Parental duty to embarrass kids

I met my friend, Lourdes, in a mommy/baby class when our first borns were 9 months old. I remember telling my husband that there was a woman who oddly stared at me from across the singing circle.

It just so happened that our babies were both born on the same day, just hours apart. Even more coincidentally, we had the same doctor and delivered at the same hospital (my hubby remembers passing her hubby in the hall). She is half Japanese and I am half Vietnamese. Our husbands both brewed beer at the time and are beer snobs. You see where this is all going - instant friends!

So Lourdes and her family came to visit this past week from Chicago. We hadn't seen the kids in 3 years and 3 years is a lifetime in their development. M & M are both 12 going on 25. Seeing each other could've gone south quickly, but instead they hit it off like they've been together this whole time. You could feel the connection in the air - secret looks and jokes.

Anyway, they spent a lot of time together and realized they still have a lot in common. Having spent the first solid 6 years of their lives together (first sleepovers, first kiss, Halloweens, New Years, chicken pox, etc.) it was fun to see that they are still very much alike. They even look like siblings.

On our last evening together, we thought it was time to break out the photos. M & M sat on the couch as we began pouring through the boxes. There are hundreds of photos that immediately took us back through those 6 years. We didn't even look through most of them.

It began with a photo I refer to as the "garden of Eden" shot. [Side note: we gave them the choice of letting the other see some of the really naked photos. We're saving those for when we really need them!] Although slightly embarrassed, the kids actually enjoyed reminiscing. We laughed and cried.

"Remember New Year's 2000 when we thought it was a great idea to wake our 3 year olds to ring in the new millennium?" What were we thinking!

One evening at the kid's table at dinner M (their daughter) sadly told M (my son) that the 'nook fairy' came and took away her 'nook.' They were 2ish and being weened from their pacifiers. My son very matter of factly said, "Well, you know that your mom can just buy another one at the store."

How can you not laugh at the innocence of kids and while this may be embarrassing I don't want to forget - the two playing 'Little Mermaid' behind a chair only to have M shout, "M has a rash on her vagina."

or

M (their daughter) asking her mom if the androgynous person in line at the post office has a "china or a peanut?"

Classic!!

NOTE: the photo is of their youngest son, V (age 6), on the recent cover of Chicago Parent.