This is the first year H and I have gotten to stay home with no plans on Christmas! I'm so excited! (Usually we're 2.5 hours away in my hometown.) No plans but see Christmas through DS' toddler perspective and eat delicious food. Ahhh. :-) Today I'm teaching Sunday School for the first Christmas Eve Service and then attending the second one with H while DS goes to Sunday School. And then home so H can make stroganoff; yum! Once DS' in bed out come the presents & stockings and then to watch a Christmas movie.
C has a bad viral cold with fever. Had one early this morning, so no church or party tonight. I am supposed to host people tomorrow afternoon for Christmas dinner and I am trying to decide if I should cancel. I need to do it soon so people can prepare. ugh. AS of right now I cannot say with confidence that she will be fever free, without the help of medication, for 24 hours.
We lost one of our dearest friends overnight fri/sat. I just want to cancel Christmas festivities I’m not in the mood to pretend to be happy. I have so much stuff to get done guess I’ll go mindlessly clean my house.
My third batch of cookies is in the oven. I'm just hosting my parents and they haven't offered to bring anything or help. I'm guessing because I'd say no anyway, but I would have appreciated the gesture.
Post by mrsukyankee on Dec 24, 2017 9:56:45 GMT -5
First time we're in my hometown for Christmas since 2008. Arrived at Newark and drove to NEPA in the dark rain - I forgot just how few street lights there are. It sucked. We arrived, ate dinner and promptly went to bed at 8:30pm. Slept until 6:30pm and happily went to a bakery that just re-opened for their famous and fabulous sticky buns. Dad and SM are at church and we're just relaxing with coffee until later when my bro, SIL and their kids come to visit for a bit. So relaxed.
I’m pretty pissed off at my DH at the moment. He decided yesterday morning that it was the perfect time to start a plumbing project he had been putting off for about a year and a half. No emergency or anything, he just wanted to reroute the pipes between the water softener, heavy metal filter and hot water tank to make it all more efficient. So without any notice, he shut the water off and cut into the pipes. We are still without water. We need to leave by 2 pm today to go to MIL’s. None of my cooking is done because I have no water. We are supposed to leave for my mom’s as soon as we wake up tomorrow to open presents with her and stay for a week. My laundry isn’t done either. I had planned to stay home all day yesterday to cook, bake and do laundry. I have a feeling that instead of showing up at my mom’s with a plate of Christmas goodies, I’m going to be walking in with a bag of dirty clothes. Not happy.
We are having people over tonight at 4:30 for dinner. Oddly we are completely ready and prepared. And it's 8:15 am! So now we are looking for something Christmas-y to do this morning/afternoon. Do you go anywhere fun on Christmas Eve? Any suggestions? We are in NJ if that helps.
Where about in NJ? It’s a broad area you’re asking. We generally go to the craziest light displays. Or a few towns have Santa on the fire tuck tonight. I’d need to know where you are. PM me if you’d like.
Most of the family was sick last week but DS2 was the last one to get it and had is worst day yesterday which included throwing up so multiple showers and the laundry machine has been running non stop. And my in laws all flew two days ago and stay for a week. And today my parents drive down and everyone is staying in the house. We even had a detached guest house but nobody wants to stay there because it has a lot of spiders. Crazy people - I would stay in it myself but with sick kids they want to sleep with me in my bed.
Last minute in the middle of the night I ordered an inflatable bounce house because I felt bad for DS1. DS2 is getting a ride on electric car from my parents and I know DS1 is going to be sad/jealous. So I have to send someone to toys r us this morning to pick it up.
About to make some cookies. I cried last night when both my kids refused to help bake, so today I’m protecting myself by just making them myself. The kids are free to join in, but I’m not going to frame it as a family Christmas activity, setting myself up for disappointment.
Post by donutsmakemegonuts on Dec 24, 2017 11:49:09 GMT -5
DH and I exchanged our gifts yesterday and had a nice, Christmasy day lol. So now I'm kinda bummed because there is nothing to do today or tomorrow. We both work on Christmas (him overnight and me 1-7 pm) and we aren't exchanging with my parents until the 27th and his until Jan 8th. I just get so excited to see people open the gifts I get them and now that's over for the time being. Hopefully, if I don't get called off from work on Christmas, I'll be able to help hand out presents to the patients there. That is usually really fun.
