All of my Babies are Growing Up

It's September 32nd, which reminds me that I forgot to celebrate EPQD's 7th birthday earlier in the month. Another stellar mommy moment. And a chance to have cake denied.

This realization that I am capable of such neglect toward my fourth baby led me to reflect upon how things have changed, and dare I say it - for the most part GOTTEN EASIER - as my girls and my business have grown, and let's face it, if I'm going to forget a birthday, it might as well be that of the non-human baby.

Way back in the day, when I was starting out momhood as a SAHM rocking the nursing boobs and double stroller containing two cute babies, my favorite comments from the general public, who by the way are generally doltish when it comes to comments they make to moms of twins**, were from the people who came up to me and said "Oh - twins! My twins are 9/16/28/32/45/or in the case of one adorable older lady 62; I really miss those days, but I promise you - IT GETS EASIER." Now while I was pretty sure I had a handle on how cool I was to be juggling two babies at once, every now and then in the midst of a screamfest I would remember their comment. Weirdly, no one ever approached me when Greta was the baby in the stroller to tell me "It gets easier", and she is the one I could have used the support with, but I digress.

Now I am the one who approaches moms with twin babies, tells them mine are 9, and promises them it gets easier, even while I muse in my head that perhaps it would be easier even at this moment if since it is 8:30pm and you are just arriving with your 10 month olds at a nice restaurant for dinner you are only asking for trouble, but I somehow manage to only judge them inside my head. My own twins are horrified if I happen to have them with me while I spout off my seeds of wisdom, but honestly, the memory of that adorable little lady telling me about her identical twin sons who were now grandfathers makes me so want to be her someday. So I'm practicing now.

While I would never be so crazy as to say that parenting is now nothing but sunshine and roses, a six year old and two nine year olds do beat the heck out of a one year old and two four year olds. Or any combination where one or more are the evil age of three.

Yep. I'll take this:

Over this:

 for sure, although of course I wouldn't change a thing and loved every minute yada yada yada.

At the same time, EPQD is growing up, reaching the ripe old age of 7 and having turned double digits pattern-wise a long time ago. Gone are the days when I would go straight from the 4am nursing session right to the sewing machine to squeeze in an hour or two of design time before all hell broke loose. By 10 am I would be ready for dinner, but we do what we have to do when we need to pursue a passion at the same time as raising a family. As I am preparing for a lecture tomorrow evening, I am struck by how much less of a planning nightmare this is for me these days, because gone are the days that I have to start packing three days in advance just to be sure I don't forget something. Now I can throw it all together in 45 minutes tops because I've done it so often, although I will admit to praying the stomach flu doesn't destroy my organizational skills if I let it go to the last minute. Gone are the days it took me 8 months to get a pattern out. Now it might be 8 months between patterns, but it isn't because I'm working on it for 8 months straight, it's that I've learned to have a life as well as design. I'll take where we are now over how it used to be any day as well, and I wonder if I'll say the same 7 years from now. I think I'd have to be able to pack up in 20 seconds and create a pattern idea to print in 4 days to feel that way, but you never know.


**Things that were actually said to me when my twins were babies:

• Are they both yours? Answer: Come on now. Twins aren't unheard of people.
• Do you have stay awake while the other one sleeps?   Answer: I would have to be insane.
• Did you use fertility drugs? Answer: Did you?
• What are their names? (After answer) Why didn't you give them rhyming names/A and B names/ (or my favorite) names that actually went together? Answer: I'll be sure to name my next one after your family rather than mine.
• OMG! Twins! I feel so sorry for you! You poor thing! Answer: WHY? Because I have two beautiful babies and know how to behave in public unlike you? Which yes, I actually said to her. 

Go forth and be normal in public, hotties.