Like every morning, the morning sun peeks out shyly over the horizon before leaping up to light up the darkness and force the moon to retire for the day.

 

RIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!

 

The quiet of the household is broken by an ear splitting ring from somewhere. Of course no one asleep paid any heed to it. And that is why the umma is going in and out of rooms waking everyone up, starting from his husband.

 

“Come on, wake up! Help me wake the boys up!” He grumbles good-naturedly while tugging fruitlessly at the bulk on the bed. Twice his size in girth, it’s any wonder he managed to move the man an inch. “Oh come on! The boys are going to be late for school at this rate!”

 

Nothing pushes the sleepy man into action faster than the thought that any of his sons will get into trouble in school. In a shot he is up and running across the hallway into one of his sons’ room.

 

Bump. “Owwwww!!!!”

 

Bump. “Appaaaaa!!!!!”

 

Lee Teuk shook his head in resignation. The bumps and the loud screams told him that Kangin had chosen the most direct way to wake the twins – by pulling the blankets from under them and sending them flying off their beds.

 

He continued to hear those awful bumps and loud shrieks as Kangin made his way down the hall into every room. Lee Teuk moved quickly into the last room where his three youngest lay still asleep buried under their covers.

 

“Siwonnie? Wake up, honey.”

 

“Yes, Umma.”

 

Lee Teuk smiled deeply, his dimple under his lower lip showing proudly. Siwon is by far the most perfect child anyone could wish for. He has manners, and he is soft-spoken and extremely obedient.

 

“Help Umma wake Wookie up before your Appa comes along, ok?”

 

“Yes, Umma.”

 

Lee Teuk moved to the bed next to the large picturesque window furthest from the door. His baby is still blissfully asleep, his thumb and holding his large teddy bear tight against his tiny body.

 

“Baby? Baby, it’s time to wake up now.” He coos gently as he massage the little one’s tiny limbs and nuzzle his chubby cheek lovingly.

 

“Nnnggghhhh….” The little tyke yawned with a reluctant moan.

 

“Come on, baby. Time to wake up.”

 

Tiny eyelids flutters open and a pair of sinfully large brown doe orbs trained on his face at the same time a pout is forming on the pair of fresh pink lips that only toddlers are bestowed with.

 

“Ummaaa….” A tiny whine follows the pout. “I am sleepy….I want to sleep.”

 

“No, baby, you have to get ready for playschool.” Lee Teuk said firmly as he pulls the small soft body upright against the boy’s will. “Isn’t your teacher going to teach you a new song today? You were so excited about it too!”

 

At the mention of his most favorite activity in school, he forced himself to sit up although his pout is still quite evident.

 

“And Umma made you chocolate pancakes for breakfast today.” Lee Teuk continued to entice the sullen child.

 

At the mention of his two favourite things – food and eating, the little boy scrambled out of bed and bounded into the bathroom to wash up in a hurry. “Hyung, gimme my toothbrush! Gimme! Gimme!”

 

 

Mealtime in this household can be akin to a battlefield. There are the parents screaming warnings and threats and instructions at the top of their lungs, and the children screaming demands and trading insults at the tops of their lungs.

 

“Eat your cheese, Chullie!” Kangin growled threateningly.

 

“No!” Came the petulant answer.

 

“Why you –“ Kangin growled again getting out of his chair.

 

“Appa! Appa!” Want to see a neat trick?” Hyukjae interrupts the angry man.

 

‘What is it? Show me.” Kangin forgets about beating his eldest son into a pulp, instead diverting all his attention on the scrawniest amongst all of his sons.

 

“OH MY GOD! STOP HIM KANGIN!” Lee Teuk’s loud scream could be heard over the din when he caught sight of Hyukjae stuffing a whole hardboiled egg into his mouth.

 

Kangin’s hand shot out to grab hold of his son’s skinny wrist before he could push the egg into his mouth. From the corner of his eye he saw Donghae about to mimic his older twin. His other hand shot out in a blur to grab the boy’s wrist too.

