I opened the door to mayhem.

Quick run before they see you! My inner self screamed at me as she already made a beeline for the front door.

I was seconds away from taking her advice, turning on my heel ever so slightly and facing the door before...

"Mummy?"

I turned at the small, innocent little voice that had caught me red handed. Damn it. I cursed under my breath and turned back to find the little figure looking up at me with a pouty face and wide, slightly glossy eyes.

Oh dear god he's gonna cry! Why did I ever let you have one of these things?

I pushed my inner self back down into the soulless pit I now keep her in and turned my attention to my son.

"Hey baby," I held out my arms and he quickly ran into them, wrapping his small arms around me and threading his little fingers into my hair - like he always did when something was wrong. "How was your day?"

"Hmm." He murmured and readjusted his teddy in his hand.

Riley was barley three, small for his age and so quite I hardly hear a peep out of him. He only speaks when he needs to and prefers draw how he feels rather than tell me. Despite his personality, Riley was the spitting image of Anthony - Golden eyes bright and fierce with the same dark brown hair that was only growing darker with age. His cute little cheeks held two dimples either side on the rare occasion he smiled.

I hugged my little boy, noting his want for attention. It seems he's gone without today and by the sounds coming from the kitchen I knew why.

"Hudson in trouble again?" I asked him as I kissed his little head. Hudson was our oldest and dear god he was trouble. He was like a little hurricane that ripped through our lives on a daily basis. Anthony and I both admitted that if we had of waited until Hudson was a little older and saw what we were in for as parents, we probably never would have gone back and had another two. He had his father's bone structure and dark hair, but his eyes were a few shades darker than mine, a deep brown that often looked black during his tantrums. He was our devil child.

"Daddy said he's in big trouble." Riley muttered into my shoulder. I took a deep breath and gently threw down my bag and kicked off my heels, my feet aching from a long days work.

I took a deep breath and entered the kitchen. Flour and crumps littered the bench top and floor. Anthony stood, his arms crossed glaring at our oldest child while he glared right back. It was battle of wills and had been since the moment he turned two. You'd think for a six year old he would be less inclined to challenge his parents but he did it on a daily basis. I shook my head and turned to face the little face in the corner.

Our youngest and only daughter sat in a playpen in the corner, smiling like a little ray of sunshine as she kept putting her toys in her mouth. I kneeled down beside the cot and faced Riley. "Can you watch Alex for a minute?"

His pout deepened a little as he let go and stood before me. His little head turned to his baby sister and he gave her a warning glare. "Okay, but if she pulls my hair I going to hit her." He spoke as he opened the gate to the play pen and sat down in the corner, arms crossed and staring at his little sister as she crawled over to him. I watched them for a moment, waiting to see their reactions. Alex, her hair much lighter than her brothers was tinted red and her eyes were a light brown with small green flecks that reminded me of my mothers. She moved to sit on Riley's lap and found herself easily entertained by playing with his shoes laces. Riley looked bored and disinterested but he sat there quietly letting his little sister busy herself.

With my two babies busy, I turned my attention to the hurricane. "Hudson." I spoke firm and stern, raising my voice ever so slightly.

He shot one last glare at his father and turned to face me. He eyes still hard and as dark as a winter storm. "Don't you glare at me." I scolded him and walked in between father and son. Kneeling down in front of Hudson, I grabbed his hands softly even though he tried to pull away. His eyes dropped and he didn't once look me in the eyes. He only seemed to look me in the eyes when he was glaring at me. "You want to talk?"

He shook his head no.

Anthony made no move in interrupt us as he turned back to the hot stove and finish cooking dinner while also cleaning up the mess.

"Okay, let's go get you cleaned up." I told him, noting the mud and dirt in his hair and the flour all over his clothes. I picked him up and quickly took him up the stair case and sat him down in the bathroom, turning on the bathtub, I let him choose one or two toys he could take in there with him. Putting him in the bath, I let him play as I washed the mud and dirt out of his hair.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?"

He stopped playing and looked down a little ashamed. "I didn't mean it." He admitted and continued to tell me. "I was trying to help. Dad was busy with Alex and Riley wouldn't listen to me, he kept trying to feed Noddles his chocolate and that's bad for dogs." He frowned. Noddles was our pet dog that Antony had bought me on our first Christmas as Husband and Wife. The little puppy was now old and tired of children riding her around the backyard like a horse.

