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Dressed up in their holiday best

The girls are now in bed, and Christmas is, for the most part, done for this year. While I have always loved getting together with family for the holidays, I realized this year that Cordy might have some problems with the change in schedule, the different foods, and the large number of people around her. Any of these could lead to a very bad day for her, so all three combined had me worried.

Christmas Eve always involves visiting my father's family. This party is for all of the extended family, so there were roughly 40 adults present and over 20 kids. This is a big party, where Santa arrives about an hour into the party, bringing gifts for all of the kids, followed by a big meal and adult gift exchange later in the evening. When we arrived, Cordy clung to me as expected, screaming whenever anyone would talk directly to her. I was able to intercept most of the family before they got too close, asking them to give her time to warm up before saying hello. After ten minutes, and a little time looking at the 12 foot Christmas tree, she acclimated to the party and began to explore the house.

The time for Santa was drawing near, and I was concerned she would be afraid of him. However, all of my fears had no chance to come true, because Cordy fell asleep on a couch at 7:30pm. She has trouble staying awake past 7:00pm - I thought the excitement might keep her awake, but she drifted away quickly, cookie still hanging from her mouth. I moved her to the host's bedroom, and she spent the remainder of the night asleep. It was disappointing that Cordy missed all of the fun, but I'll admit I was secretly glad I didn't have to face any serious meltdowns or long explanations to second cousins as to why she acts so strange sometimes.

This morning Cordy came downstairs at her usual time (6:00am) to find heaps of presents under the tree. She jumped up and down with excitement, wanting to open all of the shiny boxes in front of her. We let her open a few, saving the remainder for later when my mother's family would arrive. She was thrilled that Santa brought her everything she had asked for: a magic wand, a ballerina skirt, and a train. The early morning was spent playing with her train and running around the living room in her skirt, waving her magic wand happily.

As people began to arrive, though, Cordy became more frantic. She screeched, made funny noises, and occasionally threw herself into people. We opened gifts, and while she opened the first few, the pressure of having so many people talking to her and watching her caused her to abandon the other presents and wander into the kitchen for awhile. I had to open her other presents for her. Her behavior wasn't disruptive, though, and everyone understood that she occasionally needed to get away from all of the noise, the lights and the people.

At lunch, I realized that there might be more going on than just her normal behaviors. She had no appetite at all, choosing to eat part of a roll for lunch and then wander the living room in a daze. She was tired and pale. By mid-afternoon, I realized she was sick. While sitting on my lap in the recliner, she fell asleep, wheezing slightly. Everyone left while she was asleep. We spent the early evening cleaning up and trying to make Cordy comfortable as a fever came over her.

Overall, it was a good Christmas. Everyone had a good time, and while Cordy had her rough moments, she also had some fun, too. When she was feeling comfortable, she would shyly say, "Merry Christmas!" to each person who came near her. She understood the concept of Santa for the first time this year, thrilled at the presents he left behind for her. I wish she wouldn't have been sick for Christmas, but then again, we've had at least one child sick for the entire month of December so far, so I guess I should have expected that.

Now I wonder how long it will take until we can convince her that Christmas is over? It took weeks for Halloween, so I expect we'll still be watching Christmas specials on Tivo through January at least.

^{Disney Family does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Call your doctor regarding any medical condition. Never disregard your doctor's advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Disney Family site.}