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“Mommy!”

It’s Monday morning.  Why am I being woken up so early?  I crack an eye open in the dark.  Then I groan.  My husband is already in the shower.  An indication that it’s not even six fifteen yet.  My alarm doesn’t go off until six thirty usually.  Did I mention that my husband is my alarm?

“Mommy!” Abs comes running into my room after my bedroom door smacks the wall.  “We forgot to do our Advent calendars yesterday!”

Oh, my!  A veritable emergency when you’re eight years old!

“I didn’t give them to you on December first?” I ask groggily.

Alastair comes barging into my room next.  He answers my question.  “No, Mommy.  December first was yesterday.  And you forgot!”

Ah.  Yes.  With the unexpected, overnight guests who were snowed in at my house on Saturday night, Sunday morning was a fervor of activity.  A huge brunch.  Followed by several Christmas projects.  Throw in a couple of holidays movies and some popcorn, and you get the picture.  You don’t?  All right.  I’ll fill you in on all the details then…

Just in case you’re wondering…I didn’t sleep in the hallway.  But I did lock their doors. 

Just kidding.  That’s a fire hazard.  I did, however, stay up longer than any of the kids.  Just to remove any temptation.  And to finish that Advent calendar.  The one I forgot the next morning.  Talk about a “duh” moment!

So it was that I was also rudely awakened yesterday morning.  By my teenage son.  Who wanted me to make Sunday brunch.  Let me paint the scene for you…

“Mom?” 

A knock sounds on my bedroom door.  Three knuckles rapping lightly as his sweet voice, deepened by sleep, floats through my closed door.

“Kookie?”  I glance at the clock.  It’s nine twelve.  Which, really, is very late.  Except that I was up until two.  

I yawn and stretch as he steps into my bedroom.  

“Mom.  I’m hungry.  When are you going to make us breakfast?”

“Make you breakfast?  What happened to eating cereal?”

“I did.  That was fifteen minutes ago.  It was just an appetizer.  I’m ready for a real meal now.  Sausage, eggs, pancakes, hash browns.”

I squint at him suspiciously.  “Kookie, are you going through another growth spurt?”

He shrugs.  “Maybe.  All I know is I’m hungry.  Besides, Lyric is here.  You want to make a good impression on your future son-in-law, don’t you?”

“My future son-in-law?” I chuckle.

Kookie flashes his pearly whites at me.  “Didn’t know I could read your mind, eh, Mom?”

“Actually, if I recall correctly, you revealed your cards yesterday, didn’t you?  I want ten children, remember?”

His eyes ride his cheeks up and down as he laughs at me.  “Mom, will you please come make breakfast?”

“Well, when you put it that way, how can I resist?  Besides, I seem to remember a certain sweet someone making me breakfast yesterday.  And going shopping for me.  Which – as it turned out – was surely a godsend.  With all the snow that arrived yesterday afternoon, I would never have made it to the store.”  I beam at him.  “So, I suppose you truly deserve a good breakfast.  What do you want?  Belgian waffles?”

“Oh, yeah.  That sounds really good!”

“Eggs?  Sausage?  Hash browns?  That was everything, right?”

He nods.  “I think that might be enough.  Especially if you make fried apples for me to eat on my waffle.  Ooh!  And whipped cream!”

My eyes slide down his slim form as jealousy nips at me.  “Where do you put it all?  I’d love to eat like you do and be as slender as you are!”

He smiles as he butters me up.  “Mom, you look great!  You got nothing to worry about.  Besides, Dad told me he likes curves on a girl.”

“Oh, did he now?” I ask as my eyebrows hit the roof.

Kookie nods emphatically.  “He did.”

“Are you saying I have curves then?”

He simply blinks at me.  “Um.  Can we change the subject?”

I laugh.  “Yes.  We most definitely can.  So, are you going to help me make breakfast?”

“Already done.  I brought hash browns and sausage up from the freezer and another dozen eggs from the fridge.  It’s all on the island.”

“Perfect.  I’ll be out in a couple minutes.”

