Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Merry Christmas Eve


This is the first Christmas home in the states in seven years.  It has been a crazy ride. Arriving two days before Thanksgiving. Staying first at my Mom's, then at Dave's brother's.  Packing, unpacking, repacking, trying to not be that guest that overstays their welcome.  Homeschooling on the road.  Dealing with unexpected medical issues like ringworm, and no, FS friends, no one threw a cat in my car! And bilharzia.  Always fun when your kid starts peeing blood and it turns out to be some weird tropical disease the doc can't even find a lab able to perform the test to verify the diagnosis. Now the mountain cedar season has started in Texas.  Itchy eyes and stuffed up noses.  So. Much. Fun.

There have been days that I wondered why in the world I thought this extended holiday trip was a good idea.  All our Christmas stuff, all the traditions we have created during Christmases overseas, all left behind in Malawi.  We are missing lazy weekend days laying by the pool in the mid-summer African sun. Missing board games with friends.  Missing the holiday party at the Ambassador's residence and seeing who played Santa this year.  Missing throwing  our New Year's Day, black-eyed peas for good luck in the New Year party.

This week reminded me why I came home for the holidays. It has been the absolute best.  Girl's night in playing Quelf.  I must get this game.  With three boys still at home I really really need a game that may require you to be a sad weeping willow every time a "4" is rolled or it may require you to give yourself a wedgie, and if you "De-wedgify" yourself at any point during the game you have to pay a 2 space penalty.  Take note, only play this game with people you are totally comfortable seeing you making an idiot of yourself.  These particular girlfriends have known me forever. We saw each other through pregnancy, morning sickness, potty training, and the first day of kindergarten.  They are sisters of my heart, so giving myself a wedgie in front of them was no problem, but there will be no wedgie pictures posted here.  Sorry.

I took Grayson to his first live theater experience with bunches of other kids from the 'hood. We saw Junie B. Jones, Jingle Bells Batman Smells.  He loved it and now can't wait to read the books. We even got to meet the whole cast and take pictures afterward.


We went to the tree farm and cut our own little tree.  We used to do this every year. The boys have seen pictures of Dakota cutting the tree, but the younger boys are too young to really remember those annual trips. They only remember the fake tree we ship from post to post.  This morning we went out to Mom's house to decorate the little tree.  And if a live tree weren't enough we set up a white Christmas tree at my brother-in-law Paul's house.  Due to his tree hating cats it is outside on the porch, but that is OK, it does double duty as yard decor.  That's it at the top of this blog post.  I love it.

There has been so much more this past week than I can even write about. Zoo trip, shopping and not on Amazon, River walk boat cruise to see the lights, hiking at Lost Maples State Park, attending a surprise party that was actually a surprise, cruising for Christmas lights, fire pit and s'mores at two different friend's houses on two different nights, basketball in the park, Christmas Eve dinner at Danny's (another brother-in-law) followed by tamales, dessert, and fire pit at at Ms. A Day In the Life's house while the kids zoomed around the cul-de-sac on rip sticks, scooters and skateboards.  It really is a Wonderful Life.

Merry Christmas Y'all!!  Wherever you may be!!

6 comments:

Nomads By Nature said...

Schistosomiasis is nasty. So sorry to hear that you are dealing with that. I insisted that we get tested when leaving Mozambique for the exact reason that should symptoms appear later, we may be in a place that doesn't understand or can't test properly. How is he reacting to the medication? At least you have a lot of Christmas wonderful going on to keep distracted and loving life. My mouth started watering when you said 'tamales'. Glad you are getting spoiled back home for a while!

Donna said...

Wha-? What kind of jerk would throw a cat in your car and give you ringworm??? Merry Christmas from Jordan.

Shannon said...

Nomads - the treatment for shisto now is one big dose of what is basically the same thing you use to worm your dog. He seems fine, the symptoms have resolved but, we will all be going in to med when we return just to be safe.

I got lucky one of the docs at the pediatric practice here did a year in London studying tropical diseases so she was listening when I said we need to check for bilharzia, although I must say she was a little more excited about my kid being sick than I was happy about. She coordinated with Med at post and Dave carried the med in with him from Malawi.

Merry Christmas from San Antonio! BTW we have eaten at the "Drunk Catfish Cafe" twice so far, I thought of you both times. Love me some fried catfish. LOL!

Shannon said...

Donna I can't even imagine who would do a thing like that. Merry Christmas, hope it was a good one.

Monica said...

it was awesome having you guys here. :D

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