Oh, we pulled Christmas off wonderfully, after all, but it was a bit of a bumpy ride.
First, Sugarwings came down with an upper respiratory bug and fever that made her miss the last day of school, with its big holiday bash, and then our annual ornament making party too. As she started to get better, her mommy got a stomach bug, and Ryan got the head cold thing and high fever. Then, shifts at work started shifting for the other parents, and all of our plans were topsy turvy.
We were back and forth on what day, what time, when to celebrate, but it all worked out with all of us feeling healthy on the same day and off work at the same time. For one, beautiful, sparkly evening Christmas night, no one was sick. We had a lovely party, with lots of happy giggles.
And Santa was able to find the girls at our house on the morning after Christmas.
But then, people started to trade bugs back and forth and before you know it, we had all succumbed to one or the other.
Lucky me, I had both at once. I can't even remember how long I was in bed, it felt like years. And my selfish family refused to put a pillow over my head and smother me to put me out of my snotty, nauseating misery. Even when I assured them that I was too weak to struggle and would go quickly.
Our littlest fairy has the feverish bug now, along with both of her parents. Hopefully, her brothers and sisters won't get it too, because we are still trying to find a day when we can bring them an armload of gifts.
On Christmas Eve, when the parents were at work or sick, Sugarwings was feeling better, so we took the girls to the restaurant her Daddy was working at. I almost felt guilty about enjoying it so much with most of the family either sick or at work on the holiday, but man, it was a beautiful thing to have someone else cook a great meal on Christmas Eve.
Years ago. before we had the Fairy Granddaughters, we used to eat Christmas dinner with Ryan at a bar and grill where he was employed as a cook. There are few things as sad as bar food and listening to drunks cry into their beers over not seeing their kids on Christmas while we ate chicken strips and buffalo wings. But hey, you do your best to be with family and keep them company on the holidays. And we did our best to make it fun.
It was a whole different thing to get fancied up really nice and put red, velvety dresses on the girls to go out for an Italian meal at my favorite restaurant.
We have aimed at traditions over the years and sometimes succeed. But, we've discovered that it doesn't always matter if you have a certain meal on a certain night.
As long as we can find a day to be together, we are pretty happy.
Oh Karla so sorry to hear about all the illness going around. It hit our Happy Homemaker 2 weeks ago, but no one else since. (fingers crossed). You’re right about it not mattering where you are, but who you are with that matters.
enjoy your wonderful family and a Happy and Healthy New Year to you all!
Leann
Sorry to hear that, Karla. As you probably know from my post before this or FB, ours was upside down too. Sick at Christmas is the worst — espeically when it’s everyone. Hope for full recoveries for all soon!
Wishing you all to be well soon – and to stay that way. Life does seem to force flexibility on us, doesn’t it?!
I hope your holidays and new year will be filled with love and peace.♥
Sorry you all have been sick. It is especially difficult this time of year when there are so many great things to do and see, especially for the kids. Glad to hear that you all are on the mend. I used to get sick every Christmas from going out to do shopping and people go out sick cause they have to get their shopping done. Hopefully you all will be fit as the new year comes around!
You have a lot of people to coordinate but you always manage it and I always enjoy hearing about the escapades! I’m so sorry to hear you were so sick but with all that going around there was no way to avoid it, I think. Your story about eating at the bar reminded me of the worst Christmas Eve I ever spent, working at a bar. It must be the worst day of the year to be in a bar! Hugs!
Congratulations to you for setting the expectations aside and embracing the ones you love! As the song goes… we don’t always get what we want but, if we try sometimes, we might just find, that we get what we need!
That song is our family anthem, Kathy! When the kids are bratty, we sing it at the top of our lungs, off tune and silly till they give up their attitude. Its a good phrase to adopt.
Bars at Christmas are the worst. Ill never forget the largely pregnant woman at the next table, smoking and drinking and loudly complaining about not getting to see her kids. So sad. But ryan coming out to sit with us on his break, and smiling when he saw us, was worth it.
Wow! Hope you all have a healthy New Year! Sick at Christmas! It’s a kid’s worst nightmare, said my son as a little boy when he caught a holiday bug.