Happy Memorial Day! I think we should all remember how lucky we are to live in this wonderful country. I am so thankful for all of the men, women, (and canine) soldiers that have served and still serve our country. I will for sure keep them and their loved ones close to my heart today.

This has been one long week! I have been very much under the weather this weekend. I am so thankful for this wonderful man I call my husband for stepping in and stepping up when needed, and doing it all when I couldn’t. I know how crazy these kids are, and he’s done an incredible job, and I am so thankful! I am so lucky to have a true partner in life.

This week, the boys have been changing their nap time (against my will) and omitting nap time altogether on some days (also against my will). We have had many afternoon “snack picnics” and spent lots of time outside since it has warmed up significantly. They love being outside, and love having Ranger with us! During one of their nap time regressions, the boys made a mess out of the playroom. I asked Joseph to pick up the toys he threw on the floor and he just stared through me like I wasn’t there. I asked him again (looking him directly in the eyes) and he smirked. He still didn’t pick up the toys, so I firmly told him to do it once more. He looked up at me and said “Sorry. I not Joseph. I’m Jacksie!” The little bugger was trying to pull the twin switch on me already! During another one of their non-napping moments, they climbed the bureau and looked into the monitor. It has two way voice, so I told Jackson to get down, as I distinctly saw his little face up close and personal. He looked into the monitor and said “You go to sleep, Mama!” If only, fresh boy. If only…

Taylor has been taking swimming lessons in school (once per week). Although she’s much more comfortable and happy in the pool, she’s far from an Olympic athlete. We were invited to observe the swim class this week, and it was hilarious. She did everything she was told, but she honestly cared more about the geese and “baby geese” that she could see outside the pool window. At one point, she swam the full length of the pool with her class, and then had everyone stopped at the other end and looking out the window to discuss the geese and what they were doing. Even the instructors were talking about them! Leave it to my kid to notice animals when she’s supposed to be paying attention to something else. On Friday morning, she ran up to me for a hug and put her head between my breasts. She said “Wow! These things sure are huge. And look! I can feel the baby kicking in one! It’s a sister!” She’s still obsessed with having a sister and promised she’d be happy with one baby this time instead of two. Not happening, kid.

On Saturday morning, Todd walked into the boys room to hear them yelling “Hot! Hot!” They had climbed on their bureau and reached around the bookshelf portion (by doing some incredible ninja moves that I wish I had seen) and turned on their heat – all the way. Fortunately, it wasn’t on for long. Unfortunately, we decided to remove the knob that night so they couldn’t do it again, and we didn’t realize that by doing so, the heat was left in a permanent on position and the knob couldn’t be replaced. Oops. We are very lucky that one of our neighbors is an electrician and came over at 8pm on a Saturday to fix it for us. We would have been in a bad situation otherwise! Also, one small boy may have gotten stuck in between the sofa and love seat. He literally couldn’t free himself, and of course, I stopped for pictures.

I hope everyone had a fun, safe Memorial Day weekend. We sure loved our extra family time.

Once the chaos of Friday night quieted down, we had a much better weekend. We had all of the issues repaired on Saturday, had a pizza party at my mom’s house, and spent today relaxing and playing. Taylor chose her own outfit on Saturday, complete with shoes that were at least one size too big. It was the most quintessential four year old outfit. She sure can pull off any look though!

We stopped at Starbucks earlier today when we were out. Todd just ran in while I stayed with the kids (and dog) in the car. He took my phone with him since I had some credit on my mobile app. Taylor was so concerned that he was trading the barista my phone for the coffee. She was not pleased and said “Mommy! If Dad gives the coffee man your phone, how am I going to ever check the weather!” She was very relieved when he returned with the coffee and the phone. When we got home, I went to switch to a smaller purse. I have a closet full of older purses and wallets that don’t get much use, and just went to grab one from there. The kids’ toy box actually blocks this closet so they can not get in. When I opened the door, Taylor’s little eyes lit up and she said “Wow, Mom! Is this like a store for purses in your own closet?” It was adorable. I can’t wait to share my collection with her some day.

