?" Jackson whispered, as Julian picked the Buzz Lightyear shirt to wear to the planetarium.