Mad About Multiples!

First Grade – Time To Split ‘Em Up

My now 6–year-old twin girls have been in the same classroom from preschool through pre-Kindergarten and now Kindergarten. They’ve had a wonderful year in their first year of real school, as they call it. They’re very social little girls and their classmates are now good friends. Both have learned to read and write well and their curiosity continues to grow as they show off their math and reasoning skills. Neither is co-dependent on the other and separate easily when in the classroom. And next year, I’m separating them into different classes. If things are going so well, you’re probably wondering, why am I going to do that? And I would respond, because it’s time.

Seriously though, all the reasons I’d maintained for keeping them together in the same Kindergarten classroom no longer exist…while the reasons for separating them have become clear. One of the biggest reasons I kept them together was that they were entering a new school where they would not know anyone. As I mentioned, this is no longer the case. They have a whole classroom of new friends plus those that they met in the Extended Care program at a nearby church.

Moral support. One of my twins (Songwriter) is bold and assertive. The other (Storyteller) is thoughtful and cautious. But in new situations – new people, new environment – both personalities change dramatically. Songwriter becomes shy and quiet. Storyteller becomes protective [of her twin] and outspoken. Many people find this difficult to believe but I see it time and time again. At the beginning of the year, I think this was a good thing. Songwriter learned to observe and figure out her place in class. Storyteller was their spokesperson, exuding confidence and acting like the older-by-two-minutes sister that she was. They needed each other in different ways. Next year, each of them will see familiar faces in class from their Kindergarten year and the environment won’t be so new and unfamiliar.

Separate Or Together – For Our Twin Girls, The Answer Is Together

Seems to be that time of the year again...the great debate looms large for many of us parents of multiples. Should we or shouldn't we separate our twins (or more!) in school? For many of us with kids in preschool, it has never really been an issue as many of the schools only had one classroom anyway. But now, they're about to enter Kindergarten and the questions come up from every direction it seems - from other parents, from current schoolteachers, from the school administration.

I swear that a few years ago, fellow moms with twins around the same age as mine had all sworn that we would keep our twins together in the same class come that crucial year – Kindergarten! We were armed with research and statistics that indeed, keeping twins in the same classroom in Kindergarten would certainly help, not hurt them…as many misinformed, misled school officials would have you believe. In fact, there is no research that proves that separating twins at Kindergarten would improve their sense of self, individuality. This idea was put forth by a psychologist based solely on his personal opinion, with no research or experience to back it up.

Many school officials somehow took this as gospel and instituted, albeit unwritten, policies that all twins must be separated at Kindergarten. Well, this has irked many a parent of multiples. And at parents of multiples clubs like Gemini Crickets, members have made sure that other members with younger twins know that this “policy” is bogus and certainly something you, as the parent that knows your multiples better than anyone else, should know and challenge, if necessary.

So, there I was, standing with fellow moms of twins (figuratively speaking, of course), ready to take on the battle. Armed with the knowledge and links to related research, I was biding my time until my girls reached that age. But now, as I look to each side of me, I find I am alone. Many of my fellow twins parents have all but abandoned the fight. What happened?

Kindergarten - the End Game?

A couple weeks ago, we had a guest speaker come to our club’s General Meeting to talk about Kindergarten Readiness. It’s part of a two-part series we offer our members every year. The second part is on Preschool readiness. One of these sessions includes a professional speaker from Parents Place and the other is a panel of parents from the club sharing their own perspectives and knowledge. For the first time this year, we had a professional speaker for the Kindergarten session and a panel of parents for the Preschool topic (switched from last year).

The Kindergarten session was not only eye-opening, it was somewhat of a relief. The speaker focused on the fact that the greatest preparation we could give our kids for Kindergarten is to make sure they attain the self-regulation (e.g., pays attention, controls impulses, follows directions), social expression (e.g., curiosity for learning, tells stories, social play) and self-help/motor skills to be successful at the Kindergarten level. School programs focus on the academics, so a Kindergarten teacher is confident a child can and will learn the academics.

Travelling With Twins? Start ‘Em Young, I Say!