 

“Stop eating my pancake!” Ryeowook shrieked at Siwon sitting next to him eating off his plate.

 

Oh yes, apart from the fact that he likes to eat off his brothers’ plate, Siwon is the model son of every parent’s dream. Lee Teuk thought wearily.

 

“Hey, that’s mine!” Sungmin yelled loudly as he glared at Shindong who is munching the stolen food without a care in the world.

 

Lee Teuk is about to open his mouth to reprimand his overweight child when he accidentally set his eyes on the most quiet one of them all sitting at the other end of the table eating his breakfast in total silence.

 

Maybe Yesung is the perfect son afterall. Lee Teuk contemplates reluctantly.

“OWWW!!!” Yesung cried out loudly in pain and turned to glare at Hyukjae who had accidentally smacked him in the back of the head while jostling about with Donghae.

 

Lee Teuk watched on with interest but when he saw that all Yesung did was looked away without a word in response to Hyukjae sticking out his tongue rebelliously at him, Lee Teuk sighed not without feeling slightly disappointed with his second eldest child.

 

“Umma! Umma! Ummaaaaaaaa ~”

 

Lee Teuk jolted out of his reverie to find his youngest glaring not too happily at him. He had stopped feeding the little boy without meaning to and his little glutton baby does not take too kindly to those who stood between him and his favorite activity.

 

“Ah, sorry baby.” He tried to smile apologetically at Kyuhyun hoping to gain his forgiveness.

 

“Aaaah…..” The boy opened his mouth wide waiting to be fed. Lee Teuk chuckled, knowing that he is forgiven as long as he held the plate of pancakes in his hand. Without any more hesitation he puts a piece into his mouth and watched him chew contentedly.

 

My life is complete. Lee Teuk mused happily as he watched the little tyke grinned at him with so much love only a toddler can conjure up over a plate of cakes.

 

“Appaaaaaa!” Sungmin wailed loudly kicking his little feet in a tantrum fit.

 

“Shindong, stop stealing your brother’s food!” Kangin yelled from where he is sitting across the table.

 

Sigh….and they all used to be as cute as Kyu….oh my baby Kyu, are you going to turn out to be like your hyungs when you grow up? Lee Teuk wonders with a sad sigh.

 

“OK kids, time to leave for school! I give you 5 minutes to get ready and be in the car!” Kangin announced and the din died down instantly. Lee Teuk grimaced at the loud scraping noises as chairs are hastily pushed back and the boys made their way up to their rooms to retrieve their school things within the timeframe given. They all had frightening unforgettable experiences with their appa for being late.

 

Only Heechul is sashaying his way up the stairs but a low growl from Kangin sent him scrambling in the most unbecoming manner.

 

“Kyuhyun, why are you still sitting here?” Kangin asks narrowing his eyes menacingly.

 

‘Umma is taking me to school today.” Kyuhyun replied huffingly, eyes narrowing in the same manner as his appa. Lee Teuk couldn’t help chuckling at how similar father and son are. It is precisely the similarities they shared that made them unbearable to the other.

 

“The teacher requested to speak to me.” Lee Teuk informed his angry looking husband.

 

“What did you do now, you little tyrant?” Kangin questions his smug looking son.

 

“Kangin! Stop calling your son names!” Lee Teuk cried out loudly in disapproval.

 

“Aish!” Kangin exclaimed loudly in frustration.

 

Dozens of footfalls came be heard tumbling down the staircase. “Bye Umma!” Came the unified shout as they trooped out of front door into the large van.

 

Lee Teuk followed his husband to the door and waved his large family good bye as they set off. Closing the door and turning around, he found his BabyKyu washing his hands in the bathroom in preparation for school.

 

Maybe there is hope yet. Lee Teuk thought indulgently.

 

“Let’s get ready for school, baby.” He said to the little boy.