Then and Now

I recently took a parenting style quiz on facebook. You know, one of those really statistically correct quizzes that anyone with a facebook account can create and post. Truth is, I seem to have this facebook quiz sickness. I Love these quizzes! I was taking three quizzes a day! I cut back to 2, then 1..now it's just a couple a week. Cody tells me I need to go to facebook rehab. He is probably right. Anyway, I have been indulging myself this week with parenting style quizes. Today I took one i hadn't taken yet. The result of this test? I was crunchy. You know..because that is how we always categorize parents..

As I was taking this particular quiz, I realized that one of the reasons I enjoy these things is because it allows me to reminisce on our earlier parenting years. The questions tend to be geared toward earlier childhood, and I answer as I remember...and then I get results like "you lean towards attachment parenting and even consider homeschooling" You see, the fact that we are on year 11 or something of learning at home is irrelevant.
So this quiz got me thinking about the differences in our lives between then (when my children were pre-school/early elementary aged) and now (when they are teens and young adults). I have created a short list of the comparisons I have come up with.

Then: Family bed
Now: Family hot tub

Then: Dinner at the table. I tried to teach the boys to sit and not stand.
Now: Dinner on the back deck. I try to keep the conversations rated P.G..and not gross.

Then: Before dinner the boys helped me cook
Now: The first one home starts dinner. The other boys help Brian fix cars, transmissions, something.

Then: We watched Power Rangers and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles together.
Now: We watch David Letterman and Lost together.

Then: I stayed home for a decade so we could have the gift of time and a wealth of shared experiences.
Now: We all explore different work, trades and interests. We share our experiences with each other.

Then: Legos took over my floor, stuffed animals occupied our couch seats.
Now: Rock Band and "projects" occupy my floor, guitars occupy our couch seats.

Then: I read to the boys every day.
Now: We discuss what we are reading often.

Then: Their imaginations ran wild. They made stone soup, dug oil wells, and turned my living room into a jungle.
Now: Their imaginations run wild. Today they squished our dog between cushions and made a "Shadow Sandwich" (Shadow is the dog's name). Next, Austen turned the sandwich into a train. Shadow, by the way, thought she was in heaven.

So there you have it. The difference between then and now?

Not much.