Sweet Smell of Success
Tommy bapped on the glass door several times with his pudgy hands before looking up at his mommy.
"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie," she said as she walked over to him. "But we aren't going to play outside today."
Tommy frowned at that. Not play outside? But they always played outside! Outside had new and amazing things out there. Like new flowers and buggies and poopies! Outside was his most favorite place ever! Clearly his mommy didn't know what she was talking about! He turned and began to slap at the window harder, trying to get her to understand that it was time for babies to be let outside so the adults could not pay attention to them so they could explore!
But his mommy didn't open the door. Instead she picked him up and carried him back to the playpen. "I'm sorry, Tommy, but we aren't going outside today."
Looking up at her as she set him down Tommy screwed up his face before he began to bawl.
"Oh… someone must be cranky…" she said, picking him right back up and rocking him. "Pop, keep an eye on the kids for a minute, will you? I think Tommy needs an extra nap." She began to rock her son back and forth. "We always forget that Tommy is younger than the others… he needs extra sleep sometimes."
"Guys!" Tommy screamed through his cries. "Help me!" They had to save him! He didn't need a nap! He was a big baby! A big baby who was going to play outside. He couldn't go outside if he took a nap! "HELP!"
But the other babies couldn't even get out of the playpen and Tommy found himself forced into his crib… and he cried so hard at how unfair his mommy was being that when he began to feel himself grow tired. His mommy hummed and rocked him and Tommy fought so very hard but his eyelids grew heavy and he soon found himself asleep.
Downstairs Chas looked over at Stu. "Thanks for agreeing to change things up for the kids. When Chuckie and I went to his doctor's appointment she said that trying to just expose him to all that pollen out there wasn't doing him any favors. We're working on getting him onto a medicine that will let him handle it better but until then-"
"No big deal," Stu said. "Honestly its probably safer for the kids to stay inside today anyway. I have to mow the lawn and the last thing I need is for them to get in the way and get hurt."
Meanwhile, in the playpen, Chuckie amused himself with his toys, able to breathe easy.
Literally.