#toddler sarah

[mariatesstruther]

toddler sarah would LOVE “try again” by aaliyah and would definitely use it as a stim/self-regulation tool when she messes something up like

picture baby sarah trying something new at the playground, completely wiping out, then singing to herself “if at first i don’t succeeeeeeeeed, i dust myself and try again. i can dust it off and try again, try again 🥰😋🥳” instead of getting major upset. joel would turn into a puddle of tears

[small-z24]

One-Shot: Bat Boys Babysitting Adventures

Summary:

What happens when the bat boys are tasked with babysitting a toddler sized Nyx. 

Word Count: 780

Warnings: None

The sun was barely up over Velaris, casting a soft golden light over the House of Wind. Feyre, Mor, and Nesta were preparing for a much-deserved day out, leaving behind their formidable mates with one important task: babysitting Nyx.

"Are you sure you guys will be okay?" Feyre asked, glancing between Rhysand, Azriel, and Cassian.

Rhysand, ever confident, gave her a reassuring smile. "We'll be fine, darling. Go enjoy your day."

Nesta raised an eyebrow at Cassian. "Remember, he's a toddler. Not a sparring partner."

Cassian laughed, scooping up Nyx, who giggled and tugged at his hair. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We got this."

Mor gave Azriel a pointed look. "Keep an eye on these two. Nyx is not to end up in the Illyrian camps."

Azriel smirked, nodding. "Understood."

With one last round of goodbyes and warnings, the women of the Night Court left, leaving the three bat boys with a very excited Nyx.

"Alright, little one," Rhysand said, ruffling Nyx's dark hair. "What do you want to do today?"

Nyx's eyes lit up with mischief. "Play!"

Cassian grinned. "Play it is! How about we start with a game of hide and seek?"

Nyx clapped his hands excitedly. "Yes! You hide, I seek!"

The game started innocently enough. Azriel, Rhysand, and Cassian took turns hiding while Nyx sought them out with surprising efficiency. But soon, Nyx's boundless energy and knack for mischief began to take its toll.

By mid-morning, the library was in disarray. Books were strewn about, and Nyx was using a particularly large tome as a stepping stone to reach higher shelves.

"Nyx, no!" Azriel called out, swooping in to catch the toddler just as he toppled off the stack of books.

Rhysand chuckled, though there was a hint of weariness in his eyes. "This might be more challenging than I thought."

Cassian, meanwhile, was trying to coax Nyx away from the kitchen, where he had discovered the wonders of pots and pans. The clanging was deafening.

"Nyx, buddy, let's play with something quieter," Cassian pleaded, rubbing his temples.

Nyx looked up with wide, innocent eyes. "But this fun!"

As the day wore on, the house bore the signs of toddler chaos. The living room cushions were now a makeshift fort, several vases were knocked over (thankfully unbroken), and Nyx had managed to get into the art supplies, resulting in a rather colorful display on the dining table.

Azriel found Nyx trying to climb up the curtains in the grand hall. "Nyx, those are not for climbing," he said, lifting the giggling toddler down.

"But I'm a dragon!" Nyx declared, spreading his little arms wide.

Azriel couldn't help but smile. "Alright, dragon. Let's find a safer place to fly."

By the time the sun began to set, all three bat boys were exhausted. The house was a mess, but Nyx was finally starting to wind down, looking as angelic as ever with a tired smile on his face.

Rhysand flopped down on the couch, looking around at the chaos. "I don't know how they do this every day."

Cassian nodded in agreement, sprawled out on the floor. "I have a new respect for them."

Azriel, holding a now sleepy Nyx, smiled down at the toddler. "At least he had fun."

Nyx yawned, his eyelids drooping. "I love you, Uncle Az."

Azriel's heart melted, and he kissed the top of Nyx's head. "I love you too, Nyx."

When Feyre, Mor, and Nesta returned, they were greeted by the sight of the three bat boys, looking utterly worn out, and a house that looked like a tornado had passed through.

Feyre raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on her lips. "Rough day?"

Rhysand gave her a tired smile. "You could say that."

Nyx, now sound asleep in Azriel's arms, looked like the picture of innocence. Nesta shook her head with a laugh. "He certainly kept you busy."

Mor walked over, gently taking Nyx from Azriel. "Well, it looks like you survived."

Cassian groaned, sitting up. "Barely."

The women shared a knowing look, and Feyre gave Rhysand a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you, all of you. You did great."

As they began to tidy up the chaos, Rhysand looked at his brothers-in-arms with a grin. "Same time next week?"

Azriel and Cassian groaned in unison, but there was a shared sense of accomplishment in their eyes. They had survived a day with toddler Nyx, and that was no small feat.

As the house slowly returned to order, the bat boys knew one thing for sure: they would sleep very well tonight.

And as for Nyx, he would wake up the next day, ready for more adventures with his favorite uncles.

[nicolemabes]

You do not have a right to everything automatically. You do not get to force someone to include you, especially if doing so will cause them pain.

