I'm on the phone with my Mama, who wants to know the details. Today is my husband Peeta and I's three childrens first day of school. Hallie is the oldest, and the other two are twins. They started Kindergarten.
"Kat, it's two thirty. We won't make it in time." Peeta says.
"Oops. Sorry Mama, I have to go. I'll have them call you guys later. I love you." I tell her.
"I love you too." I hang up and follow Peeta out the door.
School let out five minutes ago, at two twenty five. The school is ten minutes away, and I know that we're scaring them.
"Where do I go?" Peeta asks.
"I'm not waiting in that line. Just pull over to the side of the road and I'll go and get them." I say.
"Okay," he pulls over. I get out of the school and head up the sidewalk and through the gate. All three of them are hysterical and their teacher is trying to console them.
"Mama!" Hallie screams. I'm bombarded by my three children.
"Sorry, thank you." I smile at their teacher. She's actually Gale's mother.
"I think you know my son Gale. He went to your wedding." She smiles.
"Yes, I know Gale." I smile. The kids start to argue over who is going to get to hold my hand. "Were they okay?" I ask.
"They were wonderful. They're very friendly." She smiles.
"Thank you," I smile.
"Come on Mama!" Hallie impatiently tugs my hand
"Well, thank you again." I say.
Hallie grabs my hand before Brennan or Bailee can, and Brennan grabs my other one, making Bailee start to cry. I release both of their hands, put Bailee on my back and take their hands again.
"Better?" I ask.
"Yes!" She says. I head towards the car, making sure to remind them to look for cars, and have them tell me when its okay to go.
"Am I good guys?" I ask.
"Your good Mama!" Brennan says. I head to the car, and I see Peeta chucking as he gets out of the car.
"Daddy!" Hallie releases my hand and runs to him and jumps into her arms. Hal and Bai are in dresses and Brennan is in jeans and a nice shirt.
"Hey kiddo!" Peeta says. Brennan runs to Peeta too, and gets in his other arms. I get down Bailee, and she walks to Peeta and hugs his legs.
"Come on," I laugh and peel the kids off Peeta, double checking their booster seats when they get in them to make sure their buckled.
Finnick and Annie have a daughter and a son, their son is two and their daughter is four and they're married. Prim and Alex have Chase, who is six, and Olivia, who is three, they're getting on the fifteenth of next month. Then Johanna just has a boyfriend, Dustin Roberts. She lets the kids dominate her and she does whatever she says.
"So how do you kids feel about…" Peeta looks at me from the corner of his eye. "About some ice cream? Do you guys want ice cream?" Hallie pulls her thumb out of her mouth, and so does Brennan and Bailee.
"Okay!" Hallie says.
"And sprinkles?" Bailee demands.
"You bet!" Peeta says. I smile. We head towards the ice cream parlor, that surprisingly, Johanna and Dustin own together.
"Are we going to see Auntie Jo Jo today?" Brennan asks.
Johanna doesn't curse anymore.
None of us do, not really.
"I'm sure," I smile and take Bailee's and Hallie's hands, Peeta putting Brennan on his shoulders as we head inside.
"Auntie Jo!" Peeta sets down Brennan and all three of them race over to Johanna, who does not see them coming.
"Hey kids! How was school?" she smiles.
"It was fun! We got to nap!" Brennan says. I smile. He loves sleeping and watching TV and playing board games with me, Peeta and the girls. Johanna gets them the ice cream, making sure to put a only a small amount of the unhealthy toppings they ask for. They sit down at a table, and Johanna pulls Peeta and I aside.
"Look." She holds up her left hand, which has a shining diamond ring on it.
"Oh gosh! Johanna, you're getting married!" I hug her, and she laughs and hugs me back. "Your maid of honor and Ann is matron. I'm not telling the rest of the family until Thanksgiving." She says. "I want Hal and Bai to be flower girls and Chase and Bren to be ring bearers. Dustin agrees." She says.
"Mama, I have to go potty." Hallie says. Brennan yawns, and so does Bailee.
"I'm tired Daddy." Bailee says.
"Sorry Johanna, how about you come over for dinner? You and Dustin?" I ask.
"Alright," she smiles. We gather the kids and take them home.
When we get home, Hallie makes me go to the bathroom with her.
"Are you tired?" I ask her as I pull her dress out of her underwear.
"I'm hungry." She says.
"Alrighty then, let's get you a snack." I smile. "But make sure to wash your hands first." I smile again and watch her as she gets out the stool and washes her hands. "Don't forget soap. You don't need a lot though honey, a little goes a long way." I squirt one squirt of soap onto her hands. She rubs them together and then dries them off and takes my hand and pulls me downstairs with her.
"Mama, how come Daddy only makes cookies with us?" Hallie asks.
"Because Hal...Mama isn't that good at cooking." I admit.
"Can you try?" She asks.
"Can Daddy help us?" I ask her.
She grins. "Okay!" She exclaims.
"Alrighty then, I'll be right back." I get up and go upstairs. I find Peeta in Brennan's room with Brennan. "Hal wants to make cookies and she wants me to help." I say. Peeta snorts and starts laughing.
"Would you like some help?" He asks.
"Yes," I smile.
"I wanna make cookies!" Brennan whines.
"Come on then!" I grin at him and he jumps up.
"I don't want this on no more." He says. I walk over to him and unbutton his shirt and put it in the dirty clothes.
"Do you want shorts?" I ask. He nods. "And a shirt?" He shakes his head. I get him gray basketball shorts. "Are these okay?" I ask.
"Yes," he smiles. I hand then to him and he puts his hands on my shoulders as I help him put them on.
"Alright, now go with Daddy while I go and talk to Bai." I smile and pat his butt. He grabs Peeta's hand and tugs him downstairs. "Bai honey?" I walk into her room and see her on the floor in her underwear. "Do you want to make some cookies?" I ask. She looks up at me and grins.
"Cookies? Okay!" She goes to run past me, but I catch her waist and pick her up.
"Don't you think you should put on some clothes?" I ask. She grins and hops down and then runs to her drawer.
"Can you help me Mama?" She asks.
"Sure," I walk over to her.
"Wait, can I have one of your shirts?" She asks.
Her and Hal love to wear my tee shirts. They're so little that the shirt goes to their knees. Hallie walks into the room.
"Daddy says I need t change or I'll ruin my dress. May I have a shirt Mama?"
"Sure. Come on," I lead to them Peeta and I's bedroom and get them some old tee shirts. I help Bai into hers and help Hal get her dress off and put the shirt on.
"Uncle Finnick!" Brennan screams from downstairs. I see both of the girls eyes light up, and before I get Hal in her shirt, and bullets downstairs in her underwear. I laugh and follow her.
"Hal?" I ask. She turns around. "Come here," I smile and she walks over to me. "Arms up,"
She lifts her arms and I tug the shirt over her head. Then she launches herself at Finnick. Annie walks in then, with their son, Nick, who is two, and their daughter, Alyssa, who is four. Prim and Alex join too, with Chase, who is six, and Olivia, who is three. Then Jo and Dustin.
Soon enough, I'm not making the cookies, Finnick and Peeta are.

