The Top Five Ways the Holidays Have Changed With Kids

Last week, my group at work had a small get together outside of work. When I returned home (by 8:30 PM, mind you), I still had time to fold a load of laundry, read a story to the kids and watch the evening news. As my hubby asked me if I had a good time at my dinner, I said “yes, but what a change 5 years means.” And I got to thinking about how the holidays have changed.

1. The Definition of Holiday Party
Remember when holiday party meant your office/firm get together outside of work? How you didn’t want to be that drunk girl/guy hitting on your co-worker or getting too wild on the dance floor? Now holiday party means your kids’ school party with cookies/treats for at least 20 kids and juice.

2. The Christmas Tree
When we first got married, hubby and I had a wonderful tree filled with beautiful, breakable ornaments. Now, we have a family ornament from each year since the girls were born, Scooby Doo, Hello Kitty and lots of princess ornaments all on the lower half of the tree.

3. Traveling
Hubby and I would split time with his family and mine, traveling from Iowa to Illinois to Wisconsin, enjoying spending time together in the car, listening to classic songs on the radio and loving the open road. Now we get there as fast as we can, praying that we brought all of the right DVDs and Nintendo DS games.

4. Christmas Shopping
There was a time I would spend hours in the mall, looking for that perfect gift. Now I pray for a short line in Target, hoping I can get out of there without yelling at my girls that not every gift is meant for them.

5. A Christmas Show
When we were first married, we would try and attend a holiday concert or show – just something special as a night out to celebrate the holidays. Now the Winter Show means getting early to the SE Polk High School auditorium to save the best seats to watch A & B dance (and tape the performance!)

Please know that this is meant to just be a humorous look on how my life has changed with kids. Nothing can replace how I feel when A opens her Christmas gift and her smile lights up her face or B searching the house for Eugene (our Elf on the Shelf). And truth be told, I am a little to old to be getting wild on the dance floor. But a few holidays spirits wouldn’t be too bad.

Have a happy holidays!

Jean Anne