Christmas is over. I got a karaoke machine, and a rainbow loom, and a vet puppy, and a painting easel, and a Hello Kitty painting kit, and weaving crafts, and a lava lamp, and a… I love Christmas!

He said

Christmas has come and gone and for the most part was a huge success! I was fortunate enough to the 23rd, as well as Christmas Eve & Day off of work. I had been on solid stretch of work leading up to that, so it was nice to have the three days to be around the house with Emelia and Danielle.

While Danielle didn’t have Monday off, Emelia and I did. So, we hung around and helped where we could with the daycare before we snuck out for a little of the afternoon to pick up Danielle’s Christmas gift from Emelia. When we got back, we ensconced ourselves to my office to do a little art and put together Mommy’s presents. By the time we finished, the daycare day was almost complete, and the house got a lot quieter. It was  just the remedy we needed with all the commotion of the season about to unfold—knowing that we had the next couple of days off together to be a family. And to be with family.

It’s hard to say what the big hit was this year for Emelia. Her Santa Gift – the karaoke machine – was definitely a big delight. But my odds right now are on the Rainbow Loom she got along with all the crafts she got from both Grandma & Poppa, as well as Oma & Gramps. She certainly has enough to keep her occupied through the next couple of cold, indoor months.

Christmas Eve we were over at Greg, Testza & Vaughan’s to celebrate with the Teeter side which included the Welland Teeter’s which Emelia was over the moon about seeing. We all had a great time, and of course when it came time to leave, there was great resistance from Emelia about this, even with the thought that if Santa got to her house and she wasn’t there, that he might skip over us. But, eventually we got a teary-eyed girl on her way home and to bed.

Christmas morning was a nice, easy pace. We puttered about most of the morning. By mid afternoon we decided it might be time to start getting cleaned up and readied for what has become a tradition: Christmas Dinner for any of the Teeter’s around without other family plans. Greg & Testza, were again hosting this.

Within about an hour of getting there, I started feeling really run down and just exhausted. I was getting the chills and a really bad feeling. So, after we got Emelia situated I had Danielle bring me back to home where by 6pm I was in bed and to sleep for the night.

Or so I thought…

The next twenty-four hours can be best described as hell. I had some sort of nasty stomach bug that led to many  trips from the bed to the bathroom and back. The worst part was that within an hour of getting home and getting Emelia to bed, Danielle was in the bathroom throwing up. It seems the only one in the house doing fine was Emelia.

I ended up having to call in sick for my Boxing Day shift at the store and spent the entire day in bed sleeping. Danielle who was doing just marginally better than I, took Emelia downstairs and spent the day on the couch with her. Between the two of us, I don’t think either was upright for longer than 5 minutes the entire day.

I made it into work Friday and Saturday feeling on the mend, but definitely no where near 100%. In fact, by the end of my shift Saturday night both Danielle and I were feeling like the bug was taking a second stab at us. Again I was slightly worse for wear.

Which couldn’t have come at a worse time as today was the other big Christmas tradition that has arisen in the last few years – we were hosting the Japp side Christmas at our place. I ended up needing to have a nap this afternoon while Danielle and Emelia entertained Oma & Gramps, and Chantelle & Todd after they arrived. When I got up, I was feeling a little better and managed to help Danielle out prepare the meal, and get a chance to visit and relax with the family.

I am really starting to relish closing out Christmas season with this Japp gathering at our house. It’s after all the hustle and bustle of Christmas, and is always a relatively easy-going affair. It works out well that we’re the halfway point for the family, and I love having them all here, and Emelia getting the chance to come out of her shell with them – a process that usually takes two to three hours.

I couldn’t think of a better way to put a close on Christmas. We have New Years coming up in a few days, and I have a couple of those days off, so I think given the state of health right now, we are going to just lay extra low and take it super easy this year ringing in 2014!

She said

Another Christmas has come and gone and while John and I spent much of it quite sick we did everything we could to assure that Emelia still had a great holiday. The week started out great, we had everything in order, presents wrapped and ready to go, food for the celebrations bought and ready to go.