Todd, more often than not, calls me “Ri” when he’s speaking to me. A lot of people do, actually. Jackson overheard him saying something to me today, so now he walks around the house saying “Hi Ri! / Here you go, Ri! / Goodnight, Ri!” He thinks he’s hilarious, and he kind of is. Even so, I told him that he needs to call me Mommy. Next time he heard Todd call me, Jack wagged his little finger at him and said “Not Ri, it’s Mommy!” At least he understood what I was telling him…

The boys were maniacal at bedtime tonight. They didn’t nap well today, so I think they were so tired that they were just slap happy. We tucked them in and left the room, and they immediately started climbing up their bureau. They were body slamming their locked closet doors (probably trying to get to the toys inside). They were climbing on the highest parts of their beds and jumping off. They pulled a conduit (piece that covers the wires in their room so they can’t get to them) off the wall and were slapping each other with it and throwing it at the walls. It took them hours to calm down and go to sleep, and it took us many times going into their room and trying to settle them down, or at least trying to get them to stop destructing things. When all was quiet, I looked in the monitor and only saw one small boy sleeping. I could not find the other, so I ran in the room to check it out and found this. He fell asleep on the bureau (the monitor is on one of the higher shelves above) and was waking up as I snapped this picture. I, of course, moved him into the safety of his bed.

Also, just so I can put this on the Internet for the world to see for all of time, Diane thinks I’m brilliant! Her words. It’s only taken her a few decades to admit, but she has come around! Love you, sister!

Writing things out is very cathartic for me. It often times make me feel better to get things out “on paper.” Today was an insane day for us, and I hope to never relive the experience we had tonight.

Thursday night into Friday morning, Taylor wasn’t feeling great again, and had a hard time going to sleep. She ended up falling asleep at 3:45 am. The boys took turns crying on and off after that, so I didn’t get to bed until after 6. I was exhausted today, to say the least. We stayed home again today since everyone was feeling crappy. The kids had a Frozen movie date, and danced together, which was so adorable. Taylor actually told me that she wanted to marry both of her brothers and dance with them when they were married.

Everyone took short naps and seemed to be feeling okay afterward. I gave all three kids a bath late this afternoon. As I was drying the boys off, Joseph peed on the carpet, about half an inch from his brother’s clean head. I wish that was the worst part. I cleaned that up, dressed the boys, and was helping Taylor braid her hair when we realized a really nasty smell coming through her room. It smelled like rotten eggs almost. She immediately turned her nose up and said “Ewww! Who pooped in my room?” I went to check out the rest of the house, and noticed the same thing in the bathroom. This is a smell that we had once a few weeks ago when we had the heating system on, but we didn’t think too much of it, since it went away quickly. I texted Todd and told him that the kids and I smelled it again and that it might be coming through the air conditioning. As soon as he walked in the door, he was hit with the odor. I think the kids and I were unfortunately getting used to it, so we didn’t notice it in the rest of the house. We turned off the air, opened the windows, and went about our day. As Todd and I got to talking, he mentioned being worried that it was a form of gas coming through the vents. The wheels in both of our heads began turning and we thought the massive bloody noses, headaches, and sicknesses the kids have had could be related. He and I have also been feeling under the weather, so the idea of it all being related was daunting. I called the pediatrician and explained everything the kids have been going through and she said definitely get out of the house and call 911. She wanted us to go to the ER for testing depending on their findings. We quickly collected the kids and dog and told them we were going to hang out outside while the fire fighters came to check out our house. This whole situation happened quickly, by the way. It’s not like we were sitting around the house sniffing fumes and playing dominos. I called 911 as we were ushering everyone to the front lawn, and the first responders arrived so quickly. The kids were a little scared, but since we kind of prepared them, they waved to the firefighters and went to play. Long story short, everything is okay. It was not carbon monoxide (that is an odorless gas and we thankfully have detectors for that). They determined by meters and the smell that it was methane gas backing up into our heating and cooling systems. It’s being fixed, hopefully, tomorrow. The system is off for tonight, and we are safe. The paramedics and fire fighters explained to us that this wouldn’t necessary cause bloody noses and all of the symptoms we had, but it’s certainly not good and not something we want to be continuously breathing in. They said that this gas could for sure make us feel somewhat ill (headaches, nausea, etc.) but fresh air was the best course of action for us. We avoided the ER, thankfully.

