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Manic sighed as Brenden left the house for work.
 “Ah, why can’t Dad stay home, Ma?” Manic asked.
 “He has to work so we can eat, have clothes and all that.” Aleena replied. “It’s not like he’s having fun; trust me. I worked as a receptionist at a hospital before you were born.”
 “Why’d you quit?” Manic asked.
 “You three.” Aleena replied. “I’ll probably go back to work after you three start school.”
 Manic groaned. “I don’t want to go to school.”
 Sonic and Sonia ran in.
 “A lot of kids don’t.” Aleena replied. “But you have to.”
 Aleena looked at Sonic and Sonia. “Don’t run in the house again.”
 “Yes, Mother, I’m sorry.” Sonia said, hugging Aleena.
 Sonic sighed. “I’m sorry.”
 “So what are we gonna do today?” Manic asked.
 “I thought we could make cookies.” Aleena replied. “I was gonna take you to the park, but it looks like it’s gonna rain.”
 “So can we play Monopoly jr?” Sonia asked.
 “But Monopoly takes forever.” Sonic whined.
 “We’ll decide after we make cookies.” Aleena said, getting up to make the cookies.
 *
 Aleena rolled the peanut butter cookie dough out on the table.
 Sonic pointed at the dough. “Can we eat the dough?”
 “No, it’s raw.” Aleena replied. She handed a bag of cookie cutters to the kids.
“Okay, have fun.” 
 The triplets pulled the cookie cutters out.
 Sonia looked at Manic. “The pumpkin cookie cutter?”
 “I like it.” Manic said.
 “Let him make some cookies the way he wants.” Aleena said, readjusting her scrunchie. “Does it really matter what shape they are?”
 “Then can I make a snowflake cookie?” Sonia asked.
 “Sure.” Aleena replied.
 Sonic pulled out the Nesquick bunny cookie cutter. “Where’d we get this one?” 
 “I don’t remember now.” Aleena said, preheating the oven. 
 “Why does Maria put fork marks on her peanut butter cookies?” Sonia asked.
 “It’s just a decorating tradition, I think.” Aleena replied. “Your dad likes that, so make a couple with the fork marks for him, okay?”
 Sonic grabbed a fork and started pressing it into a few round cookies. “Way ahead of you, Mom.”
 “We can play a game of Go Fish while we wait for the cookies to get done.” Aleena said.
 Sonic raced into his room, got the Go Fish cards, then ran back into the kitchen 
 Aleena picked up the tray and put it in the oven. “Sonic, no running.” She said sternly. “You do that one more time and you are in big trouble.”
 Sonic sat down at the table. “I can’t wait til I grow up.” He said. “Then I can run in the house all I want.”
 Aleena set the timer. “Actually, it’s a safety thing.” She said, walking over to the table. “You can get hurt by running in the house.”
 Aleena, Manic, and Sonia sat down at the table.
 “Alright, let’s go.” Aleeema said, pulling the cards out of the box.
 *
 Manic grinned. “I win!”
 “Great job, you’re getting really good at this.” Aleena said.
 The timer chimed.
 Aleena got up and walked over to the stove.
 Sonic looked out the window. “It’s sunny now, Mom.” He said. “Can we go to the park?”
 Aleena pulled the pan out of the oven. “Yeah, we can go.” She said, setting the pan on top of the stove. “It’ll give the cookies time to cool.”
 The triplets cheered.
 *
 Aleena led the kids to the Mobotropolis park. 
 There weren’t many kids there that Friday morning.
 “Shadow’s here!” Sonia exclaimed. She waved at him.
 “Go on, kiddos.” Aleena said, letting Sonic’s and Manic’s hands go. “Have fun. I’ll be on the bench with Gerald.”
 Manic, Sonic, and Sonia ran over to the playground.
 Aleena sat down on the bench next to Gerald. “How on Mobius did you get Shadow outside without Maria’s help?”