I join him in the kitchen a while later and together we cook up a feast for my small army.  Kookie even peels, cores, and slices the apples for frying.  I sauté them in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a little honey before pouring them over his Belgian waffle.  I grab the can of whipped cream from the fridge and press the nozzle to release a mountain of sweet fluff all over his fried apple waffle.  He sits down at the island and begins to wolf down his treat with relish.

“Mmm.  This is so good!”

Hey.  Who needs sleep when I have the privilege of cooking for – and delighting – Kookie?

—

After a meal that transforms from a simple breakfast into an all-out brunch, I suggest our next Christmas project.  Making my favorite cookies as well as a popular candy.

“Who would like to help me make pecan balls?” I ask the kids as they’re all still consuming their massive meal.

Lyric’s eyes begin to glow.  “What are pecan balls?”

“A butter cookie filled with chopped pecans and rolled into a ball.  Some people roll them in powdered sugar after they’re baked,” I explain.  “Though I think they are perfect just as they are.”

“I’m in!” he exclaims.

“Me too!” A chorus of all my boys’ voices flows alongside Noel’s agreement.

Janna nods.  Only Emmie appears unenthused.  She’s not a nut lover.

“Emmie, when we finish the pecan balls, we’re going to make buckeyes,” I try to solace her.

Her eyes light up.  “The chocolate peanut butter balls?”

I nod.

“Ok!” she perks up.  “I’ll stay to help with both then!”  

She sends a furtive glance towards Kookie.  And surprises herself when her eyes collide with his.  I see hers widen before she looks sheepishly down at her feet after giving him a tiny smile.

A smile is teasing the corners of his lips as he watches her.  My, it’s fun to watch them still dancing around one another!

“Mommy?” Abner’s tiny voice breaks the momentary silence.  “Can we play in the snow first?”

I glance out the window at the pristine landscape of sparkly snow filling our yard.  Even the spots the kids worked in yesterday are mere dents covered in the fluffy, white stuff.

“Absolutely!  You all go have fun.  For as long as you like!  We have plenty of time to bake.”

I take a blissful hour break once my little army has helped me to clean up the kitchen.  They all head for the chilly outdoors.  I sit down in my recliner with a good book.  Forty-five minutes later, I’m heating up water for hot chocolate once again. 

After everyone has warmed up with a mug of cocoa around the kitchen table, I quiz them all, “Who’s ready to help me assemble the ingredients?  We need flour, powdered sugar, butter, and salt.”

“And pecans!” Abs pops up next to my elbow.

“Oh, duh!”  Then I look at him questioningly.  “We can’t make pecan balls without pecans?”

“No, Mommy,” he giggles.  “Then we’d have to call them just balls.”

“Hey!  I know!  We can make a batch without pecans for Emmie and Papa Steve.  We’ll call them Snowballs.  How does that sound?”

Alastair frowns.  “Does Papa Steve not like pecans either?”

“Mmm.  It’s more like they don’t like him,” I murmur as I ruffle his hair affectionately.  “Emmie, do you want to grab the ingredients for the buckeyes?  We need peanut butter, semisweet chocolate chips, butter, powdered sugar, and Crisco.  The peanut butter is in the pantry there.”

I point across the kitchen at the slender door in the wall.  “Emmie, can you go get one bag of powdered sugar, a couple packages of chocolate chips and the Crisco from the downstairs pantry? 

“Abs, can you go downstairs and get two pounds of butter from the fridge? 

“Kookie, you can grab the flour from the cabinet and the salt from the counter. 

“Oh!  We need pecans too.  Alastair, they’re in the freezer downstairs.  Please go grab them.”

After issuing commands like a drill sergeant, I turn towards my lazy Susan and grab a set of stainless steel bowls.  “Janna, can you grab the mixer and a couple spatulas?”

I address the crowd surrounding me.  “So, should we make a massive batch of pecan balls?”

Everyone nods.

“In that case, we’ll need to cream an entire pound of butter with a cup of powdered sugar.  Everett, will you cut the butter into tablespoons and soften it in the microwave?  Then you can beat it with the powdered sugar.” 

