A Quiet Christmas

Brandt has felt crummy this week; he has a viral thing going on.  It started on Sunday.  He has been coughing, had a sore throat, a runny nose, and he's been running a fever.  The kid won't take medicine which, considering his biological history, makes me very happy.  But, it also concerns me when he is legitimately ill and won't even take ibuprofen.  As a result of his illness, we have had a very quiet Christmas week, mostly staying home and resting.

Christmas Eve, in the afternoon, Brandt was watching TV while curled up on the couch next to Kent.  He fell asleep and had a two hour nap, a true indication of how lousy he felt.  we were supposed to gather with the Barruses (I am never sure how to say the plural of Barrus which is why I refer to us as the Barri, or the Barrus Family), but because Brandt was not well, I sent Kent and Blythe off to have dinner and visit while Brandt and I stayed home.  I had him help me wrap presents, we watched some TV, and we played a game.  Quiet and restful.  Although excited for Christmas, and inspite of Brandt's long nap, both children were in bed at their normal bedtime.

Brandt woke early on Christmas, but not unreasonably so.  He was up about 6:30 and rushed downstairs to see what Santa had brought.  We made him wait to open anything until Blythe woke up, and fortunately for him, she was up just after seven.  They made short work of the present opening.  I think they were both pleased with what they received.  They kept exclaiming, "Oh wow! Just what I always wanted!"  For their big gifts from us Brandt got Jabba's Palace Legos and Blythe got a Barbie beach house.  They got lots of other things too, but those made the biggest impression.

We gathered with all the DeMartinis at my mom's house for brunch and cousin present sharing.  We talked and laughed, but Brandt came to me after we had been there about an hour and a half and said, "Mom, can we go home now?"  Cousins everywhere and Brandt wanted to go home.  He really was sick.  We made a brief stop at Grandma and Grandpa Barrus's house, but we only lasted about twenty minutes there before I got a second request to go home.

We spent the rest of the day at home.  We put together Legos, did a puzzle, read several new Elephant and Piggie books we got, and hung around.  I took Blythe over to Grandma Dawn's to deliver some presents and have a brief visit and Grandpa George came with Uncle Tad and cousins Charlie, Tess, and Jace for a visit to us.  We tried to keep Brandt away so he wouldn't cough all over them.  He is pretty much Typhoid Mary at the moment.  In fact, I am fighting getting whatever he's got, perhaps unsuccessfully.  I can feel myself getting sick, and I really don't want to.  It has been hard to avoid the contagion spread.

This picture is from the 23rd.  I think it must be before church.

Brandt's get-up made me laugh.

He is in his jammie top, his underwear, and his slippers from New Zealand.

He is lookin' good! 

Christmas Eve.

All is merry and bright.

Santa presents and the filled stockings.

On Christmas day in the morning.

 

 

 

This is pretty much how the kids looked most of the day.

Brandt was hunched over a pile of Legos, and Blythe was crouched in front of the Barbie house.