Great Party and Musings on Parenthood

This weekend I attended a tea and dress-up birthday party for 2 sets of 3-year-old twins. Both sets of twins are little girls, one fraternal, and one identical (well mostly). What a blast this party was, cute kids, great food, cool clothing to dress in, and an incredible homemade cake that tasted good and looked fantastic. The children were the biggest joy to me. Their delight in wearing play jewelry, oversized hats, feather boas, and fancy high heels was magical to experience.

Plus, they were all so helpful to eachother, it was like a happy mini-utopian soceity. No sex or violence to complicate things. I’m certain that I am simplifying here, since I am wont to do that, especially when writing. I’m certain I over-romanticize parenthood since I want children very much. The older I get the more I appreciate the many sacrfices my parents made to give me a good childhood and the choices the continue to make so I have a good life.

When you are young I think you have this idea that everyones family is just like yours. At some point you realize that other kids have more or less then you do. Whether it is money, family, or standard of living, it is a difficult realization to assimilate. Some of my friends lived in apartments, some kids I knew lived in the “projects” of our town. We all wore hand-me-downs at some point. Me, I just loved “borrowing” my brother’s clothes because I wanted to look like a “skater” chick. Other kids had tvs, videogames, and phones in their room. I never did, I guess I felt that with the cordless phone I could get as much privacy as I needed in my own bedroom.

There always seemed to be more then enough in our house. Food and beds were in ample supply to any kids from the neighborhood who needed to crash at our house. My father cooked enough food for an army and with my brother’s quickly growing teenage friends, it was necessary. My parents never minded the extra kids hanging around. I guess they must have figured it was better we were all close by then getting in trouble roaming the town. It was a cool house to grow up in, one where you never felt alone.