So here the thing I didn’t know about life… it’s exhausting! lol I used to move through life, excited by the challenges, invigorated by the pace and energized by what others call the “daily grind”. I didn’t complain about being too busy, I thrived on it.
Now, I live for the quiet moments, the long pauses and the still spaces in between. I crave peacefulness and calmness. I can only plan for 1 activity a day before I get overwhelmed and I( have to take multiple breaks during that 1 activity.
Christmas time is FILLED with activities. More than 1 a day. Exhausting fun filled holiday activities that fill up a short window of time. On top of multiple activities is the added weight of the pressure that is placed on our shoulders to give our children the MOST magical memories of this special time that only comes once a year. So much pressure! Funny enough, I never looked at it as pressure before. I looked at it as the festive bustle that actually got me into the mood. Being happily seasonally busy WAS the freaking spirit of Christmas!
Now it feels like a big plate of Holiday Guilt.
Life with MS is hard. Life with MS during the holidays is nearly impossible. Everything is so overstimulating! You have no idea how exhausting it is to plan an execute the daily needs of my family’s life let alone when those daily needs include festive fun!
Example… Eating a big family dinner! Everybody thinks I don’t eat lol it’s true, when I’m around people, it is very difficult to eat. Why? The din of activity around me, how much effort it literally takes to cut my food and feed myself, while listening to the conversation happening around me, while dressed in clothes with seams that make my brain want to explode, while sitting in a bra that restricts my breathing and distracts me from being able to think, let alone eat. Also, did I mention how exhausting it is to feed myself? Exhausting! It takes so much effort to eat and digest a full plate of food! I never thought of that before!
This year on top of MS… I have Covid. This is my first time contracting Covid and I have to say, I’m not a big fan. Lol I have done everything in my power to protect myself from Covid over the last four years. My neurologist told me early on that due to the fact that my infusion eviscerates my immune system, Covid for me could be deadly and almost assured me that if I got Covid, I would end up in the hospital and that the majority of people on the same medicine as me ended up on ventilators during their bouts with Covid.… ummm, that’s scary!
SB got into a fight with one of her girlfriends at school this week, you see SBean tested for positive for Covid two weeks ago. Her girlfriend laughed at her and called her a wuss for missing school with Covid. She explained to SBean that Covid is just a cold now and not to be a baby, but to suck it up! SBean did not take kindly to this way of thinking. SBean knows that there are people out there, like me, that have no immune systems and for them, for me, Covid is not a common cold. Covid is a deadly respiratory disease that could take me out! I’m not sure when our world became so self interested that we stopped thinking of others!
My Dad tested positive, and then my BIL tested positive, then me and then finally my Sis. Every one of us that enjoyed a wine tasting together last week, except for Ninja! Ninja just keeps going, lol! Which I’m very happy about because honestly, I don’t know where we would be without him?!
As soon as I tested positive, we called my family doctor. He discussed it with the hospital emerge doctor, and everybody agreed that we had to nip my Covid in the butt! Within hours of my positive test, I had my first dose of Paxlovid. Which is an antiviral pill regime that helps immuno compromised people fight Covid. It has it’s upsides and it’s downsides, upside… I did not end up in the hospital and I did not die from Covid! Yay, I love that for me, lol downside, it’s a very expensive drug, it makes my mouth taste like something died in it, and it feels like there is ice cold water running through my veins, which makes my skin cold and itchy, making it very difficult to sleep. However, my symptoms improved immensely and very quickly! I am very grateful that there was an option like Paxlovid it out there for me and other immuno compromised people!
I’ve had a lot of alone time lately to think. Seems like the theme of 2024. We had to cancel our family sleigh ride up at Big White and our big family dinner. I missed SBean’s piano recital. I missed SBean’s choir performance, and lunch with Santa. I missed hiking through the snowy woods and cutting down our Christmas tree. Heck I missed the snow! I missed gingerbread house decorating, the last day of school, and even the ability to sit with my husband and wrap. I missed the last weekend of, last-minute shopping in which I have a lot of! And everything that I had to miss out on… Ninja had to do, on his own. Without his partner. That’s no fun! We genuinely enjoy spending the holidays together and having to do it 6 feet apart while wearing masks, while he is ridiculously worried about me, wasn’t fun.
