Advent Calendar with my Omelia families [2022]

18th December: Mistakes family

Sunday, 18th December:

Leo: 5; Aiden: 2; Rosalie: 2; Toby: 1

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"It's naptime. Let's read today's story.", Owen told his kids after lunch. All of them besides Leo were too young to get to hear a story before the night sleep, so whenever they had the time, and currently it was the weekend, they would read a story for all their children before their nap. The five-year-old would get another one in the evening.

"Yeah!", the children cheered happily. While Leo climbed into his parents' bed over to his father, his mother lifted his siblings onto it one after the other before she joined the family. "What we readin'?", Aiden wondered excitedly.

"Well, since we are all cuddling, I figured we could read a story called 'Snuggletime – A Winter Meditation'. I think it's a perfect little story before naptime.", the redhead announced and was about to start reading when Toby started brabbling.

"Honey, let's listen.", Amelia chuckled and kissed his head. "Just for a moment, you won't make it longer than the third sentence anyway.", she pointed out, making her husband and oldest son laugh because they were the only ones understanding her.

"It winter here too.", Rosalie realized and shared before she put her thumb in her mouth to start sucking on it, causing her father to pull it back out and hand her her favorite pacifier to suck on.

"You're right, it is.", the trauma surgeon patiently praised. "Now let's start. The snow is falling soft and quiet outside the cold windows. It is so peaceful. If you listen, you can hear the soft tread of bird's toes patter on the path that is thick with snowdrift, and the hot breath of elk, who are hiding in the trees.", he read and watched Aiden yawn already as he handed the book to his wife.

"You are inside, in your cozy house. The fire is making crackling sounds, and the air smells like soup. Mama is making toast in the kitchen, and the kettle is whistling softly on the gas.", the brunette continued. "You have your snuggling socks on. They are woolly and cozy.", she read, looking up at Leo joyfully wiggling his toes in in his actually very snuggly socks. "They come halfway up to your knee. You also have your softest pajamas; the ones with little reindeers on them."

"I do!", Rosalie beamed and pointed to her small onesie that actually had reindeers on it. "Daddy, you next.", she figured, watching her mother give the book to her father for him to keep reading.

"Yes, Angel.", Owen smiled. "Under your arm is your favorite teddy, Bobby. He has one eye, and his tummy button has fallen off. He has been kissed away to threadbare. When you were a baby, you chewed on him when you went to sleep. Now he is cuddling you as you watch the snow together."

"I baby.", Toby said and giggled, already falling asleep in his mother's lap. To his parents' surprise, Leo was the one who had surrendered to sleep first. He had had an exhausting morning, which he had spent building the second snowman of the year.

"There is a sound in the garden! A tinkling, like bells. You press your face to the cold glass. You see a glimpse of white; of dark leaning trees. And then the mist from your breath makes it smoky, like a dream.", the redhead went on, glancing up to check who was still awake, only to notice that all the kids had fallen asleep. "Let the dreams begin, I guess. Wanna nap here with Leo?", he questioned Amelia, who nodded and yawned.

"I will help you bring these three to bed though. Are you putting the middles to bed after one another? I'll take care of Toby since he is the likeliest to wake up before I reach his crib.", the neurosurgeon made a plan.

"Yes. See you in a few minutes.", he grinned, pecking her lips before he lifted Aiden in his arms first and brought him to bed before he repeated the process with their daughter. "May I join this holy nap in a rarely quiet house?", he asked, making her laugh silently.

"Of course, we can all use this break, even Leo.", Amelia decided and closed her eyes after wrapping the blanket around the little blonde boy to make sure he was warm. They would finish the story tomorrow.