I have received information and materials from Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc, the makers of TYLENOL® in order to provide this sponsored post. All opinions are 100% my own.
Almost 4 years ago in a 1 bedroom, 1 bath loft in Downtown Dallas, we started a family tradition that has lasted — from the 1 bedroom loft to a 2 bedroom apartment, and finally (thankfully) a 4 bedroom house in suburbia.
Would you believe we were once able to fit 4 adults and 5 children into that 1,200 square foot loft for a week over New Years? Kids ranging in age from 2 to 14 were practically piled on top of one another as we rang in 2013. Throughout the week, we ate lots of pizza and mac-n-cheese (I had no clue how to cook for that many) and we walked around Downtown Dallas a lot – anything to get us all out of that loft. It was the best New Years I can remember . . .so the next summer, we signed up to do it again!
We always get my stepkids for a month out of the summer, and for one week of that month my nephews and “in-laws” came from the Austin area to visit. Although we’d moved from the loft, it wasn’t much better as we were in a temporary 2 bedroom apartment in Frisco. And again we had 5 kids and 4 adults, one of us (me!) VERY pregnant during summer. . . in under 1,100 square feet. (But at least we now had 2 bathrooms!)
We spent a ton of time in the pool. Again, ate more pizza and mac-n-cheese then I’ve ever seen. And again – everyone had a blast!
By the next year we were finally in that house! And it was glorious to have that much room for all 10 of us to come together. The kids watched movies upstairs and there were plenty of real beds for everyone!
This summer it looks a little different. The grandparents couldn’t make it and my husband’s oldest is a little too old -or cool- to stay with us the whole time, but the tradition lives on. We still eat lots of mac-n-cheese and pizza, because when it’s not broke – don’t fix it! Our house sounds like a zoo and looks like a tornado has hit! There’s lots of Minecraft being played this year, but the kids also still love to play Harry Potter and run around with capes and wands. And these are the memories and traditions that make it all worth it!
Both my husband and I remember growing up with our cousins. Family reunions, trips with cousins and aunts and uncles to the beach, noogies given and received. Those are friendships that last — the automatic couches to crash on when you’re in college and extended family to lean on for the rest of our lives. That is #HowWeFamily.
We want that for our kids, and it’s up to us to forge and foster these friendships. We want them to remember playing with their cousins every summer. We want them to laugh and tell stories about playing video games all night and eating so much pizza and mac-and-cheese their tummies hurt. We want them to watch Harry Potter and think of their cousins.
We’ve already survived small spaces, smaller funds, a 3rd floor apartment while 9 months pregnant, and sick kiddos. Hopefully we can survive more of the pre-teen and teenage years. Even if the tradition changes and morphs, we want for it to last as long as possible because family traditions are a huge part of #howwefamily
TYLENOL® would love to hear about how you family. Post or share a photo or video of what represents your family love and pride using the #HowWeFamily hashtag on Twitter or Instagram. You can also visit #HowWeFamily to learn more and see other great family stories.
Disclosure:: This post is brought to you by the wonderful folks at TYLENOL®. All opinions are 100% our own!
