Birthdays as a Kid

I remember fondly my birthdays as a teen.  I always got to have a slumber party with my girlfriends!  You know how slumber parties are, not much sleep going on.  We always had lots of good food and birthday cake.  Not carrot cake, I had not yet acquired a taste for carrot cake in those years.

The girls I ran around with were all from my class, we grew up in a small town.  There were only 54 in my graduating class.  We went to school together from first grade to twelfth grade.  We all pretty much were girls from farm families, we were all in 4-H together and of course went to camp together.  You'd see one of us, the others were not far behind.  I have to say, I was thrilled our children went to school where I grew up and their graduating classes were also small, pretty much from K thru 12 with the same kids.

Slumber parties were always pillow fights, intimate and quite conversations about the boys and then loud very often uproarious giggles that would go on and on.  We played those wonderful 45's on the record player the entire night.  We loved the Beach Boys, Surfer Girl..... was a favorite.   I can hear it today, it is burnt into my memory.  I still have a pile of 45's, my kids will run across them some day and not know what they are or how to play them. 

Not that long ago, oh gosh, maybe in 1989, (that was just yesterday!)  we all got together and had a slumber party at our house.  All my girlfriends came that I'd spent so much time with in high school.  Not one of them had changed, we picked up like a moment of time had ever passed.  Our conversations were now all about our families.  Pictures were passed around, laughter and tears were shared.  It was good to know that for as much as things change, some things are always the same........  how can that be?

As an adult, I also used to go to a slumber party that was with other horsewomen.  There was no talk of husbands or kids here, it was all about horses, rides and  trails, rigs, shoeing, feeding, veterinarians and horse gear.   We didn't stay up all night, we were a little older and wiser maybe.   We were filled up just sharing the love of horses.

I am glad the tradition of slumber parties is still with us.  My daughters had slumber parties and my grand daughters have had slumber parties too.  I think you never get too old for them.  Actually, whenever anyone comes and stays in my tipi lodge, it's like having a slumber party. A nice campfire burning, good conversations and lots of laughter! Come to think of it the last slumber party was last summer.   This was my first co-ed slumber party and it was too much fun!  We stayed up until almost three in the morning and we are still laughing about it today!

I can't wait for the next slumber party!!!!!  Anyone interested in a night in the tipi?