A year or so ago, I had to call 911 for Joseph when he choked. The response time from our local volunteers and city firefighters was amazing last time and was amazing now. They were so quick, thorough, and kind. They cared about our concerns and worried about our children. Of course it helped that our best buddies / neighbors / fire house members, Tommy and Ann, showed up to help out too. Ann helped wrangle the kids and was a calming force for me, and was just there for me like she always is. Tommy may have given me heart failure from yelling down to me from the roof of my own house, but all is good. They are such good friends to us and we are forever thankful. I am also grateful that my parents were right around the corner when we needed them. I called them about 20 minutes into the action and asked if they could lend an extra few sets of hands with the kids since we didn’t know what we were up against the time.

After a long night, I have three happily sleeping children, an exhausted husband, and a pup who is snuggled up against me as I write this. We are healthy and we are lucky because this could have been much worse. I hope this helps remind others to always trust your instincts. Sometimes my “mom gut” is so strong that I think I’m overreacting. Perhaps I am sometimes. Speaking with the pediatrician validated my concerns as a mom and helped reinforce the notion that I always have to do what is in their best interest.

I am really getting frustrated with the amount of people who call our house phone every day (yes, we have a house phone like its 1999), pushing political views. They called at nap time today and even though I lunged for the phone, it was still too late. Jackson woke up, rolled over and yelled “We’re not home; go away!” when he heard the phone ringing. There’s hope for that boy, yet. Are you registered to vote? Are you a democrat? Are you a republican? Do you think the candidates need better hair stylists? I really don’t care to be asked any of these questions over the phone. Furthermore, these people wake up my sleeping children! Not cool.  They’ve even called as late as 9:30pm, which really angered me. Until Doc McStuffins’ name is on a ballot, because let’s face it – that girl is going places, I don’t need you to call me with political information. I’ll make my own decisions, thank you!

My poor little Joseph has been having bloody noses on and off lately, probably from the colds they are all getting over. He had an epic one this morning that really scared me. I couldn’t get it to stop, and he’s of course two, and did not understand the concept of sit still so I can help make this better. The poor guy was miserable and scared. He was elated when it stopped (after nearly half an hour) and I freed him from my grasp. He was even more excited that I let him wear the Santa pajamas he chose to change into. The other kids were very concerned watching Joseph during this ordeal. I ushered them to another room, but of course they wanted to see what was wrong and be in the middle of the action. At one point I yelled “Just go wait in the kitchen, guys” to which Jacks replied “That’s my brudder (brother). I help him!” I couldn’t deny that and was actually really proud. I let Taylor and Jackson act as runners for wads of clean tissues after that. Once Joseph was all cleaned up, he asked for a snack. He took his Nutrigrain bar and sat down in the corner of the kitchen, exhausted from his ordeal. I gave the other two kids a snack as well and turned around to find them all huddled in the corner. I asked what was going on and Taylor said “Well, Josie’s nose was sick so we are sitting with him so he’s not alone and we want him to feel better. We missed him when he had a bloody nose. I’m a good helper, you know.” This moment melted my heart and make the insane temper tantrum she threw the other night almost null and void. Almost.

