Happy New Year!

I think 2013 was perhaps trying to kill me there at the end but I stood firm and made it in to 2014 still standing.

December was filled with more Nutcracker rehearsals than we have ever seen. But that's what happens when your oldest is cast as CLARA!

 Such a thrill! Such an honor! A Nutcracker we will never forget.  Her sisters danced wonderfully in their roles as well. They had so much fun being sisters to "one of the Clara's".  And Andrew? Well he just loved all the pretty girls dancing in their beautiful costumes with the bright lights and colorful scenery.

Our studio gives four Nutcracker shows each year and in order to increase the chance of performing as Clara the director casts 4 girls in the role, one for each show.  The director and Studio owner is wonderful that way.  She is a tough teacher at times but she always has the girls and their dancing in her heart.  Another great thing she does is to spread the title role of Sugar Plum Fairy among graduating seniors. And this year, there were more than 4 graduating seniors who chose to participate in the Nutcracker so I think she upped the choreography of some of the other roles so that each girl had a special senior memory from her final Nutcracker.

With the way Christmas fell on the calendar this year, Christmas Break from school was later than usual which meant our Nutcracker performances were later than usual and we didn't finish up until December 23.  Then came the hustle and bustle of last minute wrapping and stashing of gifts and meal prepartions and next thing I knew it was Christmas Day.

Andrew was not quite himself but I attributed it to our crazy schedule but then, the day after Christmas it was more than that - Little Mr. was sick.  Fever, runny nose, cough that woke him up in tears ....

And then Amy went down with it on the 27th

Next it hit me - it was bad - I felt like death warmed over and yet I still had to be up and caring for the others.  David was home but he was working so he could only help out in spurts until he was off New Year's Eve and today.  Poor Andrew, his 2nd birthday was December 30 and it was all I could do to get him pizza and a cookie cake from Walmart ..... Of course he loved it but still, I felt bad.

As I type, David is showing signs of going down soon. I expect him to be curled up in bed by tomorrow unless the medicine and vitamins I am pumping into him take hold and kick this thing.

So far Audrey and Allison seem to be escaping.  Audrey has a little of the congestion and cough and Allison has none of it.

Which is what makes me think it is the flu.  Allison is the only one in the house who got a flu shot this year and she is the only one who is still symptom free. And Audrey?  She has always had the immune system of steel that one.  She rarely gets sick and when she does she kicks it pretty quick.  I have no idea how.  She eats like a bird and rarely does a fruit or vegetable cross her lips .....

Funny thing is I kept everyone on a steady regimen of vitamins pre-Nutcracker so they could make it through the rehearsals and the final week of school - which was of course filled with tests and projects because why wouldn't it be????

But as soon as Nutcracker was over, I backed off the vitamin pushing and then WHAM - we all went down one by one like dominoes.  Next year, I will be wiser and keep the vitamins going through the holidays.

So my New Year's Eve was pretty lame and while I am feeling better on New Year's Day, not everyone is so today has been somewhat of a dud as well. And of course - me being me, now that I am feeling better, I have been cleaning and sorting all day.  But hey, it makes me feel better.  And really - with Andrew going down for the count on Christmas Day and me going down soon after - the house was in dire need of picking up.  Seriously, it is January 1 and I STILL have Christmas gifts sitting around in their boxes by the tree ........