Cookies, Spelling and Work

(Part 8 of Abby's Story - originally published in my other blog and, now, continued here) Paddy and Owen scrambled up the back steps and slammed the screen door behind them. "Grandma, we're gonna work in the fields today, are ya coming? Mom wants to know." Putting the last dish in the cupboard and hanging up the new tea towel, Abby responded, "Well, how are you boys today, did you get your studies done for the morning?" "Yep! and we're all ready to plant those new shrubs you bought. Dad got out early this morning and dug all the holes in the new rows, now we have to set them in! Grandma, did you make some more snickerdoodles? It smells like snickerdoodles. Can we have some?" "I made them this morning, just for you! Help yourself, you know where the cookie jar is. I hope you ate your lunch, but I guess you probably did, since you are ready to work! Owen, can you spell 'cookie', for grandma? I know you've been working on your spelling words. And Padraic, you can spell 'snickerdoodle'. " C-O-O-K-I-E recipe: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/snickerdoodles/7ffc92a9-d847-4869-9ecb-99de3b751b14 "Enjoy! I used to always make these for your mom and her siblings when they were growing up, and now I make them for you. When your grandpa and I were young and broke, I would use all shortening and not butter (or which ever I had), 'cuz all the ingredients were pretty basic and still in our cupboards. We grew to love them!!!!" P.S. Can you tell which child is younger?