The Birthday Sleepover

    The day was full of blissful, riotous noise.  There was the high melodic giggle of the girls with the odd snort.  There was the low snorkle of boys laughing at gross bodily functions.  It was pure unadulterated bliss.  I marveled at the beauty of it all.

    Frickie and Frackie turned 10.  My tiny little babies are quickly approaching their pre-teens.  I can't believe how quickly time passes.  The two of them decided to have a sleep over with their friends to celebrate their birthday.   Although they are twins they make it very clear that they are individuals.  They both had different foods for their party (Riley chose pizza, Rowan hamburgers), they had two cakes.  Although they fought so hard to have two different parties, in the end it was just one.  The kids just all gravitated together.  In the end we had 7 extra children.  At one point I looked at Christopher and said, "You know, if this was a daycare we'd be shut down!"  The girls all traveled as a pack, a giggling pack.  The boys were bouncing around actively as boys do.

    It was interesting to sit back and watch the differences between the boys and the girls, and yet how beautifully they blended.  The boys were always playing some kind of a sport, while the girls would play something for a little while, but much preferred to be social.   The boys bouncing on each other as well as on the girls.  The girls always touching, heads together in discussion.  As I sat back watching I was very proud of my twins.  They have chosen for themselves really nice friends.  They made sure to include Elly, even when Riley would have rather not.  They all played together beautifully, seamlessly.
    To end the evening we went over to my parents for a fire.  It took three trips to transport them all.  They all sat around the fire, contented faces on everyone.  There was no screaming or running around the fire.  At no point did I ever have to speak to any of them.  They sat around and played our campfire games and roasted marshmallows.  There were several flaming marshmallows and the warm night air was filled with laugher.  My favourite point in the evening came when Gracie got up and led them all in this silly dance that she had learned at camp.  To begin with only one or two joined in.  As the reluctant ones saw how much fun the handful were having they began to trickle over.  When we were finished there was a chorus of "Thank you Nana and Papa".
    That night after our three trips back home my living room floor was covered in sleeping bags and giggling girls.  The boys had gone up to Rowan's room.  All night there was a quiet muffling of talking girls, interspersed with giggles.  I loved lying in my bed, quietly listening to them.  I fell asleep with a smile on my face.  This is what life is about.  Life should be filled with the giggles of girls and the rude but funny jokes and bodily noises of boys.
    When I told people about the twins birthday they inevitably shook their heads and uttered "you are either brave or nuts, or both".  Perhaps I am a little of both.  I loved it though.  I love the comfort level that the kids friends have with us.  Riley has had this group of friends since kindergarden and some from nursery school.  To me there is not greater compliment than have people feel comfortable in my home.  They are a really nice group of kids that my twins have, a group I hope that they will carry with them through life.  Right now my life is my children.  It is a life that I love.