The holiday season is here. Where did the rest of the year go? It seems like just yesterday it was New Years Day. I think that time goes faster after you have kids. I could be wrong about that because I had my kids when I was nineteen and really did not have time to decide if it was just because of the over eighteen thing or the kids thing. I remember as a kid staying up all night waiting on Santa and trying to sneak down stairs to see what all was left before anyone else got up. My parents and sisters hated that because they never wanted to get up that early. Even on the first Christmas that I had moved out of the house and was living with my ex (living 40 min away) I got to their house before they had even gotten out of bed. I drove them crazy until I had kids of my own. Now I am the one being drove crazy and loving every minute of it. My husband has his own house next door (long crazy story) and on Christmas morning I have to call over and get him and my step-son to drag there sorry butts up out of bed to come open gifts. Christmas just isn't the same anymore though. My kids are either here Christmas Eve and until Christmas morning at 9:00am or they come back from their dads at 9:00am Christmas morning. Last year was my Christmas Eve to have them and we worked it a little differently. Instead of making them wait until Christmas day to let them open their gifts and then there being no time for them to really enjoy them I let them open them Christmas Eve morning. Now they do not believe in Santa anymore (makes me sad) but still I will leave them presents from him. I just hate to have to start this as a tradition ya know? Well this year I don't get them back until Christmas Day and they are not going to be able to wake up to their presents. I don't know which I dislike more. Them leaving that morning or them not being here until late that morning. Either way I guess we will just have to be inventive and come up with new traditions. How do others celebrate their holidays? What are some of your favorite holiday stories?