This post was originally published by MommyTwinGirls on July 9, 2008

Travel. With twins. An overwhelming thought if you sit down to think about it…especially at an early age. Think of all that gear you have to bring with you now in your car. Now imagine lugging all that stuff onto an airplane. It’s downright exhausting just thinking about it. But you know what? It’s not that bad. And it’s not all that different. We’ve been travelling long distances with our twin girls since they were 2 ½ months old. Their first trip was to San Diego. Yes, we drove (gas wasn’t as much of a hindrance 4 years ago as it is now). Caveat – our kids *loved* sleeping in the car…in fact, they still do (luckily)…a big, big advantage…and a major requirement for a relatively peaceful drive for 9 to 10 hours from the Bay Area…oh yea, and toys. We realized that the immobile phase was great for travelling. We did it again a few months later…and a few months later after that.

Our big trip was to the homeland (Norway) to visit my husband’s side of the family. It would be the girls’ first introduction to their aunts, uncles and cousins (grandparents visited on their first birthday). The girls were 17 months old. And toddling. Everywhere. Sitting down was not an option…unless it was on the floor where they could examine seat legs, airplane magazines and their toes. Ugh! I don’t have to tell you how dirty the airplane carpets were are. We walked around the plane once with them wearing socks…the bottoms of those socks turned an ugly gray after a single lap. I finally placed an airplane blanket on the floor for them to sit on and play. I didn’t want to think too hard about the carpet…I just needed a little peace.

Double Click Tuesdays: Vacation Travelers

After a hot day of exploring the Mayan ruins in Tikal National Park, Guatemala, 7-year-old twins, Songwriter (left) and Storyteller (right), checked out the pond next to the Tourist Center at the entrance. The danger sign for crocodiles discouraged them from lingering for long near the water and they couldn't wait to get back to the hotel pool to cool off.

This is an original post to Mad About Multiples and is part of the Double Click Tuesdays series.

After The Split

By Linda/mommytwingirls

Two girls. Two classrooms. Two parties. Many of us parents of twins have made (or will make) the difficult (for some, agonizing) decision to split up our twins (or triplets) into separate classrooms once they reach school age. Sure, much of the argument and critical decision points have to do with how each twin learns, how both behave when they're together versus apart and many, many other considerations. But here's another point that's not discussed as much until after the fact, the burden on the parent(s) to cover each twin's classroom events.

Noone warned me how many different activities and events my girls would be involved in at school. Forget the non-school activities like swimming, Tae Kwon Do, soccer, Daisy troop, etc., etc., etc. I'm just talking about school stuff. I'm the lucky one in our family. As a photographer, I have the ability to create my own work hours - which usually means scheduling photo shoots around anything going on at my twins' school that would require or encourage parental participation. My husband usually experiences more complications in coordinating such things. And while he's very good about planning ahead at work to make it possible to attend a school event, sometimes he simply...can't. Or at times, he just can't stay very long.

Double Click Tuesdays: Songwriter and Storyteller

 
Winter is just around the corner and you know what that means...time to head to Tahoe. 6-year-old twins, Songwriter and Storyteller, love winter and can't wait to hone their downhill ski technique, explore a few cross-country ski trails, speed through the inner tube track, skate around the ice rink and sled down a few hills.

This is an original post to Mad About Multiples and is part of the Double Click Tuesdays photo series.

A Visit to Firestation 13

By Linda DLR

One of the best things about being a member of Gemini Crickets is the many activities sponsored by the club. Though many of the activities are designed to keep our young twins active and entertained, sometimes an activity appeals to both children and adults alike - like a fire station. There's just something special about being able to tour a station, meet the firefighters and understand more about how they all live and work together. So, when a field trip was organized to allow our kids (and us adults) to do just that, I jumped on it. It was memorable and fascinating.

A big Thank You to Firestation #13 for having us visit and sharing their lives with us for a few short hours. Our kids had a wonderful time (and so did us parents!).

 

  
 

Original Mad About Multiples blog post.

When MommyTwinGirls isn't visiting firestations with her girls, you may also find her at Silicon Valley Moms Blog recounting the ups and downs of mommyhood, It's Never Easy But It's Always Fun splitting her time between her twin girls and at Solheim Photography posting favorites from her latest photo shoots.

