Christmas Photos

Despite the sickness in the house, I was still able to get a few photos for this holiday season.

 At Zoo Lights on Christmas Eve Eve

I don't know where the reindeer are!

Christmas Eve - Present Exchange

Since Michael was feeling sick, Willow took over the job of family Santa.

A Giant Princess Coloring book.

Christmas PJs - Tinkerbell!

All things Star Wars must include a Darth Vader Mug with Hot Cocoa!

Christmas Day

Everything waiting...

Some of Willow's gifts from Santa.

Some of Michael's gifts from Santa.

First thing she went for was the BIKE.

And then the castle...which was being invaded by the trucks.

Michael assembling a game.

Santa's reply to Willow's note she left with the cookies and milk.

Horse "riding".

Michael playing Willow's new Wii game (which uses a baby doll). Thanks, Ana!

Michael reading a holiday book to Willow.

Lego Dracula's Castle...HUGE.

Silver Lining...

Well, I guess the silver lining of getting sick as a dog on Christmas and your Birthday is that the post-holiday/omg I am older emotional bittersweet sickly feeling I usually feel in the evening of Christmas/day after--well, you can't be bothered by that when you are sick!  :-)

Unfortunately, the Turkey Dinner I was longing to have after the Gallbladder of Death Thanksgiving...did not happen.

Well, the silver lining of that--we can have a Turkey Dinner with all the fixings SOON!

And...working all the holiday time--well, I DID get to spend the day after X-mas with the family (yes, Chewy was sick, Michael and I were recovering...).

So, yeah.  Silver linings.

Please, New Years--lets not have any health problems!  Please!

Christmas's Past and Present

Remembering another Christmas....

and another....

and a Birthday Surprise last year...


This Christmas Eve, like our Thanksgiving, has been anything but traditional for us.  Poor Michael has been sick all day with a stomach bug.  Our normal routine of going to the Japanese steakhouse for my birthday dinner has been postponed.

Luckily, Michael felt well enough for our Christmas Eve present exchange.  And now he is back to being sick, poor guy!

Both the kids loved their gifts (we got Willow a Leap Tag system -- Michael got a Walking Dead Board Game, among other things...)

Now is the wait for the children to go to bed and for Santa to come!

Trying to Remember and Hold On as it Slips By

Because of various reasons (my gall bladder 2 week absence from work; the fact that I just started this job; the fact that the place is small and people with more seniority are getting time off) -- for the first time in years I am not taking any time off during Christmas break.  I have to work tomorrow (hopefully for a 1/2 day) and the rest of the week after Christmas...so the time slips by even faster and is even more precious to me because it is limited.

Luckily, Chewy is available for the children, and they will get some time from the normal routine.

This holiday season since Thanksgiving has been surreal and strange.  This weekend was the first one that felt "normal" and I do feel that the kids have had a good holiday season despite the strangeness.

But pesky time keeps going even if you are not well or indisposed or if you need a break--it just keeps going...so I try to remember the things that have made me smile and enjoy this time...

• Playing Munchin Cthulhu with Michael late in the evening, before I have to go to work...having some nice one on one time with him and a board game.
• Flipping channels, coming up with the French Chef--and having Willow want to watch it with me (even after I was kinda bored, because it was an episode on Sauces!)
• Snuggling under blankets with the whole family, watching A Christmas Story and Its a Wonderful Life.
• Going to the Zoo Lights--in the freezing cold, but enjoying it anyway with Uncle John.
• Seeing the nieces try to make friends with the cats 

I guess the amount of time is not as important than what you do with it....

Tomorrow night--I cannot wait to open presents with music; get the kids to bed (after cookies and oats and carrots are set out for Santa and his sleigh); setting up the kids gifts from Santa...oh, the wonder of it all...the bittersweet wonder of time.

Seasonal Stuff and the End of Hanukkah...

I would like to say that this weekend I have held my children closer and that my thoughts keep going towards those poor parents in Newtown, CT (not too far away from here...). (I could not imagination the horror and loss they are dealing with and will have to deal with long after people have forgotten about this tragedy).

I feel very strongly about the need for better control of guns and more help for the mentally ill...however, I am weary that anything will be done about this situation. Both sides of the issues seem to have entrenched themselves. I would hope that 6 and 7 year olds being killed would not be in vain. But I am too cynical to believe that anything will be done.
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Of course, the weekend I want to be able to think of my children dearly--Willow has been such a pill! Being grouchy and whiny and needy and basically driving me and Chewy batty. I am sure it is not just her--we have had lots of anxiety lately---and the last few weeks have definitely not been normal around here.

