The 12 Sickies of Christmas

1. Me
2. Duncan
3. Calleigh
4. Aubree
5. Shawn
6. Camille
7. Camden
8. Mom
9. Ricky
10. Aunt Wanda
11. Aunt Shirley
12. Uncle Charlie

If there was a theme this Christmas, it was sickness.  Camden and Aubree were the first to get it within a day or two of our arrival in Boston (which was Friday, the 17th).  "It" in this case being a cold.  Later in the next week, Aunt Wanda got sick to her stomach.  My allergies were terrible (strangely so since they've been pretty good since my mother got the air purifier).  By Friday, I realized I also had a cold on top of that and boy, was it a doozy.  Let me rephrase that.  Boy, IS it a doozy.  I still have it.  On top of that, I also got a canker sore on my tongue which made it very painful to talk.  Although I felt pretty lousy with the cold, I think I may have actually preferred that over what the others had. One by one, they all got the stomach bug (although thankfully not the kids) and while it only lasted 24 hours at most, some were up all night in the bathroom.  My poor brother slept on the floor in front of the bathroom on the night of the 26th.  During all of this, Duncan actually was surviving without anything and he did an awesome job of watching the kids, etc. while I spent some needed time just lying in bed.  But his time was coming which I'll get to.

This was me sporting my usual look while up there:  glasses.  What you can't see is drippy, red nose.  A real Rudolph, one might say.

Despite all this, and I want to be clear, we had a wonderful, wonderful Christmas and I wouldn't have changed being up at my parents for anything.  Give me the sickness any day as long as we're all together.  Since the people who care most about this blog are the people that were involved in the activities, I've decided to keep my synopsis of our time short - - at least I'm going to try (did I mention I'm still sick?).

• We arrived on Friday afternoon, 22 hours and 59 minutes after we left.  The time went well although then one minor meltdown by Calleigh about having to get dressed in a cold McDonald's bathroom.  The highlight of the trip was definitely arriving to find my parents house completely decked out, a fire in the fireplace, and hot soup and appetizers waiting for us.  What a welcome!  Those little things mean a lot.  
• We went to church in Norwood where the kids were in charge of the church program.  Calleigh ended up holding up the big star during the Cradle Roll/Kindergarten portion of the program.  She was pretty proud!

For whatever reason, Aubree LOVES Freddie.  Other people will try to hold her and she won't go to them but as soon as she sees Freddy, she goes right to him and wants to be picked up.  Here, she backed into his lap.

• Saturday afternoon we picked up Ron and Elaine at the Providence airport and then drove down to Newport, Rhode Island where we shopped for a bit in the historic downtown (very, very nice) and then went to two mansions that were decorated for Christmas and had musicians performing.  This turned out to be not a altogether pleasant experience with two toddlers but I did enjoy myself.
• Sunday was the Cheesecake Factory and then on to the Pops.  Duncan muttered a few times during the performance that this might be the last year (yes, the girls were a little much at times) but I'm sure we'll forget by next year.  The show was great but I did miss the fact that they didn't do "White Christmas" this year.
• Tuesday night we went to Edaville Railroad  and enjoyed all the lights and rides.  It was cold, as expected, but fun was had nonetheless.  

With buddy Bruno

• It was either Monday or Tuesday, or maybe both actually, that we got some snow.  Not a ton but enough for Calleigh to play in and to build a couple of snowmen.  My prayer was that there would be snow while we were there and I was very grateful it was answered with a "yes."

Camden watches Papa and Aubree building a snowman.

• Wednesday was Duncan and my eighth anniversary so we took off that evening for some alone time which included shopping at Walmart (yes, that sounds weird!) and then going for dinner at the Mint Cafe in Norwood. Big mistake on that.  I ended up eating a few bites of Vegetarian Pad Thai that was made with fish oil and then we didn't realize there were no free refills on the soda...after we got the bill and saw all the soda charges.  We chalked it up to making a memory. 
• I think it was Thursday that I finally made it to my first (and last mall) while I was there.  The four of us parents (me, Duncan, Shawn, and Camille) and Ricky made an escape to the South Shore Plaza for some afternoon shopping while Gigi was on kid duty.  It turned out to be a little challenge, thanks to Aubree, but we were thankful for the time out.  
• Also on Thursday (or was it Friday?), my dad and Ricky took Calleigh ice skating at Patriot Place.  Some had their doubts that she would last once she realized she didn't actually know how to skate.  As it turned out, she LOVED it!  My dad and Ricky took turns pushing her around and she ended up having a fit when she had to leave.  But the guys were too tired to take her around any more!  Have I mentioned that it's pretty obvious Calleigh has Canadian blood in her?  That's what my dad kept telling her when she didn't want to quit skating and then when she goes outside for what seems like hours to play in the snow.  She just can't get enough of it and nary a complaint about being cold.  

