Christmas Break

With two weeks off of school I couldn't wait to play and have fun with my children, but this Christmas has been a little different than I or the kids expected. We battled the flu, lice, and Strep throat. Both of our cars broke down. One that was kept in the shop for a week and a half and one that is still broken. We hope they both have a full recovery. (Note: If you give names to your vehicles and talk about them as if they are family, your children will have a hard time when they visit the hospital (mechanics) and you talk about replacing them.)

There were some fun times. We made cookies with friends, made homemade ornaments, gifts for each other and a gingerbread house. We walked around the neighborhood to see the lights and enjoyed many of the sweets that we save just for Christmas, including The Lion House Wassail (I've been making for the last 13 Christmases). We did manage to attend three parties, and have a small one of our own on the 22nd; we visited the Lakeway Trail of Lights, returned for a nativity put on by all the children, and Hot Cocoa.

The kids built a huge tent fort in the playroom that they slept in for three days, including Christmas Eve. Our Christmas Eve was a small beautiful celebration with just our family. Mark had to work, but came home in time for our traditional candlelight dinner, the kids nativity, the opening of pj's and of course dessert. Colin requested peach cobbler so I made my first peach cobbler pie from the peaches I froze from our neighbors tree last summer.

The kids, like most children, had a hard time sleeping Christmas Eve and when I was woken for the third time around 4:30 on Christmas morning I gave up sleeping and went downstairs to make cinnamon rolls. By 5:15 I was joined by Colin, whom I sent back to bed, but by 6:10, I couldn't hold them off anymore. I joined them upstairs where we prayed and then we came down for presents. Watching our children on Christmas morning has to be one of the most fun moments of the whole year. They are sweet to each other. They patiently watch each other open gifts and they long to have the gifts they have made for each other opened. Then we spend the day playing, eating and laughing with each other.

It wasn't until after Christmas that the Flu and Lice hit. We immediately put the house into quarantine. The kids were so sad to have to cancel all their plans and I must admit that I quickly became drained, but the flu is almost gone and the Lice seem to have left us, just in time for the kids to return to school. I find myself grateful that we made it through and that Mark has been blessed with Monday off. I plan to spend the whole day with him and Hallie. Perfection.