When One Twin Wins and the Other…Does Not

A couple of weeks ago, Songwriter was awarded a medal in her Kindergarten class. A medal for having reached Level 5 in her reading minutes. It’s a monthly cumulative total we parents keep and turn in each month to their teachers. For Kindergarteners, the recommendation is reading to them, with them or having them read themselves for at least 20 minutes per day. This is to help them learn to love to read and read well as they get older. I’m not sure that this has motivated our girls to want to read but it certainly has motivated us parents to ensure that we read to them almost everyday for at least the recommended duration.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, I didn’t realize there was a sort of “contest” associated with this program. The award certificate specified the number of minutes that earned her the medal for her class. It was 25 minutes more than her sister over the course of seven months, who came in second place. Knowing Storyteller, I’m sure she didn’t throw a fit in class and felt happy for her sister. But to us (Mommy and Pappa), she let it be known how unfair she thought it was. Only 25 less minutes than her sister. Darn.

Introducing Double Click Tuesdays: Storyteller and Songwriter

Mad About Multiples is ... madly in love with our multiples. So in honor of the twins and multiples of Gemini Crickets and in honor of twins and multiples everywhere, we are launching the Double Click Tuesdays photographic series. Check back each #twintuesday as we pictorially capture the spirit of twins.

Kicking off the Double Click Tuesdays series are 6-year-olds Storyteller and Songwriter, snapped by their professional photographer mother as they work the play out of their colorful Zooniwear mop top hats.

This is an original post to Mad About Multiples and is part of the Double Click Tuesdays photo series.

Playgroups, Playdates and Parks, Oh My

 
As a member of Gemini Crickets, I’ve gotten to enjoy plenty of social events and monthly meetings to educate and hook up with other parents sharing the same challenges or even better, giving me a glimpse of things to come. But the one thing that drew me closest to this club was my playgroup.

My twins happened to be the oldest in our playgroup with the next oldest set being about 6 months younger. As we all know, that’s a huge developmental difference in the first year. But honestly, it didn’t matter. After all, “playgroup” is sort of a misnomer. Seriously. It’s not really all about the children. It’s about moms getting together to regain their sanity by sharing stories of their twins’ latest antics or just having another adult (albeit another mom with her own set of twins) physically there so you didn’t suffer overly much from the feeling of being outnumbered and often times, outmaneuvered.

Seriously though, there was nothing like watching our kids get together and play while we hung out, stress somewhat relieved by simply being out of the house and no longer alone with the kids. Believe it or not, it sometimes seemed easier to be with another mom and her twins than alone with my own. From two-on-one to four-on-two, you’d think it would be otherwise but no. And in a playgroup situation the old “it takes a village” saying never rang so true.

Our Year's Reprieve

This was a big, big year this year in school-land. Though our girls have been attending preschool and pre-Kindergarten the last couple of years, I think they knew this was an extra special year. Kindergarten. A coming of age, of sorts. They now believe they’re BIG girls.

Their excitement was contagious and I couldn’t help but feel excited for them. For me, the transition was not a major one…emotionally, at least. I didn’t feel that tugging of the heart, that twinge of sadness that our girls were growing up. And I know it’s because they’d been in a full-time structured pre-school the last couple of years. The material they’ll cover is not much different from what they’ve already been learning, which is a good thing. Repeating such lessons at an early age can only help, in my opinion. No, my major worry was the schedule. They just went from a 6 ½ hour preschool day (plus a couple of hours of extended care) to a 3 ½ hour Kindergarten one. And so, like any family where both parents work, coverage was our main concern.

Another worry? The early start time for the morning Kindergarten session. 8:05 am. We’ve gotten quite used to the 9:00am start-time the last couple of years. Another hour earlier? Ugh. It would mean that *I* would have to do morning drop off. Every. Single. Day. My husband and mornings don’t mix well. So, I went for the afternoon Kindergarten session. It would mean that we’d have to pay a little more for extended care both before and after the Kindergarten session but I knew it would be worth it. Besides, this would be the only year we could put off that 8am start time. From first grade and on, we would have to join the rest of the early morning elementary school crowd.

Topic Week: Back-to-School (recap)

Legions of multiples have headed back to school this month. Some went to preschool. Others to kindergarten. Others to grade school and beyond. Some are in separate classes while others have been kept together. From parent participation schools to public schools to catholic schools, our multiples are out there learning. It's been a learning experience for us parents as well. Some of us can't bear to be without our children at our side, while others are doing the "drop and flee". We're learning the ins and outs of new schools. Some of us are in our childrens' classrooms, poking around and staying involved. Others of us are working full time. A few of us public school kindergarten moms are shocked - shocked! - that as soon as we arrive with our children at school, the doors slam shut and we have no idea what's going on inside that classroom. Some children recount their entire day, while others remain mute. Some children divulge information in fragments.

