Could this be Christmas?

Everyone has been talking all season long about how it just didn't feel like Christmas. "I just can't get into the spirit!" some said. Others said they just weren't in the mood. Still others felt like there was too much grief and sadness to be joyful this year. Everyone I spoke with seemed to be having a more difficult time this year. Not necessarily money, either, it was more persisitently the "spirit" of things.

Well, I have to admit, I wasn't any different. I was ready to call the whole thing off. Heck, I wasn't alone, even my own mother was ready to call it quits. Like "The Year Without A Santa Claus" we were just gonna stay in bed and ignore the season. But alas, we have many kids in our families and as much as we just didn't feel like doing it, we couldn't let our babies down.

So, here in our neck of the woods we planned the Salmon family Christmas gathering. We did things differently this year. We drew names so that if you wanted a gift you had to give a gift. That went pretty well, but coming to the decision wasn't easy. Lots of arguing and tears which I had not seen much of in years, and well, I guess I'm just not cut out for that anymore. But like I said, we got through that part at Thanksgiving, and the Christmas party time was drawing near. I bought our tree finally on Thursday and Mom helped me get it in the stand and set up before Erik came home. Decorations would have to wait. I came down with a nasty cough on Thursday night, and was feeling pretty out of it on Friday. Then Saturday morning came and I was too sick to take Aleah to gymnastics. So I stayed home and rested and then my Mom and the kids and I decorated the tree. We also tried very unsuccessfully to decorate the gingerbread house that my dad had bought for the kids. Then she and I went shopping for the party that evening. We went ahead and got a few little stocking stuffers and what we needed for Christmas Day dinner as well as New year's dinner.

Sunday I awoke with what I can only call a sinus migraine. I felt like someone had taken a baseball bat to the side of my head and jaw. I took about a 30 minute much hotter than normally tolerable shower and lots of ibuprophen and sudaphed. Finally it subsided a bit, which was good because guests were to arrive by noon, and I had not even cleaned house yet! (although, I must admit, Erik has been wonderful helping out with keeping things tidy) I didn't get to make the cookies for the decorating station or anything! Oh well, Jenny offered to bring a tray of cookies from Sam's and that will just have to do.

The party went off without much of a hitch. There was plenty of food for everyone and all seemed to have a good time. My nephew had an upset stomach, and of course the fates decided it was time to create chaos right in the middle of the opening of the gifts. Well, we got that cleaned up and everything else went well. Then just a while before everyone was due to leave, he got ill again, and Lori (his mom, 4 or 5 mos pregnant) is trying to clean him up and had an anxiety attack. So that was pretty crazy! But overall, everyone was happy. No one complained "he got more than me!" or hey, I wanted one of those!" Everyone was content with what they received and I was quite glad. Needless to say by the time everyone left I was wiped out, but hope was relatively restored that Christmas could be not only conquered but perhaps even enjoyed!

Monday came, and I was feeling lousy. Just couldnt shake this cough. Tuesday came and not much change. I could get a hold of it for about 2-3 hours out of the day with a certain combination of medicines, but the same combo didnt work every time. Well, Wednesday came and trashed me out again, as the song goes, but this time I couldnt beat it. I literally thought I would die! This was it, I was not gonna get better. Well, Erik came home and took me to the ER (cuz the only walk-in clinic in town was "closed unti further notice" hmmm.. can we say SCANDAL?) Well, after 6and a half hours we finally had a diagnosis. Pneumonia. Yep. Sure was. I couldnt believe it! And the doctor's prognosis for the next few days was not good. Stay in bed. You are not gonna feel up to doing more than opening a few presents and then going back to bed. I was devastated! I had family coming for Christmas dinner. I hadn't wrapped a single gift! I still had stocking stuffers to get! How was it all gonna get done??? I thought we were going to have to somehow trick the kids into thinking that Christmas wasn't until Saturday or something!

Well, lo and behold, after a really good dose of narcotic at the ER on Wednesday, and IV antibiotics, I was feeling MUCH better come Thursday. Erik refused to go to work because he didn't trust leaving me alone for that long. Which was probably good cuz I was only able to be upright for a little bit at a time. He took the kids Christmas shopping and while he was out it was all I could do to wrap their presents. I felt really bad when I realized they each had only 4 presents each, plus 1 from Santa. Now, granted, these were mostly gifts that they had asked for specifically, but usually I overdo it tremendously. But this year I only used my babysitting money for Christmas presents, determined not to overspend and not have money for bills and such. Then I felt much worse when I was filling the kids' stockings and they were so light they could still hang on the stocking hooks. But what could I do? It was Christmas eve and all our extra money had gone to my medicine ($140 worth) and I was certainly in no condition to try to go out to the store anyway. So I decided it would just have to do. We would make the most of it, one way or another. I was grateful that I was at least able to wrap all the gifts and I didn't have to leave that to Erik.

Christmas morning came and after very little sleep Erik and I were quite grouchy. He greeted me with "not merry Christmas" and I said, no, Merry Christmas, we have to do the best we can for the kids. And so we did. The kids enjoyed their presents and had a grand time. No one seemed to notice how sparse the presents were, and were just as thrilled with the smaller gifts from us as they were with the BIG gifts from a very doting Aunt Chris up in Michigan (thanks Chris -the kids always LOVE what you get them) I had made the comment earlier that it is kind of a sad state of affairs when Santa is outdone by an aunt, but that was how it was this year, and I was actually quite grateful because Santa could not have fulfilled that wish all by his lonesome!

The next hurdle was Christmas dinner. We haven't had Christmas dinner here on Christmas day in years, and I was certainly NOT feeling as well as I was yesterday. Well, Mom and Dad came down and my dear sweet husband and the two of them got the turkey going and peeled potatoes and cleaned house all while I was napping on the couch! I was so touched by how much they accomplished in just under 2 hours. I felt much better after my nap and a shower and was able to finish up the Turkey, make the potatoes and finish getting everything else together by the time my Sister and her family arrived. Of course, by the time dinner was served, I was wiped and couldn't eat more than about 3 bites, but I was able to sit at the table and enjoy some good conversation and a relaxed time with my family.

After everyone had gone and around bedtime for the kids they were all sitting around the table having their bedtime snack (cereal, seems to be becoming a tradition with them) and they start up a conversation:

Aleah: "Wasn't this the best Christmas ever??"

Both boys agreed.

Garret: "Know what the best part was for me?"

Aleah responded but I don't know what she said.

Garret: "Opening the Rainbow in my room!" (this was his Santa present, Santa was very proud right about now :P)

Later Aleah made mention about their being LOTS OF THINGS in their stockings! Which I was just amazed at. My mother said it best. More isn't better. More is just More.

This has made me truly appreciate and marvel at how well kids can tolerate things that we think are just devastating. So what if it wasn't the "perfect" Christmas in my eyes. My children loved every minute of it and are tucked soundly in their nice warm beds as we speak, dreaming of all the fun they will have with their new toys tomorrow. It was one of the most meager Christmases I can remember, but I will never forget it. We did it all on our own, with help from Family of course, and it truly was a Christmas to remember.

Now I have a week of company to look forward to, and I've decided I am not going to stress! I have opened my home to these relatives because it is the best option, even if I am not Martha Stewart OR the Flylady, and they are simply happy to be visiting family!

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone's holidays are as blessed as ours was!

Erik made this Rebus puzzle "Merry Christmas and a Happy 2010!