Highschool Lovers

chaos in the kitchen

"Luke! Come back here!" I shout, my hands flying up in frustration as I watch my youngest son's tiny bare bottom wobble away from me.

"Mommy, look!" Mia, my five-year-old, bursts out giggling while holding up a cookie jar barely taller than she is. "I got a cookie!"

"Yeah, but so did we!" Charlie and Chandler chime in unison, each clutching their own cookie, crumbs trailing down their shirts.

"Guys!" I plead, feeling my heart race. "Please focus! Your brother is—"

"Wiggy booty in yo face!" Luke yells back from the living room, clearly amused with his newfound streaking freedom. He spins around, the little imp, and darts towards the door with a victorious giggle.

"Adrien!" I call out the door, hoping my husband is within earshot. "Can you come help?"

Just then, I hear the faint sound of someone approaching. "What's going on?" Adrien pops his head in, still in his pajamas. His blond hair is tousled, and he looks utterly bewildered.

"Luke is running for the neighbor's pool! I need you to catch him!"

Adrien blinks, taking in the scene. Mia's still munching on her cookie, acting like this is totally normal, while the twins are now fully invested in cookie theft, holding out their "prizes" like trophies.

"Got it!" he says, bolting after our son, who giggles as he swings open the front door, revealing the sunshine—and then, an uninterrupted green expanse beyond.

"Come back, Luke!" Adrien calls, but the little one is already off like a rocket, hardly understanding the concept of distance. I can still see the safety gates from my spot, but my stomach knots thinking about how far he could get if he just keeps running.

"Mia, Charlie, Chandler, sit on the couch! Crumbs don't belong on the floor!" I turn to my multitasking role of referee and janitor.

"Can we have more cookies?" Mia asks innocently, eyes wide, and I nearly say yes before I remember the current situation.

"No, you've had enough sugar, and I need you to help me keep an eye on your brother! Where did he go?"

"Into the yard!" Charlie giggles, pointing out the window.

"Way to be helpful! Now, we have to—" I trail off as the chaos continues, and I spot Luke at our pool's edge, peeking over the side with the most mischievous grin plastered on his face.

"Adrien!" I call out again, panic bubbling within me.

"On it!" He lunges past the gate, making quick strides towards our reckless child, who's now waving his arms like a little bird about to take flight.

"Mama!" Luke shouts, eyes sparkling with mischief. "I swim!"

"Not without your swimsuit, you can't!" I yell, breathing a sigh of relief as Adrien scoops him up right before he can take a tumble into the water.

The sigh of relief quickly turns to laughter. "How does he even wiggle like that?" I chuckle, feeling the tension slip away as I watch Adrien hold our little guy in his arms, clearly trying to remain serious.

"I have no idea." Adrien chuckles too, shaking his head as he spins around and heads back inside with Luke, who has now decided that being in daddy's arms is a great alternative to running around.

"Mia, Chandler, Charlie!" I raise my voice as we settle inside again. "Can we get some order in the house, please?"

Chandler pipes up, "But Mom, cookies!"

I point to the now-empty jar on the counter. "No more cookies! What we need is teamwork to keep everyone here safe and happy, okay?"

"Okay!" The kids chorus, while Luke squishes his moist fingers into my hair, earning yet another fit of giggles from Mia.

"Alright!" I press my lips together, resolve building. "Team Y/n, let's protect the cookie jar from the cookie thieves while also keeping the streaker from turning into a swimmer!"

Mia jumps in excitement while Chandler and Charlie pretend to be spies on a mission.

"Get ready!" I grin, feeling the encroaching chaos morph into a playful scene. No matter how hard it gets, my family always finds a way to turn our crazy life into one wild adventure.

Together, we take a deep breath as new mayhem awaits!