tickle with the feather, and then he snickered all the way to the barn.
“Brothers,” Mattie mumbled. “I wish today was just my birthday and not Mark’s. Wonder what it’d be like to have a birthday all to myself and not have to share it with him?”
That evening Grandma and Grandpa Miller came for supper, along with Mattie’s best friend, Stella, and Mark’s best friend, John. There was enough food to feed a huge crowd. Mom fixed meat loaf, mashed potatoes, a tossed green salad, corn on the cob, and buttermilk biscuits. She even used their good dishes and put out the pretty stitched tablecloth with brightly colored squares on it, which made the birthday celebration even more festive.
“Umm … everything tastes appenditlich,” Grandma said, smiling at Mom.
“Danki, I’m glad you think it’s delicious,” Mom said. “Mattie likes meat loaf and biscuits, and Mark likes mashed potatoes and corn on the cob, so I made both of their favorites.”
“Who likes the tossed green salad?” Stella asked.
“I do,” Mom said with a grin.
Mattie smiled, too. She appreciated the good supper Mom had made for her and Mark’s birthday. She was glad their parents did nice things for them. She hoped that if she ever did become a parent when she grew up that she’d remember to do nice things for her children, too.
“What’s for dessert?” Russell wanted to know.
“Homemade ice cream,” Dad replied.
Mark’s mouth drooped at the corners. “Do I have to crank the handle again? That’s always hard work, and I don’t think I should have to work hard on my birthday.”
“No, you won’t have to crank,” Dad said with a chuckle. “Ike and I made the ice cream earlier, while you, Calvin, and Russell were doing your chores.”
“What kind of ice cream is it?” Mark asked with a hopeful expression. He was probably hoping for chocolate this time.
“Vanilla, but your mamm has plenty of chocolate syrup for you to pour over the top.”
“Are there strawberries, too?” Mattie questioned.
“Jah, I have plenty of strawberries.” Mom patted Mattie’s hand. “I also made you and Mark a birthday cake.”
Mark smacked his lips. “Yum. Can we have our dessert as soon as we’re done eating supper?”
“When I was your age I could eat a big meal and then gobble down my dessert right away,” Grandpa Miller said. “But now that I’m older if I eat too much it goes right to my waist.” He chuckled and thumped his stomach, while wiggling his bushy gray eyebrows. “So it’s best if I wait and let my supper settle awhile before I eat anything more.”
Stella looked over at Mattie and giggled. Mattie was glad her friend could be here to help celebrate her birthday. She hoped she’d be invited to Stella’s for supper when her birthday came, because Stella was the best friend she’d ever had.
Mattie glanced over at Mark and frowned. He was licking the melted butter from his corn on the cob that had dripped onto his fingers.
Doesn’t he have any manners at all?
she thought as she wiped her mouth and hands on a napkin.
“When can Mattie open the gift I brought her?” Stella asked, looking at Mom with a hopeful expression.
Mom smiled at Stella. “As soon as we’re finished with supper we’ll do up the dishes, eat our dessert, and then Mark and Mattie can open their presents.”
“I can hardly wait for you to open my present,” Stella whispered to Mattie. “I hope you’ll like what I got you.”
“Oh, I’m sure I will.”
As they continued to eat their meal, the grownups talked about their gardens, farming, Dad’s work in his woodshop, and also some things that had been going on in their community. Mattie had just finished her meat loaf, and was about to ask for another biscuit, when a knock sounded on the front door.
“Now I wonder who that could be? Our front door is seldom used by anyone except for strangers or some of our English neighbors,” Dad said as he pushed back his chair and
“Brothers,” Mattie mumbled. “I wish today was just my birthday and not Mark’s. Wonder what it’d be like to have a birthday all to myself and not have to share it with him?”
That evening Grandma and Grandpa Miller came for supper, along with Mattie’s best friend, Stella, and Mark’s best friend, John. There was enough food to feed a huge crowd. Mom fixed meat loaf, mashed potatoes, a tossed green salad, corn on the cob, and buttermilk biscuits. She even used their good dishes and put out the pretty stitched tablecloth with brightly colored squares on it, which made the birthday celebration even more festive.
“Umm … everything tastes appenditlich,” Grandma said, smiling at Mom.
“Danki, I’m glad you think it’s delicious,” Mom said. “Mattie likes meat loaf and biscuits, and Mark likes mashed potatoes and corn on the cob, so I made both of their favorites.”
“Who likes the tossed green salad?” Stella asked.
“I do,” Mom said with a grin.
Mattie smiled, too. She appreciated the good supper Mom had made for her and Mark’s birthday. She was glad their parents did nice things for them. She hoped that if she ever did become a parent when she grew up that she’d remember to do nice things for her children, too.
“What’s for dessert?” Russell wanted to know.
“Homemade ice cream,” Dad replied.
Mark’s mouth drooped at the corners. “Do I have to crank the handle again? That’s always hard work, and I don’t think I should have to work hard on my birthday.”
“No, you won’t have to crank,” Dad said with a chuckle. “Ike and I made the ice cream earlier, while you, Calvin, and Russell were doing your chores.”
“What kind of ice cream is it?” Mark asked with a hopeful expression. He was probably hoping for chocolate this time.
“Vanilla, but your mamm has plenty of chocolate syrup for you to pour over the top.”
“Are there strawberries, too?” Mattie questioned.
“Jah, I have plenty of strawberries.” Mom patted Mattie’s hand. “I also made you and Mark a birthday cake.”
Mark smacked his lips. “Yum. Can we have our dessert as soon as we’re done eating supper?”
“When I was your age I could eat a big meal and then gobble down my dessert right away,” Grandpa Miller said. “But now that I’m older if I eat too much it goes right to my waist.” He chuckled and thumped his stomach, while wiggling his bushy gray eyebrows. “So it’s best if I wait and let my supper settle awhile before I eat anything more.”
Stella looked over at Mattie and giggled. Mattie was glad her friend could be here to help celebrate her birthday. She hoped she’d be invited to Stella’s for supper when her birthday came, because Stella was the best friend she’d ever had.
Mattie glanced over at Mark and frowned. He was licking the melted butter from his corn on the cob that had dripped onto his fingers.
Doesn’t he have any manners at all?
she thought as she wiped her mouth and hands on a napkin.
“When can Mattie open the gift I brought her?” Stella asked, looking at Mom with a hopeful expression.
Mom smiled at Stella. “As soon as we’re finished with supper we’ll do up the dishes, eat our dessert, and then Mark and Mattie can open their presents.”
“I can hardly wait for you to open my present,” Stella whispered to Mattie. “I hope you’ll like what I got you.”
“Oh, I’m sure I will.”
As they continued to eat their meal, the grownups talked about their gardens, farming, Dad’s work in his woodshop, and also some things that had been going on in their community. Mattie had just finished her meat loaf, and was about to ask for another biscuit, when a knock sounded on the front door.
“Now I wonder who that could be? Our front door is seldom used by anyone except for strangers or some of our English neighbors,” Dad said as he pushed back his chair and
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