Busiest Christmas Ever!

Kim and I are not known for our quiet holidays its true, but this year seemed to set a record for pure miles driven and bodies exhausted. Perhaps it was just being sick near the end that made it feel so much more busy than previous years, or maybe it was the extra driving that got tacked on in small increments until almost every day included a hour or two or more in the car. Don't know for sure, but here is the report and you can judge for yourself.

Dec 21: Supposed to be the last day of work but we had our ultrasound in the middle of it so I didn't go. We found out we are having two boys, Lukas and Sean. No, Lukas is not named after Lukas Rossi, we had the named picked out years before we ever heard of him. Sigh.

Dec 22: Some shopping including me getting Kim's stocking stuffers. Did a lot of house cleaning which was sadly overdue.

Dec 23: Wrapping, getting stuff ready to go tomorrow, my parent's dropped by with my Christmas/Birthday gift, an awesome step/extension ladder. I love it and can't wait for the spring to come so I can use it to take down the lights. I'll be the envy of the neighbourhood (especially Steve).

Dec 24: The Craziness begins. Its Kim's mother's birthday and Kim likes to see her mother if at all possible on Christmas Eve. We are going to be there on Christmas Day so the idea was floated about going up and staying overnight, but neither Kim nor I sleep very well away from home so I decided a little extra driving would not hurt. We go to Brockville, celebrate Pauline's birthday, then drop by Greenbush to exchange gifts with my parent's and sister before going home. Driving: ~150 km

Dec 25: Merry Christmas! Back in the car, back to Brockville, celebrate Christmas. All good times. Driving: ~75 km

Dec 26: Into Brockville to get some fruit and chocolate for a gift basket for my Grandparent's, and then to Athens to visit them for a bit before heading back to Greenbush for my family's Christmas dinner. More good times. Then back to home. Driving: ~110 km

Dec 27: Ah, our free day between the families and the visit with the Kids. Except we have a doctor's appointment in Ottawa. So into the car again. After the appointment we hit St Laurent Mall for some crib shopping before going to Toys 'R' Us on Merivale to buy our cribs, mattresses, and order a dresser. Then to Ikea before going home again. During all this activity I'm feeling under the weather, light headed and zonked. That evening I develop the first tingling of cold sores. Driving: ~110 km

Dec 28: Quiet day, I'm feeling better, we do some grocery shopping, pick out a new office chair we are in desperate need of. After dinner we drive to get the kids and bring them home for a few days. Driving: ~190 km

Dec 29: My Father's 50th birthday was on the 28th, so today is his party. We go to Greenbush where I help my sister with the food preparation and such and a good time was had by all. He was resplendent in the Sens jersey we bought and personalized for him with "MCCANN" and the number 1 on the back. We go back to Carleton Place in my parent's van so I can go pick up the cribs and mattresses we purchased from Toys R Us. Driving: ~125 km

Dec 30: In the morning I drive into Ottawa to get the cribs and some CD towers from Ikea and get that all back home. Then I take the van back to Greenbush and return with the car. Driving: ~154 km. Halfway back to Greenbush I feel uneasy in my stomach. I have some lunch hoping it will pass but by the time I am home I am outright nauseous and take some Gravol and lie down a bit. I feel a little better and put together the CD towers but then I feel even more nauseous and start to get cold, really bone chilling cold. I laid down again and this time under the blankets. It was surreal, I'm in bed with pants, shirt, sweater, slippers, and extra blanket while Kim is downstairs in t-shirt and shorts. Anyway I sleep the evening away while Kim and the Kids have a movie night. By the time Kim is coming to bed I'm feeling mildly better and less cold.

Then soon after going to bed, who is up in the bathroom with nasties coming from top and bottom? Not me, Kim! She spends the night with the bucket and bowl and by the morning she is finally able to go to bed.

Dec 31: Kim's dead asleep and I feel like death warmed over with several trips to the bathroom myself (I'll leave the gory details to your imagination) and trying to look after three kids. We decide that we are going to be no fun today or tonight so I feel good enough to drive the kids home in the afternoon. Come home, force ourselves to eat some food (well me more than Kim) and go to bed before nine. Happy New Year indeed. Driving: ~190 km

Jan 1: I'm feeling better when I get up except for several more trips to the bathroom. Fortunately the rest of the day is trip free. Kim is feeling better. And thankfully we don't have to go anywhere because the weather outside is frightful (but inside, so delightful) so with simply no place to go, we said let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Jan 2, today: back at work, back at blogging, and mostly recovered from whatever it was that I had. Kim is not working anymore so she can continue to relax, build up strength, and eat and drink.

Finally tally, around 1100 km driven in eight days. Plus innumerable trips to the washroom. I'm almost glad to be back at work so I can relax!