week and a day ending dec 25, 2006

Week and a day ending December 25, 2006: No real pictures this week, just a link to another web site with a bunch of pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/constance.phelps/BigPicsFromXmasMorn2006 We thought we were in good shape for Christmas with our shopping, wrapping, and gift-assembling largely done days before Christmas, but the best laid plans of mice and men, blah, blah, blah. Friday night Chloe couldn’t sleep because of a bad cough so I spent some of the night in her bed, and then Saturday night Alex was awake for hours with the coughing, which meant so was I. By Sunday (Christmas Eve) we were all exhausted. We’d invited my family over for lunch and to help us assemble the trampoline that they’d bought for the kids. Just as the kids were getting fussy and were demanding finger paint, the guys discovered that a part of the trampoline was missing. I felt pretty frazzled since I was exhausted, worrying about the trampoline, trying to find a receipt, and trying to find smocks, paint, and paper for the kids. As soon as the guys left for the store to see if they could get another trampoline, Cousin Natalie started balling and holding her ear saying it hurt. Her Mom gave her Motrin and Natalie settled down after a while, but was burning up with fever. Natalie has had seizures with a high fever before, so we were all on pins and needles hoping she would be ok, and hoping that NightTime Pediatrics could get her some medicine in time for her to feel well enough enjoy Christmas. I really wondered if, with everyone sick and "everything" going wrong, we were going to be able to enjoy this Christmas we'd worked so hard to prepare for. By some miracle there was another trampoline at the store, the clerk was helpful in the exchange, and the guys got back in time to finish putting the trampoline together before Natalie’s doctor’s appointment. Immediately after that, we had a party to go to with Casey’s family. Chloe spent the first hour hanging around my neck, saying “can we go home now?”, and Alex peed in his pants. After some dinner we all felt better and actually managed to enjoy the last part of the party. Our second Christmas miracle came when both kids managed to sleep through the night and didn’t get up until 8am. As Casey carried them down the stairs they asked if Santa came, and if he’d brought a ballet outfit for Chloe and some trains for Alex. Lucky for us, he had. Santa color-coded the gift wrap so that Chloe’s were wrapped in pink princess paper and Alex’s were wrapped in blue train paper. The kids didn’t even have to ask which gifts were theirs; they just started tearing open gifts. Almost as soon as they’d finished, Grammy Carole and Granddad showed up with more gifts. Then Uncle Dan and Aunt Danielle with more gifts (and a much happier Natalie). Then Grammy Barb and BobBob with more gifts. Then we went to dinner at Uncle Brian’s and opened more gifts. I think there were about 12 hours of gift opening and the kids loved all of it, and did not getting overtired or overwhelmed as they did last year. All’s well that ends well. One of the brightest points in the day for me was Cousin Blade playing with the twins for a long time. It was a game in which they buried him with pillows and sat on him. The twins thought this was hilarious. I thought it showed a good deal of patience and maturity and caring on Blade’s part. One other funny story from this week (as if I haven’t gone on long enough!) was that we all went to get flu shots. Cousin Natalie had one earlier in the week, and had shown off her Bugs Bunny band-aid, so the kids decided that after they got the band-aid, it wouldn’t hurt any more. I went first and got my band-aid, and the nurse said “who’s next?” and Alex said “me!”. When he got the shot he said “ouch”, then she put the band-aid on him and he said “it doesn’t hurt any more!”. After that Chloe wasn’t much nervous about getting her shot either.