I now have weird stomach issues, leading me to believe my hypothesis that we have not one but two viruses running rampant through our house. Pretty sure DS and I both got rid of the first to be hit by the second.
All present shopping is done. Most wrapping is done. However we have no food for Christmas. MIL offered to go. Against my better judgment I may send her with a list. Because on top of this bug I’m also having a work emergency that shouldn’t be mine but is because it’s my client.
I’m doing alright. I was up late wrapping up some work stuff but I think I am in pretty good shape — going to double check and clear out my inbox and desk today so I can start post-break in a good place. The house is passably clean, we do not yet have Christmas food but we aren’t hosting so that’s not too big a deal. Someone will run up this weekend. Gifts are wrapped except for the kids because they did most the wrapping and obvs cannot wrap their own.
DD1 turns 12 on Sunday. Sniff. My big girl. She thinks she’s turning 17. This morning we told her to wear normal-length shorts instead of the running ones from a year ago to school field day and judging by the amount of huffing and sighing, we are tyrants who don’t love her because now she’s had to cover up a whole extra 3 inches of thigh.
mommyatty , feel better! DH had both food poisoning- he knows because another guy had the same food and symptoms, and then a stomach virus followed his food poisoning. Everyone is back to school today for the last day before winter break. DD was out 1 day and DS was out 2 days. And I was out 1 day, so I am hoping this is it and will be a nice break from illnesses until we go back again.
We have plans with friends tomorrow to go to the Christmas German market and then nothing for Christmas Eve/ Christmas. Family doesn't live in the area, and they are coming in January. So it should be nice and quiet. I have nothing wrapped, so.... I am not ready....
Post by sandandsea on Dec 22, 2023 10:33:10 GMT -5
Today ds1s bday so Dh got up early and got us donuts and Starbucks. It’s the last day before winter break so both kids get out early. We are going to the theater this afternoon and then coming home to do our Christmas at home tonight since we fly out tomorrow to visit family for Christmas. I took the day off but have a little work to do and have to pack. It feels busy but all fun stuff.
I went and bought $250 wotlrth of gift cards yesterday in Walmart hell, because Dhs sister and family MAY be coming in Saturday. They are fairly unreliable.
Tomorrow is my big day of cooking for Christmas. Dd wants to do another batch of cookies, so I'm not sure where that will fit. Christmas eve is our day for Dhs family and church, so it will be a busy day.
On a work note, they told us to box everything and put it in the middle of the office for painting. Which I did before I left for the holidays. Now they want my boxes in the conference room, so I'll probably have to go in to move them. Awesome.
We are making it through! DS has finally recovered. Still not clear if it was anxiety, actual illness, or a combo of both given the timeline. But he's fine now and that's all that matters!
Tonight we are taking the kids to a church concert with MIL. It's a Baptist church in arguably one of the worst parts of the city. It should be an experience... It will be the first time my girls have ever been to anything at a church and DS has only been to a Catholic confirmation for his step brother.
Tomorrow is going to be utter insanity. DH has still not bought a single bit of food for the multiple events we have to feed people at. I have no idea what he's expecting to find tomorrow afternoon at the grocery store, but I'm assuming it won't be much. I'll spend the day cleaning the house while he does food.
I’m taking today off to cook and clean. We aren’t hosting Christmas, but BIL, SIL, and nephews show up the day after for 5 days. I am also a little bit anticipating that we won’t go to my moms since my sister was down with norovirus yesterday. There are 6 of them at my parents’ house, and my dad has a bad respiratory something (hoping it’s not pneumonia). I’m assuming that one/both will tear through the house, so I’m not going if someone is puking. I just hope my mom tells the truth. She might lie if she knows we won’t come.
So I’m making more cookies, appetizers to bring with me to Christmas, and starting to prep Christmas Eve dinner. My parents invited us for Chinese food with the same crew that will be there on Christmas, but we’ve gotten to enjoy our little gathering of 4 with homemade pasta and chicken parm and a Christmas movie. Also, everyone else is either staying at my parents’ or lives 5 mins away, but it’s 35 mins for us each way.
I have one more gift card to get and I’m dreading it. DH will have to drive me because there will be no parking. Also because it’s for his brother and he has purchased *no gifts* except for mine (and I bought a few of those) so he can participate.
In the middle of all the prep, DD1 demanded to be driven to her friend’s house 35-40mins away, which also means pick up. When I said I couldn’t do it, she flipped out. Now DH is taking her and I am like 🤷♀️ hell of your own creation sir.
Oh, one more funny story. I’ve been wrapping and baking with whatever free time I’ve had. Yesterday was my final push - all Santa gifts, gifts from us, anything except for whatever DH got me, I wrapped. I put gift cards and cash into Christmas cards, shopped a bit for food, got a few more gift cards to local places, etc. I was collapsed in a heap as I was finishing the last card in my office and DH came in.
I told him I finished everything and cleaned up as best I could since gifts are kind of all over.