Although they were spectacularly cute in that moment, their looks are deceiving, as always. I was getting out a bunch of stuff for snacks this afternoon while they washed their hands. They were happily eating all of their snacks and I was having a pear I had cut up. There was something off about this pear though. It had a really nasty taste to it, but I had just brushed my teeth, so I figured that’s what it was. That must be why it tasted mildly disgusting but looked so good. I was starving, so I kept eating it. One of the boys came up and put his hand in my face, and the smell on his small hand hit me; it was the scent of the hand sanitizer they had washed their hands with only moments before… The boys admitted to washing my pear too while I wasn’t looking. How incredibly thoughtful. Gag.

Have you ever had one of those days where you think you should have stayed in bed with the covers tightly drawn over your head? The kids probably could have fended for themselves well enough… The kids have been sick with nasty colds for the past few days. Their sleep patterns have been awful, and they are generally miserable. We are all overtired. While the kids seem to be on the mend, Todd and I are starting to feel sick. We were hoping for an uninterrupted night of sleep last night. Around 4am, Todd woke me up yelling “Ri! Ri!” I immediately looked over at the baby monitors and at Todd trying to figure out what was wrong, but he was still asleep! He was apparently talking to me in a dream and had no idea he was calling out for me. He’s lucky I love him.

After the boys woke me up at 4 am Sunday morning and Todd woke me up at 4 am today, I was grateful that the boys at least slept until about 7 today, although Joseph woke up quite angry. He had removed the top part of his one piece pajamas, but could not get through the layers of duck tape I had around his waist to complete his mission. He was screaming “Come out, penis!” I was pretty glad that I didn’t have any extra clean up to do, but his face told a different story. Sorry kid; mom wins this round.

The day went down hill from there. I got the kids the “wrong” milk cups, I broke the bananas into halves again, the cereal bowls were the wrong colors, the vitamins weren’t the flavors they wanted, the hair bow I chose wasn’t the “right one,” the boys fought over the exact same shirt, etc. Taylor, who is usually pretty level headed, has been screaming for the past few hours and just had a tantrum because there were only two chipmunks in our backyard. She demanded that Alvin, Simon, and Theodore all be there at the same time and was less than impressed with me when I told her I couldn’t make that happen. When I asked the kids to clean up before dinner, and she cried again as she begrudgingly put her toys away and said “Now the only thing we have to play with is these curtains.” I caught the animals literally swinging from the curtains, Tarzan style.

I also just overheard her say “You guys, I don’t know why Mom’s being a big baby and making us mad.” My kids have it rough, I tell you.

We had another eye doctor appointment for Jackson today. He was so good, and very cooperative for the doctor. The doctor was able to do some testing that he never gets to do on toddlers because Jack was so awesome. He sure made me proud. It also helped that this doctor has little ones himself and is absolutely fantastic. The other two offspring of mine were less than well-behaved and made me want to drink, heavily. Jackson tried on some different glasses today, and even though these are not the ones he has, I think they look kind of adorable on him. The shape isn’t the best, but he makes them look good anyway.

Last night, Todd went out to pick up a few groceries and came home with something other than the essentials. I guess when you are a Daddy’s girl and you have been sick for days, Daddy thinks it’s logical to get a giant Pinky Pie My Little Pony stand up balloon. I’m not even going to pretend to be mad, because it was so thoughtful of him, and made T so happy. Taylor was so excited and has been proudly walking it around the house. She is in love, although Ranger is not exactly fond of it. My sweet girl was sure to say “Don’t worry puppy. It’s pretend and only has some air in it so it’s not very scary.” I’m not sure he went for it, but the effort was there. His stuffed Lamb Chop is much more his speed and comfort level. The way today has been going though, I very well might pop the damn pony before bedtime comes along.

“Mom, the toilet is broken again. It won’t eat all my poop.” That’s how my morning started. Thankfully, Taylor isn’t shy about anything, or I would have had a massive overflow. I had to play the role of plumber twice today, and the boys aren’t even using the toilet yet. They are, however, now obsessed with the toilet plunger. They’ve never seen it used before and think it’s the most incredible magic ever. I’m doomed.

