mistletoe.

Let it Snow.

"Baby! It's snowing!" Jordan peeked out the window.

The snow was coming down hard and fast. Being a California boy,  he didn't see snow often so this was a first. Only trips to New York made it happen and with having kids of his own, he wanted them to have all four seasons so they had a nice set up in upstate New York.

"It's not going to disappear." She remarked.

"I know but it's coming down fast." He turned seeing his mini me hold up his toy truck.

"Want to go play in the snow, Eli?" Jordan bent down picking up the toddler.

He watched him take his eyes off the toy truck to look at the snow. Everything was new to him. He was only three and the apple of his mother's eye as their third born.

"Amari and Zaria Baker, let's go! Y'all are going to be miss the bus." Simone screamed.

"Dang woman, just wake the whole house." Jordan bounced Eli in his arms.

"Mommy, have you seen my black jeans?" Zaria screamed dumping her clothes in the middle of her floor.

"You have a million of them. Find a pair and haul ass."

"Ooou. Mommy said a bad word. Simone, language."

"Jordan, kiss my ass." Simone responded.

She went back into the kitchen to figure out which jar of baby food her son would actually commit himself to eating. Elijah was a surprise baby that's for sure.

"Daddy, how cold is it outside?" Amari asked from the top of the stairs.

"Cold enough to not try to channel your aunt." Jordan replied.

"I'm telling her that you said that." Amari jumped down the last step.

"Oh, don't worry princess. I will tell herself. Hey Liv." Jordan could sense that Liv was here. Call it twin tuition and he was right. Simone had let her in.

"Morning!."  Liv flicked his ear, taking Elijah from him.

"Is that my shirt?" Simone looked at her child.

"Oooou, I thought it was mine." Amari hugged her aunt.

"Nice try, go change." Simone demanded.

"Ugh, Daddy! Will your please tell your wife that this is a cute look." Amari pointed, giving her best puppy eyes.

"No Olivia Jr. I like where I sleep. Go change." Jordan waved her off.

He made himself a stack of pancakes kissing his wife. After splitting it with Zaria so she had something, he got Eli dressed in his winter outfit making sure he was well bundled up. He returned seeing Liv squeal at how cute her nephew looked. She slipped her coat back on taking him with her.   She had found the little sled and sat him in her lap.

"Jordan! Come push us." Liv ordered.

Jordan rolled his eyes as he wrapped in hugging his wife having a small conversation. He didn't put it past the girls to miss the bus so he took them. Jordan returned from drop off walking into the back yard. The man pause as soon he got hit with a snow ball.

"My bad." Simone's words were muffled with the scarf wrapped around her mouth.

"Really? That's how you do me?"

"Keep up , baby daddy!" She warned, throwing another.

Jordan piled snow in his hands forming a snowball and launched it at her. She dropped just in time and ran across the yard. He ran after her dodging snowballs. Jordan caught up with her pulling her into him. 

"Let's have a competition." Simone looked up at him.

"And what would that be, baby?"

"Who ever builds the best snowman , the loser has to cook dinner for the whole week." Simone instructed.

"A whole week?"

"Yeah, scared to lose already love?"

"No, but you are. How you plan to get the third one on top." Jordan asked.

"Don't come for my height sir, I have my ways. Are you down or not."

"Who is judging this little completion."

"The kids when they come home."

"Now you're just cheating." Jordan didn't like the sound of that.

"How??" Simone started working on the bottom half of hers.

"They like you more than me."

"Lies. Don't be silly.  Our parenting styles are not a competition." Simone laughed.

They agreed to never hit their kids but drew the line at gentle parenting. It didn't go anywhere and Simone be damned if she let kids she brought into the world try to overstep and talk crazy to her. They started rolling their balls and getting their respective snow men together. They took breaks to keep warm and soon finished.

"Okayyy so whoever has the best snow man , the opposite has to make dinner all the week so by all means choose wisely." Simone instructed her children.

"Take your time and really evaluate the work." Jordan commented.

"Or you could just choose me and let Daddy suffer." Simone said , sitting back on the couch pillows.

"That's too easy. Don't listen to mommy. I think voting for me is the right choose because we can all agree mommy is the better cook." Jordan flashed a smile.

"A fact isn't a compliment sweetheart." Simone added.

Amari and Zaria looked at each other. They didn't need to figure out who one who examine anything. It was a simple look before they rushed out that their father was the winner.

"You didn't even look at them." Jordan's hands rested on his hips.

"We don't need too. You put ketchup on your eggs." Zaria shrugged.

"Don't act like you didn't like it."

"I think mama should lose for the sake of our health." Amari added.

"Are y'all trying to say I am a terrible cook."

" I wouldn't say terrible. We haven't died." Zaria paused.

"I would." Amari grinned.

"See if I claim you on my taxes."  Jordan scoffed.

"You have too unless you want jail time or whatever." Amari fired back.

"You are your mother's child." Jordan sighed.

"I love it here!" Simone grinned.

"How are you mad that mom is the one cooking? Oh my god.. you wanted her to win!" Zaria laughed.

" I did not." He replied.

"Yeah you did. Fine, Daddy. We'll gladly make her the winner."

"Now how you gonna switch up?" Simone shook her head.

"Easy, he has to suffer. You never said we had to eat it." Amari leaned against her mother's shoulder.