My Eldest Son

After dinner, Kookie waits until everyone is busy watching a movie in the family room downstairs before he invites Emmie up to the living room.  I’m in the middle of clearing…

We return home in time to add the finishing touches to our Christmas Eve dinner.  Kookie and Emmie put our relish plate together.  They slice cheese and set out crackers…

My tiny army and I invade the hospital in the late afternoon.  We head down the wrong hallway, but Janna quickly discerns our error and soon has us on the right…

The next morning, Kookie and Emmie join me in the kitchen early.  Since Lyric and Janna helped me to make the meatball dough yesterday afternoon, now all we have to…

A quarter of an hour passes, and I invite Alastair and Abner out to the kitchen with me.  “Are you guys ready to help me peel cucumbers?” Two little heads…

Later that afternoon, while Janna and Emmie are out shopping with a couple of friends, I wander by Kookie’s bedroom as he is strumming his guitar.  I can hear him humming,…

To celebrate the end of all our extracurricular activities and the start of Christmas break, I suggest that we all go ice skating on the Monday before Christmas.  All five…

I feel sorry for Emmie after overhearing her conversation with Kookie.  But, truthfully, I think every set of best friends walks through such a time of transition when boys enter the…

After lunch, Kookie and Emmie offer to go shopping with me.  It turns out that I was right.  Janna does have plans with Lyric.  I watch them drive off for…

“Hey,” I greet Janna and Kookie over the breakfast table on Sunday morning.  “Do you guys have any plans after church?”They glance at each other.“What are you up to?” Janna…