Prologue to a Twins Blog

The Best of 2011

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 00:48:00 +0000

Every year I put together a list of the best books that I've read that year, but I'm doing things differently this year since I'm getting bored of routine. This year I've put together a list of the best things I've enjoyed this year entertainment-wise, but I'll start with the best books as a tribute to what I usually do.

Best Books

Dangerous to Know (Lady Emily #5) by Tasha Alexander
This is the 5th installment of the Lady Emily series and I think it's the best one yet. The 6th book was recently published and although I purchased it the day it came out, I haven't had a chance to read it yet. I'm really excited to and hope it's even better.

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
A fun romp through 1930's New York City high society.

The Dark Fields by Alan Glynn
This is the book that the movie Limitless with Bradley Cooper was based on. The movie wasn't very good in my opinion, but the book was awesome! I read the book before I saw the movie.

The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley
I really enjoyed this older book by Susanna Kearsely and while I'm not one for romantic themes I thought the author handled it perfectly. Great flirting descriptions!

The Violets of March by Sarah Jio
The cover of this book instantly attracted me (see you can judge a book by it's cover) and I bought it on the spot. I really liked this story of a heartbroken woman who travels to Bainbridge Island in Washington state to visit her aging aunt. Full of heartfelt moments and family secrets - loved it.

The Sweet Life in Paris: A Recipe for Living in the World's Most Delicious City by David Lebovitz
Even though I don't cook and I'm on the opposite end of the foodie spectrum, I'm attracted to books written about eating or cooking in Paris (My Life in France by Julia Child made my list last year). This book does not disappoint in any way. Incredible recipes which one day I hope to try and I love David Lebovitz's breakdown of the french/Parisian culture. Who knew a pastry chef could be so funny!

Best Movies

The absolute best movie I saw all year was Crazy, Stupid Love - if you haven't seen, just see it already!

Midnight in Paris

It's Kind of a Funny Story

The Prestige - this one is my all time favorite movie and I did watch it again this year. You can't go wrong with a cast of Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Cain, David Bowie, and the guy who plays Niles on The Nanny, Daniel Davis.

Cutest On-Screen Couple

Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone

Best TV Shows

Hot in Cleveland on TV Land

White Collar on USA Network

Good Luck, Charlie on Disney

Melissa and Joey on ABC Family

House Hunters on HGTV

Usually Burn Notice on USA Network would be on this list, but I gotta say it's getting a little repetitive. When you're a spy, there are only so many things you can do and say that's new I guess.

Best TV Series

Lark Rise to Candleford from BBC on PBS

Downton Abbey from BBC on PBS

Favorite Actors this Year

Ryan Gosling

Emma Stone

Bruce Campbell - he's on my list every year since 1988 except for his work in Bubba Ho-Tep (Sorry, Bruce!)

Matt Bomer

Kevin Spacey

Ed O'Neill

So, what were your favorite things in 2011? Let me know below I'd love to know.

Top Things I've Said in 2011 as a Twins Mom

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 23:19:00 +0000

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to declare 2011 o-v-e-r and start fresh in 2012.

This was not the easiest year for many reasons and I feel like I've aged quite a bit during it.

In honor of trying to push this year along, I'm putting together my annual list of the Top Things I've Said This Year a little early.

As a twins mom, I get to repeat myself a lot and it was definitely true this year. Here is a list of the top 12 things I've said the most this year (in no order).

12. Guys, can you stop leaving your things on the floor!

11. Can you hold on to the railing when you're on the stairs.

10. Do not wake me up before seven zero zero.

9. Can you please put some socks and slippers on?

8. I'll pay you $1 if you brush my hair.

7. Time for your homework.

6. Is Good Luck Charlie on yet?

5. It's time to leave. Can everyone go to the bathroom please?

4. This year kind of stunk.

3. Please put your PJs on, you cannot walk around the house in your underwear.

2. Can you go the pharmacy and pick up ____ , the kids have strep, pinkeye, stomach bug, pneumonia, a collapsed lung, ear infection, cold.

1. Will you PLE-ASE hang out with the kids so I can get some sleep????

That last one is always directed at my husband in the most annoying voice.

So, this is pretty much what I've said this year. Add a comment below and tell me what top things you've said this year.

Why Americans Don't Like Flakes

Mon, 21 Mar 2011 00:24:00 +0000

Today's post is a story I'm going to share about British chocolates, in this case the Cadbury Flake. Did you know that Cadbury and Nestle (and maybe other chocolatiers) sell completely different candy in other parts of the world? Whenever we travel internationally one of our favorite things to do is to go candy shopping for items that we can't find in the US. I guess some chocolates don't translate well to the American crowd and we may have figured out why.