Post by cabbagecabbage on Dec 24, 2017 11:56:15 GMT -5
Our heat in wonky so our playroom is 85 and the rest of the house is in the 60s. The toddler has learned to strip so we are hanging out in the playroom with me in leggings and tee and no bra, baby in a diaper, and DD in a fancy dress and a crown. My nice new neighbor stopped by with a gift and I just opened the door to him with my long floppy boobs hanging in the breeze and my tribe of improperly dressed kids milling around our messy living room ( we got home last night and everything is half unpacked all over). The poor man is probably scarred and I’m embarrassed. But he brought us homemade Baileys so that’s nice.
I’m pretty sure DD has croup. I was up a couple hours with her last night. I’ll definitely be napping today. I left the house at 7 and hit the grocery store, Honeybaked ham store and Costco. None were horrible minus waiting in line about 20 min at HH.
I have to make a breakfast casserole at some point today. I’m going to church at 3 even though everyone else in my family says they aren’t going. I’ll sit with my neighbors. Then tonight we are going to same neighbors house for dinner since none of us have family plans this year. I’m thinking DD will stay home with DH and I can run them a plate over.
DS had his second round of chemo on Friday, and his fever finally broke yesterday. He's been cool as a cucumber today! Sure beats last week where he had a fever until Tuesday following Friday chemo. I'm nervous about next week, though, because his dose will double.
We're eating lunch and just put on the movie The Polar Express. I've wrapped everything with the exception of DS's gifts. Thinking about baking muffins in a few...
Post by AHappierHour on Dec 24, 2017 12:32:36 GMT -5
Oh man! My kids are acting 10 different kinds of crazy today. We have just a low key day today and my dad is coming over for dinner. He wanted to have burgers so that’s what we are making LOL
We just got home from Urgent Care. By the time we left it was up to a 5 hour wait. I have never seen anything like this. Half the people I know are sick right now, mostly with the flu. Sinus infection only for DD thankfully. Christmas Eve will continue as usual but without my mom because she DOES have the flu. DD has a 101 degree fever still but you'd never know it. That girl is tough. I am shocked family still wants to come over...I wouldn't, lol.
Hope all the kiddos that are under the weather feel better super fast!
DD is at church with my mom and I had to stop at Kroger for foil, eggs, and batteries. I was dreading it (our big store is still closed from Harvey so this small Kroger is packed on a regular day) but most people seemed to only be getting a few things and I was in and out in 15 minutes. Not bad at all!
We managed to spread our Christmas family obligations out over 3 days this year and are home every day until 4 so it's been much less hectic and exhausting than Christmas normally is for us. Thank goodness because DH has not had a single day off and won't be off any day next week except for Christmas Day. In fact, he has to travel next week for work. UGH. I think I finally convinced him to take some actual days off because we have a to-do list that desperately needs some attention.
My mom was asked to light an advent candle at church this morning. She forwarded me the email with a message that was basically "you should do this." I told that me and the kids would do it WITH her, but that she was the one who was asked, so it was on her to respond.
When the time came in the service, I stood up with the kids, and she didn't come forward. I asked her after the service why she didn't come up, and she said no one told her what was going in, and that no one talks to her or tells her anything, and she didn't know to go up.
Wtf. It's really not a big deal in the scheme of life, but I don't know what sort of engraved invitation she was looking for. I only did it at all because she cried about us not doing things with her when I told her that I didn't want to do it.
Post by RoxMonster on Dec 24, 2017 13:31:07 GMT -5
My parents ended up coming last night due to the snow storm today. It's still going, the roads are a mess, and I'm being grinchy because I fucking hate winter and snow lol. We had to run errands, including the grocery store, which was actually not busy at all, but people forget how to drive every winter.
Right now, I'm sitting on my ass and have broken into the Christmas cookies my mom brought. How early is too early for some cocktails?