While Everett busies himself with the butter, I turn towards my bitty twins.  “Abs and Alastair, can you measure out four cups of flour and a teaspoon of salt?” 

Then I bend my smile on my daughter’s boyfriend.  “Lyric, would you please supervise them to make sure the measurements are accurate?” 

Finally, I involve my daughter too.  “Nana, will you chop two cups of pecans fairly fine?”

As I watch all my children and their friends working, I reflect on how much easier it is to make a thousand cookies with an army.  I used to do this all by myself.  Now all I have to do is issue commands and watch the work being done by others.  It’s like I’m a general in the army.  Ha.  ARMY.  That joke never gets old.

Emmie returns with the ingredients for the buckeyes a moment later.  After handing Everett the powdered sugar, she turns towards me.  I glance at my eldest son.  “Kookie, Emmie, would you two like to make the buckeyes?”

Their eyes collide before finding mine.  They both nod. 

So I explain the process to them.  “You need to melt a pound of butter.  Use the big mixer to blend in four cups of peanut butter.  Once the mixture is smooth, add six cups of powdered sugar. 

“Then comes the work.  You’ll need to form the dough into one-inch balls.  Grab a cookie sheet.  Cover it with wax paper.  Then set the balls on the wax paper.  We have to refrigerate them for two hours, so use a half-size cookie sheet and set the peanut butter balls as close together as possible.  The recipe is right here.  Multiply it by two.  Have fun.”

I turn towards Everett.  He’s beating the powdered sugar into the softened butter now.  “You can add four teaspoons of vanilla now,” I instruct him. 

Next, I visit my younger set of twins.  “Is the flour-salt mixture ready?”

They nod at me.

“Okay.  Take it to Everett.  You need to add it a little bit at a time, mixing well after each addition.  At first, it just looks like a mess of flour, but as you beat it longer, a dough will finally form.  Once that’s done, Nana can add the pecans.  Then comes the fun part.  You can all work on rolling the dough into one-inch balls. 

“Oh!  I need to preheat the oven to three hundred twenty-five degrees.  Once you’ve put the balls on the cookie sheet, we’ll cook them for about twenty minutes.”

Soon several batches of pecan balls are baking in the oven, and Kookie and Emmie are nearly ready to put the peanut butter balls in the fridge.  I’m marveling at how many hands really do make for a light amount of work.  This is by far the easiest day of baking I’ve ever had. 

Once the kitchen is cleaned up – also a quick job with so many helpers! – everyone heads for the living room to play a game.  I remain in the kitchen to keep an eye on the cookies.  When the timer sounds, Abs comes running into the kitchen. 

“Are they done!?” he asks excitedly.

“I don’t know.  Let’s see.”  I draw the pan from the oven and set it on the stovetop. “They look a little pale to me.  But you know how we tell for sure?”

He shakes his head.

“We check the bottom.”  I pick up a cookie and flip it over.  “Nope, they’re not done.  See how they’re still white on the bottom?  We want them to be a nice toasty brown.  Not too brown.  A light brown.  Just browned.  That’s what gives them their delicious flavor.

“Then we let them cool.  Or,” I bend close to Abs as I grin at him, “we just eat them warm!  But Daddy likes them rolled in powdered sugar while they’re still warm.  The sugar will melt and make a delicious mess!

“Back into the oven with you!” I speak to the pecan balls as I slide the pan onto the top oven rack.  I shut the door and add four more minutes to the timer.  “It’ll be a little while yet, Abs.  You can go back to your game.”  I smile at him as he flies through the doorway.  UNO is calling again.

Several minutes later, the cookies prove their bottoms are brown enough, so I rescue them from the oven.  As they cool on their sheets, I sample my children’s handiwork.  I did sample the dough earlier.  It’s one of my favorite cookie doughs to eat.  It’s as good as the baked cookies are.  Now I bite into the finished product.

Perfection!

Apparently, my children have inherited my gift with baking.  I grin as I bite into my second cookie.

