Kids change you

Thanksgiving has come and gone, and the boys and I are anxiously awaiting Christmas. It's always so nice to spend time with family and do all the things that come with preparing for the holidays. One of the things we have been doing most recently is putting up all of our favorite Christmas decorations. As we were putting up the decorations this year, we began to notice how much our decorating style has changed over the years. Adam and I have always been huge fans of simple and elegant white lights and pretty plain decorations, but ever since the kids have come along we have made some significant changes.

It all started last year when Landon decided that we REALLY needed to put colored lights on our tree to make it more fun. We decided that he was right and not only put colored lights on our tree, but carried them over to our garland and the outside of our house. Our house really stood out in the neighborhood, at least for the day the lights actually worked, amidst a sea of plain white icicle lights that all of the neighbors seemed to enjoy.

This year, however, has brought about the most significant change of all. Last week Adam sent me to Home Depot , armed with my 10 dollar off coupon, to find a good deal on some sort of yard decor. They happened to be having a huge sale and I managed to scoop up an inflatable frosty that I was sure the kids would love. Inflatables have always seemed so gaudy to me and I never would have pictured myself owning one, but as I anticipated the kids reaction I couldn't help but fall in love with it.

When I walked in the door with Frosty the kids were so excited that they couldn't control themselves. Just to make sure that it worked we decided to set him up in our living room and the reaction from the kids was priceless. As Frosty began to engulf our entire living room (this thing is HUGE) our kids thought it was the funniest thing they had ever seen. I really can't remember the last time I heard so much uncontrollable laughter coming from BOTH of my children. It was then that I knew I had made a very good choice.

While this really isn't MY style, it brings joy to my heart each and every night when the kids run outside to great Frosty, and I see their sweet faces light up with cheer. And each night as we deflate him, I never tire of the kids silly jokes about how Frosty is melting. I figure, the neighbors may think we are crazy, but our new friend has been a huge hit with our children and it's definitely worth all the eye rolls we may receive because of it. Our kids will be grown before we know it, and there will come a day when they won't be quite so amused by a silly thing like a huge Frosty in our yard. So we are going to enjoy it while it lasts.