Christmas Eve was wonderful, I was starting to feel the Christmas exhaustion set in after fighting a cold for a week and a half leading into the holidays. But we were all feeling the Christmas spirit and the celebrations with the Teeter side of the family was amazing. Lots of food, lots of laughs and for Emelia lots of presents.

She had many on a long list of hit presents, she got a few board games and oodles and oodles of crafts which was the top of her wish list this year. Everything was a hit, within seconds of opening presents she wanted to play with everything. She was bouncing between one activity to the other. All in all everything has been a hit this year.

As the hour grew later and later we knew Emelia needed to get home and needed to get to sleep. I was starting to feel even more worn out at this point and we were figuring a very early start of the next day. So with a few tears we managed to get her into the car and home and quickly to sleep. John and I quickly got everything together for the next day and went right to bed ourselves.

The next day Emelia managed to sleep until 7:30 and we were all ready for the day, she bounced down the stairs and her eyes lit up when she saw the much-wished for karaoke machine under the tree. Over the next ½ hour or so we worked through her present pile and by the end we had a very happy little girl. Again from us she got more crafts, music, a few toys and more crafts. Are we sensing a theme for the year? While John and I worked on breakfast Emelia was already digging deep into her first of many crafts over the next few days.

As the day moved on John was feeling less and less himself, at one point after his shower falling asleep in the bed. Not at all like him, especially at Christmas. So I got our things together for Christmas #2 at his brothers place and finally John was able to get up and we were off to Greg and Testza’s place. John and I both at this time were starting to feel worse for wear. John more than I was at this time. Finally when we realized he was not going to be able to eat supper, adding in that he was supposed to be at work in the morning, I took him home and put him to bed. I returned, had dinner, played a couple games with the family and then I made my way home.

Getting home John was looking worse for sure, and I was feeling worse and worse. Emelia thankfully went to bed right away because before long I was throwing up. It was only one really bad bout but my stomach was feeling horrible. And this continued until even today, I am still not feeling 100%. This stomach bug this year is certainly making it’s rounds. So many friends have been hit.

Boxing day John could not possibly work and I had at least had gotten some sleep the night before had gotten up with Emelia, thank goodness we have raised a very self reliant little girl and also she had received LOTS and LOTS of crafts for Christmas. Once she had breakfast, a movie (Nanny McPhee that she got in her stocking) and a craft I fell back to sleep on the couch and she crafted away while I got more rest. This was our day, John slept until the early afternoon and I could not move off the couch without feeling like I was going to pass out. Emelia was an amazing help, she was so good, we quietly crafted while I was lying down, we knitted, loomed, made a purse and made a couple rainbow loom bracelets. Not bad considering I could not move off the couch.

By bedtime Emelia was in bed and John and I were quickly behind. By the next morning John was better enough to get back to work and I was still feeling worse for wear. Emelia and I had a play date with a classmate planned and a couple errands, that just about did me in, I had to nap again in the afternoon as I was so worn out.

That was our routine for the next couple days. Today I was starting to finally feel better, at least today I ate without wanting to throw up. Good timing since we were hosting my side of the family. With our conflicting schedules and distance this is the only day a year that my entire little family get together and I did not want to miss it. John had taken another turn backwards so he rested today while I got food prepped and the house cleaned.

Around 2:30 everyone started arriving and Emelia who could not wait for everyone to arrive turned into our always shy girl. She takes so long to feel comfortable to talk to most people, but after a couple hours she came around and took a clinging shine again to Charlie and Todd. She had spent the day making everyone rainbow loom bracelets and could not wait for everyone to arrive to give them her homemade cards and bracelets. And of course there were presents, and once again Emelia was spoiled. She got more amazing crafts, she once again bounced excitedly between craft to craft wanting to try it all! Once again the day flew by too fast and Christmas again has come to a close for another year.

Sadly this year John and I are glad to have the holidays done, this coming week the tree comes down and we ring in a new year. But after the last week we are happy to decide this year it will be a quiet one at home, we need time to get our strength back 100%. We really want to enjoy our couple days together before life goes back to normal next week with Emelia back at school.

So I am signing off to get to bed, Merry Christmas everyone and the healthiest and happiest of new years! See everyone in 2014.