Awww it does sound like a rough Christmas - I'm sorry! Glad your marble survived the wood cleaner. Last week I sprayed myself in the face with leave in hair conditioner instead of facial tonic. That's about it I think.

Hope your 2013 is better than 2012 - seems '12 was a rough year for a lot of people!

Been there, done that! Well not quite but similar things. Hang in there - DM has bronchitis, DB and his wife haver bad colds and DH also seems to have caught it - so far, hanging in there.

Sorry your family was sick. Growing up, someone in my family was always sick during the Holidays.

My thyroid doc. decided he needed to lower my meds in December so I've been sleeping all week. And when I'm not sleeping, I'm thinking about sleeping. I gotta get a grip because work is due to be crazy this year.

We had 12 for Christmas and 14 for NYE. I almost ran out of food at Christmas, so I overcompensated yesterday. Now we have leftovers for the rest of the week.

The good thing about living on the West Coast is that our New Years dinner party always celebrates East Coast New Years So while I spent all day in my kitchen cooking Spanish Food, I was in pj's by 10:30pm.

I'm so happy to have found the assistance of my internet friends during all our work and even happier to have the work behind us. With everyone's help, it was so much fun to cook in a well designed kitchen.

I raise my mimosa (couldn't let the prosecco go to waste) for a Happy New Year!

Awwww Breezy... I can kind of relate. I got sick on Christmas Night and am just getting out of bed *today*. And my house looks like the parents went away on vacation for a week and left a bunch of teenagers home alone: Laundry everywhere, Christmas presents still all over the place, food going bad in the fridge, etc, etc. I spent my first day out of bed cleaning. Oh and during the cleaning I decided to take the sheets and duvet off our bed to rid them of the germs. We have a TV in our bedroom and I apparently bundled the remote up with the duvet cover when I washed it. Yeah, I washed the remote control.

Cheers to a better 2013!!!

Every once in a while I still say a little prayer for you. My mom died way too soon seven years ago. You never get over it, but you do get more used to it.

I had to comment because I accidentally spot-cleaned my wood floor with the Method granite cleaner instead of the Bona wood floor cleaner. Overtired minds think alike?

Breezy, so glad that permanent harm was not done to your marble from the floor cleaner. Yes tired minds do not always register things as they should. Hoping that everyone in your family is now recovered.

Our Christmas was different than planned as well. On December 18th I was told I needed to have a stint put into my heart and it was tentatively scheduled for Friday, December 21st. I asked the surgeon if we could postpone until after Christmas and he said we could, but he would prefer not to. Talked it over with DH and decided to go ahead. All went well and on Monday, Christmas Eve we were still able to travel to the kids for Christmas. Grandma just had to take it a little easier than usual.

Hi Breezy:
So sorry that your holiday season ended with a bang (and not a good kind). Hoping that 2013 will have much more happy times.

I was wondering, since we are on the topic of counters....how has your gorgeous walnut island been holding up? It's so pretty and you've had it in for the whole year now. So, I am curious whether the wood has remained a great idea.

Awww, sorry about all of your challenges over the holiday season, and throughout the year. I think the mishaps are the powers that be telling you that you need to take a much needed breather. Hopefully by now good health has returned to your family and you have no more hosting duties.

I think a long candlelit bubble bath with a nice trashy book and glass of wine may be just what the doctor ordered.

Breezy,
So sorry to hear your family was sick during the holidays. Wrapping presents in between holding a vomiting child and then cleaning up the mess is not how Christmas is supposed to go. Usually DH is sick with a cold at Christmas, but this year it was DS3 who brought the cold. He worked 3 double shifts in a row last weekend while going through the worst of it, but is feeling better now.

As far as your error in cleaning products, we all have brain farts (as my kids have always called them) every once in a while. Thank heavens it didn't harm your marble.

We had a somewhat rough year and December didn't let up. A week into the month, DS2's wife decided she wanted a divorce and a week after that, DS2 was diagnosed with cancer and had to have surgery. I rushed down to stay with him and be with him for the surgery and recovery. Luckily, it's a type of cancer with a high rate of recovery. He had a CAT scan, but the doctor didn't see fit to give us the results before Christmas, so I worried and worried some more. Finally, last Wednesday we got the results--no lymph node involvement. Thank you, God! So, we ended the year on a positive note. I went to bed last night saying 2013 will be a better year. Then I got up this morning and one of our shepherds was walking in front of me when she suddenly sat down, scooted her bottom across the carpet, and left a skid mark! Oh yeah, 2013 is definitely getting off to a great start . . . (insert grumbling under breath here).