We all stayed home today, as the kids have either really bad allergies or a cold. I’m still trying to figure out what it is, but they’ve been miserable. They laid around on the sofa without moving or getting into mischief. That’s how I know they are ill! Everyone took great, long naps today, which is unheard of around these parts. When they woke up, they were starving and asked for veggies and humus. I gave them carrots and hummus and decided to throw some pretzels (a square shape that they’ve never had) on their plates. As they were eating, I overheard Taylor say “Uh guys, don’t tell her but I think these are something really tasty. Mom just thinks they are some new kind of vegetable!” It was so cute the way she said it, and the fact that she thought she was getting away with something! My kids may have also dipped the aforementioned pretend BBQ food into the humus.

Taylor loves when we get physical mail. She’s basically claimed the junk mail for herself, and she will sit down and flip through coupons, local magazines, election material, etc. Today, she was so incredibly excited that she got an envelope with her name on it! Her good friend from last year’s school, Emi, sent her mail. She drew her some beautiful pictures, and it cheered Taylor up and made her feel so special. She couldn’t wait to “write back and put a stamp on the envelope.”

I’ve had a headache all day (might have something to do with sick kids crying and clinging to me) so Todd picked up a coffee for me on his way home. I’m so thankful for that man. He came in the house and said hello to the kids, and gave me a kiss. Jackson started yelling at him “Don’t bite Mommy on the lips! You don’t bite her lips, Daddy!” It was hilarious. He’s seen us kiss and has gotten / given tons of kisses himself to know what it is, but tonight, he was concerned for my safety.

Once upon a time, my boys had a really cute bedroom filled with toys, books, and adorable stuffed animals. As soon as these two beasts could hold their own floppy necks up, the end was near. They were scoping out the territory. They were planning their path of destruction. The toys quickly became weapons, projectiles, and spare parts for their game of war. The books lost their beautiful, glossy pages; their carefully crafted words no longer carrying any meaning. They were torn into shreds and used as baby spit balls, slip and slides on the hardwood floors, and a nice place to pee. The stuffed animals were torn at the seams and the stuffing was strewn about to make their room look like a winter wonderland. As I caught on to their destructive methods, I began removing things from their room. For the past year or so, they had a bureau (which was very securely bolted to the wall), a carpet, and two toddler beds. Any toys they had were literally stowed away in their closet under lock and key. They were allowed to play with them while being supervised, but aside from that, we limited toys to downstairs and Taylor’s room since we can trust her and she isn’t 90% demon.

This past weekend, the boys were gifted with a really cute grill set, complete with all the food accessories necessary for the cookout of little boys’ dreams. They loved it from the moment they saw the box, and it’s virtually impossible to get them away from it. They would sleep with pretend cheddar cheese slices and hunks of meat grasped firmly in their little hands if I would let them. They carry them in the car with us to pick up Taylor from school.

I had to reconfigure their tiny room because they were doing toddler ninja moves to pull down their shade by jumping off of the side of their beds. They loved the new set up right away, and instantly figured out how to make a slide along the center of their beds. I kind of felt bad that this is what they were doing to have fun, so I decided we would try to add some things back into their room and see how they handled it. Spoiler alert: they didn’t handle it well. They were so excited to see the grill in their room and nicely played for about an hour. When bedtime came along, we cleaned up, tucked everyone in, and left the room. I heard giggles and footsteps throughout the room, but I wasn’t too surprised. I knew they’d get out of bed and play for a while, and I was okay with that. What I was not okay with, was wooden food flying though the air. They threw hot dogs against the wall, pieces of steak at the door, and corn on the cob at the monitor. There was plastic ketchup and mustard thrown at their closet, and hamburger buns tossed at the window. I quickly went in, reprimanded them, made them clean the mess and sent them back to bed. Not even two minutes later, they were doing it again. This time, the noises coming from their room were much louder, and accompanied by deep belly laughs. I opened the door, and as I did, these juvenile delinquents each had a grip on the grill (it’s very light plastic) and they threw it at me. Yes, at me. They tossed it as I was walking in the door, and then ran into their beds as if that was going to save them. They are now back to a jail cell, bare bones style room and I don’t feel bad about it. I am at a loss with these two and can only laugh about it now since I’ve properly caffeinated myself, and everyone is asleep. What did I get myself into?

