2024 Reading Challenge

2024 Reading Challenge
Jill Elizabeth has read 1 book toward her goal of 285 books.
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2023 Reading Challenge

2023 Reading Challenge
Jill Elizabeth has read 5 books toward her goal of 265 books.
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The Morning After

No, no – not like THAT, this is a good morning after. The morning after my first Christmas with kiddies, of course!

WARNING: This is utterly un-book and un-reading related. So feel free to skip it if you don’t want to read my random thoughts today. I won’t be offended, promise.

Everything is different with kids. Everyone knows that – even people without kids. Sometimes, I think especially people without kids – and I can say that with more than a little authority, having been one of those people for many years and then suddenly being one of the others. I know, I know – all parents go from being kid-less to kid-full over night. But step-parents, well, we do it even more dramatically because we don’t have the pregnancy/adoption grace period to mentally prep ourselves in quite the same way. Plus we don’t get the baby-infant-toddler-child-adolescent-teenager transition (unless we become steps to wee small babies). So it’s a pretty big shift, pretty much all at once.

It’s tough sometimes, but it kicks ass all the time. Seriously. And there is no better example of this than a gift-giving holiday time.

I can’t tell you how amazing it has been to buy presents and know that I will be a part of their Christmas experience – and not just any ol’ part, but a prime, important, central part. Sure, I have fabulous nephews (hi boys!!) and friends with kids and have bought gifts for kids before. But it’s not the same when they’re yours (as any parent knows). As incredible as it is for any child who has a special place in your life, well, it’s even more so with your own (and yes, I do consider them “mine” now even though I’m sure their mother would heartily disagree – this isn’t an instance of mutual exclusivity; they can be mine in my context and hers in her context simultaneously to my mind, a point that again I’m sure she’d (and perhaps many/most mothers) would heartily disagree with. But I digress – as I’m wont to do…). Then, well, it’s just plain freaking spectacular.

So I’m going to go enjoy the rest of the freaking spectacular. They are young enough that they still want to show me everything they got and talk about it all and figure where to put it in New House, and I fully intend to take advantage of every minute of that because I know these times are naturally time-limited. The day will come when they won’t want to talk to me or sit near me or have anything to do with me – not because I’m me, but because I’m a Parental Figure. So I’m going to store up the freaking spectacular while I still can… Go do the same already, there’ll be plenty of time to read tomorrow! 😉

10 comments to The Morning After

  • Sharon Franclemont

    Merry Christmas again to a “fantastic” daughter in law (more like a daughter) Well you succeeded in bringing tears of joy to my eyes with your “words” but more importantly with your heart”. You have really embraced a very difficult life change especially in light year speed. From “aloneness” (? a word) to craziness”
    As parents we always pray for our children/ family to be happy and healthy. We are at now at peace with our son and his family, thanks to you.

  • Jess

    Glad you had a spectacular Holiday!!! 🙂

  • Tracy Brown

    Sounds like you had a great weekend! That’s awesome! 🙂

    And yes, enjoy it before they are all grown up. (I don’t have kids, but I’m blown away by how fast my nieces and nephews grew up!)

    Happy New Year too!

    • I did Tracy, thank you!! I owe you a message, but keep finding myself without enough time at once to write – soon, promise! 🙂 And I will try to enjoy it all – they DO grow up insanely fast, holy cow, and I’ve only stood witness to one year so far! And Happy New Year to you as well – hope it’s fabulous!!

  • MOM

    So glad we got to share in the “first together Christmas as a new family” and see the kids opening gifts and being excited with what they got. Also sharing your “new family” with your “old (extended)family” on Mon. Love to you all, MOM

  • Tracy Brown

    No worries, Jill Elizabeth! 😉

    Spend time enjoying the holiday season and we’ll try to connect in January!

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