The Christmas Plague

 We were blessed to have a lovely guest with us for Christmas Eve and Christmas Morning.  I'm not sure she was quite so blessed to be here when the time was said and done.  We gave her a Christmas to remember that is for sure!

 She brought this darling ornament of 2 peas in a pod.  I do like to share a pod and those who share a pod with me are scarce.  So this is a little ornament to treasure forever. :)

 The kids had a great time showing her around our school (I hope it was clean).

 Since I had just had the stomach flu and so did Marigold we weren't going over to celebrate with extended family so we did a little practice run of our talent (or not).  Galadriel on the piano.

 Although Eleanor doesn't take piano at the moment she tried her hand at Peter Pumpkin Eater.

 Rosie memorized the poem "Sleep Baby Sleep" in just a couple days prior to Christmas.

 Frodo recited "Charge of the Light Brigade" at a speed like 60.

 He played the piano and the trumpet.... not at the same time of course.

 Frodo and Eowyn did their rendition of "There's a Hole in the Bucket".  Not sure why Frodo forgot to stick is pipe in his mouth as it added a very funny effect.

 Galadriel also recited a Christmas Poem but I forget what it was.

 Merry opted to just look cute. 

 Then these 2 decided to try one of their poems but got a terrible case of the giggles. Do they look sick? No, I didn't think so either.

 Marigold just passed out. Not being overly impressed with the talent around here.

 Meanwhile some began a rather wild round of paper dolls.  So perhaps you think it odd that my girls love paper dolls, well, if you knew the intricate involved system involved in their playing you might begin to think it is a bit of a contact sport.  But I must back up a little.

Just as we were to sit down to dinner, Poppy flopped in the bathroom with a stomach ache. What timing.  Bilbo flopped shortly there after soooo....

 since we had a guest and we were about to eat dinner I opted to quarantine the 2 littles into my bathroom and wheel the screen in, and occupy them with Tom and Jerry videos.  I felt as if I had stooped to an all-time low.  But we had a guest and we were about to eat.

 Now, you will notice there are no pictures of our lovely dinner.  That is because of the events that will be explained later. But what we had was delicious steel head trout with pesto sauce, baked just perfectly.  Christmas shaped pasta with alfredo, spinach casserole and I believe a host of other items. 

 I think they played this very involved game with paper dolls for a long time.  Then it was time for those of us going to Midnight Mass to leave.  Just before we were to leave Eowyn decided she didn't feel well.  And Pippin too, didn't feel well.  Aragorn had gotten a cold and was voted as the one to stay home with those who didn't feel well.

 So we went early to set up for the little Christmas Party to follow Midnight Mass.

 No sooner we walked in to the parish hall both Eleanor and Rosie said they didn't feel well.  So I left everyone to set up asking if anyone else felt sick.  Nope, all was well. So I ran those 2 home, switched to a smaller car and came back just in time to warm up with the choir.  Our 35 minute prelude was beautiful, the homily was very lovely when I suddenly noticed Merry walking across the sanctuary to the sacristy holding his surplice as if he had a batch of apples in it.  I thought I better check this out and I found him outside on the sacristy steps in the freezing cold. He had gotten sick so I hurried him into the building and took one look at him and just stared.  Not only had he thrown up but was covered absolutely from head to toe.  I just stared.  At home I knew what to do, I had no idea where to start at church.  Finally I found some zip loc bags for my hands and made my attempt to peel off his surplice and cassock (found a garbage bag to bring those home in to wash).  Long story short I had him ready for Aragorn to pick up who said simultaneously at home there were any number of vomitting bodies, going at it by the gallons.  Just as I was waiting Sam came out the sacristy steps and said he felt dizzy and sick.  So I told him to change out of his altar boy garb and see if Frodo felt ill, too. He did. So the 3 went home and I proceeded to finish out the night with Galardiel in choir and the party afterwards.... that is.... after I scrubbed up the Sanctuary from Merry's not-so-merry trail.  Ugh.

I got home in time to shortly thereafter have 11 children throwing up. I made my rounds of bucket after bucket, cleaning, scrubbing.  Mr. Clorax Disinfectant Wipe, was my dearest friend, much easier than bottles of bleach.  By 4:30am I just couldn't do another thing and went to bed with 13 clean buckets.... woops... make that 11.... (always have 2 extra buckets because you need 2 clean ones so you can take 2 dirty ones in exchange.... trust me... it works best that way)

So that was Christmas Day. And why I couldn't bear to show a picture of our meal, and why we will not be eating steel head trout for a long time.

St. Stephen Day I started to cough, by the 27th I was so sick with what I had guessed was influenza, the respiratory flu that I just lay there in a fever, chills, cough, aches, headache and tears.  It is now Jan 1st and I'm almost human, albeit a weak human. In the meantime everyone else in the household moved on to influenza of varying degrees.  No joke.  Both kinds of flu one right after the other. No joke. Really.  It's been a rather penitential Christmas Season.  I haven't been to Mass since Midnight Mass and probably won't go until Epiphany.  But at least we are headed in the right direction. 

Poppy got a dolly from relatives and matching night gowns. 

 Marigold got an over sized Monkey from grandma and grandpa to which the 3 stooges were playing "This is Mommy."  with it.  (Do I really look like an over sized monkey?  Don't answer.  At least it smiles!)

 The thing under my chin is suppose to be my laptop hahahaha

 Keva plank building has occupied much sickness-recuperation time.

 No one is allow to crash it down except Marigold.  It's the privilege of being the 11th baby.

Here's hoping for a blessed New Year!