So this week on Mad About Multiples, since our children are back in school, we're using those precious extra hours to talk about back-to-school.

We are hoping to get a new post up every day... we'll see!

Original post to Mad About Multiples.

Recap September 22, 2009

Whew - We got through back-to-school! Some of us sent twins off to preschool while some of us sent twins to kindergarten. Either way, It's nice to be back into a routine!

Here's what we discussed:

Pam loves her co-op preschool, worms and all: Back to preschool, Yeah or Boo.

Amy isn't sure who loves preschool more: Who Loves Preschool More, Me or Them?

Akemi second guesses her every move: Making the Least Bad Choice: 4-year-olds in Kindergarten.

Daphne quickly gets use to curbside drop-off: The Convenience Factor of Preschool.

Amy M. likes to be busy: Two Parent Participation Preschools? Call me crazy.

Linsey looks back: Ben and Lily's First Few Weeks of Kindergarten is a Mixed Bag.

Linda is relieved: One Year's Reprieve.

Nora LOVES back-to-school: Back to School? Back to the Museums!!!

Original post to Mad About Multiples.

Grade School Twins: Separate or Together?

Is Separating Twins Really the Answer? @ Yahoo! Video

Read the full post over on Silicon Valley Moms Blog.

Sun, Blue Sky and a Spring Picnic

A gorgeous day at Wildwood Park in Saratoga in May enticed a rather large number of Gemini Crickets families to come out and enjoy the beautiful spring weather. The playground kept most children busy running off energy and for those that took a breather, party coordinator, Susan, set up a table with several arts and crafts projects. But truly, a most wonderful sight at any large gathering like this is the twinfants sprawled and/or crawling on the tree-shaded grass.

 

Topic Week Recap: Confessions From Never Say Neverland

Wow - that did feel good! We aired our dirty laundry on a crowded line and nobody told us to take it down. That's how it goes in Never Say Neverland where the dirty laundry never ends and the population keeps climbing. Whether you have singletons or multiples or both, parenting is hard work. There is no perfect parent. There is no perfect parenting style. Parenting is a learning process, one that goes through changes and backtracks and baffling turns. We've learned to be flexible, we've learned not to judge, we've learned to laugh at ourselves and we've learned that what we said we'd do (or not do) before we had kids was totally insane a wee bit idealistic.

A recap of this week's posts:

Akemi/svtwinmom from Chalk and Cheese Chronicles worries her kids are now the bullies in Keeping My Inner Sanctimommy at Bay

Susan from Thoughts from the Delirious Mind tries not to scream at her kids in Never Say Never

Amy T. from Audren and Nathan reassures herself that she was born to be a mom (right?)

Lisa George from The Curious Georges reexamines her views on parenting in My Life, Examined

Mari B. tries to control her kids...and her past judgments in Please Control Yourself

Polly F. from Fox Tales isn't a bad mom, just a flexible one in I'll Never Do That

Linda D/MommyTwinGirls from Solheim Photography admits to Backpedaling on the TV-thing

On behalf of Mad About Multiples, thank you for reading along. Now go and air your dirty laundry. We won't judge you.

Original post to Mad About Multiples.

Backpeddling On the TV-thing

I would never let my child watch that much TV!

Ever think that? Ever say it? Ever judge another parent for allowing their children to assume the zombie-like state in front of a TV? Yea…it’s a sentiment I voiced myself once or twice (okay, maybe more)…before we had children. After all, we live in California. Children should be outside playing – catching a lizard, maybe? Gathering rolly-polly’s? Camping in their play tents? Having a tea party? Drawing on the sidewalk? Whatever it is, shouldn’t kids be outside as much as possible? Why would you ever let kids sit inside the house on a glorious, sunny day, whiling away the time in front of the TV? *hand raised* Uh. Well. Hmmmm…there are several reasons, one of which is to prevent your children from destroying the house while your attention is elsewhere.

