'Twas the week before Christmas....

And I was feeling good.

The stockings were hung, the lights were shining bright

Christmas was purchased and shipped and gifts were wrapped up tight.

All that was needed was a few last minute details to end it right.

Lively music was playing, Christmas movies were blaring,

Even the girls seemed just a little bit better at sharing.

Little did I know of the chaos that lay ahead,

but if I had, I think I might have simply stayed tucked in my bed.

Here's just a peek, into our past week.

I hope to get through without letting a shriek.

Thankfully it's over and done

and while it wasn't quite fun,

I know soon we'll be in Utah having a ball,

and even then I'll still be glad to be done with it all...

* Family photo for Christmas card. Rich has an attending doctor whose hobby is photography. He generously offered to take our picture in his basement studio for free. Who can pass up an offer like that? We went to his home last Sunday night with our fingers crossed that we could get one good photo. As we walked in the door, the kids saw his beautiful Persian cat named Buttons. The kids cuddled and scratched his long soft fur, then waved him goodbye as we went down for the photo shoot. Things were going well, until Matt started complaining that the flash was so bright on his eyes. After a round of photos I turned and looked at him. His eyes were swollen with hives and large welts and tears were streaming down his puffy red skin. It was beyond what I could have even imagined. It looked as if killer bees had attacked his face. I ran to the car to grab some allergy drops, but a huge dose of Benadryl is what he needed. When I returned it was even worse. All I could do was put in the drops and turn around to hide my giggles. I know this was no time for laughter, but the fact that his eyes were swollen twice there size and we were trying to get a Christmas photo, laugh was all I could do. Poor thing didn't look normal until the next day. He was a trooper and we managed to get one good shot (even though Josh is a bit dark since he's in Rich's shadow), but I'll never forget our little mishap with Buttons the Persian cat.

*No one wants to spend four and half hours over two days reclined in a dentist chair the week before Christmas, but that is where I found myself last week. Six weeks ago I was eating popcorn with the kids when I chomped down on an unpopped kernel and broken my lower right bicuspid (had to look that one up). Ouch. I called the dentist and set up an appointment before Thanksgiving. Rich was off that week so I was hopeful we could knock out the big part since I had the world's best babysitter at home. I wasn't that lucky. They put some filling around the tooth and told me to come back weeks later. Last Tuesday I returned. Rich left work early to be home with the kids and I was again in the chair. Two and half hours later I still had a broken tooth, but was missing a nerve. I got a root canal (tooth was far too broken to repair with out a post and pins) instead and had to return on Thursday for the impression and prep for the crown. Tiffany Rosenhan came to my rescue (thank you!) and I now am happily sporting a temporary tooth instead of a jagged mess. I think I know what to tell Rich to get me for Christmas- $$$ to pay for all my dental woes!

* Just when you think your week is winding down on Thursday night, Brynn decided to spice things up a bit. She had been downstairs while I scribbled down addresses on our Christmas cards. When she came to sit by me, she handed me a tissue with blood on it. Odd I thought and I wondered when she bumped her nose. Minutes passed when she could hold it in no longer. "Momma, I put candy cane wrapper in my nose. It stuck." I heard the words, but it took a second to grasp what she was confessing. Then it sunk in. She had shoved a wrapper in her nose, pushed it too far, gave herself a bloody nose trying to get it out and it was still in there. Oh. My. Goodness. I mean of all the things to put in your nose, crunchy, crackly candy cane wrapper? What?! A phone call was made to our friendly ENT, Dr. Todd. Unfortunately he lives in Utah, so advice was all we could get. Rich got out the tweezers, we used a syringe and nearly drown the poor girl, but no wrapper appeared. When I tucked her in bed, she boldly told me we had been drowning her and ruined her dreams with our 'scary' things (tweezers). Yes, but we weren't the ones who pushed plastics up into our nasal cavity. The next day we went to Rich's medical school friend and ENT resident for help. With FIVE adults in the room holding Brynn down and Kaitlyn whimpering by my side with fear they poked and prodded and pushed a fiber optic camera into her nose. No wrapper. It looked like Rich's water works had indeed worked. And I guarantee that little girl will NEVER put anything in her nose again. It was that traumatic for her. And sweet Kaitlyn too.

The rest of the list, while not as dramatic, still took up a lot of my precious pre-Christmas time....


* I took Zach to the doctor for his four month check ups. Shots are never fun. He's growing like a weed- 18 lbs, 27 inches. No wonder he's in size 3 diapers and 6-12 month clothes!

*Late nights trying to complete one final special Christmas gift. Stayed up into the wee hours of the night, with a computer mouse attached to my hand, when I should have been sleeping. Seriously think I have carpal tunnel of the elbow from overuse. Advil, please.

* 175 Christmas cards made, picked up, addressed, stamped, licked and mailed

* Music Matters class on Monday, lunch with the boys on Tuesday, visiting teaching on Monday, Tuesday and Friday

* 4 hours of basketball practice and games

* The girls had their last dance class on Friday. Signed up for gymnastics that start the first week of January

* Bought items for 3 class parties (one day notice- needed $15 of 2 1/2 Styrofoam balls- Yikes!)

* Delivered 30 neighborhood gifts and had the boys take in 3 teacher and 3 assistant presents

Whew! I think I'm ready for a break, but I can't stop moving yet.

I still have to:

Finish wrapping Christmas, pack suitcases for everyone but Rich, load the car via car carriers attached the top of the Pilot (missing the van's huge trunk space!) so our luggage doesn't fly off the car during our trip up to the Cincinnati airport, clean the house and finish all last minute Christmas tasks.

I think I'll sleep the entire way to Utah, even with a lap infant in my arms. Can't wait for the trip because after the week we've had, it will be a break, no matter what!

Merry Christmas. Right?!