Really it is a beautiful times of year, we spend time with our families and that is what we should be doing! Christmas Eve was awesome, most of my family was together, we had tons to eat and we were all happy to be together. That is all we need really, time together. My family is growong up quickly, 4 of my nieces and nephews are past college age, 3 are in college and 3 are still in school. I now have two great grandchildren, we will always be growing family. My Mom and Dad are very proud of there big family and they should be. It has been awesome to watch them all grow and I am sure my parents feel the same way! So a big happy family we are!
Christmas morning Laura was up bright and early, knocking at the foot of our bed. I got up turned on the coffee, popped the cinnamon rolls into the oven and sat down with her to open gifts. She had lots to open and I think she was happiest with her Uno game, rice krispie treats and a silly stuffed penguin, Becky got for free at a thrift store. I always make sure has has lots to open, socks, snacks, clothes, sticker books. But truly soon after she opens her gifts they just get set aside and I eventually end up giving them away to a local thrift store. This year the doll she asked for. will be gone along with a half a dozen stuffed animals. Living in a 800 square foot house keeps you from having too much, I could only imagine what she would have if we had a bigger house. With every holiday she gets more stuff, and with every holiday I get to weed it all out and pass some of it on! Laura is mentally about 5 to 6 years old, she has a short attention span and is not able to entertian herself on her own. So she likes to open gifts, but does not necasarily like to play with them, luckily the local thrift shops love our donations, recycle! Enough on that Christmas continued.....
Christmas day we spent with Toms family. First we stoped at Aunt Jos to give her pills to her and some fresh baked cinnamon rolls. She seemed happy to see us and was sad for us to go. We tried bringing her to Jim and Dianns last year but that just made her very anxious. So unfortunatly she stays home, she swears that is where she wants to be. But she constantly complains of being lonely. Hard for me to understand her. We had a schedule to keep, brunch at Jim and Dianne's. And then later dinner, which just so happens to be homemade pizza and wings. I know not your typical Christmas dinner, but somehow it has become our Christmas tradition. I think it started when Amy gave Tom a hot sauce sampler. Last year Tom, his brother Jim, and Dianne's brother Billy, tried to beat each other on who could tolerate the hottest sauce. I am really not sure who won, but they sure did have fun trying to out hot the other one. This year was more low keyed, I don't think they even tried any hot sauce. But anyway we spend the entire day relaxing and chatting with Tom's family, they are Jim, Dianne, Jessica, Amy and Matt. Sorry I do not have pictures of all of them.This year we had a few extras, Amy's best friend also known as her sister Karleigh and her Dad Gerard. He enjoyed breakfast with us but do to pretty serious cat allergies he was gone soon after. Laura and Jess played a few games, Dianne and I took our dogs for a walk, and then we all played a game of scgatagories, I think I spelled the right. And then it was time to make dinner the whole family was in the kitchen helping with making pizza and chicken wings. Dinner was yummy, Dianne makes a mean chicken wing and I make a great pizza! What a team! Soon after that we were home to rest again.
Sunday morning we were up early to go to church and have dinner with our friends. The church service was great, the older kids did a little pagent and we sang more Christmas Carols. Then we had dinner with Karen, Austin, Karena, and Karen's son the pastor Jeff. Jim had to leave early to bring a friend back to the train station due to pending snow storm, that is supposed to hit the entire northeast. We left soon after dinner, had shopping to do for Aunt Jo and get home and get ready for the long work week ahead.
And a long work week it was for sure. As always at the holidays we are short staffed. Everyone wants time off then so we go to minimum staffing. It seems like a really, really long week. The clients were well behaved for the most part. We ended the week with a New Years Eve Party for them. I felt bad for them this week, because the holiday fell on the weekend they had no holiday. Sure I get it the state does not want to give us the day, but these people never get a vacation and this time they did not even get a holiday. Everyday somebody gets them out of bed, helps them get dressed, feeds them and rushes them out the door. So wrong, everybody deserves a holiday and a vacation. Nope not them, it would cost the state extra money to do this for them. Beyond my controll, but my heart goe out to them.
So the week came to an end with new Years Eve. Our routine did not change this year, a few hordeuvers and a little sangria, with a movie. Shrek Everafter or whatever, good movie, munchies, sangria and company, just the three of us, wait four with Chyanne! By 9pm we were in bed.
Today I did a little overtime at a 12 bed house with what we call medically frail individuals. Not really frail, just people with physical, medical and intellectual dissabilities. They just so happen to require a nurse for things such as diabetic care, tube feedings, colostomies, etc. As always there is a nursing shortage and Nick recently asked if i would do it. So I did a little training, found it was not so bad. Hopefully I will be called back and make a little extra cash for our trip to Tennessee this spring. I met Tom and Laura for pizza, did a little shopping and here I am. Tommorow is a busy day to. Take down the Christmas decorations, get some meals made ahead for the week. I really want to get ahead of things so I can get back to swiming again. Thats all for now, just a not eto wish all of you a healthy, happy 2011!
