Holy Snuffalupagus tails and monkey butts! Sheesh! I seriously need to duplicate myself.
On December 2 we went out with friends, the Roses’, and chopped down a pine tree out in Cremona by Cochrane. It took us almost 2 hours to drive out there. It was lots of fun. Next time we will bring a sled to haul the kids and the tree. We topped a tree. It ended up being 15 feet. We walked into a wooded area, chopped down a tree, the kids were cranky, hungry and tired by the time the whole ordeal was over. A couple walking into the tree chopping area saw that we had 5 kids and were dragging a tree along while trying to make it back to the parking area, let us borrow their sled. So nice of them. That my friends, is the spirit of Christmas. I was ever so grateful and thankful they let us borrow it. We put the sled in the back of their truck when we got to the parking lot.
As we drive out Ryan and I are pretty pumped over the whole tree cutting thing. We turn to the kids, grinning, “Wasn’t that fun?!?”
“NO!” they all reply.
“Do you want to do this again next year?” I ask.
“NO!” they all reply again.
“Oh ya! We’re doing this next year!” Ryan and I chorus. Hey, we had fun. Next year we will plan better. We’ll bring all our sleds, and pack a picnic lunch. I didn’t know they had bonfires out there or I would have brought hot dogs, marshmallows and hot chocolate.
We raced off to Calgary to go to my friend J’s sons’ birthday party. The whole tree cutting thing took longer than I thought. I didn’t think it would take that long. So we were an hour late. I called to let her know. They were doing a movie birthday party for the kids. We arrived just in time for the movie. She had to look after 6 kids. She was frazzled. I found it quite amusing because I look after 5 everyday and she only has 1. Ahh, how I thought I had it hard when I only had one. Little did I know…. So she’s freaking out and I’m just chuckling to myself.
She turns to me and says, “how do you do this everyday?!?”
I laughed….
“You become more relaxed and you pick your battles,” I reply.
We watched “Happy Feet.” It’s a constant sing-song movie with an environmental message at the end. It was ok. The kids got bored and it lost their attention. Heck I was bored and was wondering when the movie was going to be over.
After the movie we ran to Zellers to buy a gift, wrap it then drop it off at her house. Say hello’s, chat a bit, and goodbye. After we went to Joey’s Only for supper. Every now and then I get a hankering for something totally greasy. This would be it. Going out for dinner is always an amusing adventure as usual with 5 kids. They were well behave this time. Only one drink spilled and Mya screamed once cuz Brandon was trying to take away her crayon.
Then the crazy task of planning the Church Christmas Party kept going throughout December. The party took place on December 14 a Thursday night. We covered the gym ceiling with white Christmas lights, had 3 trees decorated in the gym, had lighted reindeer, Merry Christmas banner, wreaths, 100 wrapped gifts all over and flattened wrapped gift boxes stapled to the wall.We decided that we would have pictures with Santa from 6-7pm. Have Salad and buns already on the table. Have dinner from 6:30 - 7:30pm. Have the children to a nativity play done to music and scripture reading out of Luke 2 from 8:00 - 8:30pm. Kids crafts would take place from 6-8:00pm upstairs in the YW/YM room. Dinner would be happening in the Primary room and RS room with 2 long tables in each room. Enabling 4 lines to go through in each room. Our best accomplishment is that we were able to feed 250 people in 15 minutes. Badabing! Bragging rights on that one. Man so happy. The food kicked butt! We had smoked turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, long green and yellow string beans with carrots, gravy and sweet potatoes. It was amazing! The food was perfect! I was so happy with that. The program was wonderful. I should post the program on here, just cuz it was really good. Perfect time. 25minutes. Everyone said it was wonderful and it wasn’t cheesy or boring or long. I handed out gold, frankincense and myrrh along with an explanation as to why the kings gave these gifts to baby Jesus, what the significance is and how it relates to our lives. They were done up in a scroll and the 3 things were put in little black velvety pouches. It was great! I am very pleased with how things turned out. Yes, there were major bumps and hurdles, but all in all. Very happy with the turn out. This require tonnes of planning and a lot of stress by our committee. Lots of props go out to my committee cuz they pulled together and they worked so hard. I’m so proud of them.
Especially since I got the flu on Thursday, December 7. Brandon and Mya got sick on Wednesday, Dec 6. They were sick for a couple days then they got over it quickly. For me it dragged out for 3 weeks.
It started with a sore throat on the Thursday morning then progressed until I was flat on my back. I was out of commission the entire week leading up to the party. I even went to the party sick and hacking away just cuz I couldn’t let go control. Man, I’ve never been this sick in a really long time! It was amazing! Ryan took Friday Dec 8 off work so he could stay home to take care of the kids cuz I just couldn’t function. I could get up out of bed for 3 days. Every time I did I almost passed out and would be so dizzy. My arms and legs had a tingly sensation, like when your arms falls asleep and blood rushes back into your arm and it feels tingly. Well, I kept feeling that for 2 days straight. On Saturday December 9 the tingly feeling spread up my stomach, to my chest and head. I was unable to breathe. I tried to call Ryan on the walky talky but he just blew me off thinking that it wasn’t a big deal and he couldn’t understand me cuz I was gasping for breath while trying to call him. Blackness was swirling around me so I called 911. It took me forever to tell them where I lived cuz I was taking short, quick breaths because I could take a large breath. Then my muscles started to spasm. I couldn’t move my hands or my feet. Ryan had no idea how serious the situation was until the paramedics knocked on the door.
