2015 Holiday Recap : The Quarantine Christmas

Well looky here…it’s the new year! I took a much-needed break from blogging over the holiday, and it turned out to be a pretty good choice. I wish I could say I unplugged completely, but I’m definitely not perfect and still sneaked in some work here and there. This holiday didn’t go exactly as planned, and I’m so grateful I have a flexible job where I can dedicate time to different outlets when needed. Over the holiday we had a bit of a quarantine situation going on…and it wasn’t pretty! We had (in no particular order) pink eye, the flu, a croup-type cough, an ear infection and head lice. Yep, it was a doozy! I was fairly lucky to be free of all of these ailments so that I could spend my time and energy helping my people heal, but of course today I woke up with a massive sinus issue, so I think my body has finally decided it’s my turn!

Due to all the illnesses floating around, we had a pretty low-key holiday. We were legitimately under a doctor-ordered quarantine until Christmas Day, and the kids were pretty bummed we had to cancel Christmas activities with our extended family. Luckily, by the 26th everyone was feeling much better (and we were no longer contagious) so we were able to celebrate a little late. And honestly, as much as it stinks being stuck at home, it was kind of nice snuggling in for a simple, quiet holiday. Though I wouldn’t wish the amount of laundry and cleaning that comes with head lice on ANYONE. Holy wow.

I made about a zillion baked treats over the break, planning to take them to Christmas celebrations with the family. Since we were unable to attend most of them, the kids and I ended up delivering bags of sugar cookies and tins of cinnamon rolls to our local fire stations and police stations, to thank them for working over the holiday. It wasn’t our original plan, but it turned out to be a great way to give back and make the best out of a crappy situation. Lucy even chased our trash collector down the street to deliver him a bag of cookies, which is absolutely one of my top 10 holiday memories!

The kids head back to school tomorrow and Wednesday, and I can’t wait to get back in to a regular routine. As per our silly family tradition, we keep our Christmas decorations up until Three Kings Day (just like when I was growing up) so we still have a few more days of twinkle lights ahead of us. And while I should probably be excited to put away Christmas until next year, I think a few more days of twinkle lights is probably the best medicine for a quarantined Christmas.