As a mom, I have certainly learned a lot since we welcomed our sons into this world.
As a mom of twins, I have figured out how to navigate the challenges associated with parenthood while juggling (read: not literally juggling) two babies at the same time.
And as a twin myself, I have the interesting opportunity to experience the world as we watch our twins grow while also having experienced what it's like to grow up as a twin.
Having the chance to know what it's like to grow up with a twin sibling has given me insight (or, should we call it Twinsight?) into how certain things shape your childhood.
Some of the things I've learned along the way as a twin now shape my life as a twin mom, affecting how I approach parenthood while raising my two babies alongside my husband.
Some of the things I've learned along the way as a twin now shape my life as a twin mom, affecting how I approach parenthood while raising my two babies alongside my husband.
As they come up, I'd like to share some of my From Twin to Twin Mom moments with you.
When you're a twin, you're often inadvertently lumped together. You become known as one unit, "the Twins."
I'm not saying this is a negative thing. It's just a thing.
I cherish being a twin. And we were often lumped together because we were inseparable and were usually within two feet of each other at most times.
I cherish being a twin.
People maybe just didn't realize that, at some point, our moniker had changed mostly to "the Twins." Or maybe it became a force of habit.
Maybe that sounds a bit dramatic because, yes, our names were still used in everyday life, but more often than not, we were known and addressed as a unit.
But one place our names were ALWAYS used separately was when our friends and family sang Happy Birthday to us.
While the song itself was a shared moment, it still recognized us as individuals.
...when you grow up as a twin, there tends to be a lot of shared things.
This was important. Because when you grow up as a twin, there tends to be a lot of shared things. It just comes with the Twin Territory. A womb. The day you were born. Your bedroom—which wasn't a bad thing; we had great times chatting as we fell asleep and we loved our bunk beds.
Even as a fraternal twin, there were sometimes shared outfits between my brother and me.
This was especially true when we first came home because we were so small (I was born weighing 4 pounds, 1 ounce, and my brother was even smaller at 3 pounds, 11 ounces) that the only clothes that would fit us in the very beginning were our sisters' Cabbage Patch Dolls outfits.
Outside of the home, there could also be classrooms shared with your counterpart. For the most part, my brother and I had opposite classrooms at my parents' request, but we still had a lot of the same friends, which usually meant shared birthday parties. And that was great.
...we still had a lot of the same friends, which usually meant shared birthday parties.
I've been thinking back on those parties lately because my twins' second birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks. We've been in planning mode, but one thing that's already been decided has actually been decided since we found out we were expecting twins.
And that's making sure our twins each have their own birthday cake.
This stems from a tradition that was part of my Twin Birthdays growing up. No matter what, my mom always made sure we had our own birthday cake.
We'd get to choose what kind and what flavor (a sheet cake from the grocery store, an ice cream cake from the Dairy Queen, a homemade creation of our choosing, whether it was cupcakes, a pineapple upside down cake, or a pie...my mom does make the best apple pie).
It might seem silly, but this tradition was important to me growing up, and it's extra important to me now that I have my own twins. For me, knowing that we were going to have our own separate cake for every single birthday was something special to look forward to because it ensured I had something that was my very own.
If we're splitting hairs, yes, I still shared the cake with my family or friends, but I got to be the one to pick it out. I got to design it. I got to choose what it was going to be. And that was special to me. It's something I remember and hold on to all these years later.
That's why it's important to me to continue the Dual Cake Tradition for my own twins now. To make sure they get to choose something that's their very own on a day that's always shared.
Let the tradition carry on. Let them eat cake.
Do you have a special tradition for your twins' birthday? What is it? Why is it important to carry on each year? Let us know in the Comments section below.
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