Quarantine Journals - Christmas & New Years

Richard stopped going into the office on December 9th so that we could fully quarantine for two weeks and see my dad over the holidays.  We spent a full week going back and forth with my dad (and brother) over what would happen during that time.  My brother has been staying at my dad's house since Thanksgiving, and I had assumed—mostly because I had already said it multiple times—that Brandon would be back at his house so we could spend the Christmas break at my dad's house. But it became obvious that he was not planning on leaving, and so we had to figure out the logistics of all being here at the same time.  

My dad had initially planned on coming to our house for Christmas, as usual, but then didn't want to if we would be coming out here.  I pushed him to go ahead and come out so that we could be together on Christmas Day and have some sense of normalcy for the holiday.  

The kids woke up Christmas morning and even let me sleep in half an hour.  We all did stocking and presents, and then made our way for breakfast.  Oliver was so excited to come out of his room and discover the presents, he was screaming "OH MY GOSH!"  

The kids were content and Penny wanted to wait until my dad and Brandon arrived, so that's what we did. They got here around 12 or so.  We then took some Christmas pictures and divided up gifts.  There were so many that we left about a dozen under the tree.  While they kids were opening their gifts, Issam and Jackie video called, so we chatted with them for a bit.  The rest of the day was filled with gifts and yummy food.  

We decided to go out to my dad's house on Sunday, having squared away some of the concerns about us all being there, and stay until Saturday or so.  The first couple of days were fine.  The next few, bumpy.  New Years Eve and New Years Day were nice.  Penny woke up NYE and was crying because she really wanted it to snow.  She hadn't realized that, at the beginning of the week, they had been calling for snow across the metroplex by mid-week, but it quickly became a non issue as the temps rose a bit.  Penny did not know that, though, until Richard said something.  And then it was sobbing, for the next hour or so, and on and off throughout the day. 

We spent most of the day playing board games.  Penny and Oliver both took naps so they could stay up late.  Penny did not go willingly or quietly. When they woke up, they played some more.  We did some games, and then had a yummy dinner of baked salmon, shrimp scampi, and potatoes.  We spent dinner telling Penny that she should probably not hold out hope for snow in the morning because we did not want her to be disappointed.

I kept looking out the door all evening, wishing for snow.  I wanted it so badly for her.  For all of us.  I quietly wished the snow would come, just a little, just now when they could see it. An hour later, I passed by the window and saw it. It's just sleet, I told myself, when I noticed the white all over the ground.  I even told Penny to come see, but to know it was not snow and we couldn't go out in it because it was freezing rain.  But Richard took Mosley out and came back crying it was snow.  We took the kids out and they made snow balls and had such fun running around.  It was back inside for cookies and ice cream and more games.  Just before 10:30, we discovered it was snowing again, this time with thick fluffy snowflakes that were just endlessly raining down from the sky.  Everyone bundled back up again, and we went back out for more snow balls, snow angles, and general wonder.  We spent a good half hour out there, maybe more, and then came back in for the countdown.

As everyone was counting down, I passed out noise makers and we made a ruckus at midnight, New York time.  Then sent the kids off to bed and called it a night.

Today is New Years, and we are making another yummy meal to enjoy before we head back home.  I don't feel sad about it this time... Oliver has been ready to go home for days. He does not handle changes well, and by the time he was okay with being here, it was really time to go.  I love visiting my dad, but it is not an easy thing to co-exist with my brother here. He has my dad sleeping on the couch so he can have his room.  He rolls eyes and plugs ears whenever the kids cry.  He doesn't play with them or do much of anything with the kids, or most of us, really.  He did play monopoly once.  He tries to help sometimes.  But more often that not, it is just too hard to share this space, and my dad, with him. It seems like my dad can't really even enjoy our visit through his worry about how it is in inconveniencing my brother.  He had said he didn't have to work, but dad spent most of the time in front of his computer anyway. He had also said he would watch the kids so I could work... definitely did not happen either. 

 

It's just

time to go home.