A Goodenough Christmas part 3

Around noon the children were dispersed throughout the house. The girls were having a tea party, Leon and Asaph worked with their soldering iron, Ephraim was inventing with Arduino, Elsie walked around with her new dolly and Nehemiah rode his red noise, fire truck. He was wearing a crown made out of the bottom cuff of a pair of jeans with buttons sewn on for jewels. His shirt and face were covered with snacks and he had found a piece of extra cake somewhere.

The ham was in the oven but the rest of supper still had to be made. I said to Havilah, "you better go milk, massage her udders and use a warm cloth." She nodded knowingly. She had quite a bit of milking experience.

When I tried to prepare the meal I had a long series of more important needs come up.

A few days before, Elsie had got her finger stuck in the step up and then had fallen on it. Her own weight pinched and cut her tiny thumb. During the afternoon we noticed that it was infected. She had to have a long bath. Then we soaked it in Betadine and salt three different times that day and rubbed it with hydrogen Peroxide twice.

Nehemiah napped late and was crying and needy all afternoon and evening. The big children all cashed in the chore free cards they had received that Christmas. They also were busy with the animal care.

I had to search in every room of the house for something to use as a diaper for Elsie because we had not washed them the day before. Frustrated, I once used Mia's shirt and once a dish towel. (The diapers were still in the dryer when I went to bed that night.)

The dinner did not end up on the table until close to 5pm. The original plan was 1pm. All were pleased with the delicious Christmas supper. We had ham, home made macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes with ham gravy and Ceaser salad. The only dessert that I was planning on was a cherry pie for Ephraim.

Things did not get any easier. Leon and I were both grumpy from unmet expectations of ourselves and guilt over the grumpiness. We finally decided to leave the house a disaster. After all, no one's going to stop in for an unannounced visit on Christmas. We would forget the cherry pie and gather the whole family to pray.

Then the door bell rang.

Thank you for letting me muse with you. The Goodenough family are: Leon and Jennifer, Ephraim (16), Havilah (13), Asaph and Zion (11), Simeon and Zuriel (9), Naphtali (6), Nehemiah (3) and Elsie Ammiel (1.5)