A lot of y’all weren’t told No enough as a child and it shows.

[pineapplesquid]

I’m looking for book recommendations that I can get through Hoopla or Libby (yes, I realize Libby will vary by library). A series would be ideal, I’ve been going through things faster than usual recently. Types of things I tend to like:

1. What I think of as “new sci fi”, which probably needs a better name. Ancillary, GtN, Murderbot, Long Way To A. . ., etc.

2. Not super serious mysteries, with characters that will keep me interested (the mystery itself isn’t really enough for me). I like Sayers, Elizabeth Peters, Louise Penny, Cadfael.

3. I’m more into nonfiction than usual recently, but it’s hard to predict what will grab me. I’ve been reading mountaineering disasters (why? I don’t even know) and biographies of interesting people doing things I’d never known about (the one on one of the first codebreakers in the US was fascinating). I want to read more about environmental justice issues, but I’m typically more interested in the story of a specific person/place/legal case than a broader survey.

Anyway, an eclectic set. Anyone have any recommendations? I need something to read, and I’m just not finding it myself right now.

[hey-you-i-just]

every time I talk about my son on here I am shot back to 2013 tumblr when we used to call the superwholock guys our sons

[belsasim]

Aaah, toddler life... to play with your siblings, to learn new skills (yes, Sarah was delighted to have to potty train another set of twins), to be told many stories...

[autism69]

i need to watch the labyrinth again............ <-me every time a thing ever happens

[eva-knits12]

Steve's Favorite Girls

Trigger warning: nothing that I can think of, just fluff and Steve's daughter just wanting Daddy cuddles.

Summary: Steve and James wants to watch his beloved Yankees play, and his daughter just wants daddy cuddles. Also, the family of four will become a family of five.

It's based on this video here.

It was a typical Sunday at the Rogers household. Breakfast was already made, and you and Steve made pancakes and sausage. Your son James, ate his happily, and even ate his fruit. James was now drawing at the table, and Sarah was making scribbles on paper with her palm crayons.

The Yankees were playing that afternoon, which means you and Sarah get to spend some mother daughter bonding time. It wasn't like at your cousin's bridal shower, where you were trying to keep your daughter entertained and she was bored the entire time. She just wanted to spend time with Steve and her brother, and they got to spend the afternoon swimming, and then watching the boats. Sarah wanted to do that, too. But she had to be at the bridal shower because she was one of the flower girls. Sarah threw a tantrum because she loved swimming, and she loved the beach.

"We'll go later, honey. I know you're bored. I brought you your palm crayons and your coloring book, and your favorite Barbie doll", you said, trying to soothe your toddler. Your daughter perked up at the crayons and coloring book, so you pulled it out. You also brought some books, so you spend the rest of her afternoon reading to her and coloring with her. You realized that it was hard to keep a toddler entertained longer than three minutes at a time, and you had your phone turned off. You did join Steve and James at the beach after the shower, and even let Sarah play in the water for bit. You then went to the hamburger/hot dog stand, and got everyone cheeseburgers and fries for dinner and lemonades to drink, with ice cream cones for dessert.

"I've already got the subs ordered for you, honey. I'll pick them up when Subway opens," you say, giving Steve a kiss. You and Steve still feel like newlyweds, and you both have been married for six years. Steve gave up going on missions when he found out you were pregnant with James, and three years ago, he took even more of a backseat with the Avengers when he found out your were pregnant with Sarah. He just wanted to enjoy this life that he never had with Peggy, and that he had missed out when he was frozen in the ice. He found that with you when he accidentally bumped into you when you were working at the Avengers tower as Tony's receptionist, and you had to help Tony file paperwork. You were busy trying to make sure that the paperwork was in order, and looking through everything. You weren't paying attention to where you were going, and you ran into Steve. Steve, being the gentlemen he was, stopped to help you.

"It looks like you have ton of papers there," said Steve, as he was helping you pick up the papers.

"Thanks. Can I get you a cup of coffee later?", you ask Steve.

"I haven't seen you here before. Are you new here?", asked Steve.

"I just started here a week ago. I'm still trying to find my around. I feel like this is a huge task, and Tony hasn't introduced me to the Avengers yet," you say.

"I'm Steve. Steve Rogers. I'll take the offer for coffee", said Steve.

"I'm Eva. And I can't wait to see more of you", you said.

From that first meeting, and that first coffee date, you and Steve have been together ever since. A few years ago, on your birthday, Steve had planned a party. He found a room at a nice Italian restaurant. and he rented out the room for the night. He then invited the Avengers, and everyone said something about you. Steve's turn finally came, and at the end, he got down on one knee, and pulled out the small, black velvet box in his pocket. It was his mother's ring, and you said yes. You felt that Sarah was with always with him. You also went home with a lot of gifts, and you felt like a kid again.

Your wedding was a beautiful affair held at a local church. You're an agnostic, but you knew it was important for Steve to have the wedding in a church, seeing as how he was raised Christian. The reception was held in the lake house in Central Park, and it was set up and looked elegant and beautiful. You wore a vintage inspired wedding gown, because it would match your ring better. The sunset behind you, and you're wedding photos were in there. Steve even twirled you around the dance floor during your first dance.