….s….

Later that day, when the kids are watching Beauty and the Beast, chosen by Hallie, who insisted that since she is the oldest, she gets the choice of the film, I get an idea.

We've watched this movie ten times in the past three days.

"This is for girls! I don't want to watch this!" Brennan complains.

"Yeah, why do we always have to watch this movie?" Chase complains. "I'm not watching this, come on Brennan, let's go play catch!" Both boys get up and go outside to the backyard.

"How about you girls stay down here while the adults go downstairs and talk?" I ask. Peeta's 'man cave' is in the basement, where all the guys go when there's a game on. The adults all seem to understand I need to talk to them, so they follow me downstairs.

"What?" Peeta asks.

"I have an idea." I say.

"What Brainless?" Johanna asks.

"We should go on a vacation with the family to Florida over thanksgiving break and take the kids to Disney." I say. Peeta grins.

"I like it. I'm in, are you guys in?" everyone nods. "But lets surprise them, not tell them until we're actually in the park."

"Agreed. Thius is perfect." Johanna grins.

….s….

I am on the phone all day while the kids are at the school the next day, and the rest of the week until Saturday.

It's Saturday now. "Mama, will you come outside with us? Let's play a game!" I'm pretty young to have three kids, well…I'm not old. I'm only thirty one.

Peeta and I spend the whole day outside with the kids. "Wait, Mama, behind you!" Hallie squeals. I turn around to find a ball Brennan threw at me flying towards me. I catch it and toss it back. They have no clue. No clue that we bought tickets already, that the whole family is going and we're spending the week till Wednesday in Florida, then going back to Mama's for Thanksgiving.

They also have no clue that the family is coming down next week for Hallie's sixth birthday. Peeta and I got her a bike and a helmet, and we're going to teach her to ride it.

I'm so excited. I duck when Peeta throws a ball, then I hear it hit something, and then Bailee starts crying. I turn around to see her on the ground with scraped knee. "Oh honey, I am so sorry, come on, lets get you cleaned up." I lift her into my arms and take her inside. Peeta stays out with the kids.

My cooking skills are improving. I can make dinner now, but I can't bake. I bring Bai upstairs to the bathroom and sit her down on the counter. She screams as I pour peroxide on her and cries into my shoulder. I remember when I was little, scraping your knee was the worst thing that could happen, and you always cried when it happened. I put Neosporin on her band-aid and then put the bandaid on her knee. I kiss on the bandage. "There you go, all better." I pick her up again. "Do you want to go back outside?" I ask. She shakes her head.

"Can we watch Tink?" she whispers.

"Sure," I take her downstairs and put Tinker Bell in the DVD player and lay her on the couch. It's noon, so I head to the kitchen and put a pot of water on the stove to boil.

Hal's birthday is a Sunday, so that's when her party is. I'm taking her to the mall and when I get home with her, the family will be here and they're going to be hiding. Everyone is going to jump up and shout surprise and I know she's going to be estatic.