All I Want For Christmas is a Virus

Hello everyone. It has taken me forever to blog because we have been sick. We were planning on staying in Van Vleck until the 2nd, but we came home on the 29th because Sawyer got sick. We were initially coming home Saturday because Sawyer wasn't sleeping well at all. We got to Van Vleck on the 23rd, and he was falling asleep later and later as the week progressed. We realize looking back that his poor sleep habits were probably a result of him not feeling well. He started running a fever on Friday and started coughing on Saturday. I think that he was finally feeling better yesterday, but the cough is lingering. A nurse at the pediatrician's office said that a cough can hang around for as long as two weeks!

Chloe's nose started running on Wednesday and she is coughing some, but it doesn't seem to be as bad as Sawyer's and hasn't affected her sleep. I had a sore throat and that turned into a cold, but I'm feeling better too. Lorne usually suffers in silence, so if he has felt poorly he hasn't really let us know. He was off this whole week. I was so proud of him for toughing it out with me when he could have easily gone to work to escape. I kept asking if I could go to work for him! He is the best husband and father ever!

We had a great drive down again this time. We left at 4 AM again so the kids slept for quite a while. We only made one stop in Navasota so we only had two hours left after that. I sat in the back and entertained Chloe while Sawyer watched his Caillou Holiday Movie DVD. Man, he loves that cartoon! We're in the process of weaning him from good 'ol Caillou, though, because he is such a brat!

We pulled into Wharton about 9:00 and Lorne dropped me off at Nanny's so that I could help with the strudel. I have been helping her for quite a few years now and I look forward to that time we get to spend together. It's kind of like the calm before the storm that is Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve was crazy as usual. I think Nanny and Poppo's house gets smaller each year. There are so many of us in such a small place. I volunteered to make the Martha Washington balls this year. I also did candy for my cousins again. I think that they all enjoy it and I love making it for them.

I don't think that the greatgrandkids were too excited about taking this picture, but I'm glad we got it.

The main thing that I will remember from this Christmas is how much Chloe was attached to me. She wouldn't let anyone else hold her so that made for a fun time for me. It was frustrating because she was around so many family members who were looking forward to holding her, but she wasn't having it. She didn't even want anything to do with Lorne. I was thinking about the other grandkids like Sawyer, Kayla, and Aiden. They were all six months old at Christmas so they were too young to know any differently. Landon wasn't even two months old last Christmas. Chloe is much more aware of what is going on at nine months of age.

I wanted to try out some Christmas traditions this year. One of them was to bake a birthday cake for Jesus. I want Sawyer and Chloe to know that Christmas is more than presents and Santa Claus. I thought it would be a great idea because Sawyer loves helping me bake and loves to sing happy birthday so it was a win-win.

Sawyer enjoyed singing Happy Birthday to Jesus and blowing out the candles.



Another thing I did this year was buy the kids matching jammies. I let them open one gift on Christmas Eve and that one just happened to be their jammies! I know that they're too young to know what's going on now, but in a few years I think it will be fun for them to open their jammies together. It also made for cute Christmas morning pictures since they were dressed the same.

Santa didn't leave too much for the kids in Van Vleck because he brought the big toys to Wylie. He must have known that their parents didn't want to rent a U-Haul again this year!

Chloe looked so cute in her jammies!

Santa must know how much she loves her suck suck because he gave her a cute pacifier keeper.

This was a train Christmas for Sawyer. He got lots of GeoTrax and Thomas toys.

We went to Matthew and Jackie's house for Christmas lunch again this year. I didn't get many pictures, because Chloe was once again stuck to my hip. We had a great time, but I sure was missing Mark. I can't wait until we get to see him again! I was glad that Dad was able to be there, though.

Sawyer wasn't too sure what to think about Uncle Matthew's bow.

We went back to Larry and Velma's for supper with Ty, Jamie, Brittany, Tyler, and Jordan. We had Mexican food for supper and it was really good. Lorne and I made seven dozen tamales the weekend before. Lorne realized two hours down the road that we had left them in the freezer. We did leave at four in the morning, so I was happy that was all that we forgot! I don't know why I didn't take any pictures that night. It's probably because I am a big dork!

Jackie and Kayla came to Larry and Velma's house for a visit on Wednesday. Lorne helped Jackie with her online course while the kids played in Sawyer's pop-up Thomas play tent that he got from Mimi. Chloe just did her best to keep up with the older ones. They stayed for snack time, supper time, and even bath time.

Snack time!

This is one of those pictures I will drag out on their graduation days!