You and Steve went to Rome for your honeymoon, and you both enjoyed it. You got pregnant on your honeymoon, and you told Steve on his birthday.

"Honey, this just makes our honeymoon and my birthday special", said and excited Steve. His hand went to your stomach.

Steve was in tears of joy. Everything he ever wanted in life was happening, and was thanks to you. The guy that became unfrozen never lost sight, it was just buried. You explained that when you had to accompany Nick Fury and Maria Hill to the safe house, and since you had been promoted, and now worked more closely with the Avengers, you sometimes had to go on missions with them, and help with their tech and communications. You weren't on the front lines at that point, you worked more behind the scenes, and that suited you just fine. You felt like Jake Jenson from The Losers. You and Steve had become more serious at that point, and he had been wanting to take a backseat for a while. It was after the events of Ultron that Steve started to take more of a backseat, and worked with new recruits. He was still doing paperwork, and helping out on missions at that point, but you and Steve had become even more serious and even bought a house upstate that was close to the compound. Tony lived right across the lake from you.

It was Sunday, and the Yankees were playing that afternoon. Steve and James wanted to watch the game on TV, which meant you and Sarah had to make yourselves scarce. You would be going to the retirement home that afternoon, so you could help with the Sunday afternoon Bingo, and you often brought along James and Sarah. Steve would come, too, and would visit with Peggy. You didn't mind, Peggy knew about you, she had worked with your Papa at one point, and it was often a family thing. Peggy had met James and Sarah already. While you were busy with Bingo and serving snacks and drinks to the residents, James would often draw and Sarah would often nap in her stroller. The resident's loved James and Sarah.

You told Sarah that it was just going to be you two today, so you planned on having a mother daughter date with Sarah. You told Sarah that the Yankees were playing and that Steve and James needed to spend some father son time together.

"No, no, Daddy's mine today", said Sarah.

"Sarah, Daddy loves the Yankees. They're his favorite team. Daddy and James need to spend time together, too," you explain.

"No, Daddy. I want to Daddy to cuddle me", says, Sarah.

"I know, baby, but it's only for one afternoon. I know you want Daddy cuddles, but you can get Daddy cuddles later," you say.

"No, Yankvess play some other time. Daddy," says Sarah, who is now starting to cry because she just wanted Steve to cuddle her.

This breaks you heart. So, you agree to take Sarah to Barnes and Noble to get a book, and get a toy.

You and Sarah leave the house, and you take her to Starbucks, and get her an apple juice, along with a cake pop. You got a regular coffee with cream and sugar, and you get a chocolate donut. You and Sarah both sit on the patio, and you wait for your friends to arrive. Normally, Steve would watch the kids while you met with your friends for your weekly coffee date, but today, you had no choice but to bring Sarah.

You color with Sarah while you guys wait, and Anne comes first, followed by Sandra, then Jean, then Debbie, and Jenny arrives last. You all sit, and you grab your knitting, you all sit and knit for a while, and talk.

After a few hours, you all say your goodbyes, and go about your afternoon. Sarah is sitting in her stroller, and you walk down to Barnes and Noble, and go into the kids section and you get Sarah a book and a toy. You got a cozy mystery for yourself, too.

Before you pay for the books and leave, you let Sarah play for a bit, and then you guys pay for your books and her toy. You then head to Subway to get the sandwich for Steve and James, and you get a sub for yourself, too. You get a little kids meal for Sarah, and pay for the purchase.

You and Sarah sit at the table, and eat your lunch. Sarah happily chews on her small sandwich, and you eat your meal. After a while, you and Sarah head off to the retirement home, and Sarah is napping in her car seat.

You arrive at the retirement home, and Sarah, who usually sleeps the entire time, screams.

"DADDY! DADDY!", Sarah screams. Sarah is upset because all she wants to do is spend time with her daddy.

Meanwhile, Steve and James are watching the game. Sam and Tony are over, and so is James' godfather Bucky. The game starts soon, so everyone grabs some of the sub, and sits in their spots.

It was an exciting game, and the Yankees won. It didn't go into extra innings, if it did, you would have gotten a call to stay out longer, which would be impossible with a toddler.

While the boys were bonding and watching the game, you and Sarah were at the retirement home. You were helping Victoria with the Sunday Bingo, and the kitchen staff even gave Sarah a some apple juice, some cookies, and some apple slices to snack on.

After that, you stayed for a bit to talk with the residents, and Sarah was getting antsy. You were even talking with the guitarist from the Monkees, Peter Tork, who wasn't your favorite, but you were friends. He loved it when you brought James and Sarah. Some of the residents were even in your book club, Peter included. You started the book club for the residents. You even introduced Doris to audio books, and it opened a world for her.

You order some Chinese for dinner, and bring it home.

"Hi, doll. Did you and Sarah have a good time?" asks Steve.

