Christmas at the Fulkerson's

We left Normal (yes, Rob's parents live in a town called Normal and yes it is hilarious to drive around and see the Normal Public Library, Normal Waterworks, etc.) in semi-blizzard conditions. We knew we only had 35 miles to drive and we could make it just fine, but it didn't look like it would be much fun. About 10 miles out of town, the weather cleared and was perfect, so the rest of the drive was fine. The kids conked out for the whole trip, so they got in a small nap that afternoon. We arrived to kisses and hugs from my parents and the kids played with all of the fun "new" cars and things my mom had found in the basement. My brothers had left their Micro Machines, Matchbox/Hot Wheels cars, and other various toys, so Mom brought them up.

We went to the Pontiac Buffet that evening and that was probably a bit of a mistake. Or, at least, Rob trying a seafood donut was a mistake. He overate at the place and paid for it in the middle of the night. Both of my parents and myself made treks downstairs to check on him. He slept on the couch in between bathroom runs and I got to hog the bed. The boys woke up that morning around 6am and Rob took over Matthew's bed. I slept in until 8am, which was a nice treat! The boys were pretty good for Mom and Dad (at least, I think so....I didn't hear any complaining.) Mom made breakfast for those of us that were well and we enjoyed ourselves. The boys got to watch Spongebob, one of their favorites, but they were playing with lots of toys as well.

Rob made his appearance at 9:30 and was doing a little better, but still not good. He needed to get out (okay, my hubby gets bored easily and usually my parents have a fix-it job for him, but not this time. If they don't have something for him to do, he helps with dishes and household chores. Isn't he the best??) so, he and I had a little date and went to Wal-Mart and out for lunch while Mom fed the kids and put them down for naps. We tried the McCoy bistro next door to my parents and it was very good. Rob was able to eat by then and did just fine.

It took a bit to get Matthew to nap, but he did sleep for two hours that afternoon, as did Ben. They needed naps pretty badly and it was nice to have a day of doing nothing so they could recoop. Unfortunately, all that extra energy got poured into being extra naughty and they were kind of crazy that night. Grandma did give them baths and Grandpa let them watch Frosty the Snowman, so that helped a little.

I got pretty tired at supper and almost fell asleep eating, so I was banished to the couch right afterwards. I don't sleep well to begin with and I don't sleep well in other beds, so that combo did not help me rest much over the break.

The next day held our last major Christmas event. All of my sibs, their families, and my grandma were coming over. That's eleven adults and five children, three of the women being pregnant. IT WAS FUN!!! Dad picked up Grandma and she arrived around 9. She had a reindeer head attatched to her walker that plays "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer." Explains alot about how I got my sense of humor, doesn't it? Dad and I had a bet going on who the next arrivals would be and I won. My sister Mandy and her husband Chris came in with lots of gifts, goodies, and my new niece/nephew (she's due in July.) Next came Joel and his wife Cara, who is also expecting a baby in July. Mandy and Joel are twins, so it's neat that they will become parents at the same time. Last to arrive was Adam and his wife Melanie, with Kara (4), Kate (2) and Callie (6 mos.), all of them sweethearts. The little girls, that is.

After multiple greetings and much talking and laughter, we settled down to eat our ham dinner, complete with sweet potatoe casserole, hash brown casserole, rolls, a most delicious jello salad made by yours truly, and other various sundries. Mom and Dad declared that they were eating with the grandkids so that the rest of us could visit in the living room. It was funny because Grandma ate with us, so I guess she was keeping us in line. Once again, I would have gone back for more food, but I eat too slowly, so by the time I was ready again, everyone else was done.

We opened up gifts afterwards in our traditional Fulkerson way. Dad sits near the tree and takes a gift, reads the to and from, hands it out, and the person opens it. I like this method b/c you get to see what everyone got and it takes longer. Kara and Matthew helped pass out presents, although Kara did more of the work for sure. The boys got some more nice stuff, with favorites being the bowling set (good job, Uncle Joel) and Cranium Hullabaloo (very fun, Aunt Melanie!) At least, those are the things they were playing with today. :) Rob and I are set with lots of restaurant gift certificates and I received a book that will become a fast favorite. It's called "Taking care of the Me in Mommy" by Lisa Whelchel. Good stuff! Oh, and Rob finally got his white socks that he asked for on every list this year. :)

After presents, we had a good time relaxing and chatting with family. Rob started packing up around 3pm, only because he has a hard time staying in large family settings. It's just an introvert thing, seeing as he loves my family and enjoys spending time with them. He just has to step out for a few minutes to breathe. Matthew and Ben did pretty well playing with their cousins until it was time to leave. By that point, they were both in full meltdown mode. We left around 4:30 and they were both out within the first 12 miles. They slept until we reached Rochelle, where we ate supper at a nasty restuarant (only thing open) and then headed on home. Ben fell asleep again about 40 minutes outside of Watertown and never woke up. Rob put him in his crib and he poked an eye open, then relaxed when he saw his own pillow. :) It was good to be home.

So, we had a very nice time visiting with family and would like to see everyone again soon, but I'll be at that "no traveling" stage within a few weeks. I guess you'll all have to come and see us!