BIRTHDAY #6

Last year, we had a big bash at the bowling alley, but this year, we were saving up for our trip to Florida. (More on that later). We elected to do a simple party at home with grandparents and some friends from kindergarten. The weather at the end of May can be unpredictable, but we were lucky. It was perfect.

A couple of months before their birthday, they discovered Pac Man. We didn’t hear anything from their computers except the Pac Man theme music and that AWAH-AWAH-AWAH sound that Pac Man makes when he is moving around the screen. I’m not complaining. I’m glad that they found something that doesn’t involve blood and guns and gore and fists and death. It was just a LOT.

So, Meatball decided that he wanted a Pac Man cake. Since we were keeping costs low, I had decided to make their cakes instead of buying them or paying someone to decorate. I’m not a complete dunce. I can decorate a few things. Besides, how hard can Pac Man be? He’s an incomplete circle for Pete’s sake… And, the ghosts? Easy baby! He even found a cake decorating tutorial for me on the internet!


Shortly after we discovered Pac Man, we also discovered Wreck It Ralph with its exciting game: Sugar Rush. This was the BOMB, and soon they were racing their cars online as often as we would allow them to. Again, I was fine with this because nobody dies. Awesome.

Peanut decided that he wants a cake in the shape of Vanellope Von Schweetz’s car. This was a bit more difficult request, but I managed to pull it off. I just had to bake the cake in different sized pans and freeze it often as I cut it and contoured it into the correct shape for a car.


Friends came over, and games were played. We did the sit-on-the-balloon game, but they were water balloons and therefore not very big and easily popped. That means when they put the balloon on the grass, it basically popped without anyone sitting on it. We played on the swings, and one of their classmates climbed to the top and jumped off – easily 15 feet up – but his mom didn’t seem concerned about it, and he didn’t break anything, so all’s well that ends well. We had a piñata.

There was cake and chips and cookies and snow cones and dips and crackers. We did provide a fruit and veggie platter, but the only people that ate from it was the grown-ups.

Then, the presents. Their friends were generous as were their grandparents and Aunt Sid. It was a great day, but I couldn’t help but be sad on occasion. What happened to my babies?

SHARING THE WEALTH

Being twins has its advantages, but there are times when it would be nice if everything would happen on the same schedule. Tooth fairy visits are one of those things.

The first two bottom teeth for each of the boys fell out at almost the exact same times. This was fun and exciting and there was a bunch of energy packed into one week. How can you not be energized when the tooth fairy leaves you $2 and a big box of candy (I know – not the right message to send)?

Then, Meatball kept losing teeth, but Peanut didn’t. Poor Peanut. He was so sad. Here’s Meatball losing four more teeth on a semi-regular basis, and Peanut’s teeth weren’t budging. At all.

When Meatball lost #3, he felt so bad for Peanut that he shared. We expected him to share his candy. In fact, we probably would have insisted that he do so. But, he also shared his money. They split it 50/50. I was at work when all of this happened, but Bub called to let me know. She was so proud of him sharing. I was, too. I even cried a little bit. He also shared money and candy when he lost #4, #5, and #6. What a sweet guy, right?

Here, Meatball loses another tooth, while Peanut does not.

Well, Peanut FINALLY lost #3. Oh, there was excitement. He worked it and worked it, and it finally came out. Meatball congratulated him, and they ran through the house to let Bub know. Woo-hoo! Yippee!

And, then, it happened:

“Hey, remember when I lost my teeth and shared my candy and money with you?”
(I’m proud to report that Peanut did, indeed, share candy and money 50/50.)

CHOOSE LOVE

For all of my complaining about this year, there have been some very good experiences. I don’t want to forget about them because they have been the things that have kept us going. Many, many, many times I’ve been next to tears only to have someone do something nice for me or to have my kids do something hysterical and make me laugh. I guess that’s just how life is.

There’s the bad; it’s all around, and it’s like a jack-hammer with constant pounding and breaking down. There’s enough bad to be demoralizing at times – enough to cause some people to become bitter and mean and spiteful. I’m that person sometimes. I hate to admit it, but I am. This year, I have been awful at times. I have been sad. I have cried and sobbed and yelled and said mean things. I have let the bad get the best of me many times in 2013.

But, there’s the good, too. There’s plenty of it to go around. Sometimes, I’ve had to look really, really hard for the good, but when I found it, it had the ability to overshadow the bad if I would let it. There are so many genuinely good people in my life, and I’m very fortunate to have them. My friends, my family, my kids – hell, even the dogs. There’s goodness everywhere.

And, there’s the love. It’s always the right thing do to choose love. I’m not saying that I have done that all the time in 2013. Sometimes I chose anger. Sometimes I chose dislike-borderline-hate. But, love was always there waiting for me to pull my head out, calm down, and do the right thing. Choose love. Always choose love. Bub and I have issues, and sometimes they get the better of us, but in the end, we have still managed to choose love. It’s occasionally love with a dose of bitchiness, but its love at the end of the day. And, the boys – they fight plenty, but they always choose love for each other. I’m happy that they will always have that for each other. I’m most lucky when they choose love for me. They are beautiful and have beautiful hearts, and I’m so lucky that Mother Nature trusted them to me.

And, right here - at the end of the year - the opportunity to choose love with a legal twist. More on that to come!