The smell of pancakes and syrup filled the kitchen as the morning sunlight spilled through the windows. The sound of cartoons played softly in the background, almost drowned out by the excited babbling of a three-year-old bouncing on the couch.

"Mommy! Daddy! Look! Elephant!" little Ava pointed at the TV, eyes wide with wonder.

"Yeah, yeah, I see it, princess," Noah replied, flipping another pancake onto a plate. "But guess what’s better than an elephant?"

She gasped. "What?"

He crouched down, plate in hand. "Pancakes!"

Before Ava could argue, you walked in, stretching from sleep. "Babe, you’re bribing her with food again?"

"Hey, I’m just teaching priorities," Noah grinned, setting the plate on the table.

Ava wiggled happily in her seat, kicking her tiny feet under the table. Another chaotic, love-filled morning in the Carter household had just begun.