"Sarah and I had a lovely time. She really wanted you, though," you say.

"Hi, Sarah. Are you glad to see me finally?" Steve asks.

"DADDY!" screams Sarah. Sarah runs up to Steve, with her arms out, and Steve picks her up. Sarah is finally getting her Daddy cuddles.

You are busy dishing out the Chinese, when you tell Steve to finish up. Your morning sickness has kicked in right now, and you need to throw up.

"Are you okay, doll? Steve asks, concerned.

"I am, Steve. In fact, there's going to be some more love in the Rogers household", you say.

You give Steve the positive pregnancy test, which you took several days ago. You had it confirmed on Friday, and were just waiting for the right time to tell Steve. You also give Steve the ultrasound photo.

Steve kneels down and kisses your stomach.

"I can't wait to meet him or her," says Steve.

"Steve, I'm happy. I always wanted three kids, and it's thanks to you," you say.

"Wait, I'm going to be a big brother again?" asks James.

"You sure are, James," you respond.

"Sarah, did you hear that? You're going to be a big sister," you say.

"No, no. I'm the baby", says Sarah.

You and Steve are cracking up.

"No baby. I'm the baby", says Sarah.

James is now laughing.

"Sarah, you still have a lot to learn about being a big sister," says James.

Dinner is finished, and James and Sarah are watching The Incredibles on the Disney Channel. You talk to your stomach.

"Just wait, little one, you'll be part of the organized chaos, soon," you say.

Steve says, "We can't wait to meet you, little one", and kisses your belly again.

This is was the dream for both you and Steve. Steve couldn't stop smiling.

You try to snuggle with Steve, but Sarah kept pushing your arm away. You try to hold Steve's hand, but Sarah kept pushing it away. You were not going to get between Sarah and her Daddy cuddles since Sarah had a lot to say about it. Nobody comes between Sarah and Daddy cuddles.

Sarah was basically telling you "Not today Satan" in her own way right now.

Steve starts laughing.

[planetsandthefates]

sick and twisted that taylor swift’s debut will be 17 this year. like ma’am that is a BABY!

[mariatesstruther]

hey @clickergossip and @becomethesun im thinking about how my preschoolers had a valentines day dance where we had parents come and dance with us to songs that the kids chose. also thinking about how how toddler sarah and ellie would definitely choose the BEST songs

the other kids are choosing songs like let it go, we dont talk about bruno, and pup pup boogie from paw patrol. meanwhile ellie chooses “we belong together” by mariah and sarah’s chooses “at your best (you are love)” by aaliyah

[ana-bananya]

Support the Jad Al Haq family

I've been asked by the family to make this post to help clear up the rumors of fraud surrounding them. All of these campaigns have been vetted by trustworthy sources and I have linked proof of verification for each of them. You may see similar photos and wording in their campaigns, but that is because they are all sisters.

Please share and donate where you can to help the Jad Al Haq family be able to reunite with Doaa in Egypt.

kr85,535 SEK/kr300,000 SEK

SEK conversation rate calculator

@dodoomar12345 and her son Omar evacuated to Egypt. Omar is autistic and nonverbal, and is suffering from shock and trauma caused by the bombings he and his mother lived through.

Doaa is seeking to get Omar therapy and enroll him in school, but she needs support to cover the expensive weekly fees for his treatment. Her campaign has been vetted by 90-ghost.

$3,694/$5,000

@free-gaza2 is Doaas other account for her second campaign. This fundraiser is to help her purchase the equipment she needs to restart her sewing and embroidery business so she can support herself and Omar. It was also verified by 90-ghost.

$3,481/$65,000

Vetted by 90-ghost

This fundraiser is for 3 of Doaa's sisters: Tahreer, Fidaa, and Aseel. All of them were recently forced to evacuate where they were sheltering and find themselves displaced again. The funds will be used to help them afford necessities and evacuation so they can join Doaa in Egypt.

@tahreer1990 and her husband Ahmed have 4 children: Fatima, Khamees, Sarah, and Ameer. Ameer is a toddler with a broken pelvis and in desperate need of medical care. Khamees also recently underwent a tonsillectomy without proper conditions/medications due to a severe infection.

@fedao and her husband Hashem have 4 children: Dima, Abdullah, Islam, and Duaa. Hashem has an arm injury and needs medical care.

@aseelo680 is a young ambitious English student who is taking care of their elderly parents. Both their mother and father need treatment to help with their medical conditions, but Aseel cannot afford the care they need. Her father also recently suffered a stroke after losing his home, job, and relatives.

Aseel also has a second fundraiser to help with her parents' treatment and evacuation.

$6,693/$20,000

Vetted by 90-ghost

@/ebenrosetaylor is also doing an art raffle for Aseel's fundraiser. You can read the details here.

£7,301/£20,000

246 on the verified fundraiser spreadsheet vetted by nabulsi and el-shab-hussein

@hanaa987 and her husband Muhammad have a 2 year old son named Youssef. Their family has now been displaced more than 6 times. They were recently forced to evacuate Khan Younis and were able to afford another tent thanks to the donations they received, but they still need support so they can afford evacuation.

