"Did you now?" Elsie chuckled, reaching out a hand to touch her fingertip to Ben's nose, eliciting a laugh and a flail of his arms. "Shall we dismiss the housekeeper then?" While they made do with what they had and she and Tyb could certainly survive on their kitchen skills, she was thankful they could employ somebody to do it for them.

Offering her son a cracker to chew on seemed to placate him for the moment, she turned her attention back to Tyb just in time to see that look on his face that nearly had her blushing, even all these years later. "This is perfect, just us, just the way I like it." Besides, she wasn't even sure she knew one hundred other people. They would be having family dinner with her parents by week's end anyway and that was all she really needed. At least this birthday was leagues ahead of last year's.

Reaching for some of the nearest treat, she saw that he had mostly done some baking, which given their track record should be fine, but part of her was still just a little leery. "Should we have dessert for dinner then?" She teased. It was her birthday after all— and she didn't think Tyb would say no to that.