“Mom!” Janna rebukes me from the doorway.  “You’re eating the cookies without us?”

Kookie appears behind her a moment later.  He ignores her indignation and makes a beeline for the nearest cookie sheet.  He snags a cookie and pops it into his mouth.  I can tell that it’s a bit hot.  His expression is comical.

Lyric follows Janna into the kitchen.  His eyes light up as he sees the pecan balls.  “Can I try one?”

“Nope.  Absolutely not.  You must try at least five,” I respond teasingly.

He flashes me a boxy grin.  Right before he destroys it by opening his mouth to eat a cookie whole.  Which really takes very little effort.  They’re not that big.  And they are that delicious! 

Soon, an entire cookie sheet is empty. 

I laugh.  “Good thing we made a quadruple batch.  But remember to save some for the powdered sugar bath.”

“And for Daddy,” Alastair reminds us all.

“And for Daddy,” I echo.

“He’s going to love them,” Abs opines.

“Indeed,” I respond.

––

About an hour later, I invite Kookie and Emmie back to the kitchen.

“It’s time to make the chocolate coating for your buckeyes.”

Kookie’s eyes light up.  So do Emmie’s.

“I’ve put the double boiler on the stove.  Turn the heat up to high and pour in two packages of chocolate chips.  Add a couple teaspoons of Crisco too.  Once the chocolate is melted, stir it smooth.  Then take it off the heat.”

As they melt the chocolate, I pull a box of toothpicks from a drawer.  I grab a couple of forks too.  Then I remove the peanut butter balls from the fridge.  Setting them on the top of the island, I demonstrate the next step for Emmie and Kookie. 

“Stick a toothpick into the center of a peanut butter ball.  Then dip it in the chocolate, leaving a circle of peanut butter untouched at the top.  Slide the tines of the fork around the toothpick.  Use the fork to press down on the top of the buckeye after you set it back on the wax paper.  Then pull on the toothpick to remove it from the buckeye.”

I watch them dip candies for a couple of minutes once the chocolate is melted.

“Perfect.  You guys got this.  I’m going to go take a break.  Have fun, you two.”  I smile at them as I walk out of the kitchen.  I’m sure the two of them would like some time alone. 

Periodically, over the next hour, I peek into the kitchen.  Really only because I want to observe how cute the two of them are together.  They’re laughing and having a good time together.  They both seem so happy.  So am I.  Watching the two of them delight in each other is pure pleasure.

Towards the end of their buckeye-dipping process, I catch Kookie as he dips his finger into the melted chocolate.  He licks it off, and Emmie rebukes him teasingly as her eyes grow wide behind the lenses of her glasses. 

“Kookie!  Did you just stick your finger into the chocolate and then lick it off!?”

He glances up at her.  Looking just like a little kid who…well, got caught with his fingers in the cookie jar.  He grins ruefully at her.  But then I notice as his eyes suddenly light up.  Right before he dips a different finger into the chocolate again.  This time, that finger moves with lightning speed towards her face.  A moment later, he smears a chocolate streak across her cheek after rubbing some against the tip of her nose.

“Kookie!” she exclaims in outrage. 

Right before he takes off running towards the living room.  With her in hot pursuit.

I shake my head as I watch them.  I can’t help the chuckle that escapes my lips as I wonder how this little episode will end.  Unfortunately, I never find out.  I’m too distracted by one of my younger sons instantly appearing at my elbow to ask if he can sample a piece of the peanut butter candy.

Eventually, Kookie and Emmie return to the kitchen to dip the rest of the peanut butter balls.  About the time they finish making buckeyes, I must begin cooking dinner.  Unfortunately, the roads are becoming passable, so I’m going to have to insist that our guests go home before it gets dark.  They all have school tomorrow.  However, I want to feed them dinner before they depart.

“What should we make for dinner?” I ask Kookie and Emmie.

He glances up at me.  “What?  We just spent over an hour making buckeyes!  I’m ready for a break.”

“I’ll make dinner.  Just help me figure out what to fix.”

His face brightens suddenly.  “Can you make homemade pizza?”

