Despicable MB?

I like to think that I'm not a judgmental person. Or at least not very. I do have thoughts from time to time. And I admit I'm especially tough on smokers, politicians, domestic auto haters and Donald Trump.

However I try (and am usually successful) to recast my first thoughts so that I can give the same benefit of appreciation that I'd like to receive myself.

But, I guess I'm actually a chauvinist. Yes, me! A child of the woman's movement, the only sister of 4 brothers and a witness to the rise of several successful women.

Here's my sad, sad story:

We recently had an 8th birthday party for GJG and GMG. This was the first "real" birthday party for the twins, with kids, cake, decorations, games, the works. Before this year, the idea of a party for them gave me shivers. But this year seemed like the right time ... when the party would be more of a fun celebration than a dressed-up babysitting group.

Each of our Gs invited 4 kids and we ended up with 3 boys and 5 girls. I fully expected our party to be much like few we'd had for CAG, which were all girls and mostly manageable fun with only moments of rowdiness that could be easily brought under control.

ALTHOUGH (this is the chauvinist part) with boys attending, I figured the party might have more rowdiness than we'd had before.

As the kids started to arrive for the party, I learned my lesson.

GJG and his friends set up a checkers game in the middle of the family room and started playing ... quietly huddled around the board. While GMG and her friends started running around them and the room, throwing a ball made of one of their sweaters, and playing monkey-in-the-middle. And they were L-O-U-D!

The boys? Quiet, orderly and cooperative. The girls? Loud, chaotic and quickly crazy. Me? Astounded by my chauvinist assumption and willing acceptance of the "sugar-and-spice; snips-and-snails" stereotype of gender behavior.

Happily, CAG's wisdom let me off the hook ... a little. She noted that GJG, who is shy, quiet, and a bookaphile, would have friends with similar characteristics. (Like she, herself, had for those earlier, steadier birthday parties.)

GMG, on the other hand, is outgoing, active and enthusiastic. So her friends would bring all of that -- and more! -- to the party. Making the time fun, fun, fun! while it raced and draged all at the same time.

Just to clarify: very soon after we started the party games, BOTH boys and girls were having lots of loud and kinetic fun. (And CAS -- my friend who helped out and rescued me several times during the day -- recognized it as normal nutty 8-year-old behavior). Making our party, I think, an unqualified success.

And making me absolutely sure we won't host another party for the Gs very soon ... or for a couple of years at least!