$6,000/$75,000

Vetted by 90-ghost

@safaa18mero is a law school graduate who dreamed of becoming a lawyer to support her family. She is currently in need of support to afford milk and diapers for her 5 month old son Amir who she gave birth to during this genocide.

$8,022/$40,000

Vetted by 90-ghost

Additional information can be found here

@falestine-yousef and her husband have a 3 month old son named Youssef that Falestine gave birth to during this genocide. She is struggling to provide enough milk, diapers, medicine, and vitamins for her son. She also fears for Youssef's health because of the unsanitary conditions in their camp. The tent they live in is next to a dilapidated public toilet where sewage, dirt and waste is everywhere, putting her family at greater risk of contracting deadly diseases.

[echointernationaljumpers]

As the headline says, my wife has a special touch - a special skill when it comes to horses who has been hurt or mistreated. And I don't think that Romance has been mistreated as such. She has just been forgotten, and not been handled a lot.

This morning we had the vet over here, and he deemed her 3 years old when he looked at her teeth. She is also very clearly a Hanoverian mare, and actually has a brand on her left thigh that I only actually saw this morning, because she was so dirty when she got here.

But wifey aka Sarah went into the joined stall today to see what she could do about the mare's skittishness and nervousness. The mare watched her closely from afare to begin with, but as Sarah just sat on the stall floor, minding her own business, not even looking at the mare as she rummaged around in the bedding with her hands the mare got curious.

Soon after the mare was sniffing the ground that Sarah was touching, and then sniffed Sarah's hand. She was accepted just like that.

So Sarah put on her leadrope after the mare had allowed her to pet her, and took her into the arena. Apparently it won't be a problem to train this one, at least not for Sarah, because she is not exactly nervous. Not as such. She is very curious, and a little shy. She needs to bond with her handler, before they are allowed to touch her. Something to dot down for a future owner, I'm sure.

The mare was soon after turning nicely when the pressure on the rope got greater, and I am sure this one just need to be trained slowly, even when used to a rider on her back. The breaking in definitely won't be a problem, she just needs time and space to be able to learn.

In the end of the training session, they were just standing calmly together, Sarah patting the mare's neck, while speaking softly to her.

Our, me and wifey's, daughter Ellie had come home from kindergarden. She is not that old yet, only barely 2 yo, but she loves horses with all her heart. She definitely has her mother's take on horses, though she is sometimes a little too eager.

When she got up to the joint stall she reached out for Romance, and the mare just looked at the little girl in wonder. Not really knowing what to do she just stood there, watching Ellie. That's a good sign I guess. Children, especially at that age, can be unpredictable, and horses who has been through what Romance has been through often doesn't like that.

"Hey, darling?" Sarah said, coming from the side as I was kneeling on the floor, trying to fill up the bag with hay. I had dropped it, and the hay had gotten all over the place.

"Yes, hunny?" I replied, and was rewarded with a kiss on my cheek.

"Are you almost finished, so we can start on dinner?" she asked me sweetly, hugging me from the side.

"Yeah, sure. I just need to finish feeding the horses hay, and then I will be right in. Ellie can stay here with me, while I finish this, if she wants," I offered kindly, and hugged her back.

"Great, I will get started on dinner then. And yes, I'll just let Ellie stay here. It's easier anyway to make dinner, when you don't have a toddler running around your legs. Just keep an eye on her ok?" She kissed my cheek again, then let me go.

"Of course. See you in there!" I then began finishing up the feeding.

[catcatb0y]

I mean she does, as above stated, have a character arc, even in regards to how she treats Toby, quite frankly, she doesn't really need to have a specific character arc about loving him.

Why would she?

He was the driving precense in the film, but he didn't... really do anything... Honestly, I think outside of her learning that a baby needs toys more than a young adult/teen, her magically loving him would be offputting and weird.

"You learn to love things when you're about to lose them" isn't really the best defining character arc, and, personally, the [Overall Happy Ending] is a really superficial look. Yeah, she went through all of that to save him. At the end of the day, he's saved. Whether it's because she loves him or because she's a decent person or even if she's just trying to save her own neck, in any event she recognized that he needed saving. Above her own personal feelings.

She doesn't have to like him to treat him like a human being. She doesn't have to think he's the greatest in the world to not viciously hate a toddler for wanting to play with a teddy bear. She doesn't have to love him to save him. She doesn't have to care about him to watch him and not get mad at him for being a child who cries because that's what children do.

You can not like Sarah as a character, and that's fine; but saying she has no growth is quite false. Also, her character as is, at the very least, just as important as any "I almost lost you so I love you now!" If anything, it's more realistic.

what the fuck was wrong with people that Labyrinth was originally a flop. How could they take any aspect of it so for granted. How could they fucking do that to Jim Henson. Newspapers were calling it boring and even ugly. I want to go back in time and beat their asses.

