You must be SO sick of Christmas posts, right? Everybody’s Facebook and Instagram and all the kids in posed photos and the matching pajamas and people bragging about their presents and blah blah blah. Am I right?
Well you’ve come to the right place!
Because we spent our Christmas coughing, hacking, sniffling, sneezing and generally dying.
We don’t really “do” Christmas. (For our take on the holiday, see my post from last year.) I know we will soon. Maybe next year we’ll be actually going for it. This year we did take a few steps forward. We got a tree. (3 feet tall. Fake. Pre-lit. $12.99) The kids got presents. (From their wonderful extended family.) Graham even knows some carols. (That he will sing if you don’t ask him to and don’t listen and definitely don’t sing with him.)
As Graham gets older it gets harder to avoid. It’s not like we are anti-Christmas, we just don’t like to make a big thing out of holidays with buildup and anticipation and preparation. And stress and craziness and misery.
This year, putting in 25% effort worked out pretty well. Graham enjoyed his toys. Tessa enjoyed stuff, regardless of what it was. Which is her thing right now. But I don’t know that we could’ve done more if we tried thanks to the plague and pestilence.
We still managed our traditional Indian food delivery dinner. (Until we host family or visit family, I think this one is sticking. It’s just so much easier.) Graham only ate rice. Tessa, however, has hit that sweet spot of baby eating where she will put pretty much anything in her mouth, as long as it has the right size or shape. She ate Mutter Paneer (peas, cheese, mild sauce filled with herbs and spices), rice and a little bit of naan. (I have to say, there’s a lot less I’m-an-awesome-parent gloating about your baby’s palate when you know that in a few months they’ll live solely on raisins.)
Seriously, I am on Day 7 of this stupid virus and I think I may finally be shaking it, but it’s not going down without a fight. Today I’m still coughing and I’m losing my voice.
As for the kids, Graham has been sick since last Monday. It’s harder to tell with Tessa. I can’t quite tell if she’s sick or angry or teething, but she’s certainly in a funk. Either way, Graham missed almost the entire week of school last week, which means I don’t have 8 days off to deal with, I have a whole extra week. AND I can’t take Graham out of the house to play and burn off all that psychotic 3-year-old energy.
Yesterday Eric was working so it was just me and the kids. I have a hella sore throat and cough and assorted nose yuckiness. The thing is, it’s not just that 3-year-olds talk nonstop, it’s that they require you to respond. Or you have to tell them no. And you have to tell Graham no about 5 times just to get started. I’m starting to wonder if I’ll ever get my voice back.
I will leave you with a little collage. It’s not of Christmas itself, but of our pre-Christmas when Eric’s parents visited earlier this month.
Ah, the happy times. Before the illnesses struck.
My son enjoyed opening Christmas presents & really likes some of his gifts. That’s the good part.
BUT
Omgoodness, I can so relate to the Christmas plague. I had the awful 3-week long cough, that turned into no voice, that turned into sinus infection, which fortunately ended the week before Christmas – my husband also had a neverending cold during that time. Nathaniel had a sinus infection for which antibiotics ended on the Saturday morning before Christmas…we thought we were in the clear for Christmas this year. HA! From Saturday night through Christmas Eve night, things slowly progressed to plague state. Since Xmas Eve night, the kid has been coughing (non-stop Christmas night), runny nose, feverish, not eating (unless you count the 8 bites of fruit puree & 12 pieces of cereal since then-yes, I’m counting), not sleeping much at night (though passing out for naps way faster than usual-winning?). We got the first appointment the day after Christmas – kid’s back on antibiotics again – apparently the last batch didn’t work (hmmm, really?). He spent a couple days being cuddly, but now he’s stepped into the realm of irrational obsessing & anger in between being cuddly. Tomorrow, I plan on spending more money on foods & drinks that he usually loves (or ones that I can supposedly sneak into his water/milk) & hope it’s not a waste again.
Okay – wait a second – this is YOUR blog.
Sorry for the rant.
We had Indian food on the night of the 23rd!
If By Yes recently posted..Home of the Flies
As you know, we had the Christmas plague too. All that preparation and I spent the day in bed, depressed and sick. I did see the girls open their gifts and all that, but that was it. Besides the gift, it didn’t feel like Christmas at all. Booooooo.
I know we were in good company – lots of people ranted on Facebook about the Christmas plague. Now my 1st grader just went back to school and guess what’s going around now? The stomach bug.
GAH!!!!
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