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The next morning, we awake to snow again.  And to a large box on our front porch.  Wearing a huge grin, Everett drags the box into the living room.

“It’s our Kiwi crates!” he exclaims, clearly excited.

Noel curiously studies the cardboard box.

I glance outside.  It’s started snowing again.  Hard.

Just then, a knock sounds on the front door.  This time Janna opens it.  To greet Lyric.

“Hi!”  She is also grinning from ear to ear.

“I came to drive you to church, but the roads are really slick,” he informs her.

“I think we’ll be staying home today,” I murmur as I watch Everett dig his kit out of the big box.

“Can Lyric stay, Mom?” Janna asks me.

I glance at him.  “Of course!”

“But what if he gets snowed in again?”

“Scout’s honor you’ll both be on your best behavior?” I ask as I look from one to the other.

Is Lyric blushing? 

He nods at me.  “Always, Mrs. Franklin.”

“You didn’t happen to pack a bag, did you?” I ask.

“Actually, I did.”

“What?  You planned the snowstorm?” I rib him.

“No, but after the last one, I put a backpack with extra clothes and a toothbrush in my trunk.”

This is one smart kid.

“Are you prepared to cook us dinner tonight?” I tease him.

The corners of his mouth quirk upwards.  “Absolutely.  I planned for that too.”

Surprised, I let loose of my eyebrows.  “You did?  What do you mean?”

He pulls off the backpack he’s wearing.  “I came prepared to make my favorite meal.  Japchae.”

Now I’m overjoyed.  Japchae is one of my favorite meals too.

Lyric leads the way to the kitchen and once there begins to pull ingredients out of his pack and place them on the island.  Sweet potato noodles.  Two packages of beef.  Dried mushrooms.  Scallions.  Carrots.  A couple onions.  Soy sauce.  Sesame oil.  Fresh garlic.

My eyebrows must be hitting the ceiling now.  He really did come prepared!

“I trust you still have some sugar?” he asks me.

I nod.  “Wow.  Lyric, this is so sweet of you.  Thank you!”

I’m excited.  I love japchae!  And I have every confidence in Lyric’s ability to make it taste absolutely delicious.

I begin to move the ingredients into the fridge.  “Now all I have to do is make lunch.”

“I thought this was the least I could do after you welcomed me into the family.  Did Nana tell you we’ve set a date?”

My eyebrows just hit the moon.  “Have you now?” I ask as I suppress a grin.  “When exactly?”

“Christmas Day.”  His face is a perfect blank.

Janna gasps.

My eyes slide her way. 

Lyric finishes his statement.  “Twenty twenty-five.”

I smile.  “Quite right,” I respond.

“We both need to finish college first.”  He flashes me his boxy grin.

I know he’s just teasing me, but Janna is blushing now.  All the way to the roots of her hair. 

I grin at her.  “You picked a good one, Nana.  In addition to being a brilliant chef and a gentleman, he’s quite wise.  I approve.”

Before either of them can respond, Alastair comes running into the kitchen carrying his Kiwi crate.  “Look, Mommy, I get to make stuffed animals today!”

With good humor, I flash my teeth at him. “That’s great, kiddo!  Come show me when you get done, okay?”

He nods and is off to the living room again.  My kids get a different Kiwi crate each month.  This was a Christmas present from their grandmother last year.  It’s the gift that keeps on giving.  It’s a wonderful present.  My children look forward to opening their new boxes and generally enjoy their projects.

I glance back at the young couple in my kitchen.  “So, what shall we do today?  Do you want to create your Kiwi project with Lyric?” I ask Janna.

“Nah.  I’ll make it some other time.  Do we have any Christmas projects left to work on?” she asks me instead.

I nod.  “Yes.  We need to decorate the gingerbread house cookies and begin packing the tins to give away.  I think we should finish them today if we can.  The next two weekends are going to be crazy busy with the pageant, party, musical, and Snow Ball. Not to mention getting ready for all our family Christmas celebrations.”

“Can Lyric and I make another batch of gingerbread houses?  We didn’t make that many last weekend, and…” she glances at Lyric as her voice trails off.

“What she’s trying to say is that we all ate too many,” Lyric comments sheepishly. 

He’s so cute.

“Lyric, could it be that you enjoy gingerbread as much as I do?” I ask him.

“More.  I’m sure,” he responds with a shy smile.

“I’m not sure that’s possible,” I murmur wryly.  “Why don’t you two make a double batch?  I’m in the mood to enjoy some gingerbread cookies myself.”

“When aren’t you in the mood for that, Mom?”

