Life With Father: by Clarence Day Jr.

A neat, methodical man married to a woman who plays from heart, so that she is always hassled by his need of keeping accounts and he is always puzzled why she would not keep accounts, she welcomes unannounced relatives with open heart and joy while he is stressed about the disturbance they are certain to create in his routine, she wants to be left alone when ill and he wants to be petted an patted and massaged when he is ill and neither understands the need of the other in this respect, and on top of everything when she is given money to buy something she spends it on something else the house needs while charging for the first item she had taken money for so he is driven crazy and she is in tears telling him she won't stand being accused of mismanagement while she is trying to manage in so small a sum (he is not accusing her, merely attempting to comprehend the tangled accounts).

And then there are the four redheaded boys who are mixed in albeit most of the trouble seems to be either between the first son, the author, and the father (if any left over from the trouble between the parents, church, relatives et al) what with the delicate watch and the violin the son has to struggle with.

One of the most relaxing books, brings joy and smile and a melting of heart with the stories and the characters that one feels entirely close to.