Nanny Johnson. [[ONGOING - SLOW UPDATES]]

Chapter Fifteen

READER'S POV

I woke up early, before Simon. I had a present for him that I needed to get ready. It wasn't really a present, but an announcement. I'm with child – Mama confirmed it.

I got out of bed, and crept downstairs. I got the knitted booties that I hid in under the dogs' basket, then walked into the kitchen and started making a bun. The hounds followed me, staring at me as I kneaded the dough. Once I was finished kneading, I stepped over the hounds and got a bowl, then sat my kneaded dough ball into the bowl, covering it with a tea towel. I then walked outside to the shed and slammed my staff on the ground, making the presents float and line up single file, then follow me back to the house where they tucked themselves in neatly under the tree.

Once that was finished I went back into the kitchen and grabbed a baking sheet, then placed the loaf on it. I shaped the loaf into a circular form, kneaded it, and baked it. Once it was baked, I cut the top off and dug the middle out, giving the middle to the dogs. I put the knitted booties into the middle, then grabbed some ribbon and tied it around the loaf, making sure the top wouldn't fall off, then placed it back into the oven, writing a quick note that this was for me to give to Simon. I walked back upstairs and laid back in bed next to Simon, and went back to sleep.

•••

I woke up when the bedroom door slammed against the wall, and the youngest children ran in yelling, begging Simon and I to get up.

"What's the time?" Simon grumbled as he sat up, half-asleep.

"Seven am." Thomas replied as he walked in, carrying a tray with two cups on it, "Endi and I asked them to wait a while before waking you up. They lasted ten minutes. It's a new record, father. Three whole minutes longer than last year."

I giggled as the children ran around the room. Thomas gave Simon and I the cups. I took a sip and hummed in approval as I tasted my tea.

"Thank you, Thomas." I pulled him into a one armed hug, then we all walked downstairs.

"The cookies were eaten Father, and there was footprints from the fireplace to the tree and to the table and back, and there's a bell outside, I think it fell off of a reindeer!" Zaira exclaimed as she led us to the sitting room, where there was a pile of presents under the tree.

I chuckled. The bell was my idea, the footprints was Simon's. We were the only parents up, the other children all sitting around patiently.

"How about you all have hot showers and baths to warm up, yeah? Then put your warm pjyamas back on then when everyone's up we'll open presents?" I suggested.

The children groaned and I bit back a grin.

"I want to open presents now." Hugo whined.

"We can't until everyone's up." Persephone reminded him, "And, I like Aunt (Y/N)'s idea. We should all have warm showers so we won't catch our deaths."

I chuckled as Hugo gave up.

"Ages nine and up, you can have showers first. We'll bath the younger ones after you lot are ready." Simon said, then the triplets, Brian, Thomas, Endi, Colin, Ophelia, and Tatiana went to go get their towels.

"Can we play games while we wait?" Liam asked.

I grinned, "Of course, just nothing that includes going outside. Do you want to all go to the playroom and play while Simon and I cook breakfast?"

"That sounds like a lovely idea." Sterling announced.

"Shall we have cakes and the like for breakfast?" I asked the younger children, grinning.