Oh, how my naivete has tempered my sense of what’s right or wrong, good or bad when raising kids. There’s philosophy and then there’s…ahem reality. Our kids can get very busy when we’re not watching very closely. Disaster areas pop up rather quickly in our home. But put them in front of the TV and hours (I won’t say how many…bad enough that I use the plural form of the word) later, the house is still somewhat livable. Just this last weekend, my husband and I had to finish painting walls, laying hardwood floor and ensuring the shower in our bathroom was fixed (all in the name of a lower mortgage rate). This meant Storyteller and Songwriter were on their own.

When Sibling Rivalry Works

Sibling rivalry. We’ve all heard about it. We’re all learning how to deal with it. Our twins are growing up and we worry the rivalry will escalate. Sure, there’s the normal fighting one can expect with younger kids and babies acting out their “Mine! Mine!” tendencies. But we worry the rivalry may become something more as they grow older, that one twin becomes dominant over the other. We worry that one twin’s accomplishments will result in the other twin feeling inadequate.

But I have to say that sometimes it just works. Sometimes, sibling rivalry makes my life easier. Case in point - the other morning, one of my twins was throwing a fit during the morning routine. The other? Calm, patient and quiet. I knew she wanted to stay out of the crying/screaming fray but when she asked, “Mommy, am I being a good girl?” I knew there was an agenda behind her sweet behavior. She was exhibiting another form of sibling rivalry by demonstrating how good a girl she was in stark comparison to her twin sister at the moment. I appreciated it as I labored to exert some patience of my own to deal with my other [screaming] daughter.

A Twins Convention…At Disneyland?

Five years ago, when we first started telling people we were going to have twins, one father of twins half jokingly told us that there would be no economy of scale with twins. As if we didn’t know already but hey, his twins were grown and he had certainly shelled out his share of double the living expenses over a couple decades or so. On the other hand, at times, we get to experience double the savings, not just the standard sibling discount of 10% off for preschool tuition, clothing and the like. When we save, we get to save big! Sounds kinda like that old glass is half empty, half full saying, eh.

So last year, when Disneyland announced that everyone would have free admission on their birthday in 2009, you can bet that every family with multiples considered a visit quite seriously…like us. I mean, saving over $100 at Disneyland is nothing to sneeze at…especially if you’re planning to go anyway. This year was our girls' 5th birthday, a milestone of sorts, at least in my opinion. A trip to Disneyland was certainly in keeping with a special number like 5. It would be their second trip to the land of a million dreams.

I knew several families in Gemini Crickets that were also considering a trip south, motivated by the free birthday admission offer. I didn’t think about it much more than that until after passing through the main gates into the park, I really looked around. Twins. Were. Everywhere. Wow! The way my head was constantly swiveling around, you would never have thought that I was a mother of twins, accustomed to seeing look-alikes on a daily basis. Hahaha

Raising Octuplets – How Would You Divide Your Attention?

I’m sure you’ve read this story. In case you haven’t, check it out here. While the rumors are flying around about the mother being a single one with 6 children already and her parents living with her to help out, I still have to wonder about raising the children. There’s always a lot of media attention around the births and survival of multiple newborns but what about beyond (and her beyond is rumored to already include 6 children)?

A constant concern I have with my own twins is that of equally splitting my attention between the two on whatever activity it might be - reading, writing, crafting, riding a bike or whatever. I worry that I should spend more time with one twin on reading while the other needs more attention with writing. I worry that if I replace an outgrown pair of shoes for one twin, that the other (whose shoes are perfectly fine) may feel slighted. And if I had 8 children (or 14 according to some of the news stories), how would I ever consider that my children would be getting enough time with me?

One of the things my husband and I know that we need to do more often, is spend one-on-one time with each of our twins. Unfortunately, it’s far too easy to do things all together as a family. It’s far easier to plan things together than apart. How would this mother find the time to do that?

Twins at the Pumpkin Patch

Oh how I love Autumn and children. There's something special about Fall colors and kids running around a pumpkin patch. Each year, I try to put aside a day for my twin girls and a pumpkin patch, such as Lemos Farm. This year, I thought what fun it would be to go along on a Gemini Crickets field trip to Spina Farms and take photos of several sets of twins running around a pumpkin field. I'm sure I'm not the only mommy that thinks there isn't much cuter than little tots, barely taller than the pumpkins themselves, wandering around rows of the orange fruit awed by the mere sight of so many in one spot.

