<p>Not to be counter to EK’s “smug” (her word, not mine) thread, but is anyone else facing a clearly different holiday season for reasons beyond their control? I don’t mean this to be about clear tragedies, which deserve their own consideration, just nutsy stuff that is in the way of what you want to have going on. We had a major leak 7 weeks ago and the repair is still not finished. I’m not looking for sympathy, it’s mostly all covered by insurance, it was just “stuff” and not people, and hey, I get a new kitchen floor out of it. Looking for someone else who is laughing over the idea of the regular holiday.</p>
<p>At our house, we have the entire downstairs (except for the kitchen) half-way through hardwood finishing, which should have been done a week ago. The crew showed up this morning and put down the sealer and left. Hope they come back Monday. No decorations inside since there’s nothing to put them on. A few lights outside. Christmas tree? Not a spot to put one except in an upstairs bedroom perhaps. My lovely mantle decor? Are you kidding, they are sanding wood in there. Bookshelves staged with Christmas books from 30 years of parenthood? Um, no shelves until floors are done. We are sleeping in the upstairs guest bedroom but that bathroom was already being remodeled when the leak happened and is still about 5 days from usable. (9 weeks into a 2 week remodel) So it will be all 3 of us sharing the final bathroom. Oh, and did I mention that we have no floors in the kitchen because I want to make some cabinet changes but haven’t got the mental energy to decide on that while 3 rooms worth of furniture are piled in the breakfast area?
D2 arrives tomorrow night, which gives me 24 hours to find another home for the dining room chairs and the TV and family room rug and a bunch of boxes of books that we shoved into her room last month.<br>
I bought Settlers of Cattan based on recs here, so we’ll huddle in the kitchen and enjoy one another.</p>
<p>We are having a run of nasty viruses that have left both my husband and myself short on energy (although we’re finally in the recovery stages, I hope). We still have no tree and I don’t know if anyone will get around to it. Not one present is wrapped. And we’ve spent the entire day watching TV–and we just sent DS out for pizza. </p>
<p>Wrapping is over-rated. Make a game out of telling a story about how or why you chose the gift and then hand it over in the bag. Maybe even better than ripping up a bunch of paper.</p>
<p>I think Christmas will be ok, but Thanksgiving was another story. My husband was hospitalized the night before Thanksgiving with a ruptured appendix. We were supposed to travel to my MIL’s the next morning… of course that didn’t happen. Meanwhile S was home from college with mono. I had bought a turkey breast in case he was too sick to travel to MIL’s. So while sitting with H in the hospital I called home to ask S to put the turkey breast in the oven. Told him to just read the instrux on the packaging. He did… but the packaging didn’t say which side was up. He put it in the roasting pan upside down. Luckily I came home about a half hour later and was able to right it. The next day we went to see H in the hospital. H was doing really well, sitting up in a chair next to his bed. Meanwhile, S looked like he was going to slide out of the chair he was sitting in and fall on the floor. I started to ask him if HE wanted to sleep in H’s hospital bed… the visitor looked worse than the patient.</p>
<p>Like I said, Christmas will be better. Both of my boys have recovered!</p>
<p>Dragonmom, my dear brother, who died about four years ago, really disliked Christmas, but always picked out the ideal present for everyone–and always shopped on Christmas Eve. He always showed up with a black garbage bag full of unwrapped presents, and pulled them out one by one. Sure do miss him!</p>
<p>We are having an “off” year this Christmas. I had a horrid virus and bronchitis all through the fall, with most weekends resting in bed. I am just now starting to go out more and starting to feel better. We are in the midst of sorting-packing-downsizing to move from our larger suburban house to our smaller beach house on an island. The living room is full of boxes, collections, stuff to sort. Not really a place to sit for a holiday, so not putting up our big tree this year.</p>
<p>I have a nice smaller, tabletop tree for years like this, and today we put that up in the den off the kitchen. I have presents, most are wrapped (easy gift bags and not too many presents anyway this year). Doorway is decorated nicely with my pretty decorations that took me years to get just so. Daughter is coming home from grad school and says she is cooking Christmas Eve dinner…that might be chaos…but you do have to let the kids try. </p>
<p>This will be our last Christmas in this house…our 20th. Not chaos exactly, but not as nice and fancy as many holidays we have had in this house. Two years ago we had a foot of snow and no power on Christmas! Every year is different and as long as you are healthy and with your family, it’s all OK.</p>
<p>Lafalum84 – I always start the turkey upside down, flipping it over half-way through the cooking. You would not believe how moist and delicious it comes out…I haven’t had a dry turkey since I started doing it that way. Maybe your son discovered this by a happy accident!</p>
<p>This is our first Christmas in this house. We only bought the tree today…I’m still not sure where it will go. But at least we are all healthy! Hope you can all cope and remember – it will all make a good story one day!</p>
<p>I am having an off Christmas this year too. I haven’t even put up the Christmas tree yet. Haven’t wrapped a single package but did do some shopping. I swear I just want to put each gift in a plastic bag and tie the ends shut and toss under the tree (if I ever put it up)