Speaking of getting back to normal--I am still a bit affected by the recent gall bladder eviction. I would say I am at 75%-80% of my old self. Trying to get back into my normal routines (work, domestic duties, you know, life in general...) has left me exhausted. And the stress--well, that has helped me to get a nice old fashioned COLD. (Yay!)


But this weekend we have been able to enjoy some seasonal fun. We spent yesterday attempting to create gingerbread houses (well, in Willow's case, a Cinderella castle...)

 



Michael made a gingerbread house that had creepy things on it...it says "Keep Out!"






Last night of Hanukkah, we decided to light all four Menorahs!

Happy Hanukkah...And Making the Fudge Again...

The first couple nights of Hanukkah were great successes.  We had a great time opening presents the first night--having Latkes and playing Driedel.

Today, we went out to a reform temple and made personal Menorahs (I did not make one for myself--helped Willow with hers).

Tonight, we were able to use their Menorahs (just the kids--we have to get more candles!)

Before that--we successfully re-made the fudge (YUM!) and the kids were really helpful this time and it was really fun!

Michael opening gift from Nonnie.  

Lego Monster Hunter - Werewolf!  

Willow's gift from Nonnie--a Tinkerbell/Fairies chair!

Opening Hanukkah gift from Mom and Dad...Snowwhite and her horse!

Michael asked Mom and Dad for a Happy Tree Friends character...

Kif LOVES Willow's chair (as I am typing this--he is again lying in it!)

Willow playing with Snow White and her horse.

Playing Driedel -- Willow seems to love eating the Gelt more than playing...

Stencils we used to make some really cool scratch pictures.

LATKES!

Michael's assembled Lego set.

Today at the Temple--making her Menorah.

Michael's Menorah.

Willow eating a Sufganiyah.

Ahh..the fixings for another batch of fudge (which turned out much better!!)

Getting ready to light the new Menorahs.

Michael lighting the Menorahs.

Happy Hanukkah!!

Missing You Today

Missed you today.  This is the season for missing you more than normal.

But today.  Well, lets just say--Splenda doesn't work well in your fudge recipes.  And the kids were all over the place and not really paying attention to the process anyways...so that special time that we had together making fudge--the one I try to recreate with my kids every year at this time--well, it just did not "Click" this time.  And the fudge is ruined.

But.  Tomorrow is another day and we are going to try and make the fudge again tomorrow (with SUGAR...I guess I will just make sure to not eat too many pieces before I give most of it away!)

Mostly though..I wish you were around so that I could tell you what a mess it was and we could laugh about it together.

(Oh, and the kids still had fun with it--everyone else around here LOVES marshmallows--so it wasn't a total loss!)
Hmmm...this seems to capture the experience too well... P.S. At least the latkes and roast for the first night of Hanukkah were perfect!

Recovering

I have been home since Friday evening and I am on the steady path to recovery.

The thing that most annoys me right now are the things I had to miss out on because of this.  Of course, I really did not get to enjoy the much needed four day weekend of Thanksgiving...I was in a lot of pain.

Then I was in the hospital for five days--missing out on a week of work (new job I am still stressing out about--timing is everything).  Not to mention looking out the window and seeing--SNOW?  (Luckily only an inch or two--but I missed the first snow?) I missed going to my nieces' 2nd Birthday party and my son's Holiday concert.

But, you know...I feel a LOT better since the surgery.  And while I cannot pick up Willow yet (much less sleep in my own bed)--I have been able to help to (finally) get our holiday decorations up!  Our tree is up; our menorah is out--we have started watching our holiday classics and tonight I spent a lot of time reading to Willow from a ton of our holiday books...so, I guess things are getting back on track!

Tomorrow, I see the doctor and hopefully get my drainage plug out (yeah, that was not something I expected).

I have appreciated getting to have extra time with the kids this week.  So much so that I am only partially looking forward to returning to work next week (oh why can I not win the lottery?) if only because it will feel more "normal".

Time is going by slow/fast/what?  and I wish the holidays would slow down a bit!

This Saturday night is the first night of Hanukkah--looking forward to making latkes and roast and hopefully being mostly healed and healthy for the holidays.