Anyone else? Feel like I missed Christmas.

[Melaine]

Not really a bitch, just a little vent. First of all.....I loooove the holidays so much! I think about them all year and am always optimistic that things will go perfectly. I even have this recurring "nightmare" that I miss Christmas! I will dream it is January and that somehow I missed everything and I will be so sad! Then I'll wake up to realize it is still only November!:ROTFLMAO:

This year just did not go how I wanted! The last two weeks have been nuts and in general the last year has also been crazy. First of all, our dryer, oven and kitchen sink all broke. Then we all caught the flu last week and still have it. DH has SO little vacation time and just spent one of his precious long weekends dealing with a house full of flu victims. Because of all this, I didn't get out my Christmas cards, take cookies to the neighbors like I've done every year, and we missed a Christmas Lights event in our town that we have seen every year since we got married. I haven't been out to the "stores" since like Dec. 20th and our house is such a disaster that I can't even enjoy the decorations that are still up. I am still on a ridiculous diet for DS so I didn't get any holiday food and being sick with such restrictions (no chicken noodle soup, no crackers, no ginger ale, no freakin' bread) has been frustrating. We gave the girls bikes for Christmas, but because we were out of town, we waited to give them to them once we were home. Because we were sick, DH hasn't had a chance to assemble them, so we put them under the tree in the boxes on Saturday. The girls were really still sick and their response was a huge disappointment. It was just a far cry from what I had imagined, which was the beautiful bikes under the tree on actual Christmas morning and them running out in their little Christmas pjs and being so surprised and thrilled. We weren't invited to a single holiday party and haven't even been able to get together with our closest friends because of this stupid flu. On New Years Eve, I went to bed at like 7:30 because DS has not been able to sleep without me for almost 2 weeks at this point. (that's right, not for naps, not at all). It is January 3rd and we literally haven't seen the sun in 2013. It has been raining or cloudy every day. I am also not sure I have had a shower this year yet (only half kidding....)

I think I am going to have a Christmas in June party. I'm serious. That way I can have my holiday food because I know I will be done nursing by then.

[AngB]

Yep.

DS2 spent Christmas Eve crying, DS1 spent Christmas day a mess, DH had hardly any time off work, it was just hectic and not as nice as last year. I didn't even have a chance to get pictures. I am so ready for winter to just be over.

[sunshine873]

I'm sorry that you feel like you missed out. I would be upset too. Sickness is a bear, and can take the joy out of anything, not to mention the diet restrictions, etc. I think planning a Christmas party this summer is an excellent idea. It'll give you something to look forward to, and as you are packing away your Christmas decorations, etc...you'll know you'll be getting some of them out again in a few short months!

[AJP]

Count me in too. I look forward to Christmas starting in the fall and can't wait to decorate and "enjoy" the season. I envision this happy holiday home where we enjoy staying in, cooking, crafting and wrapping and admire the tree and decor lol. I tried to get shopping and cards done early so that we could enjoy evenings by the tree doing crafts etc. that stuff got done, but the stres of the party i hosted had me organizing and cleaning much of the night.
We had so much going on in the weeks leading up to Christmas and DH worked a lot, so I feel like I missed it too. Sickness, I hosted a party for 35 adults 3days before Christmas, 22 for Christmas Day and had a busy vacation week. I feel like all I did was ship for food and clean, clean, clean.
There's always bext year!
I think a lot of people spent the holidays sick and just trying to enjoy what they could.

[hellokitty]

I'm sorry that it didn't go as you imagined. FWIW, I have been in a funk this past christmas. In fact, we took down all of our decorations on Sunday, which I have NEVER done before, I wanted to take them down earlier, but my DH (who is usually the one who hates dealing with decorations) even felt that it was too early to take them down. It has been a hectic yr and yes, we've been fighting with the flu for what seems like a never ending process, I'm just worn out. It seems like at least one person in our family is always sick, since halloween and I myself have been dealing with what is probably bronchitis since halloween. I've also been feeling pessimistic about the new yr as well (dh's job is at stake), not helping my bad mood. I hope that things improve for you guys soon. I know that I am hoping that maybe the bad feeling I am getting about 2013 is wrong and things will go smoothly, but yeah, it stinks when you can't get into the spirit of the holidays when other things overshadow it.

