We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy case of hand foot and mouth disease.

Nothing says "Christmas" like a good virus, especially one that comes with a fever and a full body rash... good times. This is what I get for NOT sending my children to day care or "pre-school" where this little strain runs rampant. Perhaps they picked it up at one of the nasty toll road rest stops where they were walking/crawling everywhere and had their little paws on everything as I attempting use the bathroom while transporting them a few hundred miles via mini van by myself... and maybe, just maybe I forgot to wash their hands (badmom?yes).

Anyways, this Christmas, instead of a visit from a fat old man who watches you all year round and then breaks into your house in the middle of the night, we were visited by hand foot and mouth disease and went ahead and infected (most likely) all 13 of the cousins present and probably the four coming in a  couple of days too. And they thought we didn't get them all presents!

Most of the children are reacting just fine to the little "disease" but not my eldest. She is a veritable basket case almost all day and is sleeping like a non-champ, with wake times ranging in the before-6 a.m. range some mornings. Luckily I have a saintly mother-in-law who takes her at a more reasonable hour (7 a.m) and lets me enjoy a few more hours of slumber, best ever.

But for real, I am done complaining and will now showcase some of the fun filled times. There was much castle fun and movie watching in honor of the birth of our Lord.

castle awesomeness

family awesomeness

you can't see naomi's little "oral lesion" but it is there in all its glory

a couch shot whilst view the Lion King the day after Christmas

This is minus any pics of my side of the family since the girls were at their worst on Christmas day, the day we were supposed to all spend over there- I am sure you'll be graced with plenty more after this coming weekend's madness (more of my siblings, more grandchildren, and more baptisms than you thought possible.)

And God bless us, every one!