How times have changed

Jason and I were reminiscing about our life before kids.

We used to be able eat whenever we want where ever we wanted.  Have to wait 45 minutes for a table...sure why not?

Want to start a movie at 10?...sure we don't have anything going on tomorrow...

Don't want to do laundry today, tomorrow or this week...no biggie...we have lots of clothes.

Want to go away for the weekend?  Sure no one would care.

Want to run in and grab a few groceries?  Absolutely we just need a few things

- Oh how times have changed -

We have said no many times to things that would probably be fun but we know that it would delay a nap, and a delay in nap would be punishment for all

We have had to pass on restaurant dinners because they are to late in the evening and it would be a disaster waiting to happen

When finally braving a restaurant, adult to child ratio must be one to one and the waitress will be tipped double as the food on the floor will be greater then the food on the table

Our travel radius has shrunk dramatically, anything over about 30 minutes will inflict a blood curdling scream from someone

We now race to bed as soon as we can after getting everyone to bed because Lord knows when the kids will wake up in the morning.

We eat standing up and shoveling semi hot food because if we sit we will have to get up five hundred times to get some item that was forgotten or a child will land on our lap and make eating near impossible

Packing up for a quick trip to somewhere takes no less then 30 minutes - spur of the moment usually requires at least an hour

My crock pot is the only reason that we have warm meals in the first place

Laundry is a never ending battle, at least a load a day is required

Grocery shopping is impossible with the tribe unless you have cookies, a kid cart, drinking fountain, a list, a map of the store, and skill in the game whack-a-mole

I have been known to cruise through the parking lot, not looking for the closest spot to the store but the closest spot to the cart return and if there is already a kid cart in said return I get bonus points

A runny nose will ax any plans that may have been made ahead of time so planning ahead is really not worth it

Getting my eyebrows waxed is now a luxury because I have 20 minutes of peace

I can now load a kid in the car seat while they are stiff as a board and screaming without breaking a sweat (or an arm)

I can't tell you where the hopping bar is but believe me I can bring you to one awesome park

I can count to four faster then anyone I know, especially when at a park

I know all the drive thru caribous in a 30 mile radius and which one I should go to to induce a nap and how long that nap would be so as not to mess up next nap

I am considering a career in negotiation with unstable people when the kids get into school because they have taught me how to talk people off a ledge with much success

I used to be a hand me down snob, now I feel like a hand me down hoarder

So yes, life has changed, changed so much I don't even remember what it used to be like and although it can be challenging I wouldn't change it for the world.  I love my crazy life.