And so this is Christmas.

I might have mentioned at some point how much I hate having my plans changed.

 Whenever that happens, until I finally manage to wrest myself into acceptance of my new schedule, I find myself playing a movie in my mind of the way things were supposed to go.

 

 So today I'm thinking about waking up with my family in the bustle of my in-laws' house in Ohio. I'm thinking about my daughter making cookies with Grandma and my sons plashing about after Grandpa in their boots. I'm thinking about my sister-in-law finally getting to know her newest nephew in person. I'm thinking about Mark meeting old friends for breakfast and me catching up on clothes-shopping with my best friend from high school at the after-Christmas sales. I'm thinking about the annual $15 round-robin gift exchange at Mark's family get-together, with -- what was it? ten, eleven?-- little cousins running around, so that the Christmas tree will have to be braced with wires running into eye-hooks in the wall. I'm thinking about my own grandma's cookies and pie, and my smaller (but just as loud) extended family gathered together. I'm thinking about looking forward to the long drive back on New Year's Day, the kids in the back seat and fourteen hours of sitting next to my husband musing about all the blessings we have and had and will have.

What I'm doing, though, is making chicken soup in my own kitchen.

Monday night Leo started throwing up. And then it was Oscar, and then Milo, and then me, and now Mark is down for the count. MJ was sick last night too, although she seems pretty lively this morning.

Today I felt well enough to dig out the car and go to the grocery store, and I tried to pick up things enough to make cookies and things. It feels pretty thin though. There's no tree yet (I suppose there's still time for that - but Mark is too ill to help, and I'm not sure I can put up the artificial tree myself with a baby crawling around). Almost all our presents are in Ohio (save one biggish one for the kids that I'm hoping will be exciting enough to suffice).

I could say "Oh well, it's the non-materialistic, meditative Christ-centered Christmas I've always wanted," but I'm not even sure that any of us are going to go to Mass -- some special kinds of Christmas cheer, you don't want to spread around, if you know what I mean, and even if we all feel better tomorrow we might still be contagious.

There is some cheer to be had; I sang "Gloria in excelsis deo" as I loaded the groceries into the trunk of the car, and arrived home to find happy children devouring chocolate and fruit from a basket newly sent by Mark's mom and dad. Still, I'm a little melancholy and stuck in the Christmas that might have been.

So I'll tend my soup, and hope that it appeals to everyone by the time it's finished; and I'll clear off the counters and maybe make a batch or two of cookies. I think that everything will be different in the morning. It should, shouldn't it?

Merry Christmas to my little band of readers and friends.

Comments

[Rebekka]

Merry Christmas!

Everything is always different in the morning. I hope yours is better!

[the Mom]

I hear ya. From one stuck at home with sick people mom to another....Merry Christmas!

I'm pulling for you.

[Lisa]

Merry Christmas to you! I'm sorry your plans didn't work out, we are not able to be with our families this year either, so we sympathize.

[Jamie]

Merry unexpected Christmas! You're in my prayers, that you'll find some surprise blessings in your time at home.

[Amy F]

Merry Christmas, Erin. My SIL, BIL, and niece all got that late last week and into the weekend, then my Leo puked twice Sat. night and I was sure we were done for. I'm not feeling great tonight, but so far we haven't had to change any plans, despite my being convinced that someone was about to throw up all over me starting any second. I'll breathe a sigh of relief when we get through Monday (our last get-together). I hope everyone at least feels decent in the morning and you find ways to celebrate.

[Cathie]

Merry Christmas, Erin. I hope you are all better soon and perhaps we can still get together! Kiss my godson for me.

[bearing]

Thanks everyone! We are mostly better (I had a slight relapse of queasy after probably Doing Too Much on Christmas Day, and Leo is still kind of cranky).

We had one Christmas present that wasn't sent to Ohio - fortunately it was a new Wii, which was enough to keep the kids joyful. Oh, and also Mark got me a lot of beer for Christmas, so that's pretty good.

[Amy F]

I ended up spending Christmas Day on the couch with the baby while my husband and older kids were celebrating at my parents' house and I'm finally feeling better today. Here's hoping the rest of the family doesn't get it--or at least waits until Tuesday--so we can go to my aunt's house in the morning to see the other side of the family. I held out just long enough for my in-laws to be here Christmas Eve (and they'd been sick earlier in the week, so hopefully I didn't pass anything their way).

[Delores]

Merry Christmas! I hope you all felt better on the 25th. And just remember: Christmas is 12 days long, so you can kind of make up for the illness.

[MelanieB]

I'm the same way. I have such a hard time letting go of my plans. Blessed Christmas to you and your family, Erin. I hope everyone feels better soon.

[MrsDarwin]

Will you get to take a later trip to make up for the Christmas one you missed, or is that simply lost vacation?

Hope you're all feeling better. Maybe a late Christmas feast is in order... :)

[bearing]

I think we'll get to go to Ohio sometime later this winter.