I laugh as I glance at my daughter.  “Too true.  Hey, save me some dough!”

I head for the living room to check on my Kiwi creators.

––

A while later, Alastair comes up to me.  “Look, Mommy, it’s a peanut.”

I glance down at the little tan creature he’s knitted and filled with polyester stuffing.  It does look remarkably similar to a peanut. 

“What are you going to name your peanut?” I ask.

“It’s not a peanut, Mommy.”  He grins at me.  “It’s a walrus.  See.  I’m going to put these googly eyes on it.”  He holds up the stickers that create the face of his walrus.  Including its husks.

Then he asks me a question.  “Mommy, can we make another Christmas tradition this year?”

“What’s that?” I query.

“I want to make a peanut for each of my grandparents.”

I start laughing.  “I think they’d love a peanut made by you.  Do you have enough supplies?”

“Yeah.  See.  There’s two whole sheets of stickers.  And lots of yarn.  But I might need some more stuffing.”

“That I have.  So plan for as many peanuts as you like.”

“Great.” He grins and heads back to the couch to finish his project and start on another.

I wander out to the kitchen to sample a gingerbread house.  It is perfectly baked.  Just the right amount of crunch on the outside yet soft on the inside. Exactly the way I like them.

“Guys, these cookies are just perfect.  Lyric, I’m beginning to believe that you really did grow up on the Food Network.” I smile at him.

Just then, Kookie enters the kitchen.  “Cookies?!” He reaches for one as Emmie follows close on his heels.

“Hey!” Janna shouts.  “Those are for gifts!”

He stops in mid-reach.  “Oh, come on, Nana.  Just one.”

She snorts.  “More like one dozen.”

He shrugs.  “That’s fair.”

“Nana, you can spare a few, can’t you?” I ask as I snag another one and pop its corner into my mouth.

“You’re just as bad as he is,” she accuses me.

“Too true.  Especially when we’re talking about gingerbread.  At least, he comes by it honestly.  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.  But in all fairness, I did pay for the ingredients.”  I turn towards Kookie.  “Help yourself, kiddo.”

He flashes me his adorable grin before grabbing four cookies.

Janna looks disgruntled.  “But we made the cookies!”

Lyric picks up another cookie and takes a bite.

“I think, my dear,” I address Janna, “that you are outnumbered.”  I begin counting cookies.  “So, are you done baking them?  Is it time for me to call the troops to decorate them?”

Janna nods.  “Yep.”  She caves in and joins the crowd, taking a cookie.  She sinks her teeth into it.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying the fruit of your labors,” I inform her.

She grunts at me.  I laugh.  She sounds just like her father. 

I begin to lay cookies out on a baking sheet.  “Did you make any frosting?”

“Not yet.”

“I’ll make it,” Kookie offers.

Soon enough, we’re all seated around the table.  We begin to decorate our gingerbread houses.  Abner tacks some candy pieces onto the roof while Alastair pipes frosting out of a Ziploc bag.  I catch Everett eating his creation.  So is Noel.  Kookie and Emmie are working hard on their masterpieces.  Lyric’s looks like it belongs on the Food Network, of course.  And Janna is using a pair of tweezers to place green and red Nerds along the border of her roof.  Such precision.  She is a good match for Lyric, I think.

A couple hours later, Kookie and Lyric help me cook brunch for the whole household.  Lyric really does seem to enjoy his time in the kitchen. 

“In a few hours, the cookies will be dry, and we can begin to pack the tins,” I inform my little helpers over brunch.  “In the meantime, you guys should finish writing our Christmas traditions in your notebooks.  And I have several more recipes to give you too.”

I hear some groaning, but I know that someday they’ll appreciate having written down our traditions.  They will definitely enjoy making our recipes with their own families.  Part of me can’t wait for those days – when I’ll have grandbabies.  But for now, I concentrate on enjoying these days right here.

––

“Mom, are we putting together stockings for the Christmas outreach at church this year?” Kookie asks me as he wanders into the living room after brunch.  

“We are.  I’ve already bought the hot chocolate packets, mini candy canes, Hershey’s kisses, and lip balm for the girls and superhero figures for the boys.  And a couple of generous shop owners donated mini felt stockings this year, so our finished product is going to look adorable!”

“How many are we making this year?”  He’s eyeing me curiously.

I look away.  “Three hundred.”

“Three hundred!  You’re a glutton for Christmas punishment!”

“For Christmas blessing,” I correct him.  “And yes, yes, I am,” I grin at him.

“It’s gonna take us a while to make that many.”

I nod my head.

