When Did I Become A Parent?

A couple years ago Derek and I had a bottle of champagne in our fridge in December.  Because going out on New Year's Eve is so hard when you have young kids we decided that we were going to throw a mimosa brunch New Year's Day party.  We invited over some friends and had a great time.

Last year we did the same thing.

This year we did it yet again.  We bought the champagne, prepped the food, baked some goodies and had about 20 people over to our home.

At one point the 11 kids in the house (yes, ELEVEN!) were all running around yelling and laughing and chasing each other and having a good time.  All of a sudden I had that feeling of "Oh, this could be a memory for the kids.  They might grow up thinking of all the New Year's Day parties we threw."

I had a flashback to the New Year's parties (and other parties) that my parents threw when I was young.  I remember helping my mom make the punch (it was sherbet, ginger ale and probably some other stuff and we would add a huge ring of ice to the ginormous punch bowl) and being told I wasn't allowed to throw anything into the bathroom garbage can after it had been emptied.  I remember setting out hors d'oeuvres in the rarely used living room and playing in the basement with other kids from the neighborhood.

Somehow, without me realizing it, I became a parent.  I became the person who helps give my kids experiences that make memories.  At almost 6 years old they may actually remember these days.

The big secret in parenthood is that children think their parents know how to do everything but, after becoming a parent, you realize that parents have no idea what they are doing.  My parents gave me so much and made it look effortless.  Now it's my turn.  I want to keep in mind that all the stress, anxiety, lack of confidence and confusion I feel won't be remembered -- what will be remembered are the experiences we shared as a family.