But the previous 2 Christmases have been fraught to say the least. Difficult. Compromised.
The first Christmas Tom had his MMR vaccination and the good nurse managed to time his appointment so that he had a reaction to it on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. He was grouchy and grotty and we got very little sleep. Christmas Day 2008 was, therefore, an effort and exhausting. Frustrating even. Then Christmas Day 2009 Tom came down with some horrible gastro-bug which affected us all in one way or another and kept him restless during Christmas Eve night so that we spent much of Christmas Day dragging ourselves around like zombies... frustrating yet again.
I actually got to the point where I wondered if we would ever experience an illness free Christmas. I felt - in the dark corner of my mind where ridiculous thoughts are wont to multiply - that we'd been somehow cursed. Bad Christmas ju-ju. A Santa hex.
So I approached this Christmas with an understandable amount of caution. Especially given Karen's recent hospitalization and all the bugs and noroviruses doing the rounds at the moment. I mean we've even got bloody swine flu at the local hospital. Talk about being under siege.
But.
It's been OK. It's been fine. I think Christmas and I may have made up (though I'm saying this quietly in case it changes its mind). It liked the aftershave I got it and, well, I made a complimentary comment about the socks it had bought me. Tom's been fine. Ben's been fine. Karen and I have been shattered but that's pretty much normal.
The house is awash with DVDs, books, Lego and a Kindle which some fabulous husband bought for his good-lady-wife this year. What it hasn't been awash with is poo or vomit or copious amounts of mucus.
And please, please, please, long may that continue. 'Cos if you're listening, Christmas, it's like John Lennon once sang: war is over.
Here's to a peaceful and healthy New Year.
41 comments:
What? No poo washed down with vomit (or however you described it)? It can't even feel like Christmas for you. Or smell like it.
Seriously, though, I actually thought of you yesterday (our time) and wondered if you'd managed a lurgy-free, chunderless Christmas. You did it! Three cheers!
Being Me: not a technicolour yawn in site - can't believe it! Perhaps I am dreaming?!
It is so hard when they are young and ill. For 3 successive Christmasses when they were small one or other of mine had an ear infection on Christmas Eve meaning I had to carry them off to see the emergency doctor and then spend most of the evening getting them to sleep so you have all my sympathies for the bad years and I am glad it all passed off so well this year.
Alienne: I do wonder if the regularity of illness is dictated by their age... hopefully once they get passed the very young years they are more robust or have already had most of the bugs that are out there and are therefore immune to further infection.
Glad you had a poo and vomit free one, long may they continue.
Suzanne: hear hear. Hurling has never been my favourite sport.
What a nice ending to the story after all the pre-Christmas problems you've had. It could be the script for a remake of It's a Wonderful Life. I hope you're going to make something big with the Lego - you must have accumulated loads of bricks over the years.
Gorilla Bananas: to be honest I probably have enough bricks to build my own isolation chamber and never catch another virus or illness ever again... hmm. Might be something to do for 2011...
Lightweight! We once had a case of German Measles on Xmas Day-the doctor had to be called and Xmas was postponed until the fever vanished - to say I was sticking to the ceiling that year would be an understatement! Thank God for Teddy Ruxpin to aid recuperation (not mine, eldest boy`s!).So glad you got through it lurgy-free though. Well done! I can`t believe you got Karen a Kindle!My two boys clubbed together and got me one too + ten quid`s worth of credit with Amazon to buy some books. Did you know you can have music on it too?I have to say, though Steve, I rather like going to the library and picking my books and actually having a book in my hand to read but maybe that`s just the `Nana` in me resisting the advancement of technology. What does Karen think of her Kindle?Sorry for long reply! It`s very quiet here now that they`ve all gone back to their respective homes!
Nana Go-Go: Karen loves her Kindle and has barely put it down. I gave her £20 of credit too and so far she has amassed 60 books onto it! That's a helluva lot of reading... but knowing Karen it'll probably only take her 2 weeks to get through them all...!
Glad to hear it. No more Humbug, or bugs of any kind.
Have a great rest of the festive season, healthy, hale and hearty. ( well maybe a small hangover somewhere in the mix )
Keith: mixes usually do result in hangovers... ;-) Have a good one too!
So glad that you had an illness-free Christmas.
With any luck the kids have got the bugs out of their systems and future Christmases will be vomit free.
My grandmother had a way with small children who said they felt sick...
'Be sick in my house and I'll flype ye.'
We were not sick in her house.
But she was white haired, wore long black skirts and could have doubled for the wicked witch any day.
