Yesterday we hosted a small party for the twins as they prepare to turn 10 on Monday. By prepare, I mean that they are eating lots of candy and bemoaning Roblox being down.

For their party, we invited their neighbor friends, their cousins, and they each invited one friend from school — altogether, that came to 9 kids. It was mayhem!

The party was going to be a movie party: they’d pick a movie to watch on the big TV, pop popcorn in our cute lil red popcorn maker, have snacks, and lounge in the movie room. They couldn’t pick a single movie so they ended up laughing uproariously at memes on YouTube instead.

On Friday I ordered their cake from our neighborhood grocery store, Reids. I was talking with the person in the bakery and picked “fun and festive” as their cake theme, because it sounded fine. Then I asked if they had any movie-themed decorations, since it was a movie-themed party. They said they didn’t, so I said that “fun and festive” would be great. On Saturday, Grant and I went to pick up the cake and they made it movie-themed! There was a picture of popcorn and movie tickets, and they piped a little reel in the corner with a film strip! I almost cried in the bakery right then and there. It was so unexpected and kind!

The twins loved it, and they had a blast at the party as well. It was nice to meet two of their friends from school, since we haven’t met really any kids in a few years.

Grant spent part of their birthday party at one of his classmates’ birthday parties, so he only got into a little bit of mischief (for him). He was very shy at the bday party he went to, and spent most of his time playing with me. But he participated in the piñata and really put his back into it (since we just had one the other week at the family Halloween party). He also participated during present-opening, giving the little girl his present to open, and showing her the card he so carefully drew for her.

Today we will do some light trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, and tomorrow we will give the twins the gifts we got them. So it’s been a very celebratory couple of days, and I am very tired. But it’s all worth it! It’s strange to see the twins transitioning from little kids towards teenagerism. They’re not not innocent and childlike, but they also are increasingly savvy. It’s a wonderous and weird stage. A mix of stuffies and memes. Talks about puberty (“will it hurt?”) and the Hunger Games (“they are being really mean and should stop that”). Talks about what the cats are thinking and goofy jokes. They’re very invested in the progress of the vaccine availability, and literally jumped for joy in my office when I said the initial approval had happened. They asked how soon they could get it, then Eleanor told me how bacteriophages are used against superbugs. I just love the people they are so much, and I look forward to seeing how they navigate the next year together.