[boolady]

Not entirely, but I know what you're saying. This was our first Christmas without my mom, and my grandfather died on Christmas Eve 2011, so the adults in my family had weighty things on their minds. I was pretty sick from Thanksgiving until about 5 days before Christmas, so once I was on the mend, I was running around like a maniac trying to get things done. We had two things planned with other families that were canceled due to illness (one in our family, the other in the other family), and the whole thing was just not the best. If it wasn't for DD, it would have been a definite downer, but at least she was excited and into it, so that gave me something to smile about.

[Pinky]

I understand... Influenza A invaded our family over Christmas so I definitely feel like we missed it too. Didn't get to enjoy any holiday treats and was too sick to really get pictures or anything. We are actually going to have a "New Year" celebration this weekend to try to have a little post-holiday fun.

Sorry your Christmas wasn't great!

[*myfoursons]

Yep, us, too. At least one member of the household has been sick since holiday break started, so for Christmas we didnt get out of the house, not even for mass, and we missed our family Christmas party. Half the kids were too sick to even enjoy Christmas morning, and out pictures are kind of hilariously bad. NYE was a bust, and we also missed a planned weekend with friends last week.

I'm going to try and figure out something special for this weekend if everyone feels better, which is looking promising. I think it's going to be one of those Christmases that we'll look back and laugh at, you know?

[crl]

Yeah. We moved on the 21st. So I knew it would be like this though.

Catherine

[crl]

Not entirely, but I know what you're saying. This was our first Christmas without my mom, and my grandfather died on Christmas Eve 2011, so the adults in my family had weighty things on their minds. I was pretty sick from Thanksgiving until about 5 days before Christmas, so once I was on the mend, I was running around like a maniac trying to get things done. We had two things planned with other families that were canceled due to illness (one in our family, the other in the other family), and the whole thing was just not the best. If it wasn't for DD, it would have been a definite downer, but at least she was excited and into it, so that gave me something to smile about.

I am so sorry for your losses.

Catherine

[123LuckyMom]

Oh, boolady, the first holiday season is sooo hard. I'm sorry for your losses.

As for your idea of Christmas in June, Melaine, do it!!! I am a great believer in postponing celebrations if necessary. I posted a few days ago about my anniversary and possibly going on an overnight. I've decided I'm not up for it. I'm just too exhausted, so we are going to celebrate our anniversary "observed" once DD is finally sleeping properly, and I am not blind with exhaustion. Move Christmas, by all means! Celebrate when you're well and able. Let us know when you're going to do it, and we'll all wish you a Merry Christmas then!!!

[janeybwild]

Hugs. I could have written your post. No cards, no cookies made, no teacher notes written, no parties, flu for us all etc. Christmas was something to be gotten through. It sucked. But since then, we've had an awesome time, embracing wearing our PJs for multiple days, eating lots of take out food and playing board games. Once I gave up the dream of christmas, we are just enjoying this time with the kids off school. I think a summer Christmas party sounds awesome. What can I bring?

[hopeful_mama]

I am with you. I am just getting over being sick for 2 weeks, cold made worse by pregnancy with possible bronchitis; the violent coughing plus the stretched out ab muscles also caused horrible ab pain, sometimes back pain, whenever I coughed, blew my nose, or various other movements, depending upon which muscle. DH had two 4 day weekends and he spent them looking after DD and me, while I mostly rested. He even had to take another day because I was so sick. Christmas dinner with my mother was canceled as she was sick too, and my father wasn't even up to coming over just to hang out for a little while and exchange presents on Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve we took me to the dr, Christmas Day's outing was the 24 hr pharmacy.

