Silver Linings

I find a lot of times that when Geoff and I tell people that we have twins, they look at us with pity in their eyes and say, "Wow! How do you guys do it?! You must NEVER sleep!". Or every now and again, someone will unoriginally say, " Well, you two must have your hands full all the time...literally! HA HA HA!".Despite what may seem like a perfectly normal response to someone stating that they have twins, I always find a bit of a morose undertone to their responses. It's as if Geoff and I have been infected with the Black Plague- though with a much cuter package. Or as if we've had to sit through a Hannah Montana concert with Justin Beiber as the opening act! It's two cute, adorable babies- not two cases of poison ivy in a difficult to reach area! The truth is, I don't know what it's like to only have one child. And so for Geoff and I, having our two daughters is as normal as Taco Tuesday. (Wait, not everyone eats Tacos every Tuesday??? Interesting.....) Now, don't get me wrong, there are certainly some days that are more challenging than others. For example, I wasn't thrilled the day Chloe and Olivia decided to have simultaneous blow-outs the size of the People's Republic of China just as we had run out of what seemed to be an endless supply of wipes from Costco. I also don't necessarily enjoy it when both Chloe and Olivia decide they're both going to go on a napping strike, only to have a meltdown so high pitched at night that all the dogs in the neighborhood come running to our front door. But to be perfectly honest, there is more good than bad in my day to day life.So for those of you who may secretly worry about our sanity , I have decided to write about just three of the many benefits of being parents to twins.

1. Free Entertainment: Now, I dont know if you've been to a toy store lately, but there are TONS of things out there for your child's entertainment. From rattles to stuffed animals that talk to giraffes that smell like vanilla! It can be completely overwhelming to think about what you should buy your baby that they won't be completely bored of in 3 minutes. For me, I simply place that girls on the floor or in their playpen and it is only a matter of minutes before they begin to "LOL". Now, sometimes Chloe tries to suck on Olivia's foot and occasionally Olivia climbs on top of Chloe, thereby creating a less than pleasant situation. But in general, the girls play with, hug and simply entertain each other long enough for me to wash bottles, do some laundry, or catch the last few minutes of Barefoot Contessa as she drenches something already delicious in chocolate ganache.

2. Instant Family: In the matter of two minutes (Chloe was born at 1:27 and Olivia at 1:28), we instantly went from a family of two to a family of four. For many people, this is the ideal number for a family. There are usually four chairs at a restaurant table, most Disney rides allow groups of four at a time, and most cars comfortably sit four passengers. The world is made for families of four. Now, I can go for extra credit in a few years and add another bundle of joy to the world or we can choose to call it quits with the two. Either way, we've done our part to ensure the continuation of the human species. You're welcome.

3. Innate Sharing Abilities: My girls don't know what it's like to be a single child. They shared a womb, share a room and have shared just about everything that I have deemed acceptable for them to share. (They DO have color coded pacifiers that they most certainly do NOT share. But that's just common sense and basic sanitation!). We've all seen that poor kid in pre-k that has no friends because he or she doesn't want to let anyone build a Lincoln Logs house with them. That poor child mistakingly thinks that the world revolves around them, because up to that point- it has! I see the way Chloe looks at Olivia with concern when she is crying or how Olivia laughs with delight when Chloe takes the toy she was playing with away only to stick it in her mouth. These girls will be great sharers one day which is one of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Wait no, thats not it. It's one of the things you're supposed to know that you learned in Kindergarten? No, thats not it either. I'm not sure what book it came from but it's important, ok! After all, sharing IS caring!

Well there are an endless list of perks to being a mother of twins. So the next time you see Geoff and I, don't think "Poor them!". Think " how can I get myself invited to that delicious Taco Tuesday!"