[belsasim]

They didn't really understand what was happening, but the twins could certainly sense the sadness their parents and housemates were feeling after Jade's passing. Their grandma wasn't around anymore for cuddles or sweet little tunes on the guitar.

Kit and Zinnia had a hard time falling asleep and staying asleep. Even the independent Kit called out for his parents a lot more than he used to, needing their reassurance and attention.

[imdoingwhateverisnext]

Sarah's Candor

When my niece was almost 2, she and my mother would go shopping together. On this day, much like the others, Sarah was sitting in the buggy talking to her imaginary friends, and living in a little world she had created.

Behind my mother in the check-out line was a frail, white-haired, elderly woman. She seemed to be interested in Sarah, and what she was doing. "Aren't you a pretty girl! Are you helping your Nana? You are such a sweet little thing!" She was enamored by and fawned over Sarah.

Sarah just looked at the little hunched over woman spewing compliments to her. Then she smiled and spread her arms out in a 'come here and give me a hug' sort of manner. The lady smiled and looked at my mother. My mom nodded, as if she were giving this stranger permission to hug my niece. The lady leaned in and reached out to hug her. As she got close to her little open toddler arms, Sarah did something unexpected. She wrapped her hands around the lady's throat; in a choking motion!

My mother yelled out and grabbed Sarah's hands. She was mortified. "Sarah! Oh ma'am, I am so sorry! Sarah! You don't do that! You don't CHOKE people!" My mom was straightening the lady's shirt as she repeatedly apologized; all the while simultaneously scolding my niece. She was always good at multitasking back then.

The lady laughed after she pulled away from Sarah's grasp. My mother apologized again. "It's okay," the lady chuckled. My mother, thoroughly embarrassed, finished checking out as quickly and quietly as she could.

As she was wheeling the buggy out of the store, she started scolding again. "Sarah, why did you choke that nice lady? You are not supposed to do that EVER! That is NOT NICE at all!" My mom was trying her best to be clear, but age appropriate with her words. She did not want this to ever happen again. She was shocked it ever happened at all. She had no idea where it came from. Who or what was influencing her? "Sarah, tell me, why did you do that?"

Sarah stated promptly with toddler's speech and candor, "I was only choking her a little bit".

[pedrospatch]

splash

Jackson! Joel Miller x Female Reader

snapshots masterlist

summary: You come home from your first day back out on patrol and find Joel giving your daughter a bath.

warnings/tags: 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI. JACKSON ERA. GIRLDAD!JOEL. established relationship. this specific work does not mention reader’s age (other works in this series may mention she is younger than Joel), no physical description of reader, Rosemary comes with a slight physical description (she has Joel’s hair color/hair type and eye color, no mentions of her skin tone). brief mention of Sarah, brief mention of Joel being a single father pre outbreak, Joel and Ellie are fine because i said so and it’s what he deserves, okay? general fluff and a lot of cuteness, brief smutty themes, but nothing explicit. minimal editing.

word count: 2.3k

a/n: short little thing, but this feels like the cutest thing i have written in a while. if you enjoy it, please consider reblogging or leaving a comment <33

Joel sighs to himself as he scrapes the remnants of Rosemary’s lunch into the bin of food scraps beside the kitchen counter—the neighbor’s chickens were in for a real treat tomorrow morning when he dropped them off on his way to patrol. He had just about coaxed his two and a half year old daughter into eating the crust of her jam sandwich when Ellie walked into the kitchen with a soccer ball tucked under her arm, a trade he was fairly certain she’d made more for the toddler’s sake than her own.

She was sixteen now, spent more time with her friends than she did with her family lately, but her soft spot for the little girl always, always brought her back home.

“Hey kid, look what I’ve got,” Ellie had grinned, holding the ball out for the child to see. “What do you say we go out back and kick this thing around? Sound like fun?”

He frowned, the creases between his brows deepening.

“Ellie, can’t you see I’m in the middle of feedin’ her—”

But it had been too late.

Rosie’s dark brown eyes widened, and she squealed in delight. “Down! Down!” she had exclaimed, whacking her teeny hands down on top of her wooden high chair on either side of her plate. “Daddy! Down, want down!”

Joel decided to put his foot down.

Well, he had tried to put his foot down, anyway.

“Not ‘til you’ve finished every last bite, babygirl. Y’gotta finish your sandwich and eat all your carrots, alright?”

“M’all done,” she’d insisted, placing both hands on her belly. Although Joel would have preferred she clean her plate, you had taught him to honor her fullness cues.

“We have to listen to Rosemary,” you’d told him. “If she says she’s full, then she’s full. The last thing we want to do is force her to keep eating when she’s not hungry, Joel. Her relationship with food starts with us, after all.”

“You’re startin’ to sound like that goddamn child rearin’ book,” he had teased you, earning himself a stern glare.

He liked to give you a hard time about it, but the truth of the matter was, that parenting book you found in the library turned out to be pretty helpful for both of you—while this wasn’t Joel’s first rodeo, the last time he had been around a child this young was over three decades ago. With Sarah, he’d flown through her childhood by the seat of his pants, went through a lot more trial and error scenarios than he liked to admit.