• Thursday night I finished wrapping the majority of our presents.  We turned over a new leaf this year.  Most of our gifts we bought ahead of time and had shipped to my parents house.  And then, I got the wrapping done ahead of time instead of waiting until Christmas Eve at 11 pm to do it...which usually lasts until like 2 am.  
• Friday night was Christmas Eve for most but not for us.  Since Christmas was on Sabbath, we decided to just make Christmas on Sunday.  We actually like it that way because it gives us an extra day!  So Friday night was just a regular night for us.  The Rondinelli's and Irrgangs came over and Calleigh and Bruno had their usual raucous good time.  
• On Sabbath, my mom had to work.  Since a bunch of us were sick, we decided we better skip church and lay low.  That makes for a very long morning and afternoon but we survived.  By early evening, my mom got home and then Aunt Lori, Uncle Charlie, Kelly and Steve (with their new dogs!) arrived for Christmas Eve festivities which included eating, singing carols, our Christmas card contest, games (I hosted my usual five to six), and then movies.  

My mother and Aunt Lori were a team for the games and Oh My Word.  Listening to the two of them having to sing Christmas songs for one of the games was worth the price of admission right there.  I have video of it but I'll save them the embarrassment :)

Steve and the Beagles, Kody and Kylie.  Sorry Kel, I know I probably didn't spell them right but my brain is still in a fog.

• Christmas morning started with a Walgreen's run for me for drugs and tissues.  But then it was on to the good stuff.  We did our stockings and then started opening the presents at 9:22.  I say the time because we wanted to see how long it really takes us to open them all.  It turned out almost exactly three hours. At any rate, Calleigh did love getting presents and after a few minutes would go by without getting one, she would wander over to Gigi (who hands out the gifts) and would say she wanted another one.  I don't know that the girls necessarily got a "big" gift about all others but they did seem to love the Veggie Tales Castle we got them and the Polly Pockets that Uncle Ricky gave them.  My favorite gift for them was the ten volume set of Uncle Arthur's Bible Stories I got for them on eBay although as I look through them, we may be a little ways off from them being completely meaningful to Calleigh.  The writing definitely seems geared to older kids.  

• After gifts, it was on to our usual brunch.  My mother and Aunt Lori had the gall to ask if we wanted something different this year and that was met with a resounding NO.  As we ate, we got to enjoy the Patriots/Bills game although admittedly, I think I dozed off in the front of the fire during the fourth quarter.  
• By this time, we were hearing all about the horrendous snow storm that was coming that evening/the next day that was to drop 15 - 20 inches of snow on us.  Since we were planning to leave in the early afternoon on Monday, we were thinking this would surely delay us.  

Did I mention she loves the snow??  She and Duncan got in their last licks of it on Sunday night.

• Monday morning comes and by this time, my mother and Shawn have been struck with the stomach bug.  Meanwhile I'm thinking we've got to get out of there as soon as possible before Duncan gets hit.  It was like a sick ward.  There was snow but not enough to keep us off the roads and Duncan, the stud that he is, completely packed everything up (because I'm totally dragging from my cold) and off we went at about 1:30.  

Obviously Duncan takes the first shift of driving and I'm desperately trying to catch some zzzz's knowing that Duncan obviously isn't going to drive the whole trip.  Fortunately the roads were in good shape and we didn't hit any traffic (save for a minor accident in New York City).  Before we even get to New York City (some three plus hours into the trip), Duncan announces he had a bad headache.  I'm thinking that wasn't a great sign.  We get on the New Jersey turnpike and start looking for a rest area where we can get supper.  Duncan starts making some mutterings that his stomach isn't feeling so great.  We finally find a rest area and I kid you not, when we got out of the car, I think it was some of the coldest weather I've ever been in.  It was in the low 20's, which itself wouldn't be the worst thing ever, but the wind was howling and howling.  It was a LONG walk from the car to inside.  Naturally, there isn't a single vegetarian thing to be eaten there save for some french fries so it was a dinner of fries, apple slices, a breakfast bar, and a blueberry muffin (not a fresh one mind you but one of the ones you buy in a little package that generally don't taste very good).  After getting the girls into their pajamas in the bathroom, which is a bit of a chore I might add, it was back to the van.  I was afraid the dogs might have frozen to death in the interim but they were huddled up under some blankets.  At least it prevented them from rummaging for food which they had done, quite successfully, on the way up.  

