Monday Smiles – 12/26/2011
It was an odd and somewhat difficult holiday season. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, two friends had surgery, one for a skin cancer and one to get a pacemaker for his heart. On the 22nd, my son-in-law had surgery for a deviated septum, requiring us to come early and watch the kids for a couple of days. I decided to at least try the antidepressant my doctor recommended in Don’t Care Days and at the beginning of Christmas week, I found myself dealing with the jitters and drowsiness. On a lesser note, both my car and Muri’s were due for service last week … and both ended up needing significant repairs. When we got to Arizona, our refrigerator wasn’t working and needed a new motherboard. That’s the wonder of technology … refrigerators have motherboards that cost $300. As usually happens when we spend time with the grandkids, one of us catches a cold bug then passes it around. On Christmas, I had a nasty cold, Reed is coughing and Maddux has a slight fever. With her husband recovering from his surgery and grumpy on Vicodin, my daughter’s hands are full. As usual, she tries to do everything by herself … which she usually manages to do. I’ve given up on my attempts to convince her to throw away her Super Woman cape and accept more help.
But Christmas with the grandkids is enough to brighten even an odd and difficult Christmas. It has become traditional for us to stay at my daughter’s house for Christmas Eve so we can open presents with the kids. Maddux had a pirate Christmas, nearly all his gifts with a buccaneer theme. One of his favorites was a pirate costume. One of Savy’s favorite gifts was a princess
dress from Santa. Reed got his Dad’s old iTouch and spend the rest of the day playing games and exploring the world with Google Earth. Perhaps nothing bring adults into the world of children life pretending with them, as Muri and I are with Savy in this clip. The voice behind the camera is mine … can’t you tell I have a cold?
So, here it is, the day after Christmas. The question is: Is it Back to the real world or Keep the spirit of the season alive for one more day? My friends’ surgeries were all successful. My son-in-law is on the mend, if a bit miserable at the moment, and the side effects of my medication have faded … I’m feeling pretty good, except for my cold. Our cars and refrigerator are fixed and we’re fortunate enough to be able to say, It’s only money. We had two fantastic, exhausting days taking care of Reed, Maddux and Savy and in the midst of it all, we got to have a wonderful Christmas. I love giving gifts. Tomorrow, we’ll head home to California and celebrate the last night of Hanukkah with our son. It’s Monday, the day after Christmas. I’m smiling … and keeping the spirit alive for at least one more day.
Tags: family, fatherhood, feeling older, grandchildren, gratitude, holidays, postaday2011
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December 26, 2011 at 9:20 am
The stuff of life (repairs, health issues, even crisis) doesn’t always get the memo that it is Christmas — it is never a good time for those things, but Christmas is just particularly poor timing. Sounds like you found the bright spots in all of it in your grandchildren (they are so adorable), the positive outcome of all the surgeries, and the provision of fixed items you depend on, that’s all that matters anyway. Keep smiling, it’s contagious, but far better than catching a cold (I hope that gets better for you too
).
New Year blessing to you and yours.
December 26, 2011 at 10:19 am
Our Christmas was strange as well. We received a text message about 9:30 p.m. from my older daughter that our older grandson had the stomach flu, so Christmas was canceled. Of course, it wasn’t, but the festivities were to be postponed. We ended up having a relaxing day at home DOING NOTHING but talking with relatives close and far, working crosswords and sudokus and watching old movies. Tuesday is the new Christmas at the Julianne’s house, with my other daughter and family back from Omaha and everyone together! Flexibility is an asset and family is so important. Best wishes to you and your family, Bud!
December 26, 2011 at 3:50 pm
As much as we all hope for the perfect holiday, as I look around Blogland, I can see that none of us had the days we saw in our imaginations. And yet, I think the consensus is still that Christmas/the holidays are wonderful.
It definitely sounds like you had your share of trials this year. I’m glad you were able to rise above them and find your smiles anyway.
December 27, 2011 at 4:46 am
Talk about rising above the chaos of repairs and illness, I’d say you managed quite well! Around here, Saturday was the last time I ventured outside of the house and that was to go to church for the afternoon service because the children put on a nativity pageant in place of the normal scripture reading. Daughter Mandy got a video of it with the granddaughter portraying Mary and the grandson as the laziest shepherd I’ve ever seen! Since Saturday, no cooking has taken place here -just picking at odds and ends of leftovers and watching two kids so engrossed in their gifts that they barely had time at all to do any fighting! A new kind of peace that probably will end soon enough but until it does, I’m basking in its glow! Hope you continue to have more than enough Christmas spirit to last a long, long time -beyond tomorrow anyway -and that you and yours have the best of New Year’s too! Peace.