Often, Joel found himself feeling guilty. He tried to give some credit to the clueless young man in his twenties, the one who had been left to raise his baby girl all on his own when her mom couldn’t take it anymore after one year. Things turned out alright, but whenever he sees you with Rosemary, takes in the way you pour your entire heart into being a good mother to yours and his daughter, he can’t help but reminisce on his first life, on all those moments he felt so hopeless—all of those moments when he didn’t know what to do, and had no one to turn to for help. No one to lean on.

Oh how he wished Sarah could have known what it was like to have both of her parents at her side.

Like Rosie does.

Sighing, Joel places her plate in the sink, along with his own. He turns and glances at the clock on the wall—it’s half past noon, and he knows your early morning patrol group should be arriving back to the town’s main gates any minute now. Sure, caring for Rosemary had served as a decent distraction, but every so often, his anxieties would creep up on him. He worried about you being out there on the other side of the wall. And if you being out there wasn’t bad enough, you were out there without him.

“I’m back on the patrol roster next week,” you informed him one evening while the two of you were cleaning the kitchen after supper. You winced when he dropped the plate in his hands into the sink, the loud clanking noise bouncing off the walls. You wasted no time in pleading your case. “It’s been almost three years, Joel. I have to get back to pulling my weight around here. As much as I’d love to, I can’t stay home forever, and you know that as well as I do.”

Slowly, he’d spun around to face you, the muscle in his jaw ticking—he wasn’t happy. “Find another job,” he bit through his teeth. “Somethin’ in town. Somethin’ safe.”

“Joel—”

“You’re a mother now!” he hissed, angrily.

“And you’re a father,” you’d countered without missing a beat. Knowing Joel’s reaction was only coming from a place of concern, you walked up to him and placed a hand on his heaving chest, right over his racing heart in an effort to calm him. “Look, I’m just capable of getting myself home safely as you are, alright? And if it makes you feel any better, I’ll be partnered with Tommy. He’ll have my back.”

He’d found very little consolation in that.

Joel sighs again and reaches for the faucet.

“Uh, Joel?” Ellie’s voice comes from behind him.

“What?” He turns around, his jaw dropping open when he sees her standing there, carefully holding Rosemary out towards him by her underarms. She’s covered from head to toe in mud. “What the hell did you do to her?”

“You know how it was raining for like three days?” Ellie shoots him a sheepish smile. “The ball went into a mud puddle, and well, she sorta went in after it.”

“Jesus Christ, she’s filthy!” Exasperated, Joel narrows his eyes at her. “Why weren’t you watchin’ her?”

“I was, but she was too fast! Kid’s a little speed demon, man. Aren’t ya, Rosie?”

Rosie giggles and kicks her dangling feet, mud dripping off her tiny, leather oxford shoes and onto the floor with an audible splatter.

“She’s gonna be home from patrol any minute now,” he says, shaking his head. “If she sees Rosie like this, she’ll have my ass, and yours.” Carefully, he takes Rosemary from Ellie’s hands, holding her out and away from him. He jerks his chin towards the dirty floor. “Clean up this mess while I take her upstairs and give her a bath. We might just be able to get away with this.”

She gives him a thumbs up. “You got it, old man.”

“C’mon, Rosie Posie. Let’s get you all washed up before mama gets home and puts all three of us in a timeout.”

She gives him a wide, toothy smile. “Okay, daddy.”

Groaning, you shove through the front door.

You had underestimated how difficult it would be to get back in the saddle of a horse after almost three years of not being in one.

It would take some getting used to—again.

“Fuck,” you hiss, closing the door and leaning against it for support. Your knees. Your thighs. Your lower back.

There isn’t a single part of you that isn’t aching.

After taking a minute to collect yourself, you push away from the door and toe off your old, brown leather boots, leaving them there near the entryway. You call out, “I’m home!”

“Oh hey!” From seemingly out of nowhere, Ellie comes speeding down the hallway, skidding to a stop in front of you with her backpack slung over her shoulder. “Just the person I wanted to see! Mind if I head over to Dina’s for a while?”

“How long is a while, El?”

“She invited me to stay for dinner.”

You raise a knowing eyebrow at her, a smirk tugging at the corners of your mouth. “Again?”

Flushing, Ellie nods. “Yeah.”

“Did you ask Joel for permission?”

“Aw come on, man! Do I really have to ask Joel?” She huffs and rolls her eyes. “I can hear him bitching at me already.” Dropping her voice several octaves, she starts to mimic him, accent and all. “Y’been spending every fuckin’ night over there. Don’t you forget you’ve got a family, kiddo.”

Amused, you chuckle and lightly nudge her shoulder. “I have to take his side on this one, Ellie. It would be nice for the four of us to have dinner together. You know, like we used to before Dina came into the picture?” 

“I’ll stay home for dinner for the rest of the week,” Ellie swears, clasping her hands together. “Please?”