By this time, it's a little after 8 pm and Duncan is clearly in no condition to drive.  I take the wheel and get out my iPod with my dependable Dr. Laura podcasts which will get me through the next six hours.  Have you ever driven a car while at the same time blowing your nose, literally, every five minutes.  I'll say this for it...it does keep you awake.  A few hours later, we're in Maryland, and Duncan orders me over to the side of the highway.  Yup, it was time.  There was nowhere to hide so I had to try my darnedest not to listen, no easy feat when you're less than five feet away.  Thankfully, during all this and despite their colds, the girls were asleep along with Aunt Wanda and the dogs in the back seat.  Duncan finished up and we were back on the road.  I continue on through Baltimore, DC, Richmond, and as I see the signs for Rocky Mount, NC, I start thinking "Am I really going to be able to just keep driving indefinitely?"  I'm sure that if it weren't for my own pathetic condition, I would have been able to hang in there a lot longer.  Finally when it's a little after 2, I get off and tell Duncan that I'm going to need a little break.  But Duncan, as I mentioned before, the stud that he is, got behind the wheel and said we must press on.  We HAD to get home.  What if the girls got the stomach bug?   He did get behind that wheel but the stops kept coming frequently.  No more vomiting.  Now it was the other which shall remain nameless.  Over the next few hours, we switched back and forth driving and stopping to use the bathroom.  At one point, around 5 am, I really thought we were going to have to stop because we just couldn't do it any more but somehow, from somewhere, Duncan got a burst of steam and drove for the next three hours until we got to Santee, SC for breakfast. 

We ate at Burger King (big mistake) and then I nobly took the wheel again.  But I didn't last for more than an hour.  Duncan took over and yes, he drove the rest of the way home which was probably a good six hours.  He's my hero!!  I have no idea how he ended up being able to do that.  It was just sheer willpower I guess.  I told my mother that other than returning from Russia back in 1993, I've never been so happy to get home in my life.  A few tears came out even.  And even though it was a VERY rough and long trip, I'm so thankful that it went as well as it did as strange as that sounds.  I can only imagine what would have happened if the girls started throwing up or Aunt Wanda or me.  It would have been horrible.  Thank the Lord for how well it turned out, really. 

So home sweet home.  As good as it was to be home (which took a little less than 24 hours), it's not like Duncan and I could just fall into bed.  We had the girls to entertain.  Bedtime could not come fast enough.  I had no energy whatsoever and although Duncan found some to bring everything in from the car, I went to bed at 9:00 with everything in a giant pile downstairs.

You would have thought she had driven all night!  She fell asleep at supper with the space heater blowing on her.

I woke her up and she took a few bites and then went right back to sleep like this.

This was the next night but she just cracks me up with all her weird falling asleep positions.  Note the new Veggie Tale sheets that have not motivated her to actually sleep in her bed unfortunately.

That was Tuesday and the days between now and then have been pretty quiet.  Due to our colds, we haven't really gone anywhere.  Little by little I've worked on getting the house back into order although we're still not there.  Yesterday I went to Walmart for some groceries and just that, completely wore me out.  Energy is in short supply.  But day by day, I think I'm feeling a little better.  Unfortunately for Duncan, although the stomach bug turned out to be short lived, he's on the downside of a cold now.  Mine is getting better and his is getting worse.  I can't wait until we're all healthy again!

Aubree's hanging on to Christmas for as long as possible...She's still singing Jingle Bells unprompted.

Yup, those are shorts Calleigh is wearing believe it or not.  Let me be very clear.  This outfit was her own compilation.  We did hit up Target today to get a few things for Christmas 2.0 tomorrow night and of course, stock up on the 75% off wrapping paper.  

One note from our trip is that I think I pretty much have Aubree weaned.  With all the excitement of being at Papa and Gigi's, there wasn't much nursing going on there and I decided it was a great time to try and end it for good.  Calleigh stopped on January 1 and since Aubree was born two days later, I had given her a self imposed deadline of January 3.  It looks like we'll be slightly ahead of schedule.  She did have some yesterday but none today.  It's not that I mind the nursing but the OB wants you to stop nursing by Week 20 (I'm in Week 17 now) and then there's the fact that we're going on a cruise on February 3.  I'm SO excited!  This is something I've wanted to do for the last year and a half and it's finally going to be a reality.  My parents were coming down anyway because my dad has some speaking engagements so it's working out perfectly with my mom being able to watch the girls.  We're just going for three nights, Thurs - Sunday morning and to Nassau (one of my least favorite spots) but I really don't care.  Duncan and I will have what I would describe to Calleigh as some "quiet time."   I'm sure I'll miss the girls horribly but I'm not letting that dissuade me. 

Other than that, nothing else much is new!  I hear fireworks going on around me but I couldn't care less.  New Year's Eve has never done anything for me and I'm happy to report that I should be sawing logs by midnight unless posting the pictures takes a long time.  Oh, the pregnancy is progressing well.  I haven't taken any Zofran in weeks and it does appear that it was just a first trimester thing.  Yay!  I have a doctor's appointment on Monday to see how things are going.  There's not too much there really but the pants are getting a little tight I must say.  I suppose I'm going to have to go dig out the maternity pants here very soon.  

Have a Happy Sabbath and oh, what the heck, Happy New Year too.