by Elizabeth Gilbert

Created on: December 14, 2008

All day long the children anticipated the arrival of Santa. They could smell the chicken broth cooking on the stove. The homemade egg noodles were drying on the cutting board. The older children knew that soon it would be time for the festivities to begin.

At the magical moment of 3:00 o'clock the children gathered in the hallway at the top of the stairs. The older children took charge of the younger ones and kept the spirit of Santa alive. They listened intently for the "Ho! Ho! Ho!" of Santa and right on cue they began singing Christmas carols.

Downstairs, Mom was doing the last minute wrapping, putting gifts in piles according to each of the ten children and of course adding the noodles to the chicken soup. She heated up some milk and added the oysters for Oyster Stew which was Dad's favorite!

Fruits and nuts were sent upstairs by Santa as a thank you for the great caroling. Usually there were a couple of song requests that the younger children sang at the top of their lungs. Then once again there was a "Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!" Then Santa was gone. Shortly thereafter, Dad arrived from work and the children were called for supper.

With chicken noodle soup as the fare of the evening, it was a simply required bowls and spoons. Adding a loaf of warm French bread and some oyster crackers made dinner complete.

The children were happy with soup because they only had to eat one bowlful and the dishes were done quickly. Then, with Mom's signal that all was as it should be in the kitchen, Dad stepped out of the doorway and the children stormed the living room in search of their treasures.

Mom was glad that soup was all that was expected of her for dinner too! The cleanup was quick. There was no need for dessert because there was candy in the stockings on the top of each child's stack of presents.

Mom now had time to watch their excited play as the youngest ones discovered each new toy. Dad was the engineer on duty. He put things together, made things go, and fixed anything that broke.

Even as adults, these same children serve soup on Christmas Eve. Here are some of the favorites: Oyster Stew, Chicken Noodle, Beef Noodle, Vegetable Beef, and Chili. Sometimes there's a green salad but never anything requiring too many pots and pans or dishes.

Soup warms from the outside in and leaves lots of time to share the warmth of each other's hearts. So as you come together with family and friends, remember the easier and simpler the meal, the more comfortable your guests will feel in your home.

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