When I was a kid, my mom made my birthday the most special day in the world. She would make me the most awesome cakes/cupcakes, and let me have a big giant party (aka she never limited me on how many kids could come; she just wanted it to be a big deal). I'm sure she always wanted to see the light in my eyes as we celebrated, and enjoyed the laughter and party right along with us. She's the best mom.
My twins were due on June 22nd. With my oldest daughter being born three weeks early (especially after EVERYONE told me she would come late because she was my first child), I only figured the twins would also be here early, and maybe even much earlier, because they are twins!! How many times do you hear that twins come early? Because the possibility of them coming in May was high, my mom wished one would be born on May 31st around 11:58 p.m. with the other coming on June 1st sometime around midnight. They would be twins with different birthdays! Wouldn't that be something? Some of you must have twins like this...anybody?
But, my mom really, really wanted this to happen because birthdays mean a TON to my mom (as we previously discussed). In turn, they mean a great deal to me. When someone says "Oh, it's just my birthday; it's no big deal," I immediately tell them how they are dead wrong. HELLLLOOOO!! It's the only day in the entire year we get to celebrate how awesome you are--no one else, just you! One day that is all about you. And we should all celebrate it like crazy and make you feel completely loved.
This is why I have always been a little crazy about the timing of being pregnant (or at least as much as I could control ;) ). I didn't want my children born on anybody else's birthday, too close to someone's birthday, or near a holiday, especially a major holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas. Remember when I talked about how twins are NOT "two for the price of one"?
Remember, the only thing they have ever shared is the same uterus, ya feel me? BUT, I forgot another thing that they do share--BIRTHDAYS!!
For the twins' first birthday, we had a small cupcake-themed party. It wasn't as grand as I would have liked, but we weren't very settled in our community and didn't know a lot of people. So, I did my best, and people tried to remind me that they were only turning one, and it was NOT that big of deal. Pffft.
But, this year they will be two and come on, they will remember it so much more this year! Right? So it has to be grand and amazing! ;) I better get on that.
My real question is for you seasoned twin mamas. What do you do when it is their birthday? Now that they are older, and may notice more that they share the same birthday, how do you make them feel like special individual people? Do you have one joint birthday party? Do you get to take advantage, FINALLY, of the "two for one" deal? Or do you have two parties now--maybe because they have different friends?
Naturally, you may think, based off of this post, that I want to have two huge grand parties for my twins. Right? However...I think I may actually take advantage of that "two for one" deal I was blessed with. Of course, I'll make sure to make them both feel very special, but I'm thinking, one party, one plan, less money, and most importantly, one clean-up!!! Am I right?
Help me out twin mamas, how do you celebrate for your cute pair?
Mama Jackie
*The “Two to Kiss, Two to Love” series is a helpful series for all you twin mamas out there! If you have a twin related question, comment below, and I’ll answer it for you!*
PC: Jackie Hall