Happy last Sunday of 2025. ✨
If you’re wrapping up Christmas feeling a little tender, a little disappointed, or a lot not-where-you-thought-you’d-be, you’re not alone.
We were supposed to be at my in-laws right now, settling into family time and leftovers. Instead, we’re home—earlier than planned—because parenting sometimes means listening closely and pivoting fast.
My daughter first mentioned a sore throat late Christmas night. Earlier in the day, we had celebrated by opening presents at home, then heading to a friend’s house for football and BBQ. She was doing okay for that. We came home and watched Stranger Things and during that, she started to get congested. Once it was over, she complained of her throat hurting. I thought it might be drainage, so I wasn’t too worried.
By the time we left for my in-laws the next day, she seemed tired and congested, but she rallied. We even squeezed in a quick Christmas lunch with my sister and brother-in-law an hour and a half into the trip, before getting back in the car for another four hours. Somewhere along that drive, though, her energy faded, and by the time we arrived, she looked pale and just… not herself.
Because my father-in-law had been in the ER on Christmas Eve with a UTI and is scheduled for prostate cancer surgery on January 9, we were extra cautious. We masked her up immediately. When her temperature came in just slightly elevated (99.6), my husband—who was out picking up pizza—got a text from me that basically said, We need a Plan B. That plan turned into a hotel room, so we could limit any exposure, but still stay close.
She fell asleep quickly that night and didn’t cough much, though the congestion stuck around. The next morning, we returned to my in-laws and made the best of our third Christmas celebration.
But when my daughter—very uncharacteristically—fell asleep mid-day, I knew this wasn’t just travel fatigue. Later on, we went to an early dinner with my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and their daughter, then headed back to the hotel, where she was asleep by 8 p.m.
This morning, we called it. After dropping off donuts and loading the car with Christmas presents, we headed home.
I won’t say I’m not a little sad. Plans matter, traditions matter, and sometimes it is difficult to pivot. But I’m also grateful—to be sleeping in my own bed tonight, to have a full week at home, and to not be working. Mostly, I’m hoping my in-laws stay healthy and that my daughter turns the corner soon.
She’s still dragging today—some of that illness, some of that too many hours on her phone (which, honestly, tends to exhaust her). The good news? Tomorrow we wake up at home. Even if she’s sick, she’ll have routines, options, and things she can do. Travel is hard enough; travel while sick really sucks.
My hope is she kicks this in the next day or so as we are also supposed to be hosting New Year’s Eve for a bunch of people. I’m hoping we can make it happen, but if we can’t, we’ll adjust. Because in all honesty, that is just what you have to do.
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