Christmas Over, On The Mend Hopefully

As I was wrapping presents for the family on Christmas Eve, I started to cough and I was afraid something was coming on. By the time everyone left on Christmas Evening I was chilling, felt freezing cold and after a hot bath went to bed. I've been basically in bed, in my house, for the last two days. I'm a little better today and have way too much to do to be sick. I got up and just started digging out of the mess, taking decoration down, cleaning aquariums, doing laundry and now I need to rest before I try and do anything else. I remember when my kids were younger it was so stressful that I would spend the whole week between Christmas and New Years sick, so I guess this was one of those years that I hit the top of the stress meter. This is the first Christmas without Dad so Len picked Mom up on Christmas Eve for their party and then she came down and spent the night with us and we had a nice Christmas dinner and presents and then my sister picked her up and took her home. We worry about her living alone but she is better in her house and doing her regular things instead of living with us kids. As long as she feels well enough and wants to live in her house we want her too. She must have asked us ten times on Christmas if we thought Dad missed us and wondered what he was doing. As I get older I'm wondering if it's worth all the work to have a two hour party. Maybe next year will be the year I decide enough is enough. Anyway, I'm glad the shopping is over and now on to all the other holidays that seem to be coming, not to mention all the birthdays we have the next two months. Life continues to teach me lessons I wouldn't have learned had I not gotten married and had these four kids. I'm thankful for everything I've experienced and hope to have been an example for good in their lives.