 “There’s not a big crowd on a weekday morning.” Gerald replied. “Large crowds tend to exhaust him. It’s his personality type.”
 Aleena nodded. “Manic is kind of like that.”
*
  Manic and Shadow stood by the steering wheel attached to the wall of one of the play areas. 
 Shadow nudged Manic back and started steering the wheel. 
 “What planet are we going to?” Manic asked.
 “This is a boat wheel, Manic.” Shadow replied. 
 “So we can’t pretend it’s a spaceship?” Manic asked.
 “I don’t want to.” Shadow replied. “Find another wheel if you want to do that.
 Sonia ran over and squealed. “We can play Titanic!”
 “What planet do you want to go to, Manic?” Shadow asked. 
 Sonia sighed.
 “Mars.” Manic replied. He looked at Sonia. “Sorry, sis, no girls allowed.”
 Shadow glared at Manic. “She can stay.”
 “No, it’s fine by me.” Sonia said. “I don’t want to play ‘spaceship’.”
 Sonia started to walk across the bridge, but stumbled as Sonic raced by. 
 Sonic curled into a ball and rolled down the slide. He cheered. “Mom, did you see me?” He called.
 “Yes, that was cool.” Aleena said. “Please be careful. You nearly made Sonia fall.” 
 Sonic looked up at Sonia, who was carefully making her way across the bridge. “Sorry, sis.”
 Gerald checked his watch. “Shadow, it’s time to go.” He called.
 Shadow ran across the bridge, curled into a ball, and rolled down the slide. He quickly uncurled and ran over.
 “At least I don’t have to tell you twice.” Gerald said, getting up. “See you later, Aleena.”
 “See you later.” Aleena replied.
 * 
 -thirty minutes later-
 Manic and Sonia played the giant tic-tac-toe game by the slide.
 Manic sighed. “Okay, this is only kinda fun.” He said. He slid down the slide and headed to the giant castle play area.
 Sonic and Manic stood at the bottom of the castle. 
 “Why does it have fake flames?” Manic asked. 
 Sonic shrugged. 
 Sonia ran over. “Okay, I’ll be the princess and you two-”
 “Pass.” Sonic and Manic said.
 “Ugh, I play Jurassic Park with you.” Sonia replied. “Can’t you ever play what I want to play sometimes?”
 “Kids, time to go.” Aleena called. 
 Manic and Sonic sighed in relief. 
 Sonia whimpered.
 “Okay, we’ll play whatever you want to play when we get home.” Sonic said, picking up Sonia and Manic.
 Manic agreed.
 “Thanks, bros.” Sonia replied.
 Sonic, carrying Sonia and Manic, raced back to Aleena.
 *
 Aleena finished making chicken strips and baked potatoes for dinner as Brenden came home. “Hey, honey, how was work?”
 Brenden kissed Aleena. “Great, how was your day?”
 “Great.” Aleena said. She glanced toward the kids’ rooms. “Okay, kiddos, it’s dinner time and Dad’s home.”
 Sonia dragged Manic and Sonic into the kitchen.
 Sonic and Manic were both wearing princess dresses over their T-shirts and shorts. Neither of them were pleased at all.
 Aleena and Brenden burst out laughing.
 “They said they’d play anything I wanted.” Sonia said.
 “We didn’t think you meant dress up.” Manic protested.
 “But you’re a pretty girl, Manic.” Sonia giggled.
 “I’m a boy.” Manic groaned. “This stupid dress is itchy.”
 “At least you got the blue dress.” Sonic said. “I hate pink.”
 “Go change, boys.” Aleena said. “We’ll set the table.”
 Sonic and Manic headed back to Sonia’s room.
 “They can’t complain.” Aleena said, helping Brenden and Sonia set the table. “They make you be the T-Rex every time they play Jurassic Park.”
 Sonia nodded. “That’s why I did that.”
 Brenden patted Sonia on the back. “That’s my girl.”