Show Me The Joy in Seven, Six, Five!

The Seventh Day Of Christmas

I have a confession to make.

I did not find Joy on day Seven.

I have no idea why, but I woke up and felt a strong inclination towards the frumpiloos.

If you've never had the frumpiloos, they are a third cousin to the grumpiloos. 

So the best way I can describe it, is that you're working the grumpy's along with feeling frumpy.

I couldn't shake them.

You see... Eldest is healing as best she can from her tonsillectomy and adenoid removal.

It has not been fun.

The pain killers and antibiotics were wreaking havoc with her stomach and she was up sick to her stomach all of night seven.

I did not find any Joy.

Plus we were waking her every two hours to make sure she was drinking so that her throat didn't get too dry.

So perhaps the frumpiloos had something to do with lack of sleep along with the worry.

Regardless of the reason, it felt like a huge case of PMCS.

Pre Merry Christmas Syndrome.

PMCS is most prevalent when the picture you have in your head, of the Christmas you imagine experiencing with your family,

is not similar in any way to the reality of the Christmas you are, in fact, experiencing.

Fortunately for me, my two youngest daughters seemed oblivious to my syndrome and continued on their Merry Christmas way.

It is a tradition at Bungalow'56 to make Gingerbread houses.

The girls didn't care that the living room was a catastrophe and that the Christmas table cloth was missing.

They were focusing on the task at hand.

I want to give them credit where credit is due.

They found the Joy for me on the Eighth Day of Christmas.

***********

The Sixth Day of Christmas

Now as quickly as the frumpiloos appeared on Day Eight, they just as quickly disappeared on Day Six.

I felt much better once we took her off the codeine and Eldest had a much better night, and while the day was a roller coaster of feeling better and then terrible pain.

We know the end is in sight.

As I child I was absolutely smitten with the images of Norman Rockwell.

On the Sixth day of Christmas I was feeling as though my Normal Rockwell fantasy was falling through my fingers.

It wasn't until I let the image of the perfect Christmas disintegrate that I was once again available to be open to the Christmas Joy that was all around me.

The day was spent keeping Eldest as comfortable as possible.  

The Joy I found was in the efforts of everyone in our family in trying to help her too.

We also spent some family time watching the movie Flipped.

All of our girls have read the book and so thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful coming of age movie directed by Rob Reiner.

If you have tween girls this book is a must read. 

To be fair, myself and The Agronomist enjoyed the book, just as much.

The movie comes in as a close second.

As I left several times throughout the evening in search of a pain killer Eldest could swallow. 

I was filled with Joy at the beautiful lights The Agronomist so kindly put up for us outside.

It makes our home look so toasty and warm throughout the long dark winter evening.

I was also filled with Joy as I drove over the cleared drive way he shovelled for us.  

(even though he was feeling under the weather)

This was one of the reasons I married him.

I knew he was a man I would be able to count on.

And you know what?  I was right.

He is a big part of the Joy I found on the Seventh Day of Christmas.

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The Fifth Day of Christmas

My Joy today will be in reading about yours.  I look forward to filling up my Christmas Cup of Joy with each and every one of your stories, photos and insights.

Please visit as many of the friends who have taken the time to link up with Bungalow'56 today.

I will see if I can keep this linky added to the next five Days of Finding Christmas Joy.  

Add as many times as you want.  

The more Joy The better!

I hope it will help us get through the next day or two.

Keep Eldest in your thoughts and prayers.

And I'm not just asking that in faith.

Scientific studies have shown those who are prayed for heal faster.

A double blind study in fact.

xoxo

Link up with Bungalow'56 and share your Christmas Joy Inspiration!