A little more the the Guest who said they needed a "fix" today. LOL! Nice to know this story has become an addiction for some. Anyway...it's not much, but I have no plans today so maybe I can post a lot more later. Enjoy this snowy Christmas scene on the 4th of July! Have a great holiday :)
The living room was a mess and Olivia sat on the sofa staring at it all in disbelief. The perfect Christmas scene with the tree and the presents was destroyed in what felt like mere seconds, and now the older kids were upstairs changing into new jeans and sweaters and boots, eager to use their favorite Christmas gifts. Kathy and Paul had headed to the airport, with a tearful good-bye from Eli, so Elliot was trying to make him feel better by putting together his new race car track. Kate and Noah were content to toddle amongst the wrapping and bows that scattered the floor, and Olivia hadn't moved from her spot on the couch in what felt like hours.
She stood up, walking into the kitchen and finding a garbage bag in the pantry, and then returned to the living room to start cleaning up. She wasn't exactly a neat-freak, but clutter had always bothered her and this was ridiculous. There was no way to relax in this mess. So she bent over, grabbing handfuls of paper and shoving it down in the bag. "You don't have to clean up," Elliot said, looking up from the race track. "Liv, it's Christmas…just relax a little."
"I just want to pick up the mess," she explained. "So you and Eli will have more room to play with the race track.
"Well at least let me help you," he offered. "You shouldn't be doing too much anyway…" He started to stand up.
"Dad…" Eli whined. "You said we could finish this."
"I don't need help, El," she insisted. "Finish Eli's race track. Besides…Noah and Kate will help me," she smiled at the two little ones and they were eager to start picking things up and putting them in the trash bag, although Noah was picking up everything including presents and Kate missed the bag almost every time she tried to drop something into it.
The older kids came bounding down the stairs, rushing into the living room. "We're gonna go sledding," Elizabeth said quickly. "Who wants to go?"
"Me!" Eli jumped up from his spot on the floor. "I'm gonna go get dressed. Wait for me."
"I thought you wanted to play with this?" Elliot asked, pointing to the race track.
"I will later," Eli yelled as he ran up the stairs.
"I'm going to go dress Kate and put her snowsuit on her," Maureen grabbed her daughter's hand and looked at Olivia, "Do you want me to get Noah dressed too? I bet he'll love playing in the snow."
"It's awfully cold," Olivia said. "I think I'll just stay in with him."
"Oh come on, Olivia," Richard pleaded. "We won't keep him out long. Besides, it isn't Christmas without playing in the snow."
"I'm really not feeling very well right now," she tried to argue. "I think I'd better stay in and so Noah and I will just finish cleaning up in here."
"If you don't feel well, you should stay in and rest," Elizabeth insisted. "We can watch Noah."
"I don't know…" Olivia protested. "He's still so little…and it's so cold out…"
"I'll watch him," Maureen promised. "I'll make sure he's bundled up and I won't keep him or Kate out very long…and I won't let either one of them near the sleds. You know that. We'll make a snowman or something instead. It'll be okay."
"That's sweet Maureen," Olivia replied. "But it's your holiday. You're not on nanny-duty today. I couldn't ask you to do that."
"I'm not on nanny-duty," Maureen agreed with a smile. "I'm on big sister duty," she picked Noah up and carried him up the stairs while Kate walked beside her holding her hand.
Eli ran down the stairs, dressed in his new snow boots and hat and ran toward the door. Elliot grabbed him, making him zip his coat and put on his gloves, and then Richard and Elizabeth grabbed the sleds and followed Eli outside. Elliot walked over to where Olivia was picking up more trash and grabbed the bag from her, shoving down the wrapping paper to make room for more, "Funny how it can get so quiet so fast around here, huh?" he asked with a smile. She nodded, but didn't say anything. "Liv," he asked. "Are you sure you're okay? Are you not having a good Christmas? You seem so quiet…"
"I'm having a good Christmas," she gave a weak smile. "I'm just really tired. I didn't sleep well last night and I woke up too early." She put the last of the paper in the bag, noticing the room was still a mess with opened gifts scattered around and not having the energy to tackle that mess as well.
He pulled her close, rubbing her back and kissing her softly, "I'm sorry if this was too much for you," he whispered. "I know it probably wasn't the Christmas you expected…especially with Kathy here."
"Kathy was fine," Olivia insisted. "I just…I don't feel so great right now. Maybe the whole morning sickness thing isn't over after all." She felt bad for lying to him, but she couldn't think of a better excuse to get out of the conversation.
"Do you need to sit down?" he asked. "I can get you some tea…or I think there's gingerale in the fridge. You should have told me you were sick."
"I just want to lay down," she sighed. "Do you mind if I go back upstairs and sleep this off…just for a while?"
He held her close, "Of course not…do you want me to go with you?"
She shook her head, "No…just have fun with the kids…and don't let Noah stay out too long, okay?" He nodded and Maureen came downstairs with Noah and Kate bundled in their snowsuits. Olivia looked at her son and smiled, "Have fun sweetie," he hugged him and watched as he went out the door with Maureen. The she walked up to Elliot's room and closed the door, falling down on the bed and closing her eyes.
She could hear the kids in the backyard, yelling and laughing. They were obviously having fun. So she opened her eyes and stood up from the bed, walking to the window that looked down on to the backyard. Richard was pulling Eli on the sled while the little boy yelled happily and Maureen and Elizabeth were helping Noah and Kate build a snowman. Olivia laughed when she watched her son try to walk in the deep snow, falling over with every other step and giggling when he'd land in the soft snow. She had taken him out in the snow one other time, earlier in the month when there was much less snow on the ground and he'd been mesmerized by it…touching it and patting it with his little hands, trying to put it in his mouth and squealing when it would touch his skin. It was another first, something she'd never forget, but it wasn't like there was room to actually play in the snow in the city. He'd only been outside for a few minutes on the way to the grocery store and she hadn't bothered to try to find a place where he could actually play in the snow. She'd been worried it would be too cold and he'd get sick, but watching now, she wondered if she was too overprotective. He was having so much fun and all she could do was smile and wish she was the one playing with him and making him so happy, but she couldn't face going out there now. She wasn't sure why she was having such a hard time adjusting to this big happy family, but she was and being with them was only going to make them notice her solemn mood. She didn't want to do that to them. They deserved to be happy even if she wasn't.
She walked back to the bed, laying across it and pulling the covers up over her. It was still cold in the room and the warmth of the big blankets made her feel more cozy and comfortable than she had all day. She sighed, realizing it was the first time all day that she had actually been all alone, then she rolled over on her stomach, forgetting that her usual sleep position wasn't comfortable anymore and remembered that she wasn't truly alone. She rolled on her back, her hands on the swell of her stomach and sighed, "It's just you and me for a while kiddo," she gave in to an exhausted yawn. She remembered Lizzie asking the night before if she could feel the baby kick, and for a brief second she thought that if the baby would finally move, she'd be so happy she could get out of her funk. She waited, willing it to happen, but it didn't. So she rolled over on her side and went to sleep.