We've discovered some awesome candy by doing this, but sadly Cadbury's Flake is not one of them and here's why. The Cadbury Flake is described as having "a delicate, crumbly texture." Picture a chocolate candy bar that's long and thin like a hot dog and made in such a way that when you bite into it, the whole thing collapses into tiny flakes of chocolate. Sounds exciting, right? Who wouldn't like a mouthful of tiny flakes of milky, creamy chocolate. Except that it doesn't quite work out that way.

On our summer vacation to Toronto this past year, I was so excited when I found a Cadbury Flake - a chocolate bar that I have never tried before. I watch a lot of British TV and there is always reference to this chocolate. As soon as we got back to the hotel room, I had to try my sweet treat.

I sat on the edge of the bed and opened up my Flake. As soon as I took the first bite, the entire thing broke apart sending tiny pieces of chocolate all over my lap, the floor, the bed, and my son who was sitting next to me on the floor. I scooped up as much as I could into a pouch I made out of my shirt and carried it into the bathroom where I proceeded to fling the flakes into the toilet.

Except that the Flake knows how to travel and not only did it end up in the toilet, but all over the floor and the tub too. I cleaned up what I could, but honestly I knew that the next time that someone flushed the toilet (with 5 year old twins -and a husband that drinks diet Coke by the gallons that would be in about 5 minutes) and took a shower that most of it would be cleaned up so I didn't really do a good job.

I washed my hands, shut the light off, and went back to the bedroom area to watch TV. In two minutes I had completely forgotten about the incident. About 15 minutes later, my husband walks into the bathroom, flicks on the light switch and SCREAMS "How did all this sh*t get everywhere in the bathroom?"

Well, it's true that anything is possible with twins, luckily that day all I needed to say in response was "no hon, it's not poop, it's chocolate!"

Best Books I Read in 2010

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 23:24:00 +0000

At the start of every year, I compile a list of the best books that I've read in the previous year. I read about 50 books a year, but there are only a handful that make this list - I'm picky!

Here are the best books I've read in 2010 (in no order):

I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna (Self-Help)
I kind of got this book as a joke - I really didn't think that it was going to be anything special and possibly even laughable, but it was truly awesome. It helped me to lose 10 lbs by helping me to realize my bad eating habits and how to correct them. It's a quick read filled with a lot of practical information about how to lose weight without dieting.

I'll Never Be French (no matter what I do) by Marc Greenside (Non-Fiction)
How many countless books can be published about silly Americans buying a house in a foreign country only to find that he/she is in over their head? This one is priceless though. I laughed outloud many many times and really like the author - he gets himself into the funniest circumstances.

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen (Fiction)
This was just a good fun "chick lit" type of book that has twins as characters. Very enjoyable and a fun book to read. I loved the main character and could relate with her a lot.

Gilded: How Newport Became America's Richest Resort by Deborah Davis (Non-Fiction)
I live about 1.5 hours away from Newport, RI so I've been there and seen the beautiful "summer cottages" (aka huge mansions of the rich) many times. This book goes beyond the glitz and glimmer of the beautiful facades and gives us the nitty gritty details about the houses and the families (as wacky as they were) that lived there. I loved learning about New York and Newport high society.

The Glass of Time by Michael Cox (Fiction)
If I had to pick the best book out of the lot, this would be it for 2010! This is a book that kept me up late at night reading. I would try to steal a few pages while the twins were busy doing something during the day and I would carry it around the house with me. It was un-put-downable. There aren't a lot of fiction books that have this effect on me so this is huge in my opinion. I loved this story about a family secrets in Victorian England. The author reveals the plot layer by layer in brilliant fashion. You won't be disappointed!

Did you have a favorite book that you read in 2010? If so, post it here... I'd love to know.

The Joy of Being a Bookseller

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:25:00 +0000

One of the great benefits of being a bookseller (see our bookstore at http://www.doubleupbooks.com/) is to be able to attend booksellers conventions. There are two conventions that I attend regularly - NEIBA, the New England Independent Booksellers Association (of which Double Up Books is a member bookstore) and BEA, BookExpo America.

At these conventions, I get to talk to other booksellers, meet authors and publishers, and get the latest scoop on all of the upcoming books including receiving free copies (yes, you read that right free copies! They are called "galley" or "advance reading copy" because they aren't the final published copy of the book.). I usually come home with anywhere from 10 - 30 books and about 25 lbs of book catalogs (and yes, I carry all of this on my back in a backpack and various bags! See what carrying around twins has helped me with.)

