Christmas Break Is Almost Over!
And I am overjoyed that my feelings are mutual with other parents all around the nation!
As I scrolled through social media everywhere today, I saw memes, pictures, status updates, blog posts, and more that depict the hilarious joy of parents that the end of the Christmas Break is finally here!
I love my children. I love them very much! And while, thankfully, this restlessness over the holidays is not present during summer breaks from school, this has been a rough month!
Thanksgiving was the closest to the end of November that it can be, and that made the return to school frustrating for my kids. They were only in school again for about 14 school days, and that short period of time was excruciating for me as a mother.
“When does Christmas break start?”
“Why are we only going to school for two weeks?”
“Can’t we be out of school from Thanksgiving until New Year’s?”
“I don’t want to do this homework. What’s the point?”
“I just want to stay home… can we stay home?”
And repeat daily, until the day the long break begins!
Not to mention, I am dealing with twin infants, this house, a broken car, job hunting, and making sure everyone is fed, bathed, and properly rested each night during this tormenting period.
Oh! Period! Yeah, as a woman I also had THAT happen during this time! Glorious, right?
And then, FINALLY, Christmas Break began!
I was so excited about break! I miss my kids when they are gone to school. If I had the resources they would be homeschooled, hands down! But, I don’t, so they won’t for now…
Anyway, the break begins, and we are full of ideas for fun time spent during this time off.
And then I got sick.
And the twins got sick.
Y’all, RSV is NO JOKE! My middle son had it 9 years ago, when he was only 6 weeks old, and he was hospitalized for a week.
The twins were just past their 5-month mark and Twin 1 got it first. She tested positive for RSV, but he did not. We were in the doctor’s office several times after that first visit, and we also landed in the ER at our local hospital with Twin 2 needing some breathing treatments and whatnot. This was where he finally tested positive for the same.
During all this time, I was sick as well. Sinuses, cough, chest pains, just the whole shebang! My 12-year-old son teased me mercilessly, saying I was “Finally going through puberty!” and having a laugh at my voiceless expense.
Germ-X became my friend. Lysol as well. I carried all the antibacterial anything I could get my hands on around with me, making the boys use it at every turn.
Christmas break was NOT what we intended, not in the least!
My older three musketeers were developing a case of cabin fever that was unlike any other they have had before. The petulant requests for activities became worse than their nagging about the break beginning.
I think God knew I would need a bit of a reprieve, because the weather warmed up and they got to spend hours outdoors, nearly every day of their break!
Of course, the closer we got to Christmas Day, the more the older kids were requesting to “open just one gift tonight” every night before Christmas Morning.
Christmas Day itself turned into quite the conundrum, with some rough planning, communication issues, and unexpected changes in plans, I was left with three frustrated boys and I myself was a little irritated as well. Being sick and frustrated at the same time… not the best combination at all!
To top it off, my mother got sick as well! Christmas week, no less!
Family dinner at my parents’ house wasn’t bad, but it was definitely unlike the normal events we experience there. I felt rough. Mom felt rough. Dad had also been sick and was still recovering, so he felt rough. The twins were miserable. My sister’s sons were also coughing and feeling puny that day.
It was interesting.
After a few, slightly (physically) miserable hours, the boys and I loaded our things into the car and got ready to go.
The car, my broken car, was dead.
It needed to be jump-started before I could bring my collection of kiddos back home.
And the week between Christmas and New Year’s was a mirror image of the week before. Sickness, doctor visits, more sickness.
And finally, here we are!
I’m better. The twins are better. And school starts back Monday!
I couldn’t be happier, and I couldn’t be more afraid. I’m excited that life can return to a somewhat normal routine again, but I’m nervous about sickness that remains all around our region, and how my boys going back to school could end up bringing a whole, new virus into our home after we just got rid of this one.
That being said, come on Monday!! I’ll be armed and ready with my Germ-X, antibacterial shower gels, hand soaps, and Lysol sprays! Vitamin C will be the main course of every meal in my home! I may be nervous about more sickness, but this mama is ready for some progress! And progress in my home can only come when the kids are gone to school.
Can I get a witness?!