Hi breezy, I am lurker who just wanted to send good wishes. My mother died 6.5 years ago and holidays are the hardest, even when everyone is healthy. Kids, and kitchen, are great distractions. Best for 2013.

Sorry you had such a rough go of it over Christmas. You are right though that kids' excited faces are just the best thing ever.

I thought you were going to say the floor cleaner camouflaged the marble etching!! Glad it didn't hurt the counters anyway. :)

Best wishes for a happy and peace filled 2013.

Hi Breezy,
I was thinking about you on Christmas, I was missing my parents and I thought of you and your first Christmas without your Dad. I think all the things that were going on at your house were certainly keeping your mind busy and hopefully keeping you distracted.

Here's hoping for better times in 2013.

Best, Bee

Just saw this today, Breezy. Every day is permanently odd after the death of parents, siblings, God forbid young ones, but holidays esp Christmas seem moreso. My folks and eldest Brother have been gone 8 years now and still....

I keep thinking about the parents of those children at that elementary school and how awful their Christmases must have been and will be for a long time to come.

Sounds like you got through it in one piece though and really, what else can one do?
Best wishes for a bright start to the New Year for us all!

I don't remember doing anything particularly doofy this Christmas but if it makes you feel better, I have been known (back in the day of spray deodorant and hairspray in metal cans) to spray my hair with deodorant and vice versa. More than a couple times, actually.

((hugs to you))

Hugs Breezy! Jan will hopefully be better. Hope you get some R&R as the kids start heading back to school.

Oh Breezy, what a dreadful start to your Christmas. I'm so glad it snowed. There is nothing in the world like watching the ones you love most, being so happy. Lucky you, with the new ipad :)

flowers_n_co, whenever anyone uses the term 'shepherds' in the plural, my hat goes off to them (him?). Love mine (in the singular), but oh, the attention that big baby needs! (And I'm the only one in the family who seems to understand him). Glad your DS2 has a clean diagnosis, what a rough time he must be having.

mary_lu, it sounds like you were very lucky too.

hijack over now:)

May 2013 be nice and boring for all of us.

Hoboken--Conditioner in the face doesn't sound very good. I agree that '12 seemed like a rough year for many. I cannot even begin to imagine what the parents of the Sandy Hook children are feeling. I have no right to complain in comparison.

A2--Glad you're avoiding the sickness. Stay well! P.S. I answered your question about breaking my long-standing membership in the ABB club on my sorta reveal thread.

1929Spanish--I'm West Coast also and only just last year with the kids discovered celebrating the ball drop on East Coast time. Where have I been? I love staying up until midnight my own time to celebrate too, but DH has been asleep 18 of our 20 years so I have to celebrate on my own. Cin-cin!

Chris--Glad you're feeling better! I've washed the remote before, too! Wow! I didn't think anyone had pulled that one off but me.

Mpagmom--Your kindness touches me. Don't think me strange, but I think sometimes I feel your prayers. Once in a while I get that sense.... My prayers back to you also as you continue to miss your mother.

Mary_Lu--Another reason I have no room to feel badly about my holidays. A stint?! I'm glad you went with your doctor's recommendation and that you're healing well. I'm sure the grands were very happy to have grandma around regardless. Hope your healing is still going well!

Firsthouse--I know you saw my answers on my sorta reveal thread with all the pics.

Kellienoelle--I would have loved a bath, but the kids' tub is small and not very comfortable and my giant soaking tub in the new master bath still isn't hooked to water. I settled for a long, hot shower and a couple of Tangerine Spice Margaritas! Needless to say, I felt better. :)

Flwrs--You had a rough December also! Having a child diagnosed with cancer has to be extremely frightening. Those types of horrible events are not supposed to happen. Does your DS2 need any other treatment for his cancer after the surgery and positive CAT scan results? I'm sending a prayer your way! And you had me rolling with laughter over the dog incident!

Smaloney--I appreciate the good wishes. I'm hoping in 6.5 years the holidays aren't as hard.

Taggie--LOL on the floor cleaner camouflaging the etches! The etches don't really bother me. It is what it is, as my DH is so fond of saying.

Bee--I know you know how I felt. Your continued kind wishes touch me. :)

Deedles--Being without both parents for the holidays, or any day really, must feel lonely, I imagine. As much as I have issues with my Mom's issues, at least she's still here with me. And yes, the parent of the Sandy Hook kids are the ones that are truly having the worst holidays. Like I said above, I can't even begin to image the heart break they must feel. My holidays were definitely better than that.

Lalitha--DD started preschool this week so I really can get a little r&r on occasion now!

Oldbat--I'm lucky to have the new (used) ipad, but even luckier to have such beautiful, smart, healthy, loving, special kids.