Birthday Butterflies

The girls turned twelve today. They woke up early today because they were so excited. We snuggled for a while talking about the day they were born. I've told them the story dozens of times, but they still ask to hear it on their birthday.
The girls are lovely young ladies. The brunette twin is about 5'6" tall with a shy smile. The blond twin is about 5'4" with deep blue eyes. They are going through all the normal middle school growing pains and enjoying their new-found interests.
As I told them the story about the day they were born, I told them I remembered every detail of that day. I remembered calling Uncle Dave in a panic, asking him to put the baby seats in the car as we raced home from our downtown jobs. I remembered the first time we held each girl. I told them about calling everyone to announce their arrival. It all came back like it was yesterday.
Before we started our day, the brunette twin said, "Let's play butterflies." It's a game we played when they were very young. We went around and around telling our butterfly story. As the girls talked, I sensed their butterfly joy and their growth. The butterfly stories were a bit more sophisticated and detailed. It was one more sign that the girls were both our babies and sophisticated 12 year olds at the same time. It was a lovely way to anchor their past and present as we started their birthday celebrations.