However, silver linings… My MS did not flare! Covid is bad enough, but I am so thankful that none of my symptoms flared during my bout of Covid, so I only had to deal with Covid symptoms!
There was a medicine option that allowed me to get better quicker and kept me from getting really sick. This preventative measure gave me a Ninja so much relief! The worry of what Covid was going to do to me cost us a lot of stress. Paxlovid alleviated that. I am extremely grateful.
And, it’s over. And now we can just enjoy the holidays. Wishing you and yours, all the best from me and mine. Merry Christmas!
Although we enjoy a cocktail with our podcast, alcohol, and my MS haven’t mixed very well this year. Ninja has found fun festive alternatives for me and the kids to enjoy this holiday season. All these mock tails tasted delicious and we’re a fantastic alternative to classic cocktails!
We made Sugar Cookie Mocktails for the Kids and our Nieces last week and they were a BUG hit! They really did taste lke delicious and sweet, sugar cookies!
We made Christmas Punch for another family get together and everyone enjoyesd having this festive treat out for all to have. The Kids always feel very fancy when a punchbowl is out and they can serve themselves a little treat.
One evening while wraping ifts, Ninja made us these festive littl Cinnamon-Spiced Orange & Thyme Mocktails and I found my new favourite drink! This is so refreshing and tastes so good! You definitely won’t miss the alcohol and will think you are drinking a real cocktail!
Nninja made the Kids Grinch Mojito Mocktails for our annual raclette night dinner. The Kids love making their own dinners over the raclette grill while sipping on these minty slushies.
This is an easy and elegant mocktail, the Vanilla Cranberry Sparkler is a perfectly delcious drink to bring in the New Year and to cheers at midnight!
Another fantatsic alternative to an alcoholic beverage is this Gingerbread White Russian Mocktail. It will feel like you are indulging but really you can enjoy as many of these delicious drinks as you want, without the hangover the next day! Winning!
Ingredients
4 cups Almond milk
2 teaspoons sugar
4 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can condensed milk
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Crushed ice
Whipped cream
Festive sprinkles
Directions
In a pitcher, whisk together all the mocktail ingredients until combined and smooth.
Add crushed ice (filling the glass halfway), followed by drink mixture (filling it close to the top), and topping with whipped cream and holiday sprinkles.
Ingredients
1 bottle sparkling apple juice
1 liter cranberry ginger ale
6 ounces pineapple juice
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 orange, sliced
3-4 cups ice
Directions
Combine the sparkling apple juice, cranberry ginger ale, pineapple juice, cranberries and orange slices in a punch bowl.
Serve the punch in glasses filled with ice.
Ingredients
½ cup water
¼ cup maple syrup
4 sprigs fresh thyme
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons ginger, freshly grated
½ lemon, juiced
2 cups ice cubes, plus more for shaking
2 cups orange juice
2 cups ginger ale
Garnish: cinnamon stick & sprig fresh thyme
Directions
Add the water, maple syrup, thyme sprigs, and cinnamon to a small pan. Bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and let it steep for about 3 minutes. Then let it cool to room temperature.
Fill a shaker halfway with ice cubes and strain in the thyme syrup. Add the grated ginger and lemon juice and shake well for 10 seconds.
Divide the ice cubes between your cups, strain the contents from the shaker over top, and add the orange juice and ginger ale in equal parts.
Ingredients
2 oz brewed coffee
2 oz gingerbread syrup
2 oz milk
- Gingerbread Syrup
1¼ cup water
¼ cup honey
3 tablespoons molasses
1 inch fresh ginger root peeled and sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
1 star anise
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
In a small saucepan over high heat, add the water, honey, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and star anise. Bring to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside to cool. Once cooled, use a slotted spoon to remove the ginger pieces, cinnamon sticks and star anise.
Fill a glass with ice, add brewed coffee, gingerbread syrup, and heavy cream. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with star anise.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #409: Covid Christmas
Last week of school for 2024!!! This was a CRAZY week! I tested positive for Covid and spent the week in bed while the kids enjoyed the snow (while it lasted), the last week of curling, SBean’s piano recital, Lunch with Santa, gingerbread house decorating, Christmas shopping, driving up the mountain for tree cutting and snow fun, and decorating sugar cookies!