Luckily my nesting instincts caused me to obsessively do most of the Christmas shopping around Thanksgiving, and DD was old enough to be excited about Santa which made us smile Christmas morning but young enough to not know about all the traditions we were missing. But it wasn't until yesterday that I was able to sit down on the floor and play with her, and I think I'm too sore to do that today. I didn't get to play with her with any of her new toys yet. I didn't get to make my traditional Christmas cookies; DH did, but I couldn't eat them at first anyway, and it was bittersweet to hear DD getting to do that with him for the first time instead of me, while I was sick in bed (cookies are not his tradition, he had a different tradition to share that was more meaningful to him). I was barely able to eat anything and only very bland foods so DH and DD didn't get a Christmas-y meal ever either.

Oh, and we missed the company holiday party, normally I hate that stuff but it was in the museum of natural history in NYC which sounded so cool, and I got a fancy (non-returnable) maternity dress and felt really good about how I looked in it, which is rare for me.

Mostly over it now but still a little sad I guess, I thought this would be such a special Christmas with DD 3 and me expecting. At least she had fun discovering her presents and getting to spend so much time with her daddy, or it would've been a lot more sad, but it meant so much to know she was having such a nice time with him most of the time.

Enjoy your summer Christmas! Hmm, you've given me an idea, if I'm not sick again/no snow, DH booked us a little vacation late this month, maybe I could find a way to make it feel Christmas-y and extra special/fun...

[queenmama]

Yes, sadly, I know exactly what you mean. And I'm a Christmas fanatic as well... I'm one of those freaks that can listen to Christmas music any time of year, and I've been known to leave my tree up way past the Epiphany... or Valentine's Day...

We actually missed Thanksgiving, to start with. We've been sick since before then, at least one of us, and I still am now. And our heater went out, my washing machine is dying (not cool when your baby wears cloth diapers), DH's car quit working, he wrecked my car (not his fault, but still!), and my mom and dad moved away, probably temporarily, but they weren't here.

I sat and cried in my dark, tree-less living room at 5 a.m. Christmas Day. For someone who loves Christmastime and the whole "feel" of it more than the average person, I felt genuinely robbed of that joy. It was super depressing! I tried reminding myself of the meaning of Christmas and why we celebrate, but I admit that I'm a big baby and want the "fun" side as much as the reverent, so it was a total letdown.

ETA: I've thought of doing "Christmas in July." It'll depend on whether I've gotten over this disappointment by then.

Lara

[sste]

Melaine, I don't know if this makes you feel any better but I think you have alot of company out there. DH works in a hospital and he started commenting to me on how awful the flu/flus out there this year were -- the ER was absolutely packed with flu patients. I think alot of people are going to be celebrating xmas in Feb. Go for it!

[sntm]

Me too. Ds1 was at XH 's house for Xmas so we did fake Christmas the Saturday before. I worked late on Xmas Eve and NYE. Baby has had a cold, a rash, teething and learning to crawl. And Sandy Hook just made me anxious and depressed. I like the do-over idea!

[California]

When church leaders were deciding what date to use for Christ's birth, I so wish someone had said, "Maybe we shouldn't put it right in the middle of the flu season." They couldn't have guessed all the hoopla we've added to Christmas, but still...

[janine]

Sorry it's been a rough few weeks, and if misery loves company, I'm there with ya!

I had to work all Xmas week and NYE. Plus we hosted Xmas. So I was up till 2am most nights, wrapping or tidying, getting the table set up. I took a few days prior to Xmas week to at least get some quality time with DD's. Well DD1came down with the killer flu virus, 105 temps, down and out all week. Missed her Xmas party/pageant. The rest of us got the bug but not as bad as her, but still were a mess. DH managed to escape until Xmas day as he rallied through the dinner hosting with a 102 temp.

I also had to manage passive aggressive emails from SIL just 2 days befor xmas trying to hash out all family tensions, but that's par for the course I suppose.

Then my grandfather died on Xmas day so it's been funeral prep since.
NYE I was looking forward to a glass of champagne (my father gave us a bottle) but DH was in no mood since still not feeling great. The kids decided to stay up to almost to midnight so countdown was me and my 1 yr old finally passing out with me in bed.

I still love Xmas and we kept the tree extra long as a result this year, but sometimes I do wish someone would say WOW you need some time to just breathe! Guess that's what posting here is for...