Photos and Families - Tips from a Pro

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of photographing 10 families from Gemini Crickets for the Fall photography fundraiser. As a GC member and a photographer, I had such a blast! I was exhausted, yes, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself - and I think the families did, too. It was a gorgeous, sunny day at McClellan Ranch in Cupertino and the myriad spots for photos kept us all moving around the grounds throughout all the mini photo sessions.

As I hung out with each family, several questions about photography and camera gear came up as some wondered how they could, in turn, catch those everyday special moments since high-quality, affordable digital SLRs are so widely available these days. I thought I’d share those questions and my answers and hopefully, it will inspire more of you to grab your cameras (or buy a new one) more often at home. After all, a professional photographer can’t be there for all the special times of your lives…and you don’t want to miss catching them.

Q: I’m thinking of getting a digital SLR, what kind should I get? Lenses?

A: I admit it. The only cameras we own are by Canon. This is

Our Semi-Annual Photography Fundraiser

It's that time of the year again...time to start thinking about back-to-school photos and holiday cards. We're fast approaching the end of September and Fall is in the air. With that comes one of the club's most popular activities - the family photography fundraiser!

I've participated in this event each year since it started, in the Fall. It's one of those activities that made me feel lucky to be part of this club. The way it works is the club gets a professional photographer to spend 20-30 minutes with each of several families for one day, usually at a park. It's up to the family as to whether they would like photos of just the kids or the whole family. I have always used this event to get our family portrait done so I could get started on putting together our holiday cards. If I'm organized, I can get my holiday cards out by late October or early November. Imagine that!

Her First Taste of Sand

Well, it had to happen someday. Grass, sand, rocks, dirt – all of these things would one day make its way into my babies’ mouths at some point. Today was as good a day as any. And "K" ate sand with such exuberance and style, I couldn’t help but snap a few photos.

Most babies, I’m sure, start slowly and carefully. The texture of the sand on their fingers and hands is a new feeling to be explored and savored. Well, "K" did that….and more. She liked the feeling so much, she thought it would be best felt inside her mouth. Hmmmmm…

Sure, she carefully placed a few grains on her fingertips first. But pretty soon thereafter, she thought that if a little was OK, then a LOT must be great. Before I knew it, she opened wide and dove into the sand. Her mouth was filled with the gravelly stuff. And as if that wasn’t enough, she started pushing whatever didn’t make it in the first mouthful, that is, whatever was left on her hands and lips – into her mouth! Ugh!

My First Day Out With My Baby Girls

This was a very important day for my fellow mommy friend, Cathy, and me. It was the day we proved to ourselves that we could do it. We could take the girls out on our own with no husband, no other adult support - just us and the girls. Our girls were one month old. Her baby daughter was only 2 days older than my twinfants. It was the first time I ventured out alone with the girls for an outing. Sure, we’d done some errands here and there. But actually hangin’ out somewhere without my husband?

Cathy and I decided to go out to lunch, after the main lunch hour. We weren’t really sure what to expect with the girls…would they cry? Scream? Both Cathy and I were already over the nursing in public jitters. Neither of us had any qualms about pulling out a breast when our babies needed it – whenever and wherever we were. Of course, we completely understood that there are still many people out there who would feel very uncomfortable if confronted with such a scene. So, we had our blankets ready, not for us but for them. Silly, but oh well.

Writing Motherhood: First Words and Other Firsts

Today, we at Mad About Multiples will be joining a circle of other bloggers as we explore Writing Motherhood via the writing prompt: First Words and Other Firsts. We'll be throwing up posts throughout the day, so check back often for our take on firsts. If you have a twins-related "first" you'd like to share, please feel free leave a comment.

“First Words and Other Firsts: Open any baby diary and you will find whole pages devoted to firsts: first smile, first words, first friends, first birthday. Why are firsts so significant? Because they represent a beginning. Because they push us beyond what is familiar and comfortable. Because they jolt us out of the numbness or everyday life and bring us back to our primitive selves when we saw a world through a child’s eyes. Keeping in mind that first experiences do not end with babyhood, write about a first: the first day of kindergarten, the first day of college, the first grandchild. Or simply begin with the writing start “the first time” and write down the first thing that comes to mind.” 