Glad it's been relatively stress free on the kiddie side of things. I have the greatest respect and admiration for anyone who is parent; the Xmas period just intensifies things I'm sure. Talking of which, me and Gustavo are currently staying up in York with my Mum and her partner - the kiddies have gone today, but the previous two days my neices and nephews were here and it was noise and hullabaloo aplenty! A few little tantrums too...I guess you've got all of that to look forward to in future years Steve, heh heh...but at least no horrid illnesses this year eh?!
The fly in the web: alas, you can be arrested these days for flyping a child. Or at the very least reported to ChildLine.
OC: tantrums here too... and not just from the kids! ;-) Like you say, Christmas intensifies things... but on the whole it's been and being a very good Christmas! Glad you're having a good time too.
One in three isn't too bad.
Fran: personally I'd like to up my average.
It gets better as they get older. So perhaps you have turned a corner. I hope so!!
Glad you had a good Christmas anyway and hope you have a very happy New Year xx
rb: I certainly hope so! Wishing you a very happy New Year too! x
Peace at last.
Can't you get blogs on the Kindle too?
Mark: you can indeed. Now my wife has no excuse not to read my blog!
Hear hear.
dbs: thank you!
You do know that just cos you're paranoid doesn't mean that Christmas ain't out to get ya!!
A xx
Amanda: shhh! I've just seen someone in a big white beard lurking at the bottom of my garden...
Christmas just isn't Christmas without a good sprinkling of poo and/or vomit. That's all I have to say.
Seriously, sorry that you guys have been through the ringer. I really really hope you stay well for a long long time! Hugs to all!
Organic Motherhood with Cool Whip: a light sprinkling I can cope with... it's the blizzards and 8ft high poo-drifts that kill me...!
Yay! Stay healthy, that is my wish for you all for 2011.
As to Christmas, well, not quite ready to make my own peace with it yet. If we can delete Dec 25th from the calendar I might just consider it...
LCM x
LCM: but they'll only move Christmas Day to the 26th... you'll never escape it.
Oh goodness Steve - I have just followed the link to the story about Karen and I am so sorry to have missed sending her my best regards and consoling you in your single parenthood days. I am delighted that you have had trouble-free festivities of late and sorry I have not been posting on here much
Only you could refer to Christmas with the words "I didn't shag its girlfriend". You do make me chuckle...a lot.
So glad you've finished being the Christmas Grinch, stopped beating up your postie and had a jolly Christmas.
FF: no worries - it's just nice to see you here. Hope you had a great Christmas and have a good New Year lined up!
Trish: now that I'm feeling a little more kindly I might let our postie out of the garden shed for a walk around in daylight. I may even toss him a sausage roll. Actually, no. That might be pushing things a bit too far.
Dear old John would've been 70 this year if some silly bastard hadn't shot him. I still remember who told me, who I was with and where I was when I heard all those 30 years ago!
On a happier note, glad Christmas was an improvement for you this year, Steve, and look forward to reading your blog in the New Year!
Great you had a lovely Christmas and everybody is well. Wish you the same for the New Year. Auguri! Ciao. A.
Really glad you had a good Christmas.
As far as Beauty is concerned we are still onbly on day 5 (12 Days of Christmas) so she is still singing all the christmas songs and carols x
TimeWarden: look forward to reading yours too. Strange how a 70 year old John Lennon seems such an odd concept.
Lunarossa: and a very Happy New Year to you and your family too!
Ally: all 12? 2 is more than enough for me...! ;-)
Hurrah indeed - long may it last!
My best is battling the worst flu he's had in years, despite a useless flu jab. Fellow blogger Steerforth and his wife have had swine flu! So you are lucky indeed.
Laura: sounds like the red crosses were painted on somebody elses door this year... I'm grateful for the small mercy.
I'm glad all is well and you had a happy puke-free Christmas. I'm sorry I only just saw your post about your wife's illnes, I hope she's completely recovered now. It's crap being ill, crap spending any time in hospital, let alone at Crimble. (Though I do recall one time in hospital as a child when I first 'saw Santa' and then sadly realised he was one of the doctors in a santa costume!)
As the kids get older, there will be fewer bugs in your home... they do eventually grow out of catching everything. (I have no kids myself but was a nursery nurse for a period of time and remember it well...) As for the hospitals and super bugs...
:(
places best avoided if at all possible.
Hugs to you and your wife and kids. Let's hope 2011 brings better health.
Val: thank you... we're waiting for the moment when Tom's immune system has had everything bug-wise so that he is super immune and we have a very infrequent illness ratio! Might be a few years to go yet though...! Karen is much better, thanks, just needs lots of rest and, alas, it's not the time of year for that!
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