Privately, I’m hoping for a snow day tomorrow so all the kids can help me assemble the stockings.

“Mom, why don’t we just put them together now?” he asks me suddenly.

“Now?”

“Yeah.  It won’t take long at all if we all pitch in.  Lyric’s here, and so are Emmie and No.  Let’s just get it done.  The next two weeks are going to be crazy busy for all of us.  And I know you.  You’ll be up till three in the morning assembling them the night before the church outreach if we don’t step in to help you.”

Can you see why I just adore my eldest son?

“All right.  Why don’t you go ask everyone if they want to help?  I’ll go grab everything and meet you in the basement in five minutes.”

—

I collect stockings and all the stuff that goes inside them.  Then I head to the family room downstairs.  I set up a spot for each item: the stockings, hot cocoa packets, candy canes, chocolate kisses, lip balm packaged in a variety of hues and flavors, and plastic Avengers figurines in a smaller assortment of colors and characters.

All of the kids join me within the next couple of minutes.  That, in and of itself, is a miracle.  I get the assembly line moving.

Janna and Lyric each pick up a stocking which they hold open as they walk past each helper.  Their assistants then put their goodies inside.  Emmie is dishing out the hot cocoa packets, the first item to go into each stocking.  Everett has the candy canes.  Alastair is overseeing the distribution of the chocolate candies.  Abs is dispensing the lip balm, and Noel is passing out plastic superheroes.   Kookie is in charge of sorting and bagging up the finished products.  

Once again, I have no job to do.  This is splendid!  So I simply stand on the sideline and watch over the whole process.

Janna is supervising the assembly of the hundred and fifty girls’ stockings.  Lyric has taken responsibility for the remaining bags for the boys.  Everyone works efficiently.  Before even an hour has elapsed, they finish creating our little stocking gifts.  All three hundred of them.  Now, all I have to do is drop them off at the church.  All thanks to the help of my adorable, little army.

––

The snow continues to fall all day long.  The roads are impassable.  It appears that Lyric will be utilizing that backpack in the trunk of his car.

“Lyric, should we just build another bedroom onto our house?” I ask him that night as the kids prepare to head to bed.

He grins at me.  “I could cook dinner every night if I lived here.”

“Hmm.  Sounds like a plan.  You’re working hard to tempt me, aren’t you?”  I glance around at my children.  “Eh, what’s one more boy?” I ask.

“Another very large mouth to feed,” my husband murmurs.

I chuckle.  “Boys do eat a lot, don’t they?”  I glance at all six of the skinny lads.  “Where do you put all that food?”

They shrug and head down the hallway.

“Mom?” Janna queries.

“Hmm?”

“Do you think they’ll cancel school tomorrow?”

“It’s a definite possibility,” I respond.

“Emmie doesn’t have her uniform.  Neither does No.”

I nod.  “I imagine if school isn’t cancelled, the roads will be passable, and their mom can drop their clothes off on her way to work.”

“Okay.  Should I set my alarm then?”

I bob my head.  “If school is canceled before I head to bed, I’ll come into your room and turn it off.”

She flashes me a smile.  “Thanks, Mom.”

“Hey, what are mothers for?” I grin.

I wander down the hall to tuck my kids in.  As I enter the bitty twins’ room, Abner holds up his Shooky doll.  “Look, Mommy.”

Abner has cut two holes in a Kleenex and shoved his doll’s feet through them.  Then he folded the Kleenex up towards Shooky’s eyes.  The tissue is clinging to his brown body; it’s held in place by a yellow rubber band.  “Shooky’s wearing a diaper,” I comment.

He giggles.  “No, Mommy.  It’s not a diaper.  It’s a mask.”

I chuckle.  “Why does he have a mask covering his feet?”  Of course, Shooky’s feet are connected to his chin, so this might explain the problem.  “Have you been studying pictures of BTS walking around airports again?” I ask, wondering why he felt it necessary to make his chocolate chip cookie doll a mask.

Two adorable heads bob up and down.  Make that three.  Even Shooky is nodding.  His little chocolate chips are bobbing back and forth.

I give the requisite hugs and kisses – yes, Shooky gets one too – before turning out their light and heading for the living room.  I turn on the TV, hoping for three school cancellations for tomorrow.  I am not to be disappointed.

Ten minutes later, all three of my children’s schools pop up on the news screen.  No school tomorrow.  My kids and their friends are all getting a snow day.  They’re going to be ecstatic.  Perhaps we can spend the whole day watching Christmas movies.

I smile as I head down the hall to tell them to turn off those alarm clocks.  We all get to sleep in.