A few years ago, pre-kids, I was babysitting my cousin. He introduced me to Pokemon. He called it a game, but it just looked like a bunch of cards that you had to collect. How do you play? What do you build? I didn’t get it at all. When I was a kid, games were about building, racing, actually playing.

I love games. Board games, trivia games, puzzles. Everything. As a child, I would entertain myself for hours (where were my parents?) playing Perfection (and its crazy cousin Superfection – it was as much stress as a kid knew. Only one minute to put all the pieces away? Can I do it? HURRY!!), Mousetrap, Rubic’s Cube, Connect Four and so many others. My games weren’t based on characters, they weren’t sold to promote a TV show. They were just fun games. What about Monopoly? I played Monopoly by myself. {Did I mention I was an only child until I was 9? That might clarify a few things…} I would pick cards for me, and for my ‘opponent.’ I’d play each side, but still secretly hope I’d win.

Some of my favorites are still around. Just last week, M received Operation (how fitting!) But, it’s different. Still fun, still challenging, but the ‘patient’ now has a cell phone that you need to remove. He has gas bubbles. His nose still lights up and buzzes when you hit the side, but you no longer collect money for a successful surgery (remember the theme? ‘Operation! You’re the doctor…collecting all your pay. Operation! You’re the doctor, it’s so much fun to play!’) Still fun, just a bit different. We also have Hungry, Hungry Hippos. How did I have so much fun with this game? It’s so noisy! It’s over in 3 seconds. Today’s version? Flimsy. Cheap. Am I just imagining that my 9 year old self had a sturdy, super-constructed game? With real marbles, instead of the miniature ping-pong balls that came with M’s game?

It’s official. I’ve reached the, “That’s not the way it was when I was growing up’ stage, and it’s ok. Things aren’t the same. It doesn’t mean I need to buy them the Sponge Bob version of Connect Four, but I will try, for the life of me, not to remind them about when I was a kid. I never liked hearing it, and doubt they will either. It might suck the fun right out of the game, and isn’t fun the whole point?

What were your favorite games as a child? What games are you excited to play with your kids?

There was a time when we talked about having a 3rd child. Then, one or both of the girls started getting up at night again, and we I realized that we just might not stay sane going through that again.

I’ve read that people who have kids close together tend to have more children, probably because they never really get to that ‘easier’ phase, with both (or more) kids out of diapers, sleeping through the night, able to entertain themselves a bit, in school. It makes sense. While every child adds more responsibility, if you’re used to getting up at night, it isn’t such a big deal. If you already carry a diaper bag, what’s a few more diapers?

Speaking of up at night in the early months…I can remember almost everything with M. She was the first, it was all new. Sometimes, sometimes, I loved being up with her in the wee hours of the morning. It was just us. It was ‘found’ time. Even when she’d go back to sleep, I might stay up. I still had the luxury of ‘sleep when the baby sleeps.’ MTV was the only thing on. I still have a fondness for the songs ‘Mr. Brightside’ by The Killers and ‘Get Right’ by Jennifer Lopez because they were the only 2 songs that they played in Winter ’04-05 (except the rare ‘Boulevard of Broken Dreams’ by Green Day thrown in and a Keene song with a video about rabbits.)

I digress.

My girls are older. One is entering Kindergarten, and the other is entering pre-school. I can’t help but think we’d be fools to consider altering this seemingly perfect arrangement. I wish I were that mom. You know, the one who has boundless energy, or the ability to pretend she does. The one who can always come up with new, fun things to do. The one who never seems flustered by mess or chaos. I wish I needed less sleep and alone time.

I’m not. I don’t.

When I was younger, there was very little that annoyed me more on a car trip than my parents’ choice in music. Not their bickering, not my father’s refusal to accept help with directions, not my mother’s nagging about speed, weather, whatever. It was the music.

Oldies 103, to be precise. It was the 80′s. Let’s listen to current music, people! I would beg, whine, argue and plead for them to turn on Kiss108 or Z94 (the Zoo!) or any other pop, top 40 station. Anything but Oldies 103!

Fast forward to now.

I have XM radio in my car, and it is rarely on a station other than the 80′s or 90′s channels. That music is great! What 30-something year old doesn’t get nostalgic when they hear Bon Jovi’s ‘Never Say Goodbye’? Memories of the junior high dance with the boy you were certain you’d be with forever…Or “Let the Music Play’ by Shannon? ‘Home Sweet Home’ by Motley Crue? ‘Nothing but a Good Time’ by Poison? Anything by New Kids on the Block?

It dawned on me. Is this how my parents felt? Was it really less about them getting with the times, and more about them enjoying the feel-good songs from when they were younger? I never knew.

The problem? Their songs were crappy. Mine are great. When my kids whine and complain about my choice in music, I’ll teach them to appreciate it. To understand how happy it makes me to belt out these songs to drown out their yelling.

Just like my parents tried to do.