“History doesn't repeat itself - at best it sometimes rhymes”-Mark Twain

I always become reflective whenever one of my kids has a birthday. To be fair, it's not always super deep and intellectual. Just more like, "Hmm, wow, I have an 8 year old. I'm sure you can't totally screw a kid up in only 8 years, yeah? And even if I have, surely I still have some time to fix it and get it right before she becomes a teenager? Right??"
I also find that I compare what I was like at the age they are becoming. I'm always curious about which genetic "gifts" I have passed along. Because in the end it's all about me, right? Will they be social, will they be musical, forgetful, have an insatiable need to blog....?With Hannah turning 8 tomorrow, the comparisons begin. When I was eight, I got my first diary. (if you think of it, kind of an old school blog) I wrote in it faithfully and still have it to this day. It's one thing to go back and read your childhood diary for fun and nostalgia's sake. It takes on a whole new frightening twist to read about yourself at the same age as one of your kids. According to my 8 year old self, I was completely boy crazy, my life revolved around my friends and I was constantly changing my conclusions on whether my parents were the best, or totally lame.
I suppose if she is writing about any of those things in her diary, I have no one to blame but myself. I played "girls chase boys" and "boys chase girls" as far back as Kindergarten. My target at recess everyday was this blond haired blue eyed boy named Ryan. I have this vivid (albeit random) memory of capturing a handful of boys and putting them in that huge half bubble jungle gym contraption. Ideally they were there because they were now at our mercy and we were going to give them all kisses. Sadly, many of the girls would wuss out and just set them free. I always found that extremely disappointing. By 8 I "loved" some boy named Kenny and by the 5th grade, it seems I had a rotating boyfriend system between Jaime, Brad and Michael W. I kinda remember the Michael W. and Brad characters, but I totally remember Jaime. He had freckles, blue eyes, spiked hair and according to my diary, was my "total true love."
Suddenly it dawns on me that it's possible that it's not just the songs that Hannah is digging from High School Musical. Is she totally crushing on Zack Efron?? No, couldn't be...quick, somebody reassure me!
In lots of ways I think her and I are totally different. Like Rhett, she's practical and seems way more grounded in reality, where I always had/have my head in the clouds. She's definitely wittier and funnier; and as much as it pains me to admit it, (because I thought I was the Sarah Jessica Parker of my day), she has a way better sense of style. I'll still take credit for that one though seeing as Rhett hates to shop, thinks of clothes as a social necessity, and I had to recently throw out clothes he's had since high school that he had refused to give up because, "What? They're still in great shape."
Add to the list that we both can err on the side of the dramatic and like to get our way; we like to write, create, love our friends, and love a party. Eye rolling is an art form I had perfected by the time I was 13 and she is already showing great potential. Given all that, she really is her own girl. She's independent and feisty in a way I never was at that age. Rhett and I have already agreed that if she ever gets caught in some harebrained scheme it will have been her own idea and not because of peer pressure. She has a mind of her own and sticks to her guns. And even though it can make for some long discussions where I'm having to repeatedly clarify who is the parent and who is the child--I never want to squash that part of her personality. So while there's still a scary chance that I've passed the boy crazy gene on, she's tough and fun, kind and smart. Thoughtful, creative and just plain cool. Happy Birthday girlfriend and here's to hoping that dad and I are only lame 50% of the time.