My Twelve Days of Christmas
By: Angela Gillaspie Copyright © December 1999, 2019
On the First Day of Christmas, I found myself keeping my 8-year-old, Ashley, home from school. A high fever, chills, and cough didn't dissuade her from alternately snuggling and arguing with her 3-year-old brother, Nick, who in turn enjoyed the shared love and germs.
On the Second Day of Christmas, I had two kids sick with the flu. Nick became ill, and he and Ashley both participated in tandem vomiting on the way home from our pediatrician's office. Later on after getting prescriptions filled, the cough medicine kicked in and Ashley went around informing everyone of her undying love for them. The medicine affected Nick differently, instead of spreading love, he found ways to use Play Dough as a weapon; in addition he smacked family members over the head with a stick.
On the Third Day of Christmas, I prepared treats for three Christmas parties - two of which were missed due to sick children. Much pouting and whining broke my resolve and so I allowed my two sick ones to sample the treats. This resulted in additional tummy cramps, whining, proclamations of love and stick slapping.
On the Fourth Day of Christmas, I gulped down four beers after my first full day of Christmas vacation with all three children home. Two kids were still sick, but not sick enough to stop Ashley from threatening my non-sick 6-year-old, Josh, with booger flicks, directed coughing, and other germ warfare. "Mommy! She's breathing on me!" "I am not! He's sitting where I'm breathing." "He's wiping his nose on my shirt!" echoed throughout my house.
On the Fifth Day of Christmas, there were five beds to strip and wash. Most 8-year-olds and 6-year-olds think Barney is passé, but since we only have one set of Barney sheets, a major war erupted over whom would end up with the coveted sheets. Neither side won. I put green striped sheets on both their beds and kept the Barney pillowcase for myself.
On the Sixth Day of Christmas, I finished making six batches of fudge and froze them for the upcoming holiday. There was peanut butter fudge, penuche (brown sugar fudge), pralines, peanut butter-chocolate, penuche pecan, and lastly chocolate fudge. Oddly enough, no one fought over licking the pans. There was enough to go around.
On the Seventh Day of Christmas, I received seven frantic calls from users (I worked at home as a computer programmer at the time), and Josh started running a fever. In between creating download files, medicating children, and modifying code, I designed a system to keep up with which of the three children had what medication at what time.
On the Eighth Day of Christmas, there were eight counties under a Winter Storm Watch. None of these included our county, but the kids spent most of the day with their noses pressed against the glass gazing upward for any hint of a flake. Nick was too involved in watching for snow to remember to go to the potty. It was a real Kodak moment when Josh walked in while I was stripping Nick and noticed that he had on Josh's underwear, "You pooped in my Scooby underwear!" Josh cried.
On the Ninth Day of Christmas, I had nine presents left to wrap and I ran out of tape. Since I also ran out of boxes, I decided to send an email to my husband requesting him to pick up tape, boxes, and more beer on his way home from work.
On the Tenth Day of Christmas, I ran out of tins to put my goodies in! With the last batch of pralines made and the last batch of cookies browning in the oven, I needed something 'festive' to put them in. I settled for a leftover margarine tub. Hey, I found ten margarine tubs on this tenth day of Christmas! Hmm, I could have used these tubs for gifts yesterday instead of boxes. Don't laugh, it's the Southern way.
On the Eleventh Day of Christmas, madness descended upon me as I exploded through all eleven rooms of my house hiding toys, wiping counters, and pushing the vacuum cleaner. Loud rock-n-roll and inhaling pine fumes helped to motivate me. Later in the evening, eight more family members joined us for the unwrapping of presents, consumption of food, and fellowship.
On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, Ashley, Josh, and Nick found twelve presents from Santa. They ripped open the paper and found gifts that they have been pining away for all year long. Watching them open their presents reminded me of the Christmases of my childhood. Shrieks of excitement and gasps of amazement filled my small living room.
Sick kids, booger and Barney sheet fights, and the hint of snow aren't as exciting as partridges in pear trees, golden rings, or drummers drumming, but these past twelve days were definitely precious gifts that my True Love gave to me.
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