Christmas has been wonderful. Today there are seven swans a-swimming, and there's much more to come! After today's affair, we'll wake the kiddos up to make the midnight fireworks over the Mississippi, Mass begins the year off right tomorrow before a big brunch party at a neighbor's house, and we've still got Celebration in Oaks in City Park to manage before the 12 Days are up.
But let's look back at what's been going on the last couple of weeks. Most of the last week of Advent was spent winding down and unpacking from our quick trip to Houston. So by the time Saturday and Sunday rolled around, and it was already time to pack again for Galveston, I'd hardly had a chance to blink. Dylan was very kind about making sure I wasn't stressing about what he would do (ie for meals, laundry) in the days we were separated. And in the end, upon return, he'd left the house spotless. Thanks, darl.
Here's a detailed low-down on Monday-Travel-Day, and after that you'll just get general themes. We picked up a rental car at 9am for me to drive Paul & Ada, so that Dylan could have Vinny to drive himself late on Christmas Eve. I was finally packed enough to leave just before 10am, when Peter - with Gregory Bonsignore, an old high school / boy scout friend - also hit the road in a sort of caravan. Paul and Ada slept til Lake Charles, ie 3 good hrs, and we stopped for food and play at a Chick-fil-a before hitting the road again at 3 for the remaining 2+ hrs to Texas City to return the car by 6. I made it to the Budget Rental at 5:40 with a full tank of gas. Phew. Both kids had lost it somewhere around 5:15. Good run, I know, but it was right at the end there that I didn't know where I was driving; we made it. After returning the car, though, Peter was still on the road from dropping Greg in Houston. He was on his way to pick us up ... and things got darker ... and kids got tireder (yes, that's a word) ... and passing cars in the parking lot got slower and louder uhn-ts uhn-ts uhn-ts ... Please, dear Lord, give my brother wings. He arrived in no time, really, and we headed for Bolivar! Just missed a 7:30 ferry, waited til 8, held an over-it Ada on my lap in the front seat for the 20 min ride and then 11mile straight-shot down the peninsula to the beach house, and finally hugged family close to 9pm. L o n g d a y but Christmas is coming!! So we settled in, ate good food, drank good drink, and listened to Christmas songs.
That last line could be repeated for the 23rd, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and Saturday, too, before packing up Sunday for the long trip home again. One extra tidbit about each day, though, besides food, drink, and music: Tuesday was a stay-inside day with movies, too. But with the fantastic deck outside, Paul rode his little trike around for ages anyway. Nice. Wednesday had Mass at 5pm in a tiny little church with about 50 people. The priest chose us to be the choir, calling out what number whatever song was, and he talked straight to Paul during the homily. Dylan got in late evening and then drove himself to midnight Mass, poor guy. We missed going together. Then Christmas Day was beautiful - little beach walk, little cooking (ok, lotsa), pressie-opening, big meal after Ryan arrived, and another late night up talking and playing. Thursday was s'posed to be our traditional bowling day, but when we realized how far away everything was, we just scratched it and played a Ginny-original Christmas-trivia game. On Saturday, Momma's brother's family came in for the afternoon and evening, and it was great seeing them all together again! And Sunday ... boo hoo ... was go-home day. We left around noon and stopped in Lake Charles at a McDonald's this time; we go where the playgrounds are. (Sidenote: boy, the clientele sure is different among fast food chains.) Poor Ada napped the entire time what with her fever, green nose, and cough. More on that in a sec... We stopped in New Iberia for Mass and were eventually home around 9pm again. It rained the whole day. I've just been reeling since, trying to get things back in shape and shower the kids with attention comparable to what they had last week. Impossible, you say? Yeah, pretty much.
Over Christmas Beach Week, sleep was bad. Reeeal bad. Paul's cough stopped after about 2 nights, when Ada's started, of course. Her nose got nasty, and then the last night, she was burning up, but nothing would help the poor little dear. Dylan and I were running on nearly empty anyway, and then that last night knocked us over the top; Sunday was survived thanks to coffee.
And today I got to talk to Colleen!! Hooray! She's at her folks' house with her 2 girls while Mike's back in St. Paul already, and she and I had a big "oh, yeah, I hear ya, girl" for about half an hour. We said, isn't it funny how the regular routine is sometimes overwhelming, you look forward to busy family time and all the extra hands and help, stay up late because who doesn't have a case of the FOMOs*, and then get back to the regular routine with a big exhale, thinking "man, this feels easier" ... for a few days. Ha. We're catching up on sleep now that we're back.
*FOMO = fear of missing out
So there we are! I know I promised pictures from last time, and there are a slug of good ones for this post, too, but there's been no tiiiiime. Honestly. I think I'll just do another photo-heavy one without all the gab and get you caught up on the cuteness. 'Cause man, is there cuteness.
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