“Hmm.   Let me see if we have enough mozzarella and pizza sauce.” After running downstairs to check my supplies, I’m able to please my eldest son.  “Yep.  I can make pizza.”

His face now wreathed by a grin, Kookie washes his hands.  “You’re the best, Mom.”

“I know,” I reply humbly.

We grin at each other. 

“Go on, you two.  Take a break.  Thanks for all your hard work.”

As they exit the kitchen, Lyric enters it.  “Mrs. Franklin, can I help you make dinner?”

Did I mention that I absolutely love this boy?

“Absolutely!”

Janna slips into the room behind him.

“Nana, you want to help too?  You and Lyric could make the dough together.”

He glances expectantly at her.

“Sure,” she smiles at him.

Soon, I’ve pawned yet another job off on two teenagers.  I kinda like having eight kids.  Perhaps Kookie was right.  Now I’m looking forward to the future.  Five children with five spouses.  I can just see the family dinners.  Delicious, elaborate affairs with little work for me to accomplish.  Finally, a period of rest.  After raising five kids.  And all their friends.  I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Within an hour, Lyric and Janna are rolling out pizza dough into eight-inch rounds.  Soon, they’re baking them on our massive pizza stone.  Then the assembly line begins.  I put out the pizza sauce, cheese, and toppings.  And I let all the kids make their own pizza.  We begin baking ten pizzas. 

Within the hour, everyone is happily munching away on our tasty treats.  Of course, we enjoy a few buckeyes and pecan balls for dessert.  Before I pack the rest away for safe keeping.

Our guests head home soon after.  Leaving me with my guitar-strumming eldest son.  Playing me my favorite Christmas song.  Perfect bliss.

So, you can see how I forgot all about the Advent calendars on the first of December. 

But, of course, I’m being reminded of them right now, so I rub the sleep from my eyes and roll out of bed.  I glance at my tiny twins.  And pause.  I really must come up with a different term to differentiate between my two sets of twins.  These boys are not tiny anymore.  They’re growing up so fast!  Before I know it, they’ll be as big as Kookie!

“Guys, head out to the living room.  I’ll be there in a minute,” I instruct, waiting for them to leave before pulling the Advent calendars from under my bed. 

I created something special for my two oldest children too.  But as I head into the living room to discover all five of my children waiting for me, I decide to begin with the younger twins.

“Abs, Alastair, I made you something special this year.  It’s a gift for you to share since I had to create it myself.  Today only, you each get to open your own door.  But starting tomorrow, you’ll open the day’s door together and share the item you find.  Okay?”

“Do we each get to open a door today because you forgot to give us the calendar yesterday?” Alastair asks me.

“No.  Today is a special day.  I always intended for you to open two doors on the first day of the calendar.  But now you will get to open the big present on Christmas Day, so this is working out very well actually.”  I glance down at the plastic box in my hands before catching their gazes again with my own.  “Boys, I created a special Lego calendar for you this year.  Abs, you open door one.  Alastair, yours is door two.”

I watch as they swing their tiny doors wide to reveal first Yoongi and then Tae.  Identical grins of delight crown their faces with joy as they reach in to pull out the Lego figures. 

“I wanted to make you a Lego kit that represents BTS and their journey on Bon Voyage.  Abs, you get Yoongi since he’s your favorite.  And, Alastair, of course, Tae is your bias.  Tomorrow you’ll get to find out if box three holds another Bangtan boy or some camping paraphernalia.  What do you think?”

They are both still grinning at me.  Then Abner’s eyes fall to the tiny guy in the palm of his hand.  “Thank you!”

“Do you like it?”

A double nod greets me.

“Yes!” Alastair asserts happily.

Abs bobs his head vigorously.

“Excellent!” I smile.  Then I hand Everett his wrapped box.  “Your turn to open something.”

He pulls the paper off and grins as he examines the box.  “Star Wars Legos!” 

“Are those still considered cool?” I ask, uncertain.

He smiles at me and nods his head.  Then he opens the first door to discover a tiny X-wing. 

“Cool!” he exclaims.

