Decembertimes

I don't know what it is about this Christmas, but I've been lacking a bit in the holiday spirit department. It could be because Alex has been gone a lot lately, the weather is sweatier than a jock strap, and my children have been sick for what feels like months on end. Seriously, how many times can the same kid have croup? And how many times can the Norovirus circle a family? This is beginning to feel cruel.

I normally have tinsel practically exploding from my ears, but this Christmas season has felt a lot more subdued for us. While I would typically be enjoying fun, festive activities with the beasties, I have been spending most of my month trying to keep everyone alive, breathing, and out of their own bodily fluids. 'Tis the season of motherhood, I guess. 

I have been trying hard to keep the magic of Christmas alive, and it hasn't been a complete bust. We have had lots of holiday cheer, too! We started off December by pulling out the storage boxes and decorating everything that would stand still. 

The kids had the best time a time picking out a Christmas tree. We decided to do our family pictures this year during tree selection at our local tree lot, and that was the moment that our children decided to stonewall our photographer completely and cry the entire time. Luckily, my parents were on hand to provide lots of laughs, so we managed to get a few usable shots! 

The real fun began afterward, when we put our tree up. I swear, that tree has caused more stress for me this year than anything else. I don't know what else I was expecting with two toddlers and a Christmas tree, but hot damn, I need medication after redecorating it 14x a day. I've finally just given up and decided to roll with the fact that the bottom-third of the tree looks like it's been molested by a pair of randy goats. 

If you're thinking that it's leaning a little to the left, then you'd be correct.

I used the tree clippings to make homemade wreaths for the front door, plus a couple for friends and family. It's such a good, inexpensive gift! Vivi had the most fun swimming in Christmas balls while I crafted, aside from the part where she and her brother pelted each other with ornaments, which erupted into an all-out brawl (and she won).

We broke out our Elf on the Shelf for his debut this year. Bobby named him Coco; we think he may be struggling with gender confusion, but we are accepting and love him no matter what. Bobby has watched the EotS movie and we read the book a lot, so he understands the concept in an abstract form, but not enough to care that Coco hasn't moved in four days because he also has the Norovirus. I'm mildly dreading next Christmas already because I know that's when I'll have to step up my game. 

We have been enjoying all of the Christmas classics that air on television; they love Elf, the Grinch, Mickey's Christmas Carol, Rudolph, and Charlie Brown. I'll be sad to delete those from the DVR. We've also been singing lots of Christmas Carols, especially focusing on Jingle Bells and The Little Drummer Boy. Vivi nails the pah-rum-pa-pum-pum every time :)

Other than that, we've been pretty low-key this Christmas season because the sickness keeps reoccurring and I can't really take them out and about. They break out of quarantine every now again to go play in our neighbor's yard, where they have a little playset that my kids are OBSESSED with.

But it's mainly been lots of tears, snuggles, and mismatched-jammies-all-day for the last month. 

Now we are wholeheartedly praying that our family can get well soon, if not to build our gingerbread house and decorate sugar cookies, then to at least spend a nice Christmas Day with our loved ones. 

Wishing you and yours a wonderfully merry Christmas week!