Minimize the noise: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise from
household appliances or pets. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.
* * *
"Shut it you two!" Abby tried to sound annoyed at her children shouting next door but it didn't really come out that way. "Anyway, diner's ready."
Abby paused. Nothing. "Kids!"
The both bounded into the kitchen a split second later and jumped onto their chairs at the table. When they saw the delivery pizza boxes, Ollie's face lit up, but Bethan looked less impressed.
"Mum! Don't you ever cook?"
"Nope." Carter emerged out of the larder with a bottle of lemonade and reached onto the shelf to get four glasses.
"Well, you should. Pizza gets boooooooooring!"
"I like it!" Ollie spluttered, a mouth full of cheese and tomato.
"Don't talk with tour mouth full" Abby told him and passed him a napkin. He ignored it completely and Abby gave up and put it down on the table next to him.
"Does that animal ever shut up?" Carter groaned at the dog next door.
"I don't know" Abby said, pouring a glass of lemonade, "It's probably just trying to compete with all the noise us lot seem to make."
"Ow! Bethan kicked me!"
"Did not!"
"Did too! Mum, it really hurt!" Ollie yelled, clutching his leg and howling, way over the top.
Carter and Abby both looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"Kids, do you want to quieten down?" Carter asked, not expecting them to pay attention in a million years, but trying none the less.
"But it hurt!"
"I didn't do anything, Dad! He's just a whining little baby!"
"Stop it both of you! Your even annoying the neighbor's dog!"
Bethan suddenly stopped annoying her brother and turned to her Mum. "Nah, I think Dad's singing did that!"
All three of them looked at Carter and burst out laughing.
"Hey! It's not that bad! 'It's not unusual to be loved by anyone.'"
"John! Stop it!" Abby tried to tell him off through her giggles
"Thanks a lot! My own family is ganging up on me."
Abby looked at him and shrugged. "At least they're not arguing anymore."
* * *
"Shut it you two!" Abby tried to sound annoyed at her children shouting next door but it didn't really come out that way. "Anyway, diner's ready."
Abby paused. Nothing. "Kids!"
The both bounded into the kitchen a split second later and jumped onto their chairs at the table. When they saw the delivery pizza boxes, Ollie's face lit up, but Bethan looked less impressed.
"Mum! Don't you ever cook?"
"Nope." Carter emerged out of the larder with a bottle of lemonade and reached onto the shelf to get four glasses.
"Well, you should. Pizza gets boooooooooring!"
"I like it!" Ollie spluttered, a mouth full of cheese and tomato.
"Don't talk with tour mouth full" Abby told him and passed him a napkin. He ignored it completely and Abby gave up and put it down on the table next to him.
"Does that animal ever shut up?" Carter groaned at the dog next door.
"I don't know" Abby said, pouring a glass of lemonade, "It's probably just trying to compete with all the noise us lot seem to make."
"Ow! Bethan kicked me!"
"Did not!"
"Did too! Mum, it really hurt!" Ollie yelled, clutching his leg and howling, way over the top.
Carter and Abby both looked at each other and rolled their eyes.
"Kids, do you want to quieten down?" Carter asked, not expecting them to pay attention in a million years, but trying none the less.
"But it hurt!"
"I didn't do anything, Dad! He's just a whining little baby!"
"Stop it both of you! Your even annoying the neighbor's dog!"
Bethan suddenly stopped annoying her brother and turned to her Mum. "Nah, I think Dad's singing did that!"
All three of them looked at Carter and burst out laughing.
"Hey! It's not that bad! 'It's not unusual to be loved by anyone.'"
"John! Stop it!" Abby tried to tell him off through her giggles
"Thanks a lot! My own family is ganging up on me."
Abby looked at him and shrugged. "At least they're not arguing anymore."