I grin at him before turning my attention on my daughter.  “Nana, I made you something special too.”

She quirks a dark brow at me.   I hand her a wrapped rectangle.  She opens it to find a binder full of plastic sheet covers divided into ninths.  The kind that holds baseball cards. 

She glances up at me quizzically.  “An empty binder?”

“Well, technically, it’s not empty.  It does have the little sheet covers.  But that’s not your only present.  Here.”  I hand her an envelope.

Carefully, she opens it.  Then a huge grin covers her face as she pulls out two Tae photo cards.  “Thanks, Mom!”  Her jade green eyes are dancing.

“You’re welcome.   You get a BTS Advent calendar of sorts too.  Only yours isn’t Legos.  It’s photo cards.”

“I’m going to get fifty Tae photo cards?” she asks excitedly.

“We’ll see.  Maybe more!”  I glance at her sardonically.  “You don’t think Lyric will be jealous, do you?”

She giggles.  “I doubt it.  I mean, I’m not going to the Snow Ball with Tae now, am I?”

I flash her a grin before turning towards my eldest son.  I hand him his wrapped package.

He glances at me questioningly.  Probably wondering what on earth I came up with this year.

“Open it,” I urge.

He discovers a binder that matches Janna’s.  Except for the color.  His is burgundy.  Hers was green.  They each get their own Christmas color.

“Don’t tell me you got me BTS photo cards too,” he murmurs dryly.

I begin to chuckle.  “No.  Are you disappointed?”

“Relieved.  Mom, I believe the word you’re going for is relieved.”

Still laughing, I hand him an envelope.  “I hope you like this.”  Again, I’m a tad uncertain about this gift.  But I think it’s one he will enjoy.  He’s sentimental like I am, and I know that in his shoes, I would love it.

Quirking one midnight eyebrow, he pulls open the flap on the envelope.  His fingers delve inside to locate the photo cards.  He glances up at me, skeptical of my words.  He’s still wondering if I gave him pictures of the Bangtan Boys.

To tease him, I query, “Yoongi’s your bias, right?”

He chuckles, but the laughter dies in his mouth as he pulls the first card out.  I’ve stolen his breath.  Or, more to the point, she’s stolen his breath.  For he’s gazing raptly at a beautiful picture of Emmie.  His eyes slide along the curves of her face for a few moments as a wave of tenderness slips over his countenance. 

Then his eyes meet mine for a moment as his fingers search out the second photo card I made.  This one is a picture of Emmie sitting at the top of the slide attached to our jungle gym in the backyard.  She’s wearing a modest black tank top with a white long-sleeved shirt covering it and loosely tied around her waist above her jeans.  Her honey hair is cascading down her front.  She’s smiling sweetly for the camera.  Notably, she’s not wearing her glasses.  And Kookie can’t seem to get enough of her.  He sits simply staring at her for several long moments. 

I think this gift is a winner too.

I smile and allow all my children a couple of minutes to enjoy their second Christmas gift before I remind them all to eat breakfast.  We must head to school before too long.

“Mom,” Kookie whispers a moment after my reminder sounds in their ears, “where did you get these pictures?”

“Remember when we took our family pictures outside last weekend?”

He nods as he recalls all the photos that I took of my children playing on the jungle gym, or standing under a tree, or sitting on our front stoop.  Every year, I create a calendar of memories of my children as gifts for all the grandparents.  And for me and my husband too.  A few days ago, my children and I trekked outside to take a multitude of pictures in preparation of the creation of this year’s calendar.  The day I took those pictures, Emmie and Noel were hanging out with us.  So I snapped a few pictures of them too.

Kookie looks at me.  “Did you really take fifty pictures of Emmie?”

“Well, I guess you’ll just have to open your envelope every day to find out,” I answer mysteriously.

Kookie is grinning from ear to ear.  I can tell that he loves this gift.

“I did okay then, Kookie?” I ask.

“No, Mom,” those lovely teeth are beaming at me, “you did great!”

I shine the light of his happiness back at him.  So far, Christmas is off to a great start!