I had a son two years before my twins were born. Like all moms, I think my son was pretty remarkable at an early age. He spoke very early and was pretty engaging. So, I thought I was prepared for all the extra attention that having twins would bring. I was wrong.
Being a twin mom brings double the attention, no pun intended, than having one child. Perhaps it’s because they are same-sex twins who often dress alike. They’re not identical but they favor strongly and their curly hair can make it more difficult to differentiate the two. Whatever the reason, we can’t walk anywhere without eyes darting toward us. The attention isn’t lost on them either. In their toddler years, they enjoyed the fawning: their days were filled with the “they’re so cute” statements, the “who’s the oldest” questions, and the constant requests to touch their hair (which I politely decline for them).
In seven years, I don’t think twice anymore when I hear those questions. That’s not the case with them. Apparently, the boys are fed up with hearing these statements in every public outing. They just told my mother recently how especially tired they are answering the question, “Are you twins?” The elder twin Caleb estimates that he and Luke been asked that 5,000 times. Responding to (what was to them, at least) an obvious answer was exhausting.
Last week, a woman inevitably asked the question. Number 5,001. They’d had enough.
Without hesitation, Caleb responded, “No, we’re cousins.”
Luke smiled while Caleb smirked. They’d won this little game. I was speechless. I couldn’t even correct them because I couldn’t find the words. The woman shrugged and left none the wiser.
Of course, there was the obligatory talk about telling the truth, the blessing of having a twin, and the fact that being cousins meant they had different parents. (“Don’t you both want me as your Mommy?” I asked with enough guilt to get a confession out of a serial killer).
Still, I said all of those things while holding back the laughter. In their minds, they’d solved their own problem. That’s what we want our kids to do - minus the lying. Caleb is quick-witted and has the best one-liners. Luke doesn’t want to make trouble and gets along easily with others. Those are traits that generally make kids fun to be around. It’s knowing how and when to use those talents.
Like Jimmy told Sarge in The Five Heartbeats after the singers broke into a fight onstage, “I just have to teach them how to use everything they have.” The next night, the fight became part of the act. And it was magic. So, that was my next chore.
Until then, I’ll answer all the twin questions for them. And, try not to lie.
Being a twin mom brings double the attention, no pun intended, than having one child. Perhaps it’s because they are same-sex twins who often dress alike. They’re not identical but they favor strongly and their curly hair can make it more difficult to differentiate the two. Whatever the reason, we can’t walk anywhere without eyes darting toward us. The attention isn’t lost on them either. In their toddler years, they enjoyed the fawning: their days were filled with the “they’re so cute” statements, the “who’s the oldest” questions, and the constant requests to touch their hair (which I politely decline for them).
In seven years, I don’t think twice anymore when I hear those questions. That’s not the case with them. Apparently, the boys are fed up with hearing these statements in every public outing. They just told my mother recently how especially tired they are answering the question, “Are you twins?” The elder twin Caleb estimates that he and Luke been asked that 5,000 times. Responding to (what was to them, at least) an obvious answer was exhausting.
Last week, a woman inevitably asked the question. Number 5,001. They’d had enough.
Without hesitation, Caleb responded, “No, we’re cousins.”
Luke smiled while Caleb smirked. They’d won this little game. I was speechless. I couldn’t even correct them because I couldn’t find the words. The woman shrugged and left none the wiser.
Of course, there was the obligatory talk about telling the truth, the blessing of having a twin, and the fact that being cousins meant they had different parents. (“Don’t you both want me as your Mommy?” I asked with enough guilt to get a confession out of a serial killer).
Still, I said all of those things while holding back the laughter. In their minds, they’d solved their own problem. That’s what we want our kids to do - minus the lying. Caleb is quick-witted and has the best one-liners. Luke doesn’t want to make trouble and gets along easily with others. Those are traits that generally make kids fun to be around. It’s knowing how and when to use those talents.
Like Jimmy told Sarge in The Five Heartbeats after the singers broke into a fight onstage, “I just have to teach them how to use everything they have.” The next night, the fight became part of the act. And it was magic. So, that was my next chore.
Until then, I’ll answer all the twin questions for them. And, try not to lie.
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