Merry Christmas!

I've finally forced myself to lie on the couch for a few minutes - I know I've been pushing myself WAY past my limits these past two weeks. Now things slow down for a few days, thank goodness.

Last night, we hosted our annual Cookie/Grinch party, a 20+ year tradition with our very good friends. It started back when we both lived in New Orleans and we were all young and single (and childless!) Back then, the annual showing of The Grinch was a great excuse for a party (this was in the days when it was only on TV once all holiday season!). We both later moved to Delaware and continued the tradition. After the kids arrived, we added cookie decorating to the fun. At one point, the party grew to include 3 or 4 other families with kids.

This is one of those traditions we've adapted but not given up in the face of CFS. We shrunk the party back to just our two families, sometimes it's at their house and sometimes ours, and at one point, I even stopped cooking dinner and ordered pizza instead. I also gave up on homemade cookies and just buy the premade dough now. The kids only care about the decorating anyway! I did manage to make dinner last night, an old favorite from our New Orleans days, red beans and rice, at Jamie's request. But we still gather around the table with bowls of frosting and all sorts of sprinkles and other decorating accoutrements, and we still watch The Grinch (the original TV special, now on video). It's one of our favorite holiday traditions.

Tonight we're planning to go out to dinner (no cooking and no dishes!), then to church for the candlelight Christmas Eve service. Tomorrow is my favorite time of all - just the four of us with no where to go and nothing to do but play.

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!