"And?" I prompted him knowing he was pausing because what came next wasn't good.

"So I hit him. And then Daddy yelled at me and told me to go inside to my room. And then I got mad and kicked the pot over, then everything started falling and breaking and when I ran inside I tripped on Alex's toy and all the stuff for dinner went everywhere."

I grimaced as I listened.

"I didn't mean it I promise. But then Dad got mad and Riley was crying and then Alex started crying and it all got too loud."

Too loud. I knew the feeling. How could I punish him for something I knew was hard to control? I still even struggled myself these days when I was home alone with the kids. I had my inner self on a tight leash these days and she tended to disappear when the going got tough and the kids started to whine.

"I know baby. You need to apologize to Daddy and help clean up the mess you made okay?" I used a jug to wash all of soap from his hair and using my hand to shield his eyes from the soap.

"Okay." He muttered and moved his toy car through the water.

All washed, Hudson got out of the bath and pulled the towel over him. "Go get your pj's on, then you can come down stairs and help daddy clean the kitchen before dinner okay?"

He nodded and quickly bolted from the bathroom and to his bedroom before I could even attempt to brush his hair. What was it with kids and not wanting their hair brushed? I shook my head hoping Alex would be different.

Taking a deep breath I quickly went to the master bedroom and pulled off my blouse and pulled a much more comfortable top before I headed down stairs. The kitchen was semi clean again and the dinner was back in full swing. I glanced at the playpen in the corner and found Riley and Alex still in the same position I had left them. Although, I knew from the expression on his face that Riley wouldn't last much longer. I walked up to Anthony and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind.

"Wishing you had of opted to work this school holidays?" I asked him. Anthony had told me he would take two weeks off while Hudson had no school - mainly because Sandra and Charlene, who typically babysit the kids during the day, struggled with Hudson and Riley on their own, let alone together. Alex on the other hand, was an angel to babysit.

Anthony scoffed and turned to me, his arms wrapping around me as his neck fell into the crock on my neck where he kissed me. "Remember how I said I wouldn't mind four?" He muttered, referring to the time just after Alex was born and Anthony said we should have four kids. "I take it back. We should have stayed childless."

I laughed at him and kissed his cheek. He pulled back and quickly kissed my lips, swift and hard, leaving them tingling. "Foods up." He turned off the stove and started dishing up plates - cutting up the food for Hudson and Riley since they were still young and mashing up some food for Alex.

Hudson came down the stairs at that moment and paused in front of Anthony and I. "I'm sorry Dad. I didn't mean it." He spoke, his head down and his eyes on his bare feet.

Taking a deep breath, Anthony picked up Hudson and kissed his forehead, giving him a tight hug.

"It's okay. Just remember: Use your words, not your hands." He put him down and gave him some plates. "Come help me set the table."

I smiled at them and walked over to the playpen. "Come on you two." I smiled down at them. Picking up Alex, I moved her to my hip, letting her start to play with my necklace and helped Riley open the gate to get out. "Dinner's up."

Riley muttered under his breath about how Alex had drooled on him but otherwise didn't complain. I slipped Alex into the highchair by the table and started feeding her the mashed up food, ignoring the fact that she was using the food to blow bubbles - I was not in the mood to scold anyone else today.

Anthony sat next to me at the head of the table - closest to the boys should they start to fight - and Riley and Hudson were across from me, both glaring at their food.

I had to stop myself from laughing. I knew from Sandra's stories that Anthony was prone to tantrums as a child, and so I suppose it was only fair that we had a few tantrum-throwing children. I turned face Alex who was happily blowing bubbles out of her mash-potato and vegetables, amusement alight in her brown eyes and the flecks of green dancing with mischief. As if sensing my eyes on her, she turned her little head towards me, smiling before a small little laugh escaped her.

I laughed at her little chubby face and wiped the food from her face.

As Anthony finished his food, he gladly took Alex from me to let me eat my food, bouncing her on his knee.

"You're going to regret that." I told him, my mouth half full with food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Hudson scolded me.

I looked up from under my lashes and glared at my six year old son.

He smiled wickedly at me.

Evil child.

I very much agree.

I turned back to Anthony who was roughing up Alex, tickling her - and just as I had predicted: She threw up all over him.

Hudson laughed out right and Riley tried to hide his little chuckle. "I told you you'd regret that." I smiled at him.

