BECAUSE I SAID SO

Christmastime is magical when you have kids. But kids are kids at the kid table and

teenagers are teenagers trying to bum a glass of wine at the adult table. I’m not saying the magic of Christmas is gone when you have teenagers; it’s just a whole new version of magic.

THE MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS

WITH TEENAGERS

WRITTEN BY JULIE BURTON / PHOTO BY JAMI BOWMAN

Kid Christmas: The kids wake up to find the Elf on the Shelf having been naughty last night by dumping green food coloring into the carton of milk.

Teen Christmas: The parents wake up to find the Elf on the Shelf having been naughty last night by dumping whiskey into the carton of eggnog.

Kid Christmas: Opening presents as tall as them.

Teen Christmas: Opening presents that fit into their hand.

Kid Christmas: Eating the sugar cookie dough and helping Mom decorate sugar cookies.

Teen Christmas: Eating the sugar cookie dough and turning the jingle bells cookie into jingle balls.

Kid Christmas: Singing “You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout I’m telling you why, Santa Claus is comin’ to town.”

Teen Christmas: Santa does, in fact, come to town and he’s flesh and blood and wine and tears—counting the kids presents to make sure they’re even.

Kid Christmas: “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear” (quoting Elf).

Teen Christmas: “Bend over, and I’ll show you” (quoting Christmas Vacation).

Kid Christmas: A handwritten note to Santa written in crayons with backwards Ds and Bs. Teen Christmas: A Lulu Lemon and Nordstrom PowerPoint presentation complete with links of exact color choices and sizes.

Kid Christmas: Leaving cookies out for Santa

Teen Christmas: Leaving empty containers in the fridge

Kid Christmas: “The tree looks so pretty, Mommy!”

Teen Christmas: “Bruh, the white lights are so cringe.”

Kid Christmas: Waking up at 4 am to kids jumping on your bed.

Teen Christmas: Waking up the kids so they don’t sleep until 4 pm.

Kid Christmas: Filling their plate with macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes.

Teen Christmas: Watching them fill their plate with everything plus seconds and thirds.

Kid Christmas: Dressed as the beautiful angels that they are in their Christmas best while screaming in the pew.

Teen Christmas: Arriving in their PJs at midnight mass.

Kid Christmas: Staring in awe of the Plaza Lights, Union Station, and Crown Center’s Mayor’s christmas tree.

Teen Christmas: Staring in awe of the Plaza Lights, Union Station, and Crown Center’s Mayor’s christmas tree.

Julie Burton is an Overland Park mom, writer, K-State lover, and bacon-hater. She is a blogger and contributing author to the humor book, But Did You Die?: Setting the Parenting Bar Low. Burton’s also been named one of the Today Show’s “funniest parents.” And yes, she really does hate bacon. Please don’t drop

her as a friend. Follow Julie at: julieburton.blog • facebook.com/julieburtonwriter • twitter.com/ksujulie • instagram.com/ksujulie

A Not-So-Ordinary Book Discussion

BY TIFFANY KILLOREN

IT’S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR!

Sure, Andy Williams sang about kids jingle belling and caroling out in the snow, but for me this time of year is about spending quality time with friends and family and taking the opportunity to count our many blessings. We often show our appreciation to others through gifts this time of year, so the below are a few suggestions for the book lovers in your life who like to spend the cold winter months curled up and lost in a story.

Golden Girl (Elin Hilderbrand, 2021) I had the pleasure of attending Hilderbrand’s book reading event hosted by Rainy Day Books in February. She spoke about her personal journey and Golden Girl, the latest in her Nantucket-based novels. I tend to steer clear of beach reads, but realized that I had literally judged a book by its cover. Yes, it’s based in Nantucket, but this is a charming story about the strength of a mother’s love and how the universe tends to guide us in the direction that is right for us. And, after you read Golden Girl, you might just notice ways that you’re “nudged” from the beyond.

A Well-Behaved Woman: A Novel of the Vanderbilts (Therese Anne Fowler, 2018) I love a good book recommendation, and a friend loaned me her copy of this book because she knows how I love the gilded age and Vanderbilt history (I’ve previously covered my love of Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty). This hybrid factual-fictional novel tells the story of Alva Vanderbilt and her complicated family as they navigate their rising position in New York City. It is a story of opulence and heartbreak, women’s strength, and a family’s power. This is a great gift for those lovers of history, enduring style, and a family name that is more well-known than the mistakes they made along the way.

American Dirt (Jeanine Cummins, 2018) Another friend recommendation, I dove into this book during the last days of summer when I was exhausted and needed a distraction from chaotic family schedules. The story itself is immediately riveting, following a mother and her young son running from the Mexican cartel after their entire family was murdered. From the first chapter to the last, it follows their journey toward the United States border and the dangerous risks they take to get there. Understanding there is a fair amount of controversy regarding this book and its author’s depiction of the protagonist’s journey, I found the story captivating and thought-provoking. A #1 New York Times bestseller, I’m clearly not alone.

The Long Weekend (Gilly MacMillan, 2022) An isolated weekend getaway without cell reception in a renovated barn. What could possibly go wrong? The Long Weekend’s tagline of “Three Couples, Two Bodies, One Secret” summarizes the plot, but throw in one suspicious letter and a group of people who you are never quite sure whether to like or suspect, and you’ve got this intriguing page-turner. A perfect mystery for snowy days ahead, you’ll find yourself shuffling the story’s pieces around in your head to come to a conclusion, only to be tossed a twist that sends the pieces flying once again. Although the end was a bit disappointing given the twists and turns of the story itself, the book is still worth a read and will make you second guess any suggestion by friends that you all meet in the woods for a weekend.

Tiffany Killorenis a local author and lover of the written word. Her novel, GOOD WILL, was released in 2020 and she is always thinking

of new stories to tell. Follow her at @readandthreads on Instagram for book and life musings as she tries to balance career,

family and her passion for writing one step - or word - at a time.

PHOTO BY MOLLY KUPLEN