I just got back from the NEIBA convention a few weeks ago and wanted to give you a glimpse at some upcoming books that I think are really exciting. Some will be published as early as November and some won't be published until spring 2011 so keep your eyes out for them if a book interests you. Of course, if you want to know the exact date for the book release, email me and I'll be happy to get that info for you.

Rescue - Anita Shreve

Cleopatra - Stacy Schiff (this is the book that the movie with Angelina Jolie will be based on. And, did you know that Cleopatra had twins?)

The Pursuit of Happiness - Douglas Kennedy

The Distant Hours - Kate Morton (she wrote the House at Riverton which was great. This book has twins as characters.)

As Always, Julia - letters between Julia Child and Avis Desoto

Brain Rules for Babies - John Medina

The Sherlockian - Graham Moore

The Lake of Dreams - Kim Edwards

Moonwalking with Einstein - Joshua Foer (my husband loved this book and that's saying a lot)

Elizabeth I - Margaret George

Sweet Valley Confidential - Francine Pascal (if you liked the Sweet Valley series as a teen then you'll like this book as an adult which picks up the twin characters 10 years later.)

Cool, huh? I'm excited for these books especially, but there are many others that are going to be published over the next few months. Stay tuned.

Are there any books that you are looking forward to being published in the next few months?

My Favorite Book

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 23:47:00 +0000

There is no way that I could pick just one book for the illustrious honor of being my favorite book! Could you? I read over 100 books a year times that by many, many years and you've got a lot of books.

But, I like to keep track of these things so that when people ask me what my favorite books are I have them on hand and ready to share (and also that I can remember them in old age or when my twins kill off some more of my brain cells).

Here is a list of my all time favorite books. To be fair to authors, I didn't include any of the books that I sell on www.DoubleUpBooks.com. So, on with the show...

Favorite Chick-Lit Book of All Time
Alice K's Guide to Life - Caroline Knapp
This is the book that started the genre.

Favorite Book as a Middle Schooler
Luuvy and the Girls - Natalie Savage Carlson

Favorite Play (tie)
The Heidi Chronicals - Wendy Wasserstein
Shirley Valentine - Willy Russell

Favorite Book of my Husband's That I Would Like To Throw Out
Private Parts - Howard Stern

Favorite Book from the 50s
Gentleman Prefer Blondes - Anita Loos

Favorite Book about Breaking Up
Heartburn - Nora Ephron

Favorite Book Translated into English
Like Water for Chocolate - Laura Esquivel

Favorite Funny Book
I Love Everybody and Other Atrocious Lies - Laurie Notaro
Seriously pee in your pants kind of funny.

Favorite Book I Use as a Flyswater That Belongs to My Husband
Miss America - Howard Stern

Favorite Book about an Australian Expat
Almost French - Sarah Turnbull

Favorite Book about Australia
In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson

Favorite Book About a Woman on a Boat and Favorite Book I Read in 2009
The Motion of the Ocean - Janna Cawrse Esarey (um, that's pronounced JAN-nuh Course ES-uh-ree)
Hilarious and heartfelt.

Favorite Book About Buying a House in Another Country
I'll Never Be French - Marc Greenside

Favorite Book that Changed My Attitude
Forget Perfect - Lisa Earle McLeod

Favorite Book That Made Me Rethink Things
The Secret - Rhonda Byrnes

Favorite Book Turned into a Movie
The Prestige - Christopher Priest

Favorite Book by an Author Who I've Had a Crush on for 22 Years
If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor - Bruce Campbell

Favorite Book Series
Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella

Favorite Book with Plot Twists
Glass of Time - Michael Cox

Favorite Self Help Book in the Marriage Department
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work - John M. Gottman, PhD

Favorite Autobiography of a Chef
My Life in France - Julia Child

Favorite Autobiography of a Swimming Movie Star
The Million Dollar Mermaid - Esther Williams

Favorite Book Written Like an Autobiography
The Memoirs of Cleopatra - Margaret George

Favorite Book about the Fate of Marie Antoinette's Daughter
Marie-Therese, Child of Terror - Susan Nagel

Favorite Biography
Bess of Hardwick: Empire Builder - Mary S. Lovell

Favorite Historical Fiction about Catherine de Medici
The Devil's Queen - Jeanne Kalogridis

Favorite Book That Made Me Thin
I Can Make You Thin - Paul McKenna

Favorite Book about the History of Chinese Food in America
The Fortune Cookie Chronicals - Jennifer 8 Lee

Favorite Classic
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Favorite Gothic Classic
Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier

Favorite Book Based on a TV Show
Burn Notice - Tod Goldberg

Favorite Book of All Time
The Queen's Necklace - Frances Mossiker
This book has it all... love, scandal, fine jewelry, history, murder, deception, the guillotine, and it's 100% true!