It took them awhile to stabilize me. They had to give me 2 shots of a muscle relaxant to stop my muscles from spasming. My fingers were curled and wouldn’t uncurl no matter how often the paramedics asked me to move my fingers. The signal from my brain to my fingers just was not happening. It was just the weirdest thing. I almost passed out a couple of times. Blackness just swirled around me and I struggled to focus so I wouldn’t black out. They shipped me off to the hospital. Ryan had someone come over to watch the kids so he could go to the hospital with me. The doctors said I had an anxiety attack. Which I don’t believe, cuz I did some looking up on the Internet and I had one of the symptoms listed. They are just a bunch of quacks. My chiropractor said it was just how the toxins in my body were reacting to the fever I had. I believe him more than I do the doctors. Anxiety attack - Whatever. I was so relaxed and had been sleeping for 3 days! Anyway, I still don’t know what caused that but it was weird. I can’t figure out what happened. I’m gettin’ old I tell ya.
So that was Saturday. Then SUNDAY I lose my voice. Yep, I had to whisper for 3 days until my voice came back. You know what the funny thing is though? Because I lost my voice and had to whisper, the kids whispered back at me. I tell ya, it was the calmest 3 days ever. There was no screaming or yelling. I’m beginning to wonder or think that the chaos caused in this house is partially my fault. I’m sure it is. Because I wasn’t using my normal voice, the kids mimiced me and lowered their voice at each other as well. Interesting. I’ll have to remember that one. On Sunday Laura and Josh got the flu. They were off school for the entire week.
On the Monday I developed pink eye. Lovely. My eyes were zipped shut with gross yellow oozy goop coming out. Yuck! I went to the doctor and got meds. I can’t take this any longer!
On Wednesday, I went to help decorate for the Christmas party. I was up till midnight making sure everything was done right. On Thursday was the Christmas party. It was such a chaotic day. I was making sweet potatoes, printing and stuffing the programs and putting together the gold, frankincense and myrrh handouts, plus making sure everyone was doing their part. We were late and ran about an hour behind schedule. It worked out alright, but so many things were not done properly. Ryan began to get the flu during the day. By the time the party was over and we got home at 11:30pm he could hardly walk. He was stumbling and bam it hit him as badly as it hit me. He was laying in bed for 4 days as well. Well, he lasted in our bed for only one day, then he dragged his sorry butt downstairs and camped out in the TV room for the next 3 days. I didn’t mind. I love having the bed to myself.
I keep asking him to have 2 beds in our room, but he just doesn’t go for it. I love sleeping by myself.
Thankfully I was feeling better so I could take care of him and the kids. I was still sick, but now I had the sinus cold. I was coughing and hacking so hard I would almost throw up.
By December 18 Monday I was feeling better that now I was in panic mode and had to do all my Christmas shopping. I had one week to do everything. I went out every night and anytime I could get an hour in I would go to Calgary to get stuff for the kids and Ryan. The only gift I had were for Ryan’s grandma and his parents. Everything else I was scrambling. Josh began to go to school this week and Laura went back on Tuesday. Brandon was back at school all week and life was turning back to normal, except for the coughing. I had to go to 4 Christmas concerts. It was so busy.
I wrapped for 2 days from 10pm - 6am on December 23 and December 24. Man. I’ve got to get a better system figured out.
On December 23 we went to the mall to take a picture of the kids with Santa. We went to the live Nativity that the Church puts on at Heritage park. It was good.
On December 24 we went to Ryan’s parents for Christmas dinner. It was relaxing, fun and we had a good time. The boys got a couple of remote control cars and they had a blast zooming them around. Laura got crafts and Mya got a wagon full of mega blocks. We gave the kids their pj’s, robes and slippers for Christmas.
Christmas morning the kids woke up around 9am. Ryan and I woke up at 10am cuz I was so tired from wrapping until 6am. Ryan stayed up till 3am watching 3 movies and wrapping 5 gifts. I was so annoyed at him. The kids opened their stockings and waited until we woke up to open gifts. We took our time opening them and we let the kids play with them for awhile before we went on to the other gifts. We paused for breakfast then continued to open gifts. We finished around 3:00pm. It was very relaxing and so much fun. Ryan gave me an SLR digital camera the Canon Rebel. I got an 8G photo card and 2 batteries. I love it! It’s so amazing! I was giddy all day over it.
I gave Ryan Eric Clapton tickets to the concert happening here in Calgary, an Eric Clapton CD, an IPOD docking station radio/alarm, a robe, clothes, shoes, moccasins, socks, BBQ set, shaving set, House DVD set, a book and $100 to spend at the iapple store. He got spoiled.
The kids just cleaned up. They got toys from each other, books, DVD’s and clothes. Laura got an IPOD and an IDOG. She loved it. At first she opened up a lock for her door and a lamp. We kept teasing her that she would only get stuff for her room and nothing for her.
She got books, toys, clothes and DVD’s. She says to Ryan after we were done opening gifts, “Wow! I got so spoiled for Christmas! Maybe next year I’ll get a house!.” LOL… That’s what I want for Christmas next year!
The boys were thrilled out of their minds over their race track, cars and remote control cars. Mya loved her kitchen, her driveable car and her shopping cart. Luke loved his blue elephant and his chewy toys. It was a very fun and relaxing Christmas.
The week that followed we have just took it easy. I didn’t think about the activities committee and I’ve been sleeping in till 10am or 11am just baking cookies, cleaning the house and playing with the kids. It’s been so nice just to chill. I’m trying to take it easy and not do anything stressful or anything that requires any effort. I need a break from the daily grind or I swear I was going to snap.
Well, that’s the Christmas summary. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to type out my Christmas/New Years letter and get those sent out. I’m hoping that by next year I’ll develop a system to make Christmas less stressful.