I probably should have called around to see if any local dentists had root canal openings today, because that probably would have been a calmer, easier day. These kids (boys only) woke up on the beastly side of the bed this morning and just did not stop.

I got everyone up this morning and let them have dry cereal and fruit around a small table in the living room while I got dressed and packed a snack bag for the day (Jackson had an appointment and God forbid my kids go anywhere without food). This is a special treat that they do once in a while and they usually love it. Today, they shredded their mini wheats and jammed them into the sofa, the cracks in the table and ALL over the carpet. We needed to be out the door soon, so I make them quickly clean up what they could manage, while explaining to them that this upset me and they can not do this again. After making more of a mess “cleaning” than I ever thought possible, I sent them downstairs to find their shoes and wait for me while I quickly got dressed. I heard a loud thud, and figured they had simply dumped their play tool bench over again, but went down to check anyway, and this is what I found. What you see is a dehumidifier that they apparently thought looked better in the horizontal, empty position. It actually was way more of a mess than it looks. It took just about every towel we had in the house to soak up the disaster which got all over the carpet, in the laundry room, and all over the hallway tile. Clearly, I wanted to do an extra load of laundry today.

After the appointment, the boys were not so nicely playing with each other. They each wanted something the other had and the sharing concept was not appealing to them. At one point, Jackson walked over to Joseph, pushed him down on the floor, took what he wanted out of his hand, and said “Thanks! See you later!” and walked away. They served multiple time outs today, and when we left to pick big sister up from school, they decided (as I was driving) that they want to be barefoot, so they took their shoes off and tossed them throughout the car. One of them almost hit me, too. I do not know what the heck goes through their minds. As we were walking through the parking lot, we all overheard a mom telling her son “Just because someone else says that doesn’t mean it’s nice.” We kept walking, until Jackson stopped in his tracks and started yelling across the parking lot “That’s not nice! Not nice! You go in time out!” Military school might be an option for these two.

Also, out of all of my children, I can’t even say I was too surprised to see this one sitting at a table with a murder mystery, making a phone call. He was probably asking Siri where to hide a body.

Taylor has been pretty awesome lately, as always. She is starting to get irritated when I ask her questions about school though. Instead of talking about ponies, sparkles, and her boyfriend all day, I ask her how her day was, what she learned, etc. Yesterday, I think she had enough of the friendly conversation. She told me she played in the sandbox at recess with some friends. I said that sounded like fun and asked which friends she played with. She sighed heavily, looked up at me and said: “Shovel and Pail, Mom. That’s who.” I think that was her way of ending the conversation.

Parents of twins (or more) realize that we tend to be magnets when we are out in public. We understand that it’s “unusual” and that people are generally curious about them. We get it. Personally, I don’t mind most of the twin related comments, but just because I am a mother of multiples does not mean that I am a zoo exhibit and it does not give you the right to be rude. Also, it’s never okay to touch a stranger’s babies. Just don’t do it.

These are some questions (and answers) that my friends and I get asked often. This is more of a serious post than you are used to around here, but it’s something that I’ve been working on for a while and something that is important to many of us in the twin community.

Are they all yours?
Yes, they are all mine. Yes, I grocery shop with three children and a cart full of groceries. I don’t think it’s that difficult, but people tend to not believe me when I say that all three children are in fact mine. Do they think I borrowed them? In fact, having three kids is not THAT many compared to many other families. It’s just baffling to me that people think they can’t all belong to me.