The Constant Equalizer

Remember when you first knew you were expecting twins, one of your major worries was "Am I going to have to buy TWO of everything?" followed quickly by well, an endless list of other concerns. Then after attending your first New & Expectant Parents meeting at your local moms of multiples club, you realize you don't need two of everything. In fact, you'll probably set up an entertainment circuit of sorts that your babies will alternate through to accommodate their endless changes of moods. If happy baby in the swing gets bored and starts crying, you move her to the playmat with lots of hanging animals and curious rattles. Sad baby in bouncing chair? Move him to the swing...and so on and so forth.

BUT, what you don't really talk about in those meetings is that as your twins (or more!) get older, you develop an oversensitivity to equalizing everything between (or among) your kids...in a sometimes illogical, impractical way. Just the other day, the strap on the sandal of one of my twin's shoes broke. So, I headed to the store to purchase a new pair. As I spent far more time than necessary deciding which style to get, my mind wandered to which ones my other twin daughter would like. Waitaminute...her sandals are just fine. She doesn't need a new pair. BUT.

One Last Year of [Preschool] Tuition - Thank Goodness

It's the last week of August and we decided to do our summer vacation now, that is, our annual trip to Norway to visit my husband's side of the family. We timed our trip for that 2-week long break between their summer pre-K school and fall sessions. We figured that most of the relatives and friends that we visit should be in town since we were getting so close to the start of school instead of being off at their cabins in the mountains or catching the last warm rays of sunshine at the beaches down along the southern coast. Uh, whoops. Some started school last week. Others started this week. But they are certainly all home!

Our girls' cousins range in ages from 1 to 15 years old, with the majority in the 4 to 5-year old set. It's more complicated to compare school systems, including preschools, than you think but the one that sticks out in my mind is the cost. Mind you, Norway really is more family-oriented than the States in many ways and I can't help but feel envious every time I hear about another woman on maternity leave (earning 80% of her salary for 12 months or 100% of her salary for 10 months *and* the husband being *required* to stay home for 2 months on paternity leave at full pay!) while her company maintains her position and awards her advancement (i.e., promotions and increased pay!) during her absence. (Yes, fodder for another post!) But a few years ago, they passed a law that essentially limited the maximum amount a barnehaugen (preschool) can charge per child (after all, they are private schools here as well). US$300 per child, per month. Can you believe that? Times two for my twins and that's US$600 per month, per child. Uh. Wow. We easily pay 4 times that for our girls. The rest of the school costs (if there is more to the costs per child in that particular school) is subsidized by the government. Must be nice living in such a wealthy country.

Moms Summer Fiesta - The Reason I Joined

A couple months ago, we (Gemini Crickets) held the annual Moms Summer party which our ever creative party coordinators turned into a Mexican Fiesta. As I perused the photos from the event and reminisced about the night, I just had to smile. The annual moms summer party was the very first club event I ever attended (over 4 years ago). At the time, I was trying to decide which moms of multiples club to join in the area as there were two that seemed convenient. In the end, I joined both but stuck with this one over the last 4+ years. And the moms summer party seems to be the one party during the year that reminds me why I'm glad I joined this club.

Of course it was a great party (Wendy, Tina and company could do no less) with a fun theme, delicious Mexican food and a mouth-watering, array of colorful desserts to tempt even the most stalwart dieter in the group (who, I'm sure, took a break from the daily regimen to sample *just a few* tasty morsels here and there). The location couldn't have been more beautiful (thanks, Barbara!) and inviting. But the best part of the evening is always the moms - the ones I knew and couldn't wait to catch up with and the ones I met who I look forward to seeing at more GC events.

On A Bicycle Built For...3?!

It's just one of those things. Once my husband, "T", gets an idea in his brain, he just can't let go. Hence, one of his most recent acquisitions - a tandem tagalong seemingly custom built for our 4-year-old twin girls - has already provided us with hours of entertainment. He saw this "double tagalong" on a Los Gatos street once and he just had to have it. So he searched...and searched...and searched and found it - online, of course. On eBay...surprise surprise....

He learned that these were built by a Canadian company years ago who stopped making them (probably not a huge market for them unless you live in Northern California where there seems to be a higher incidence of twins than elsewhere). You can't find them in stores. And he had to have one. I agreed it would be quite practical for our family of four. The girls are learning to ride bikes yes, but they've still got their training wheels on...which means we can't go very far and (if I have anything to say about it) we won't venture onto busy streets. We do have a great bike trailer but even that's getting a bit cramped for our taller-than-average twins.