What are your favorite books??

Having Fun with Twins' Language

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 22:33:00 +0000

I've learned the hard way with my twins that it isn't always how I say something, it's about the exact words I use. Here are some examples...

1. When asking my twins to clean their room, they fight me tooth and nail on this request. However, if I ask them to organize their room they are only too happy to comply.

2. When at the dentist, if they are asked if they want sparkly teeth, they cry hysterically and try to get out of the chair. But, if they are asked if they want clean teeth, well, then that's okay. For some reason clean works for teeth, but not for rooms.

3. My daughter likes sandwiches which the main ingredient is a hamburger patty, but if I ask her if she wants a burger, she crosses her arms and says "no!"

4. My twins do not want to take art lessons, but it's very acceptable and even fun to go to art school.

Do you have any similar examples where using the "wrong" words get you into trouble?

Like a Broken Record

Tue, 18 May 2010 01:34:00 +0000

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My 4 year old daughter loves to listen to the same song over and over and over again. Her favorite song eventually changes to a new favorite song that we'll have to listen to many, many times, but until that happens we're all stuck listening to this one song.

Where does she get this from? I wince when I tell you that it's from me! Where did I get this from? Definitely my mother. Do you see a trend here? I'm pretty sure it's genetic although my taste in music is totally different from my mom's taste. I grew up with her listening to Rod Stewart over and over, ELO over and over, David Bowie over and over, and Meatloaf over and over (probably why I don't listen to this musicians today).

The very 1st song that I can remember playing over and over was I Feel Love - The Benji Theme Song. I was about 4 or 5 and my parents bought me the soundtrack from the movie. I would sit on the couch in our living room and play the song over and over carefully lifting the record needle back to the beginning after each song.

Here is the song from the movie...

It's good, huh? You'll be singing it all day now. Feel free to play it over and over.

What's my daughter's favorite song right now? Well, I've been hooked on Bollywood movies lately (more on that in another upcoming post) and have been listening to the music from it in the car. Here is the one that she likes - it's a little different from my favorite song at her age.

Dard e Disco - "Pain of Disco" from the Bollywood movie Om Shanti Om

(with photos of Shah Rukh Khan, the Indian actor in the movie)

I'm officially dard-e-discoed out.

It's funny because I guess the thing we have in common is that both of our favorite songs as a kid are from movies (although I will never let her watch Shah Rukh Khan dance this scene in Om Shanti Om - look it up on YouTube if you want to see why).

Do you or your children have a favorite song that you like to listen to repeatedly? If so, share it in the comments section. I'd love to hear from you.

Finding Time to Read

Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:26:00 +0000

People ask me all the time "How do you find the time to read?" so I thought I'd devote a blog post about this very topic.

It's true that I read a lot because I love to read. I read a full book cover to cover about once a week in addition to many magazines. I once had subscriptions to 15 different magazines. I also start another 150 - 250 books a year, but don't end up finishing them (I don't finish it if I don't like it). I also read books concurrently at the same time. I'm usually reading between 3 - 5 books at any given time.

For pleasure outside of my bookstore reading, I read mostly non-fiction and historical fiction. Books about the kings and queens of Europe are my favorites. I'm a nut for Tudor history, French history, and biographies of people living during then. My favorite all-time book is The Queen's Necklace by Frances Mossiker. It has everything ... history, drama, comedy, romance, and a plot that is absolutely true.

Now that you know a little of my story, let's go back to how I find time to read when I have a lot going on (I'm a mom of preschool-age twins, bookstore owner, managing editor for How To Raise Twins, and volunteer for the Friends of my local library.)

First and foremost it's important to make reading a priority for yourself. It's so easy to get through the day and forget to take a moment to yourself. It's also important that your children see you reading if you expect them to love to read.

Throughout the day I find short moments to read. It might be while I'm waiting for something to cook in the microwave or while I'm on hold talking on the phone. I carry a book with me everywhere I go and keep different books in different rooms of the house so I always have a book available.

I also read when I eat. My twins have a 10 minute eating attention span so that leaves me sitting alone at the table a lot. I find it much more enjoyable to read and eat at the same time if I'm eating alone.