Better you than me. / I would kill myself if I had twins.
Well, isn’t that nice for me to hear and a wonderful thing to say in front of my children? Yes. People have said these things to me; more than once actually. If that’s the way you feel, then by all means, refrain from reproducing. Costco sells economy sized boxes of condoms…and gardening shears. Go at it and please leave your rude comments to yourself.

Did you use IVF / Fertility Drugs?
People don’t often realize it when they are asking, but this is a very touchy subject to many women. For most women who did need to use fertility assistance, it was a long and painful journey. It was a time filled with despair, darkness, and wondering if they would ever be able to carry children of their own as women’s bodies are “supposed” to do.  I have more than a few friends who have been in this position, and they are some of the strongest women I know. Asking about it brings back painful memories for many, and is simply nobody else’s business! People sometimes think IVF carries a stigma with it, and that it is somehow wrong. This is not the case at all. Babies are babies no matter how they are brought into this world, and the same goes for parents. They need to be treated with respect. I am usually open about this when people ask me, but I did not go through the agony that many women went through, so I understand that its different for me, and I understand how hurtful it can be. I actually get asked this question very often when I am in public. One day, when it was really getting to be too much, someone asked me if I used IVF and I responded with: “No, I had S-E-X.” That really stopped the questions for that shopping trip. My twins were “spontaneous,” which leads into my next topic.

Are they natural?
To ask if someone’s children are natural implies that they might not be. Do you think they are pod people, plastic, a life form from another planet, etc? Again, we know you might be curious, but ultimately, it’s not really anyone else’s business how they came into this world.  If a couple would like to discuss their particular situation with you, they will. Until then, it’s really not polite to ask.

So you’re done now, right?
Again, that’s a personal thing. Sure, having two kids at once is an “instant” family, but so is having a singleton. Families are not limited to the number of children you have and there are plenty of people who go on to have more children after twins. Why? Because they can and because they want to. Their choice.

Two for the price of one!
I don’t know why, but lots of people seem to be under the assumption that everything with twins is cheaper. In reality, that’s so far from the truth! We needed double of lots of items including, but not limited to: cribs, clothing, diapers, formula, bottles, medicine, carseats, etc. We pay two co-pays whenever we go to the doctor with the twins. We pay for two prescriptions when they are both sick. I’m not sure why people don’t believe this, but they always seem to be baffled by it when we tell them. We had two insurance claims for their hospital births (three if you include me as a patient). Insurance does not care that we have twins. They see them as the two people that they are. They did, however, have the nerve to ask me while I was pregnant not to give them the same first initial because it was more difficult for them to process our info… Sorry, not sorry.

Which one is your favorite?
The one who isn’t crying at the time. Seriously, we don’t play favorites. They are our kids. They have good times and bad times just like full-sized humans have. I honestly love my children the same. There may be times when I’m happier with one over the other based on their behavior, but I certainly don’t play favorites.

Which one is the bad one?
Again, they are kids. They can be both rotten together and as individuals, based on their moods. There is no “bad one.” I was trying to console one of my crying infants in the elevator on the way to the pediatrician once (I obviously had the other two children with me) and a stranger looked at me and said “I was going to ask who the bad one was, but now I know.” No, Sir Ignorance, you know nothing.

Who is older?
This question isn’t offensive, but it’s something parents of twins (and twins themselves) get asked a LOT and it’s just funny how much people care and how much they think it matters. My twins are one minute apart; some twins are 10-20 minutes apart. Either way, I don’t think the “older” child is going to be passing down too much wisdom that the “younger” child isn’t yet privy to. I had friends in high school who were twins, and they got asked this question a lot. In fact, they still do.