Sighing in defeat, you step aside. “Alright, go ahead. I’ll hold you to your word though, alright?”

“Thank you!” she grins as she breezes past you and out the door, slamming it shut behind her.

Shrugging out of your jacket, you hang it up in the hall closet and then head upstairs. “Joel? Are you up here?” There’s no answer. You pass by Rosemary’s room first and peek inside only to find it empty. Furrowing a brow, you head a bit further down the hallway into yours and Joel’s bedroom. That’s when you hear his voice coming from the en suite bathroom.

There, you find him kneeling on the tile floor beside the tub, his back to you as he gives your daughter her bath. Hours ahead of her normal schedule, you realize.

Casually leaning against the doorframe, you cross your arms over your chest, and quietly watch them, your lips already curling into a smile.

“What’s this?” Joel asks her, holding up a yellow rubber duck. It’s almost comical how small it looks in the palm of his large hand.

“Duckie!” Rosemary answers, enthusiastically.

He nods. “S’right, honey. It’s a duckie. And what sound does a duckie make?”

Craning your neck, you catch a glimpse of her sweet little face as she stares at him, her expression a mingle of equal parts curiosity and confusion.

“C’mon now, babygirl,” Joel prompts her, handing her the toy. “Mama taught you this already, remember?”

She looks at the rubber duck and thinks, thinks, thinks. 

After a minute, Rosie gasps and shouts, “Quack!”

“S’right! Good job, Rosie,” he praises. Leaning over the edge of the tub, he presses a kiss into her damp, dark brown curls. “That’s my girl. You’re so smart.”

“Quack!” Giggling, Rosie lifts her chubby arms over her head, bringing them down into the water with all of her might, splashing Joel. She does it over and over again, soaking his face and the front of his denim shirt as she chants, “Quack, quack, quack!”

“Alright, alright, alright!” Joel laughs, shaking his head. He lifts an arm, wiping at his face with the sleeve of his shirt. “S’enough, my little duck. Daddy already had his shower today.”

Grinning, you saunter up behind him, and with a bit of protest from your back, you bend over to kiss the top of his head. You say in jest, “Without me?”

“Mama!” Rosie cries happily, reaching for you.

“Hi baby, I missed you!” Leaning down further, you kiss her cheek, the soothing, calming scent of her lavender soap invading your senses. Drawing yourself back up to full height, you glance down at Joel with suspicion. “Is there any particular reason you’re giving her a bath so early today?”

You can tell he’s contemplating lying to you. That is, until your eyes flicker over to her muddy clothes, which lie in a heap next to the hamper.

He’d forgotten to get rid of the evidence.

“Joel? What happened to my child?”

“We, uh, we had a little problem earlier this afternoon,” Joel explains, his ears burning red. “She was out in the backyard playin' with Ellie and she got into one of the mud puddles.”

“Rosemary Miller!” you playfully scold her. Placing your hands on your hips, you ask,“Is that true, young lady? Did you get into a mud puddle?”

Rosie beams. “Yeah!”

Rolling your eyes, you laugh and shake your head. “You silly girl.”

“Thought you’d be mad, darlin’,” Joel admits, peering up at you in relief.

“Joel, all that I ask when I leave her alone with you and Ellie is that I come home and she’s still in one piece,” you tease him.

Dipping his hand into the water, Joel splashes you, and of course, Rosemary decides to follow his lead and she does the same, bursting into another fit of giggles.

“Get her, Rosie, get her!” he encourages her. 

“Hey!” You jump backwards, almost tripping over your own feet. “Cut it out! You’re getting water everywhere!”

About an hour later, once both Rosie and the bathroom floor are dry, Joel puts her down for her long overdue afternoon nap. He heads back into the bedroom where you’re digging in a drawer for a pair of clean leggings and a sweatshirt. He comes up behind you, his arms snaking around your waist as he nuzzles his nose into your neck. He inhales deeply. 

“Ew, Joel, stop it! I’m all filthy,” you say, wiggling to get away from him. 

Joel holds you tighter. “Mm, I love it when you’re filthy, baby,” he smirks. “C’mon. She’s out for at least an hour. We’ve got some time to ourselves.”

“I’m so sore,” you whine. “From riding a horse all day.”

His lips find the shell of your ear and he whispers, “Too sore to ride me, darlin’?”

Biting back a tiny whimper, your head falls back onto his shoulder as wet heat pools between your thighs. He lightly nips at your pulse point, his teeth scraping your tender, delicate flesh.

“Jesus,” you breathe when he presses into you. You feel him against the small of your back—he’s already hard. “Can you at least let me bathe first?”

Joel hums. “I’ve got a better idea, baby.” Spinning you around, he reaches for the buttons of your shirt. “How’s about we save some water and shower together?”

“Thought you already had a shower today,” you remind him of what he’d said earlier.

He pushes your shirt off your shoulders and licks his lips. “I’m sure as hell up for another one.”

divider credit to @/saradika 🩵