Pass the bucket....
1/07/2011 12:14:00 AM Edit This 5 Comments »Well it's been a very interesting holiday season for all of us in Houston. We've been playing our new favorite game (NOT!) Pass the Bucket. It started with my sister Lynn who was so ill she could drive in from LA to Houston on Monday since she couldn't leave her bathroom. But by Tue she was feeling well enough to make the 6 hour trip. They got to Angie's just in time for Lynn to snuggle with the twins and Lynn's daughter Brooke to grab the bucket and run...
Poor Brooke didn't enjoy her first night of vacation but by Thurs morning she was feeling more like herself.
So I made up a fun treasure hunt for the kids and their reward was a road trip for an ice cream treat. And somehow Cody thought it was his turn to drive.....NOT for at least 4 more years buddy! But you look great behind the wheel.
And here are my hunters enjoying their much deserved treasures. Lexie certainly was...
until Brooke clearly passed the bucket to her. Poor baby. One minute she was dancing around with Blake and the next minute her cute new outfit wasn't so cute any more. Mom was having all of us over to her house for dinner and to celebrate Brooke's upcoming 11 birthday (how can you be a tween Brooke?) and Lexie didn't want to be left out. 
So I took her in her jammies and she had her bowl near by. She didn't even get any of the cookie cake and ice cream.
How pathetic is this? That's Angie making Lexie cleanse her hands (for about the 5th time that hour.)
Our Lovely Birthday Girl - Brooke Rae!
Soon after this Lexie was back with her bowl. I think she throw up at least a half a dozen times just at mom's that night. But I did manage to get this shot. One of my favorites of Angie and little tiny 4 month old Maddox.
And here's the little guy on his own. 18.5 lbs of all man!
Anyways, I got Lexie back to Angie's soon after all the fun and she refused to take her party hat off even as we snuggled on the coach (with a towel underneath to catch...well whatever needed to catching.)
Luckily by the next day, which was Christmas Eve, Lexie was feeling more like herself. So everyone was getting dressed in their Christmas finest to go to early mass. Lexie & Maddie where looking quit lovely in their red Christmas dresses.
And Santa's little man was ready to go.
But we had to chase down Blakie still playing outside so it was decided that mom would take the tree older kids to church first and Angie, Lynn and I would follow with Lexie, Blakie (after he got dressed) and the twins.
Mackenzie was looking very pretty in her new dress.
Who would think this sweet freckled face would be puking her guts up just 20 minutes later?
That's right. Lexie passed the bucket to Mackenzie just in time for Christmas Eve. Mom calls 10 minutes after they leave to say they are pulled over on the side of the road with Z throwing up in someones yard and Cody feeling like he's going to any minute.
So back Mom came with the Not so Wells. Only Mom, Brooke, Lexie & I made it to mass that night since we couldn't leave Angie home alone with her two sick older kids, Blake and the twins. And to make the day more fun we got a call from Jim who sadly was missing Christmas since he had to fly to LA at 5:30 that morning and would be flying on to Vegas or somewhere on Christmas day. On the flight out he was not well and the other pilot was NOT happy with Jim. Like he could call in sick on Christmas Eve and have anyone believe him. Well no one questioned him after that flight!
So much fun so little time!
Here's Mackenzie just hours after that smiling photo was taken. This is just before Santa left presents at the front door for everyone. She even had to carry her bowl with her to get her gift. Have you seen a sadder face?
Lexie was thrilled that Santa got her just what she asked for....a new tutu - pink of course.
She told me she was sure that Santa sewed it himself but that Mrs Clause sewed the flowers on.
Of course she had to try it on right away.
And she wanted to see if from every angle. She was just thrilled with it! So sweet.
Santa did right by Cody & Brooke too. They couldn't stop playing the games they got. And Blake got a train that he liked but I couldn't seem to get his picture.
Unfortunately Z never did get to enjoy her game Christmas Eve.
But just before everyone was heading to bed Z rallied enough to help put out the cookies and milk for Santa. Blake had already gone to bed so we included his picture. As you can see they decided Santa needed a variety of things and Brooke wrote a note to him inviting him to use the facilities if he needed. So thoughtful!
All us Moms went to bed with the hope that everyone would be feeling well on Christmas morning. But since Angie now has 5 kids her odds weren't so good. Here was what I came down to on Christmas morning.
Yup, Blake was the next victim of Pass the Bucket syndrome. It was so sad to see this little 3 year old so listless on Christmas morning. Even worse was when he was filling the "bucket."
But Mackenzie was feeling better. We had long since discovered that this little visitor was really nasty but only for about 24 hours.
We tried to get some group shots of the kids before they dug into the presents. As you can see Blake just wasn't feeling it.
This was as good as I could get but clearly the twins were done.
But Mom really wanted a picture with them so...
things quickly feel apart and we just moved onto the fun stuff - opening presents! Poor Blake had lots of moments like this....
but he always managed to have the strength to open his next present. Of course the famous blue bowl (aka the bucket) was never very far away.
Luckily at 3 he won't remember this as the worst Christmas ever but the adults in his life will. On Sunday Cody had to leave church early but by Tue Mom, Angie & I were thinking we'd weathered the storm. That's what we get for thinking. On Tue night Angie was ill a dozen times that night and baby Maddie was even throwing up. Baby brother Maddox sleep through everything (except feedings of course) and I too took to the bathroom for the night and the next morning. This was when we were supposed to leave for home...NOT!! By Thursday when I was feeling well enough to think about flying home all the flights were over booked because of the storm back east. So we didn't get to leave for 5 more days. Which was nice since we got to be there when Mom finally came down with it! It was truly a family game of pass the bucket! I wonder if I should contact Hasbro about buying the rights to this fun family game? Clearly anyone can play. Only Maddox didn't choose to play with us.
So how was your Christmas?
