So we’ve been shopping with all the children. And now we’re going to go to the book store to spend Christmas money. I haven’t been able to think about anything sensible, other than mediating small disputes of the rights and ownership of goldfish and balloons, holding baby, trying to pass baby off to anyone else, reading snatches of Stand Firm and last night making a large batch of pancakes.

Standard Pancakes
1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar

2 eggs
1 /12 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 Tablespoons melted butter

And then a well buttered pan. I admit, I really went for the butter last night. I’m on holiday. I’m not going to skimp. But I ought, because I think I’m starting to look like I’ve been eating butter for several days. Matt is unfailingly disciplined. He ate a large bowl of bark like fiber this morning with water like milk on top. He continues to wake up every morning at 4 am in order to exercise and pray. I know it’s very holy of him, but it makes the rest of us look bad and we’re beginning to wish he would stop it. However, we’re not complaining loudly because he came shopping yesterday, providing a much needed calming male presence, producing good obedience in the hoards of children which surround us. I’ll let you know how the book store turns out. As usual, it could be one of the worst mornings of our lives, or, it could be a reasonable amount of good fun. Am keeping expectations at the bottom of the sea—we can only go up from there.