Happy Holidays to everyone from your REAL World authors.

The Best Kind of Chaos (1/2)

"Kait-wyn he'we! And Jacob! And Dy-win! And Cody! And Casey! And Jenna! And...Jess he'we!" Angie squealed excitedly. "Hi Jess. Daddy...wook! Jess he'we!"

"I see that," Steve laughed as he picked Angie up and kissed her cheek. "Welcome home, Jess."

"Thanks. It's good to be home. I mean, London was fantastic but I was kind of missing the Santas wearing shorts," she smiled.

"Catherine and I want to hear all about your trip on a day that's a little less …"

"The kids are here!" Joanie squealed delightedly as she and DJ entered the living room.

Steve grinned at Jess. "Chaotic."

"Did Santa come to your house?" DJ asked Jacob. "He came here." He pointed to the tree across the room with presents piled underneath.

Jacob whistled. "Wow! You and Angie must have been very good this year."

DJ beamed. "I got a new LEGO set. Maybe you can come over some day and we can build it together."

Jacob ruffled DJ's hair. "Sounds like a plan."

Steve caught Cody's eye and smiled. DJ relished his role as a quasi big brother to DJ and having learned from the best, he was very good at it.

"It's beautiful," Jenna said as she admired Elizabeth's ring from the children. A circle of gold spelling out Angie on one end and DJ on the other. "What a clever idea, too."

"We saw one in the store and Mommy said we could get it for Grandma," DJ explained as his grandmother ran a hand over his hair. "The man knew Mommy."

"Gary sold us my engagement ring and our wedding rings," Catherine explained.

"He was super nice; he gave me and Angie cookies at the store."

"They had a little holiday snack area." Grandma Ang smiled. "He's a lovely person. He's been married to his college sweetheart for thirty-five years, has one son and a grandson Angie's age."

Catherine leaned in to kiss her grandmother' cheek. "Which you knew in ten minutes flat."

"Ann Cawwie and Unca John are he'we!" Angie announced loudly as they came through the front door. Carrie had two pies in her hands and John was barely visible behind a pile of gifts.

Steve grimaced. "Mincemeat again?"

John snorted.

"I heard that," Carrie told her husband. "And no, for your information, they're fruit pies."

John poked his head out from behind the presents and said with a smile, "From the bakery."

Carrie shot him a mock glare. "Why don't you put those under the tree and we'll open them later."

Steve eyed the pile. "Are any of those loud, noisy, or messy?"

Carrie shook her head and tsk-ed. "It's like you don't even know me."

Just as Steve began to sigh with relief she added with a wicked grin. "They're all loud, noisy, and messy."

"We gots slime, Ann Cawwie! Wanna play it wif us?" Angie bounced as she began to review, in detail, her gifts with her godmother.

"Ohhh, that sounds like so much fun, gorgeous." She winked at Steve who was making a 'cut' gesture across his neck. "But we don't have enough for everyone so how about we play slime tomorrow? You, me, DJ, Joan and Uncle John can have …" She grinned. "Slime wars!"

"Yay! Slime wa'!" Angie agreed, not exactly sure of Carrie's game but picking up her intended enthusiasm.

"Perfect!" She kissed the little cheek. "For now, how about we put these pies in the kitchen then you help me pick out a yummy cookie?"

With that, the distraction was complete, as Angie took her hand and headed for the dining room. "Da cookies in he'we, c'mon!"

Carrie glanced at a grinning Danny over her shoulder. "All three kids got slime in their stockings? Not hard to guess which one of their favorite Santa's helpers did that…"

Mary groaned. "Only one whose child has passed prime slime-age."

Carrie's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Just wait until you see the unicorn and mermaid slime kits I found to go with it."

Mary's mouth dropped and she turned to her brother. "It was a conspiracy."

Catherine entered the living room from the kitchen just as Angie, this time joined by Joan, wrapped up announcing the arrival of Chin, Leilani, Kono and Adam.

"Wook. We got yo-yos!" Angie said as she held hers out in front of her.

Having already had experience with the new toy over the course of the morning Pumpkin dashed under the couch and Cammie moved a few feet back.

"Maybe you wanna wait until you're outside before you demonstrate your yo-yo skills," Catherine told the girls. "You need room." She looked at the new arrivals. "Lots and lots of room."

"I used to have one of those." Kono smiled. "I was pretty good at it too. Maybe I can teach you guys a few tricks." She knelt in front of Angie. "Can I see your yo-yo for a minute?"

Angie handed it over with a smile. "Mine cammo. Joan's pink!"

"I could have called that one," Kono said as she stood up. She spent a few seconds searching her memory banks then looped the yo-yo around her finger and performed a few basic tricks.

"Wow!" Joan and Angie looked at her with awe.

"Like riding a bike," Kono said.

"Can you teach us?" Joan asked eagerly.

"My pleasure," Kono said.

"Daddy tried to show us a trick, but he hit himself in the forehead with the yo-yo," Joan reported.

"That was supposed to be our little secret, Pumpkin," Aaron called from across the room causing Joan to giggle.

"Dis can'y cane yummy," Angie said, taking a long lick of the full-size candy cane that had been on the gift Esther and Kamekona had dropped off. "Like Santa give us."

"That's right, baby girl, Santa did give you a candy cane when you saw him at the mall," Catherine said with a smile. "A candy cane you took two licks of and tried to feed the rest to Pumpkin."

"Pun'kin liked da can'y cane," Angie told Kono who was sitting next to Catherine.

"Did she?" Kono asked curiously, glancing at Catherine.

"No, Pumpkin did not like the candy cane," Catherine corrected, laughing at her daughter's mischaracterization of the incident. "It sent her climbing up the tree and Daddy had to get her down again, remember?"
Angie smiled toothily and took another lick of the candy cane. She started to look around the room and Catherine smiled knowingly.

"Who are you going to try to pass this one off, huh, baby girl?"

"Jacob!" Angie cried, running toward him. "You wanna twy dis can'y cane? I's yummy!"

Catherine shared a look with Kono, both chuckling, and stood to follow Angie.

"Angie, come into the kitchen and we'll wrap up your candy cane for later."

"Okay!"

TBC tomorrow

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