#this time i got ''can you say hi to uncle joshy?'' ''i can't see him?'' ''it's a video because he can't be here!'' ''.... no i can't do it''

[charliespringverse]

lightly bullying my 3 yr old goddaughter on the phone because she's apparently forgotten how to say hello to me if she can't see my face

[hearts-hunger]

Dad Danny where the kids make him watch their dance routines they made up in the living room all day and then with their big brown eyes persuade him to dance with them and perform when you get home from work. Your daughters putting a bow in his hair and all three of them with pink tutus on. That man would not be able to say no when it comes to his girls. He’s nails would never not be painted and you’d come home so often to see blue eyeshadow on him that Danny had completely forgot about. And tea parties in the summer! Sam would come round and Rosie would be the guest of honour

“no, daddy, you have to step with your left foot.”

danny gave his daughter a puzzled squint for a moment, wondering if he was maybe having a stroke, or else wondering if the eye shadow from the kiddie makeup kit was slowly eating away at his sanity the longer it stayed smudged on his face.

“left foot,” he repeated. he stepped with his left foot.

she gave a dramatic sigh. “left foot, daddy.” she tapped his right foot. “come on. you can do it.”

by some miracle, he managed to smother his laughter and step out on his right foot. “did i do it right that time?”

she beamed up at him. “yes! see, it's not that hard.”

danny smiled. “thank you for teaching me, sweetheart. i promise i'll get it this time.”

she watched like a strict ballet instructor as he did the simple two step-skip-jump routine she'd come up with. sam was coming over for a tea party any minute now, and they had to have something to perform for him and rosie.

she clapped and cheered enthusiastically when he did it correctly, left and right feet notwithstanding, and her little sister toddled over from her blocks to join in the excitement.

“dada!” she called, giving him uppy arms. he scooped her up and kissed her chubby cheek, loving the sound of her giggle.

the doorbell rang, and all three of them greeted sam at the door.

“rosie!” both girls all but screeched. rosie wagged her tail happily and withstood the eager but gentle pets delivered by both of danny's girls.

“my, daniel, aren't you looking beautiful,” sam teased. “that blue eye shadow really brings out your eyes.”

“thank you,” danny said. he showed sam his hand. “it matches my nail polish.”

“the neon pink bow kind of clashes, though,” sam said, looking over him with a critical eye. “the shiny lip gloss is okay. not my favorite.”

“i have different ones!” danny's oldest piped up. “do you want to pick one for you, uncle sammy?”

“you pick, honey,” sam said, accepting the beer danny gave him.

“can i do your hair too?”

“oh, i guess.”

she giggled and ran to gather the things she would need to play salon with her uncle, leaving the baby to sit contentedly with rosie.

sam took a swig of beer. “i thought we were having lunch while the girls took a nap.”

danny shook his head. “not until we have our tea party, apparently.”

“oh, of course,” sam said with a grin. “and get all pretty, too.”

danny smiled. “you can't show up to a tea party under-dressed, sam. you know that.”

“i already feel under-dressed,” sam said. “i don't have a tutu.”

danny glanced down and laughed. “i forgot i was even wearing that.”

danny's oldest came back out from her room with her makeup kit. “okay, uncle sammy. your turn to get saloned!”

sam grinned. “i'm gonna start using that. 'get saloned, idiot.'”

“daddy says that's not a nice word,” she scolded.

sam clapped a hand over his mouth. “you're right, honey. i'm sorry.”

“that's okay,” she said, gesturing for him to sit on the floor in front of her. “i heard uncle joshy say a word that's really not nice, and he didn't even say sorry.”

sam smiled. “who did he say it to?”

“uncle jakey.”

sam laughed. “sounds about right.”

she directed danny to do his dance for sam while sam got his makeup done, and danny got rosie riled up with his perfomance. sam laughed and called rosie over, the baby right behind her, scratching behind rosie's ears and holding the baby in his lap as he critiqued danny's performance.

“needs work,” sam said. he looked to his oldest niece. “he's not a very good student, is he?”

she giggled. “he doesn't even know which foot is his left foot.”

when sam was finally pretty enough to suit her and his hair was in three lopsided braids, danny shooed everyone outside to enjoy the sunshine. sam and danny stood at the back door, watching the girls run around with rosie.

“you know what, dan?”

“hm?”

“i sure do like your kids.”

danny smiled and clinked his beer bottle against his best friend's.

“thanks. i like them too.”