The Christmas Memories, Part 3

December 20, 2006 at 8:52 am (Christmas, Memories...)

One year we actually got to stay home ALL day on Christmas Day….

It was the year I should have bought stock in oatmeal bath. The chicken pox decimated our little elementary school, just in time for Christmas holidays.

The oldest was in first grade and had brought home the lovely little bumps the last week of school before Christmas holidays. So just as her million little bumps were slowing down, the little one got them. He was not quite 2 and still in diapers. He was absolutely covered with them on Christmas Day. She was scabby, but he looked downright pitiful.

So that year, everyone came to our house. In waves. They brought their food, their presents, their dogs. Grandmother even brought the Roast Beast. The kids stayed in their pajamas all day. And played and played and played.

And that night, as the kids were finally down, I decided that despite the illnesses, it was a great Christmas because the kids were happy and a good tired, not the over-sugared/over-stimulated tired they get with too much driving from our house to mountains of presents at two grandparent’s houses all in one day. They actually got to play with their toys and we had time to talk & visit. And (I guess) out of respect to the kids being sick, the grinchy grandparent territorial sniping/one-upsmanship did not even appear.

The chicken pox didn’t keep Christmas from coming… Somehow or other, it came just the same.