Anthony glared at me, mimicking me for a moment. "Shut up Sky." He muttered just under his breath so the boys couldn't hear us. He got up from his seat and headed up stairs, most likely to bath Alex and have a shower himself.

The boys helped me with the dishes and decided on a movie - despite the ten minutes of arguing that it took to decide - and sat down on the couch. I sat between them hoping the distance between them would help. Hudson cuddled into my right side and Riley sat on my left, just far enough away so that he wasn't touching me. His arms remained tight around his teddy - his little lifeline. God help me if that teddy ever tears in half.

He was always like that. He liked his space and wasn't keen on people hugging him unless it was on his terms.

Anthony stalked down the stairs, freshly showered and smelling nicely of fresh vanilla bath soap. "She's down." He told me, waving the baby monitor in the air.

I let go of a sigh of relief. One down, two to go.

Anthony looked at the spots on the couch next to me with envy. I smiled weakly at him and he took a seat on the other side of Riley, out of my arms reach. We weren't very distant as a couple, but we weren't as imitate, as we once were, for one reason in particular - children. We loved our boys, but once they were born it was difficult to cuddle on the couch or even in bed as the boys always came in and wanted to sleep in the middle. Not one on either side, but in the middle.

"Okay screw this." Anthony muttered as he picked Riley up, despite his small scream of protest and sat down next to me. His side, pressed heavily against me and he sat Riley back down on his lap. Riley pouted and crossed his arms, not pleased with his new position. "Love you bud." He roughed up Riley's hair and rest his head on my shoulder.

Riley tried his hardest to remain pouty, but soon the tension slipped from his body and he curled into his Dad, eyes getting heavy.

I leaned my head on Anthony's and looked over at Hudson. He was fast asleep.

I kicked Anthony's foot ever so slightly, careful not to wake either of the boys beside us. He looked up at me and I gestured towards the kids, mouthing bed. He nodded his head and gently started to sit up, his arms wrapping around Riley and lifting him up. I waited until he held Riley in his arms before I slowly pulled myself away from Hudson, moving a pillow to the spot I had just occupied.

"Here," Anthony gently passed Riley to me. "Take him up, I'll put the devil back in his lair."

I hit Anthony's shoulder lightly. "Don't be mean. He takes after you anyways."

His eyes widened as I took Riley off him. "Like hell!" He whisper yelled at me. "Both these trouble makers take after you. Alex takes after me, the little angel."

I rolled my eyes. "Alex is a throw back, she doesn't take after either of us."

"Says you, I was an angel as a child." He picked up Hudson, carful to support his head.

I scoffed. "Sure thing babe."

We walked up stairs and put the boys in their respective rooms. I ignored the messy rooms and kissed their heads, pulling the blankets up over them before sneaking out. We checked briefly on Alex. Our little girl fast asleep as the last tunes of her music box played.

I closed the door and carried the baby monitor back to the master bedroom, sitting it on the bedside table as Anthony started pealing off his clothes. "Well, I hope your day was better than mine." He smiled, that wicked careless smile that I loved so much.

"Much more productive thanks. I take it you had a bad day?"

Anthony ran his hands over his face. "We were off to a good start but then Alex wouldn't go down for her nap, Riley and Hudson started arguing and that was it."

I shook my head as we climbed into bed.

"Aw baby." I leaned into him, wrapping my arms around his middle and rested my head on his chest.

"Next school holidays, it's your turn to be home with them."

I laughed. "Done being a stay at home dad are you?"

"Yeah, they loved me more that way."

I shook my head remembering when Anthony was working more hours than me and I was the one at home with the little devils. They would run rings around me and I would be seconds away from hiding in the backyard while my baby cried and the boys fought. It was difficult sometimes, I still don't know how I escaped with my sanity.

I'm not even going to touch that comment.

Wise decision I told myself.

"Goodnight." I leaned up and pressed my lips against his.

"Night Babe."

I pulled the blankets over us and snuggled into my pillow.

I laid there for a few moments in silence before I spoke again. "You know," I started. "I'm not that tired." I reached over and and ran my hand over Anthony's bare chest.

"Mmm." Anthony pulled my hand away from his chest. "Don't even think about it."

"Oh come on, I'm sure you're not that tired."

"Believe me, I am." Anthony leaned over and kissed my forehead. He spooned me from behind, his hands grabbing hold of my wrist - not trusting me to keep my hands to myself. "I'll make it up to you tomorrow."

"If you say so." I answered, not holding him to his word.