This Christmas hasn't been an easy one for us. Especially since Dennis has been sick. All we really wanted for Christmas was a miracle...... just for him to be okay and walking and normal again. However, that's not the case. He's actually a little worse. He has been in pain since Thursday - high pain ...... on a scale from one to ten, he's a nine or a high eight. He has been in tears several times. He can't stand for anyone to even touch him, really, anymore. Not only that... but the numbness is spreading upwards. It's scary for our family.
I am basically a single parent right now. I have to do 99% of everything. I need to figure out some way for Dennis to *help* without jeopardizing his health or safety right now. I just feel like everything is squarely on my shoulders right now. It's nothing that can be avoided. Dennis is that sick right now. He thanked me for standing by him with this right now... it breaks my heart that he feels the need to thank me. It's my job. I love him, he's my husband. He'd stand by me - and has ... with my illness, it hurts HORRIBLY for me to move sometimes. I have good days and bad, but I have been dealing with this since I was 16 so I know how to manage, to push myself past the pain and to get stuff done anyway - but let me tell you - if there are days I can depend on my family, I do. But since I have to be on 24/7 ... I don't even take my pain pills right now.
Dennis and I on Christmas Eve...
So Christmas has been hard. We didn't get the kids anything this year ........ but one..... they got a ....
Her name is Marnie and the boys LOVE her. She may not love the boys 100%. She's a 3 month old puppy. Mostly chihuahua and a sliver of dachshund ... she's been good for the kids. She was actually born on Kaedyn's due date (anniversary?) .. lol... September 19th.
But don't feel bad for the kids....... they were still spoiled this Christmas ... just... by.... others :)
They got a TON of clothes which everyone but Nathan needed, but Nathan didn't get a lot of clothes, he got some fun Dinosaur shirts and a few other things.
Cal got some World of Warcraft time, X-Box Live time, some X-Box games which he has been wanting, some GREAT art supplies because he LOVES to draw ... and a lot of Axe hygiene products which he LOVES. Here are a few photos ... (trust me, I have taken like... 300 or so over the last couple of days!)
Noah started something this year.... he was naughty!! We have this tradition ... where we get small gifts for 4 weeks ... and from Thanksgiving to Christmas - every Thursday night (because Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday) ... they get to open one of their "weekly" gifts. I started this when Calahan was a baby and have done it every single year ...... I feel like it helps ease the temptation to dig under the tree. It has worked every year........ except this year. This is the first year it didn't happen... we didn't do the weekly gifts.
This is how I was rewarded .... (happened on December 15)
Yep, Noah convinced Kaedyn and Nathan in his little conspiracy ... so not cool. The babies opened two gifts each ... Noah opened almost ALL of his
FREAKING AWESOME AND AMAZING gifts........ and pretty much left the clothes under the tree. He opened everything but ONE TOY. So Christmas Eve rolls around and it's time to open the gifts... he's all sitting back, pounting, hands folded over his chest... totally POUTING and grouchy ... "All I have is clothes anyway" ... yep, well, I told you that you were going to feel this way. But he got a good Christmas too. He got a TON of Star Wars Legos ... and a bunch of Bumble Bee things.... and some clothes, of course! He got a couple games and he was especially spoiled ... here are just a few pictures...
Nathan got some Dinosaur stuff ... he got a little carrying case for his plastic ones (and a bunch of plastic ones, a couple squishy ones) ... I think that's one of the biggest hits ... he got a Dino Pillow Pet... a stuffed Diego ... he got some Imaginext Dinos and other stuff... a game... some clothes - his favorite being any of the stuff with Dinos on there... He of course got a Leapfrog LeapPad Explorer which is set up like an iPad for kids. You can buy game (cartridges) ... buy apps & videos and e-books for it ... it's super cool and the kids haven't put them down really - already had to change the batteries for both of them!!
Kaedyn got a lot of stuff - especially clothes ... he's in 4T/5T right now ..... OMG the child is huge!! Meanwhile Nate is still in 24 months/2T ... He got Thomas Trains (including one named Dennis) ... he got some Geotracks! He got cars and tracks for cars ... he got CARS stuff....He got a basketball hoop - which is a huge hit - cuz he is such a basketball baby ... lol... and of course he got a Leapfrog LeapPad Explorer too :)
We had some fun food on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day .... more deli/party stuff on Christmas Eve ... chex mix, crackers w/ pepperoni & cheese or crackers with spreadable cheese (Noah is addicted to Port Wine cheese right now) ... chips and bean dip, veggie tray ...
And then on Christmas Day we had ham & roast, potatoes, green bean casserole, a fruit salad, a lettuce salad, potatoes, deviled eggs.... bread ... and pies I can't eat thanks to my allergies ...
Oh and Santa came to visit us during his travels on Christmas Eve (aka my step-dad) ... lol...
Santa coming in - "HO HO HO"
Santa and Marnie :)
Santa and Noah - who had a BILLION questions for me once he left.... the biggest was "Is Papa REALLY Santa?!?!?"
Santa, Noah, Cal & Marnie
Kaedyn wanted NOTHING to do with Santa and wouldn't believe that it was Papa.... so my Mom picked him up and wouldn't be in the picture! LOL...
I even got a few things for Christmas :) $50 card for Amazon (from Secret Santa) - which bought the Richard Castle books.... :) The butterfly pictures and the BFF necklace was from one of my best friends... the Nora Roberts book was from my Mom ... and Celtic bookmark was in my stocking :) And the little jewelry box and earrings was from Kaedyn's Angel ... she put a gift in there "For Kaedyn's Mom" ...
I have a few other pictures to share in separate entries :)
