I really enjoyed the holidays up until New Year's. We kicked off the season with 22 people and Thanksgiving in Jamaica. It was a great way to get in the festive mood for the weeks to come. I rode that high through decorating for Christmas and hosting a dinner for 30+ people at our house. Last year we weren’t home for Christmas so this year I really decorated with two trees, poinsettias, and decorations of some sort in every room on the main floor. I was really in the spirit and it seemed like every day had a party, a get together, a lunch, a movie or a combination of the above. So it was good times – sort of.
My sister and her family were supposed to come into town but my nephew got sick so they had to stay home hoping to come out later. But there was no way my mom was going to miss Christmas at the house with Parker so she arrived Christmas Eve. I don’t know WHAT she caught from my nephew or on Amtrak, but upon arrival she complained about not feeling well, laid down on the floor in my family room and was knocked out for the night! Larry was like “What the hell did you do to her?” For the next week she coughed, blew her nose and primarily stayed rolled up in sheets, waking only to take medicine eat or force herself out to do something with us.
A few days later here comes Larry – he’s hot, he’s cold, his stomach hurts, his stomach doesn’t hurt, he has a headache – now HE was sick! My house went from holidays to The Walking Dead as they dragged, coughed and sniffled their way through the house, returning to the crypt after only a few hours up. All I could think of was how many blankets, sheets and comforters I’d have to fumigate when it was all over. But at least I had my little road dog happy and healthy to roll with me – WRONG.
Park had been so well through it all. She even survived the “too much jumping in her new bounce house upchuck” on Christmas Day. All was well – we went ice skating, to birthday parties – she was hanging with me. Until New Year’s Eve. I was determined that we not stay in the house with the sickos all day so at 9:00 a.m. we went to the public skate session again. But it was cold out – and despite clothes, a snow suit, a helmet and gloves, she uncharacteristically started to feel cold on the ice. Usually she’s begging to take her coat off. Now she was cold and wanting to leave early. By noon she was sniffling and her nose was running – son of a b*****!!! Now EVERYONE was sick!
I got her home and resigned myself to doing absolutely nothing for New Year’s Eve. My sister was going to try to come up but we had to put the kibosh on that for fear the cycle would start all over again. We didn’t have big plans but were at least going to get together with friends. Mom was pretty much in bed all day and Larry was a close second to that schedule. At 5:00 p.m. it was me, Park and every version of High School Musical on the Disney Channel. By 9:00 p.m. I figured what the hell, since we’re not going out and everyone is sick, I might as well start taking the Christmas stuff down. I snatched off every ornament and ripped the tree skirts off of the trees, dragged the greenery wrapped around the staircase bannister, threw the baubles and pinecones into a box, put the fake poinsettias in bin like a coffin – by the time I was done the only thing hint of the holidays was the two naked trees. Larry came out of his coma at one point and was like “What the hell happened?” Christmas – and every memory of it was gone!! I felt like The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and Larry was Cindy Lou Who going “Why Santy Claus, Why???!!!”
I wasn’t trying to erase the holidays but, since I wasn’t celebrating New Year's I figured I could at least be productive, clear everything out and start the year with a clean house! Then I could enjoy the what’s left of the holiday. I’d still have four days left - maybe everyone will have recovered by then and we can finish like we started – with a bang. But wait is that now MY throat feeling itchy???!!! Ugggghhhhhh!!!! Happy New Year!
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