You are so lucky to have two at once and be done. It must have been so easy to only go through that one time.
-No, no, and no! Yes, I am lucky to have twins. It is an honor and I am so in love with them, however; there was nothing about my twin pregnancy that was easy. I had to chug disgusting protein shakes because it was the only thing I could sometimes keep down and I was having a difficult time providing my babies the nutrients they needed to thrive.  Try living with that guilt.  I was labeled “high risk” right off the bat because I was carrying two children. I had more frequent doctors appointments, testing, and scans. I was poked and prodded constantly by both doctors, and the two small humans living simultaneously inside me. I was at a higher risk for preterm labor, and in fact, ended up having an emergency delivery and had two premature children in the NICU for 11 days. Leaving my babies, who were not even full term in the NICU while I went home was not easy. Having the feeling of I could have done more was not easy. Helping them gain weight and learn to breathe without assistance was not easy. Watching the neonatologist do an emergency incision to place a chest tube because one of my newborns had a pneumothorax was not easy.  A twin pregnancy is not the same as a singleton pregnancy by any means.  I actually have multiple friends who lost one or both of their twins, late term, due to complications. Saying that carrying twins is easy is a very big dig at myself, who had a rough pregnancy, and those women who don’t have their babies in their arms today.  Of all of the comments I have had thus far, specifically about my twin pregnancy, this was by far, the most hurtful.

They have to be identical if they are wearing the same clothing / they can’t be identical if they are wearing different clothing.
Nope, not true at all. This should be common sense, but I guess not because I’ve heard it a handful of times. Whether they are dressed in the exact same outfits, or completely different outfits, they are still twins. I promise.

I know what it’s like to have twins because my kids are XX months apart.
While having kids close in age can also be difficult, it is not the same as having twins! Carrying two babies in your belly at once, birthing two children at a time, carrying two car seats home from the hospital (and everywhere else you need to go) is what happens when you have twins.  Vaccinating two screaming infants at the same time, pushing a giant double stroller around, feeding / burping / consoling two infants at once, teething and toilet training (x2) at the same time etc. I know what it is like to have kids close in age as Taylor is close in age to the boys, but I would never consider my children triplets. Unless you actually have twins, you do not know what it’s like.

As stated earlier, this is a “different” kind of post for me today, but one that a few people asked me if I’d talk about on here. I wanted to shed some light on things that parents of twins constantly hear. If you have questions, it’s usually okay to ask, but remember to not be rude. Have common sense. We might have twins, but we are still people too. We have feelings. Also, if you are thinking of saying “double trouble,” chances are, we’ve heard it at least once already today. I am so proud to be a mom of twins and am always up for encouraging others or explaining things people might not understand or might not be comfortable asking elsewhere, so feel free to email me at twinsandtiaras@gmail.com

I had a Mother’s Day Tea with Taylor’s class today. It was just for the moms and the kids and was so incredibly special. The children greeted us at the door with a program and brought us to our seats, where we were given a hand made pin. We were served iced tea, lemonade, and delicious snacks. Taylor may have eaten all of my snacks, but that’s nothing new. The table was decorated with beautiful vases that each child decorated for their mother with their finger prints. Their teacher helped them turn their prints into beautiful flowers, butterflies, etc. She also helped them make flowers to put in their vase. They sang songs, which completely made me well up with tears, and they each read a little piece they wrote for us. Their teacher really went above and beyond to make us moms feel special and she helped the kids feel so included. They were all so proud of themselves, as they should be. I love having keepsakes like this to look back on for years to come.

In the interest of getting sappy here, I am so lucky to be the mom of such an amazing child. Taylor Michele, you (along with your silly brothers) are my greatest gift and the biggest source of happiness in my life. You are my sunshine. You are my funny bone. You are so beautiful, smart, and extremely caring. You love your family, your brothers especially, and your pup. You are a deep thinker and analyze all situations with way more concentration and determination than a four year old should have. You can bring me to my knees with laughter and put tears in my eyes with the hilarious things you say and the funny faces you make. You love life and you give the best hugs! Daddy and I love you endlessly. You made me a Mommy, and I am eternally grateful for that. We have a very special bond, and I hope it always remains. Thank you for making the first part of this Mother’s Day weekend so special for me, and the last four and a half years even more special. I love you to the moon and back, my sweet girl. 5,2,&8.