"There's my little treasures!" Ed said as he stood on the steps of town hall when he saw his son with the large stroller. "Bring them inside, Ned."
The babies were now inside and looking around. It was, after all, the first time they've ever been there. People all over the building would stop by and say how cute they were. The babies were enjoying the attention.
Except for JoJo. After the 11th woman came by and pinched his cheek, it was becoming sore. He whimpered slightly.
"Okay, let's go to Grandpa's office." Ned started for the elevator.
"No, son. It's time for a meeting. It'll be a quick one. And JoJo needs to be there for his first meeting." Ed said.
"But, dad, he-" He was interrupted.
"Don't toy with me, Ned, he needs this and so do you." Ed said as he took the stroller and headed for the meeting room.
Ned was worried. Were his babies going to be calm and quiet during the meeting? Ned parked the stroller at a side of the room and set up a blanket with some toys to amuse the babies. He set each one on their bottom and told them to play.
The chairman came in and immediately noticed the babies.
"This isn't a daycare! Town hall is no place for children! What are they doing here?" He asked the Mayor.
"They are my grandchildren and they won't be any trouble. Right, Ned?" Ed said.
The chairman shot a glare at Ned, as if to answer.
"They won't be any trouble. They got their toys and they'll play for a while." Ned assured him.
The meeting started. As the grown ups talked, the babies played.
JoJo stacked blocks and knocked them down, Zaneeta and Virginia played with dolls, and Faye and Rhiannon pushed toy cars around.
"I'm bored! Let's mess with some people." JoJo suggested.
"Daddy said to stay here and play." Zaneeta said.
"Well I'm done with that."
"Remember what Mommy said. You don't want her to be mad." Rhiannon said.
"Well, mommy won't be mad if I cry, would she?" JoJo said, smirking.
Before his sisters could stop him, JoJo took a deep breath and...
"Waaaaahhh!"
The adults immediately stopped talking. Ned chuckled nervously as the chairman glared at him.
"I'll handle it." Ned said as he scooped up JoJo. JoJo stopped his fake tears as soon as he was in his dad's arms.
"There there. No more crying." Ned said quietly.
"Where were we?"
Vonfrood sighed. "Your father was about to approve of the building construction of the new daycare."
"Yes, of course." Ned said, adjusting JoJo in his arms because he was squirming.
"I approve, but only if my grandson approves." Ed said, turning to JoJo. The baby looked scared for a second. All eyes were on him now.
"What do you think, JoJo? Do you approve?" Ed said, silently excited for what his grandson would decide.
Little did he know, that when JoJo is put on the spot, he blows a raspberry.
Which, he did.
"Pppttthhh!" The baby boy said with his lips surrounding his tongue as he pushed air out, making a funny sound.
"Enough of this nonsense! Mr. Mayor, do you approve or not?" Vonfrood said.
"My successor is still deciding." Ed said, not looking away from JoJo.
"JoJo, if you approve, can you say 'Grandpa'?" Ed tried again.
JoJo's eyes lit up. He had just learned how to say that days before and now was his chance to make grandpa happy.
"Papa!" The little boy said happily.
"He said yes!" Ed said.
"So ordered!" Vonfrood rolled his eyes and pounded the gavel on the table.
After the meeting, JoJo was now with his sisters and the adults were discussing what to do next.
"That was highly inappropriate. A baby can't make decisions for the town." Vonfrood said.
"Pish posh. My grandson is the future mayor and it's never too early to start making decisions." Ed argued. "I'm an excellent judge of character and I'm quite sure JoJo made the right choice."
Not wanting to prove Vonfrood right, but also wanting to make his dad embarrassed for what he did, Ned said, "Well, maybe JoJo can decide what the building should be made out of. Maybe blocks?"
Ed pondered. "That's not a bad idea. Good thinking, JoJo!" He called for his grandson. Ned furrowed his brow.
While Ned and Vonfrood were talking about adult things, like taxes, the babies were getting impatient.
"I'm still bored! When are the grown ups gonna finish talking?" JoJo asked.
"I don't know, but I'm getting bored too." Rhiannon said.
The oldest baby's brain hatched an idea.
"Just do what I do." JoJo said to his sisters. They all nodded.
The oldest baby planted his feet, balled up his fists, took a deep breath... And started to wail.
"WAAAAHHH!" The black haired toddler cried.
Soon, all four sisters followed suit, and they started to wail.
Ned turned from the riveting conversation he was having with Vonfrood and looked at his wailing toddlers.
"Excuse me, my tax deductions are crying." Ned said, leaving Vonfrood with his mouth dropped.
"What's the matter, champ?" Ned asked as he lifted up JoJo, who was sobbing the most and was heard crying first. As he held his son close, his daughters surrounded him and tugged at his vest and leg fur.
"Poor little sweethearts, let's go to Grandpa's office, where you can play." Ned said as he scooped up the four remaining tots and started for the door.
He raised an eyebrow when JoJo suddenly stopped crying and gave Vonfrood a raspberry before giggling somewhat evilly. He turned to his dad, and looked a bit scared from his dad's facial expression that said "you little sneak". JoJo mumbled a loving "dah-dah" before sticking his thumb in his mouth to suck on it.
"That's the last time I'm going to let you get away with that." He said, as if JoJo was older than 1.