He said, “Don’t worry! I’ll help!”
*blink*
I said, “WITH WHAT??? I literally just told you I was done!”
mae0111, there's an Instagram meme that notes there are two types of people in the world: those who pack for a trip a week in advance those who pack an hour in advance. They meet and get married. I say the same for Christmas shopping and prep.
This is totally me and H. Iusually have all gifts at least ordered by December 1. H did the bulk of his shopping at one store yesterday 😆
5 of the 6 of us have had a stomach bug in the last week, so it's been quite a week. Plus half of us have coughs as well. So I think we're in your boat of multiple viruses mommyatty .
I just dropped DS3 at preschool and DS2 at a camp. I'm technically working today but I also have done zero present wrapping. DD has a softball hitting lesson at noon and then I'll probably take her and DS1 to lunch after.
Tomorrow DH and I have a date afternoon - I think we'll hike and then do happy hour. Sunday DS1 requested that we go ice skating, and then I think we'll just bake cookies for Santa. Monday/Christmas we'll do gifts and then visit our soon to be new puppy in the afternoon (the breeder is like 1.5 hours away).
Kindergarten DS2 was not into going to camp today. I tried many reasons he should go, but the one that finally resonated was "I got you presents and I need to get them all out while you're not here so I can make sure I have enough presents for you." Then he smiled and was fine to go.
I offered to wrap all my own presents from H. (He put them in boxes.) His work has been hell on wheels and any free time he has is monopolized by our dad's boy DS(7.5). It shouldn't be too bad though. We don't crazy with gifts.
So ready for today to be over and vacation to start. But the bad news is.. pretty sure my mom has covid. It's been going around the memory care facility, and my sister got a VM about my moms "test results" - so guessing that's what it is. So now we're rethinking whether we see her on Christmas. We were planning to stop in Christmas day, but if she does have it, we'll likely try to wait until later in the week.
ETA: Yep, covid. Her only symptom is a runny nose, which she basically always has. They tested her because it's going around the facility. Such a bummer.
We decorated Christmas cookies yesterday, had my BIL over for lunch and gifts, the kids opened a big gift each from MIL (Nintendo switches), I went to 3 Targets to pick up everything we still needed. DH ended up back at Target at 10pm last night to grab a few more things. 😂
1 of 3 kids Santa gifts are wrapped. We are putting them all the bed early tonight so we can get the other 2 wrapped.
Hockey practice and going to see the Grinch musical today.
Our first day of Christmas vacation was yesterday. I did one of those fun Christmas rides on the peloton because it was too crappy to run outside.
DD1 had an appointment with an ENT doctor. It was long, but we are getting more help with her allergies and she likes this doctor.
From the doctor's appointment, we started the the 10- hour drive to the Pacific Northwest, to my on-laws' home. The drive was good. No traffic as it was primarily through rural parts of the states. Country homes were done up beautifully with outdoor Christmas lights.
We are in the PNW for the week. We don't have much planned yet. We intended to ski, but the conditions are marginal. Thinking well now spend a day or two in Seattle after Christmas then head home.
DH got me a new phone. I ordered a case and glass protector, which will be delivered today. In the meantime, he transferred service yesterday, so I’ve been using it.
Took the dog for a walk today. Found a lost dog. Caught lost dog so that I could call the owners. DH showed up, our dog got excited, and.. down goes my phone. So not even 24 hours and I’ve managed to break the damned thing. I’m so mad at myself. All for trying to do a nice thing.
I've basically slept for 36 hours and am feeling more human today. DH, who I got this damn thing from has slept on the couch the last two nights instead of the camper to deal with our old dog so i could sleep. Oh my he is so cranky because the dog got up at 2am to pee and again at 7am. She is an almost 15yr old lab and I put her out before I crashed at 7:30 last night.
I have wrapping to do. House cleaning to deal with and DH pissed off we can't go do anything. DD is hiding in her room listening to an audiobook. I also was supposed to go grocery shopping yesterday and there is no way I'm going today so we can just deal.
My OOO has been up since 3pm yesterday. I’ve already had to log back in and work today. Next week’s scheduled “time off and relaxation” is not looking hot.
So HR lady, if you’re reading this, please know that you can send all the emails you want stressing the importance of “checking out and taking time with the family so that we can recharge” and wanting to take away our vacation buy back because you’d prefer we use them for our “mental health…”. You are crazy. I will still be asked to work because I don’t have a backup.
I finally took time off work this past week since my big project at work wrapped up and I got sick with what I thought was a cold until the intense exhaustion set it. Got tested and yep, it's Covid. No one else in the house got it and I'm already out of quarantine. Trying to do a taekwondo test with the crazy fatigue almost broke me. I think we are ready for Xmas. Dh and I just need to figure out Xmas Eve dinner. We don't have any plans so we'll figure out something fun tomorrow. Xmas Day will be at my mom's followed by a quick trip to Columbus. Xmas with the in laws will be on Friday.