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Monday, July 11, 2005

Finn and Tate






Yesterday Tate and Finn Palmer turned 4 years old. I have known the guys since their mom found out she was carrying them and, perhaps it's just because I've known them and their parents so long, but I really do think they are two of the funniest kids I've ever known. Also, it's interesting being around twins, because everything they do has kind of a humorous and mysterious quality. As far as parties go, this one was chockful of events. I was surprised, when I got there, to see Finn and Tate looking so preppy, since they usually have a more laid-back and mostly costumed look. I had contemplated buying them some sort of educational gift, but I hated the idea of being so unpopular so they each got Batman on a motorcycle figurines from Toyopolis, a great local toy store on Marcy Street (I also came perilously close to buying myself a reversible black and purple Hello Kitty! bicycle messenger bag, but managed to get a grip on myself first). The party began with strawberry cake with sugary icing, followed by present opening (my gift was super popular) and then the boys took turns swinging at the Pinata. This looks more innocent than it was because you can't really see Tate clobbering the pinata with a plastic baseball bat yelling, "You want a piece of this?" at it. As I wondered why the guys are so preturnaturally adult in their vocabulary I looked around and realized all of their friends are in their 30s and 40s. We sat and watched the pinata bashing like a TV show. After the alleged adults among us had salmon and potatoes on the grill we waited for night to fall so Rick, Finn and Tate's dad, could get the fireworks display going. By then the guys had changed into more normal attire (for them), meaning Batman and Spiderman outfits. They sat quietly with their sprinklers but, for no apparent reason, took to marching around chanting strange things while the fireworks were going off. All in all, it was four fun-filled hours. Jen, their mom, tried to talk them into letting their balloons into the sky while making a wish but the guys weren't into that, so there was no pressure. I'm not sure who was more exhausted, them or us, by the end of the night, but I certainly wondered, as I often to, how Rick and Jen manage to keep from collapsing on a regular basis. Still, these are my favorite little guys who, as I left for the evening, yelled out to me: Julia, keep it real!" Hey guys, I'm trying.