Jordan- 3
It was early April, one warm spring afternoon Hank had went grocery shopping with Justin and Jordan. Justin decided to carry his sister through the store while their father got the shopping done, when they got to the candy aisle the toddler was fascinated by all of the Easter baskets.
"Justie look at all the pretty baskets". Jordan says.
"They are pretty aren't they". Justin said.
"Do you think if I'm good the Easter bunny will bring me one?"
"As long as you're good".
Hank was nearby and heard the conversation, a smile appeared on his face and an idea popped inside his head. They continued to shop till Jordan saw something to dye eggs.
"Daddy, can we get this?" Jordan asked, pointing at an egg dying kit.
"Sure sweetheart". Hank replied, giving a smile.
He took the egg dying kit off the shelf, after getting a few more things the family headed to check out. They headed out to the car, Justin quickly strapped his sister into her car seat while Hank loaded the car. The father and son knew it was getting close to Jordan's nap so they had to get home soon.
Once back the the house Justin brought his sister inside and turned on cartoons for her, Hank began to bring the groceries in. After all the groceries were brought in and put away, the small family had a quick lunch of grilled cheese and soup. Jordan was beginning to get fussy.
"Jo it's time for a nap". Hank says, bouncing her.
The toddler was still fighting going to sleep, Hank was sitting in the rocking chair in Jordan's room he sat down and began singing to her.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping
I dreamt I held you in my arms
When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
So I hung my head, and I cried
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
I'll always love you and make you happy
If you will only say the same
But if you leave me to love another,
You'll regret it all one day
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away
Please don't take my sunshine away".
Jordan was fast asleep on her father's shoulder her mouth was slightly open as drool was starting to come from her lip onto his shirt. Hank chuckled as he gently laid her down in her small bed and covered her up.
He quietly left her room going down to the kitchen, he took some eggs put them in a pot of water and began to boil them. Once the eggs were on the stove he then took the eggs dying kit out and began to make the colored watered putting it into the small separate bowls.
While the eggs were boiling Hank went to his son. "Justin I need you to keep an eye on the eggs and I need you to watch Jo, I forgot some stuff at the store".
"Sure Pop". Justin replied.
Hank then ran out to his car and headed off to the store, he went to the aisle with the Easter stuff. He browsed along and saw many different baskets, they were all different shapes and sizes. Some were from different characters. He then decided to get a purple and pink basket, a couple bags of candy, a couple new toys and the fake grass. After getting that he checked out and headed back home.
Justin checked on the eggs that were boiling, he took them off the stove and put them in a bowl so they could cool. Hank arrived home after ten minutes he brought the stuff inside, once he got inside he took the stuff out of the bags and began making Jordan's easter basket.
He put in the different colored fake grass, Hank then put some of the candy in the basket. He then put it away in his room so Jordan wouldn't find it. He had Justin hide the toys in his room.
The time was now nearing three in the afternoon and Jordan was waking up, the toddler rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and made her way downstairs. She saw her brother watching tv and her father reading the paper in the kitchen. Jordan went over to her father and began tugging on his pants. Hank looked down and saw his baby girl awake.
"Hey baby, you have a good nap". Hank said, smoothing her frizzy hair.
"Yeah, I'm hungry". Jordan said.
"Let's get you a snack then we'll dye your eggs".
"Yay!"
Justin heard his sister in the kitchen so he went there and to his sister. "Hey Jo Jo, how was your nap kiddo".
"It was good Justie guess what".
"What is it".
"Daddy said we can color the eggs after my snack".
"I can't wait to color eggs with my favorite little sister".
"Daddy, can Erin color eggs too?"
Jordan met Erin almost a year ago and she considered her as her big sister, whenever she came over the toddler always got excited. She loved spending time with her sister.
"I can give her a call and ask her". Hank answered.
He then gave her a quick snack of cheese and crackers along with a small cup of milk, while Jordan told her brother made up stories Hank went to call Erin.
-Hey Hank. Erin answered her phone.
-Hey, you busy today? Hank replied.
-Nope just finished all my errands, what's going on.
-Jo wants you to come over and dye eggs with her.
-I'm on my way.
-See you then.
Hank hung his phone up while Jordan finished her snack. After ten minutes there was a knock at the door and Hank went to get it, he opened the door to see his surrogate daughter.
"Hey come in". Hank said.
"So where's Jo?" Erin asked.
"In the kitchen".
"Tell her she has company".
"Jo, someone's here to see you sweetheart".
Jordan then got down from her chair and headed to the living room, when she saw her big sister there a huge smile appeared on her face.
"Erin!" Jordan called out excitedly.
The toddler ran over to her sister and Erin bent down to pick her up, she hoisted the three year old up and hugged her. Erin smiled as she hugged her sister, it was nice to actually have a family like this.
"Erin, daddy says we can color eggs. You can color eggs with us".
"That will be the most fun I had all day".
They went back to the kitchen Jordan sat in the chair while Hank set the small cups of different colored water out then brought over the eggs. The toddler put an egg in each cup of water, Erin took the crayon and drew something on an egg and put it in the red water.
Justin took out the eggs that were in the colored water, he rolled them gently on the paper towel to dry them. Hank smiled as his youngest was having fun dying the eggs. Jordan took the crayon and wrote 'daddy' on one egg and put that in the blue colored water. She took another egg and wrote 'Justie' on it putting it in the green colored water. With a third egg she wrote 'Erin' on it and put it in the pink colored water then put it in the purple colored water.
All the eggs were dyed and in many different colors, a couple were blue, one was green, one was a tied dyed of pink and purple. The ones she wrote on she picked up handing them to her father, brother, and sister.
"I made these ones just for you". Jordan told the three.
"I love it sweetheart". Hank said smiling.
"It's beautiful Jordy". Erin says.
"It's awesome Jo Jo". Justin spoke, pinching her cheeks.
Who knew something so small like a colored egg could mean a lot to someone? After all the eggs were dried and put away Hank started dinner.
A few days later
It's the night before Easter when Jordan went to bed, Hank quietly took her basket downstairs into the kitchen and began finishing it. He put in a little more candy and then the toys were put on the side. Once that was finished Hank had went to bed for the night.
By the next morning Jordan woke up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, after she finished using the bathroom she remembered it was Easter. The toddler ran down the stairs to see a basket full of treats and toys on the table. Justin woke up to hear his sister in the living room he went down to see her excited over her basket.
"Justie look! Look the Easter bunny came!" Jordan says excitedly.
"Let's see what he brought you". Justin said.
He took his young sister over to the table to look at the basket, one of the toys were a stuffed rabbit and the other one was a barbie doll. She looked in the basket to see the candy, a coloring book, the crayons, and a chocolate bunny.
Hank came down the stairs to see his kids at the table looking at the basket and toys, Jordan turned to see her daddy coming over. She got off her brother's lap running to him.
"Daddy! Daddy, look the Easter bunny came. Come see what he left me". Jordan says, pulling her father's hand.
The older father chuckled at his youngest's actions he got to the table to see that she had already went through it. It was times like this he loved being a father, seeing his baby girl excited over a basket meant a lot to him. Seeing his children happy had always put a smile on his face, when his kids were happy he was happy. One thing he had and always will cherish in his life are his children, no matter how old they get.