The mom might not have returned for A Christmas Story Christmas because of travel difficulties, or maybe she wasn't in the right frame of mind for the celebration. Another possibility is that she had to take care of something important elsewhere.
It could be that the script or the character's role didn't align with her interests or availability. Sometimes, actors have other commitments or simply choose different projects.
Maybe she had scheduling conflicts or personal reasons that prevented her from taking part.
Maybe she had scheduling conflicts or personal reasons that prevented her from coming back.
Maybe she had scheduling conflicts or other commitments that prevented her from returning.
Maybe she had scheduling conflicts or other commitments that prevented her from being part of it.
Maybe the mom had other commitments or the plot didn't require her presence this time around.
Maybe she had other commitments or was out of town for some reason.
It could be that the focus of the story shifted away from the mom this time around. Maybe the creators wanted to explore other characters or storylines and didn't have much space for her.
Maybe there were scheduling conflicts or creative decisions made by the filmmakers. It's hard to say for sure.
It could be for a variety of reasons. Maybe the story needed a new dynamic or there were scheduling conflicts. Sometimes creative decisions are made to give the story a fresh twist.