I have mentioned many times that regardless of how many children you have twins are a very unique experience.  Even if you’ve read all the books (there aren’t that many and they aren’t all very reliable), thought through all the potential situations and done everything else you possibly could to anticipate life with multiples, you will still not be entirely prepared for twins.

I remember waaaaay back when I had The Salesman and Tater 15 months apart.  I was a bit shocked that people were constantly approaching me and comparing them to twins.  My response was always - without fail - “No, I cannot imagine how difficult it is to raise twins, but I’m sure that it is NOT the same”.  For the sake of all my friends who had twins I HAD to answer this way, and I honestly couldn’t fully comprehend what it would be like to have twins.

I have always said that I was very fortunate that, for the most part, my kids were very self-entertaining, great sleepers (NOT Tater ) and fairly calm about everything as babies.  The twins were too, until they became mobile.  That’s when things got interesting.

So, here’s a discovery we made last spring about traveling with twins.  This may only apply to my pair, but here goes:

If you’re planning on leaving town, travel no more than one hour per year away.  In other words a two year old set of twins is not likely to put up with traveling longer than two hours to get to the final destination.  If you can break your trip up into 2 two hour driving segments with a good hour or two in between you could stretch that, but for us with so many other boys that is simply not going to happen.  Yes, naptime helps, and would probably stretch a trip even longer for some families, but the older boys started getting noisy a bit into their nap on the way home and it wasn’t pretty.

So, if you are planning on going further away than my suggestion, but want to stay longer, you may REALLY want to consider leaving at bedtime and driving through the night.  This way most of the children are likely to sleep for most of the trip.  Mom and Dad will be tired, but it just might work .

I thought that now would be a great time to mention this bit of information since most families are probably starting to plan for the Holidays and some families are even planning their trips for next spring.

As I was sitting with the little ones today getting ready to make lunch, Monkey started prattling on.  I stopped for a minute and realized what an extraordinary event that really is.  My second and third sons did NOT talk until a few months after they turned 3 (then there was no stopping son 2).  When Monkey and Bugs began talking at around 15 months old I was shocked and amazed.  

Quickly their vocabulary grew from a couple of words to full sentences by the time they were 2.  But what struck me today were the details I was being given in this conversation with Monkey.  He’s two and a half now, and I simply had to laugh. 

Monkey: “Mom, I want to get in there because something smells good and I want it.”
Mom: “Baby, we don’t get into that cupboard for any reason, especially not when we’re making lunch.”
Monkey: “But I want to mom, I really do.”
Mom: “Sorry” (shrugging)

I must briefly interrupt this strange conversation by pointing out that the cupboards he was referring to store nothing but bags and odds ‘n ends, making the conversation just that much stranger.  The conversation continues from there …

Monkey: “We’re going to have lunch now?”
Mom: “yes, I’m getting ready to make lunch”
Monkey: “Oh, okay, I like lunch.  I’m hungry for lunch. Where’s Dad? {for the hundredth time}”

About this time, I look at the child and wonder where he came from.  What child speaks in not just complete sentences, but complete conversations within a sentence?  Very odd!   But for the sake of imparting a brief bit of my day with an energetic 2 year old I had to “stop and smell the roses” for a minute.

And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. (2 Timothy 2:24)

You all know that much of my reality revolved around six boys, primarily though my 2 year old twins. I have been noticing a disturbing trend within myself lately though. A little resentment. I find myself complaining that I can eat, sleep think or breathe withough them needing me to help them in one way or another.

The days of hopping down to the lake in town to watch the boys go fishing with their daddy stopped the minute the twins were born. We can no longer make that last minute decision to go to Costco after church or to the mall or even to get pictures done of the older boys. The process of taking 6 children instead of 4 is nearly insurmountable when the youngest of these children is a set of twins.

I found that when children came one by one, it was no biggie, they eat well, play fairly independently and we all adjust to one more member of our home. But when they came as a pair a zillion new challenges suddenly awaited us. Something that I never anticipated, and obviously something I never got used to.

Now, having said all of that I have two things to share …. first, these realities were not apparent until they were about 15 months and second, they are the cutest things you will ever lay eyes on (usually)! There, that’s my disclaimer. Now on with the reality …

As I realized that I was beginning to harbor some resentment toward my little cherubs, I started wondering what I should do. Once again, even though the solution is oh-so-obvious, I find myself struggling with the answer and try to fix it myself. I’m sure you all know that this is not going to work, so why don’t I realize first thing that if I don’t give this to the Lord, I will get nowhere???

So, I am currently in a desperate state of prayer. I have a lot on my plate, I can’t afford NOT to give this heart condition to the Lord. Calling on Him to help me and to bring peace and joy into my heart again especially with my littlest ones. They are not to blame for … well … anything, so I need to grow up and deal with it

Have you found yourself in a position where you resented your life, family, job, responsibilities? It is such a trap isn’t it? If you haven’t already, take it to God in prayer and ask Him to help your heart soften and be filled with His love and joy again.

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. (Ezekiel 36:26-27)

I’ve never really told all of you about THE GATE that separates the front half of our little house from the back half.  It is my link to sanity, survival even if you will!  Crazy???? Maybe, but my blessed parents brought it to my house just before the Twinkies became mobile.  As much as I love the function of the gate, there are others in this house that do not - namely, the twins.  They think it is torture, pure unadulterated TORTURE!  I mean think of all the crazy, naughty creative things they could do at that end of the house.

Most of the time they are semi-ok with it being there when I’m busy in the room, but if I leave for even a second (which is all the longer I DARE stay out - goodness knows what they can accomplish with 5 whole seconds on their own - eek) they hang on it, wailing, screaming . . . oh the DRAMA.  Even when Daddy’s home, if they know I’m making dinner and they’re hanging out with him . . . they should be happy right???? NOPE, they are screaming, fussing, throwing themselves on the floor in indignation. 

This gate is not a new feature in our home, it is not new to them at all, they are very familiar with the other side of the gate as well.  It keeps them out of the toilet and sink, off the kitchen counters and table and out of my laundry piles that they so gleefully love to toss about the room and mix together.  This is why they stay with me - at all times! 

If you are with them long enough and know them well, eventually you will realize that to some extent the real problem lies with this . . . they do not like any type of boundary and have as a rule tried to climb over, through, around, under and beside any type of line we have set in their path.  They are the BABIES . . . HELLO!  Who do I think I am blocking their path from anything *gasp*????  I truly and honestly believe that is what they think about many things in life!    

So if you ever pass my house and hear the aforementioned “Wailing and Gnasing of Teeth” please rest assured that it is only because I went to take care of a stinky diaper and it will stop in a few seconds.  Really it will . . . I promise!!! 

Soooo, my camera’s batteries went dead right after this pic. was taken or you’d have a lovely sequence of pictures where you could more and more paint all over everything but the paper. 

I had literally just handed them each a brush and turned around to grab my camera and Baby Bug already had begun painting his face.  Silly me for assuming that they would understand that paint is supposed to go on the carefully layed out abundance of paper NOT on the walls, bench, table and face . . . silly, silly me!

Happy WW!