My DIL has just been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and will get her first round of chemo on Monday - Merry Christmas </p>
<p>My sister is currently having to figure out how to make it through a christmas season with five kids and no transportation. Her only car got totaled a few weeks ago, some guy on a cell phone rear ended her and she can’t afford to rectify the situation until she gets her tax return. It has been interesting. She has been having to bum rides off people to go christmas shopping, and all of their normal christmas traditions are out. Can’t go get a tree, can’t go ice skating, can’t go visit santa, can’t see the nutcracker. She has to come up with all new traditions this year. No word yet on whether or not she can come to the family christmas celebration, nobody’s car is big enough to get seven people from two hours away and her house couldn’t fit the whole family. It depends on whether or not her MIL will help her out.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, this week my mom and I will be testing new recipes to replace EVERYTHING we have traditionally served for the last 30+ years because with my new dairy allergy and my niece’s egg allergy, there are two people who will have literally nothing to eat otherwise. There will be no time for last minute christmas shopping here.</p>
<p>stomach bug has hit our house…ugh, this happens to us every few years right about now. I am hoping to confine in so it doesn’t run through the whole family…</p>
<p>laxmom, my best friend’s SIL got a cancer diagnosis a few days ago and his wife (my friend’s D) is pregnant with their first. My good thoughts to you and your DIL. Our youngest received her diagnosis not long before Christmas several years ago and we had a few very difficult years, including holidays, but all is well now and we’re very thankful. Hang in there.</p>
<p>Laxmom – cut yourself a lot of slack. There’d be something seriously wrong if you were all “happy happy joy joy” given what your DIL is facing. If you like, I bet a local high school student would be thrilled to wrap all your gifts for $20, and probably would set up a tree too.</p>
<p>But I suspect that your family will understand entirely if you don’t even want to go that far. There are far worse things than ordering Christmas dinner to be premade at a grocery store or restaurant. </p>
<p>I hope your DILs treatment goes well, and I’m glad she’s got a MIL like you who worries about her.</p>
<p>I’m trying to have a good attitude about this Christmas but my 77 yr old father will be having major heart surgery on the 30th and I can’t focus. It’s more challenging that he’s a few hours away and I’ll have to be there just after Christmas to help get his house ready. I know I’m just worried about him but it’s coming out as anger and frustration. I just want to cry.</p>
<p>lilmom…I think you have some semi-adults and husband in that family who can pick up your slack. I think sometimes we moms put too much pressure on ourselves to provide the “dah hoo dooray” for everyone else (I know I do), and that is stressful in any year…send up the “Help” flag, and assign them some jobs. I will send up some special prayers for your dad…and for you!</p>
<p>Chaos at Christmas, Oh boy, that describes this year for me. I just got back from 3 weeks at my sister’s. Her H is very sick and just got listed for a heart transplant. Only problem is that he’s not sick enough to get a heart very soon, so we have to pray that he gets worse without his liver or kidney’s failing. Oh joy! They have two kids who are freaking out and my sister is a basket case.</p>
<p>My parents live a long way from my sister and I. My dad is only a year post op from his very involved heart surgery. He’s doing better but not great. His cardiologist told him that coming up north would be hard on his heart. So they are not coming to my house but they are going to my sister’s as they need to see her H. My BIL is not doing well enough to have many visitor’s so we are not going to be with my family over the holidays. My kids are very sad but we just can’t make it happen this year.</p>
<p>I do have presents for the kids as I was able to shop at my sister’s. Nothing is wrapped and I have no motivation. No idea if I’ve spent the same on each and I don’t even know what I bought but it’s something. I’m sure it will get done. On the plus side our dishwasher broke but my H was able to have one delivered and installed while I was gone. The old one was dying a slow death so I’m happy to have that done.</p>
<p>The joy of this whole season is that my MIL is a real gem. Called me at my sister’s to see how I was doing. Told me not to worry about buying any presents other than my kids. Even told me if I got her or FIL something to return it. Wouldn’t dream of me bringing anything for Christmas dinner. Even invited my parents to her house to give my sister a break but they can’t make the trip. I am truly blessed. </p>
<p>I do have up a tree. I knew I would be going to my sister’s so we put up the tree at Thanksgiving. My H even fixed the fireplace so we will have a tree and a fire.</p>
<p>No chaos here, just a case of “I don’t care about Christmas this year”. The pre-lit tree remains in the box in the attic. No wreaths on the windows, no Christmas decorations of any type have been set out. The only shopping I’ve done is for my husband (two items ordered online). DH is, thankfully, taking care of DD. Siblings and I have decided (finally!) not to purchase for one another or for nieces/nephews. I don’t know why I feel the way I do this year. I just get so tired of the Christmas hype. Bah humbug.</p>
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