'Twas the weekend of Christmas, and all through the house,
Was coughing and snotting,
Especially this mouse...
Her cheeks flushed with fever,
Not a word to be said,
Except, "Mommy, I'm sick, especially my head!"
Away from my desk,
I sprang with a clatter,
Computer in hand, I raced home
To diagnose the matter...
"On PJ's, on coat, on car seat, on van!"
To Urgent Care we go,
To the front door we ran!
103.5.
The results were in.
The flu bug had hit,
just in time for Christmas weekend to begin.
And then the puking.
That's one think I hate.
The retching and splatting,
The unknowing wait.
Is it coming again? Or are we all done.
I know I was, and ready for fun.
It wasn't that no fun was had. It was.
Baby Jesus was set by the chimney with care...
And the tree had been decorated...
By one in the bare...
We'd performed Christmas carols,
shoulder to shoulder with friends,
without a though of the perils
(of all the preschool germs. Oh the germs.)
Proud mama watched, as her boy said his part,
"And Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart."
Cookies had been baked,
And packages taped,
In hopes that our Christmas might somehow escape,
the inevitable...
the flu, the colds, the tummy bug, all un-faked.
But he made the big game,
A special day with dad,
We made a game too,
Memories lost and had...
Water for the reindeer,
And cookies for Santa too,
Fortunately for us,
Santa didn't catch our flu.
We made it.
We survived.
A few healthy moments were found...
A heaping mess of gift-wrap wrapped mound...
Gave way to the happiest of days...
And ultimately, I think, the Christmas spirit was found...
And so, peaceful dreams, and most silent of nights,
without a snorting or snotting or coughing, for the rest of the year 'round.
Oh, and some outtakes, because rhyming is hard:
Friends are awesome. Friends with siblings in the preschool program too are even better.
If you look hard, you can see the common cupboard climber, rarely caught in the act.
She was sick. It was cold. She wanted to ride.
In hindsight, when cake balls don't make her smile, I should know something is up.
Shout out to the Beat Bugs for making those sick days more manageable.
And Happiest of Christmas-y birthdays to my favorite 40 year old!