At night after the kids and husband go to sleep, I climb into bed with my handy booklight and spend about 30 - 60 mins reading. This is my favorite time to read. The house is quiet, it's dark, and I'm cozy. It's perfect reading time.

Do you have any tips or tricks to share about how you find the time to read? If so, share them below in the comments section.

Ultimate Blog Party!

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:50:00 +0000

The 5 minutes you've been waiting for all year is here! It's the 5MinutesforMom's Ultimate Blog Party! Here is my official party post! Thanks for swinging by my blog.

Hi! I'm Shelby - mom to preschool-aged boy/girl twins and I'm the founder of Double Up Books - The Premier Bookstore for Twins, Triplets & More... Double Up Books is one of the sponsors of this year's blog party (but more about that later).

As a bookstore owner, you would be correct to think that I love to read. I'm also a travel geek, crafting fanatic, movie lover, and wanna-be bilinguist. I'm not the world's best cook and doing laundry is completely uninteresting for me. I've been married almost 10 years to a man that I met in graduate school that used to totally annoy me.

Onto the prizes! Double Up Books is proud to participate in this year's blog party with 2 different prizes.

Forget Perfect by Lisa Earle McLeod

This is one of my favorite books! I read it about 4 years ago and it literally changed my life. Forget Perfect is a smart and funny look at how trying to be perfect actually gets in the way of happiness, and how letting go of being perfect means raising standards to live life to the fullest and appreciate the things that really matter.

A Gaga for Mama Baby Outfit

Gaga for Mama is our exclusive line of babywear that lets moms know how much they are loved and appreciated. Each one of our hand designed baby bodysuits feature an inspiring message for moms.

Also available are coordinating pants, bibs, and hats in our super-soft cotton.

If you're the winner of this prize, you'll receive a bodysuit, pants, bib and hat in your choose of design, color and size.

Good luck! You can view all of the prizes by following this link.

Again, thanks for stopping by. If you leave a comment or add yourself to Google Friend Connect to let me know that you were here, I'll be sure to stop by your blog too.

Consolation Prizes

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 22:50:00 +0000

My sister, me and my Mom - 1973

There is one childhood memory of mine that stands out pretty clearly in my mind. I was about 5 years old and my older sister, who was 8 at the time, had a family friend’s son over for a visit.

The two of them were in my sister’s room playing and I thought it would be funny if I went in and sang the infamous kid song “Jennifer and Richard sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes Jenny Jr. in the baby carriage.” My tomboy sister did not like that one bit so she and her friend chased me out of the house, onto our bicycles, and up the street to the park (this was the 70s when children were allowed to roam free helmet-less on their bikes).

I was a fast bicyclist and made it to the park before Jennifer did. I don’t know what I thought I was going to do when I got there, but whatever it was didn’t go quite as planned. I made a sharp turn into the park and fell right into a Pricker Bush – you know that plant with the sharp thorns on them. What made matters worse is that I fell right in front of the boy that I had a serious crush on. I was so embarrassed and afraid at what my sister was going to do when she caught up to me.

Although my sister was a tomboy back then, she was always extremely protective of me. She would beat kids up if they even looked at me funny. Once in middle school, a girl “dumped” my books. My sister saw it and chased the girl down the hall, down the stairs, and pushed her. So, when my sister saw me in the Pricker Bush, she jumped off her bike, raced towards me, and helped me home without giving a second thought as to what I did to her to get there in the first place.

When I got home, it was another story from my mother. As she was pulling out the thorns and bandaging me she yelled at me about how I shouldn’t have teased Jennifer. I couldn’t understand why she wasn’t yelling at Jennifer for chasing me. I was mad too that instead of consoling me like a mother should, she was yelling at me instead. For years I’ve carried this with me.

Fast forward, 35, ahem, 25 years and having twins and now I understand why my mother was yelling at me. It is so easy when our children get hurt from doing something that they shouldn’t have done to first yell at them, and then console.

I have tried my hardest to always do the opposite and console my injured twin before trying to correct their behavior for whatever it was that they did. It’s hard though, I’ll be honest. Emotions are high and motherhood protection runs deep.

Just the other day my son was jumping around doing his boy thing when he slipped and fell. I’ve told him countless times not to dance around in socks because the floor is slippery, but sure enough he fell and mildly hurt his arm. It was my first instinct to pull an “I told you so” for not listening to me, but my mind gave me a glimpse of that fateful day years earlier and I gave him a hug instead. Maybe he’ll remember that as he grows up.

What do you do first when your child gets injured doing something that they shouldn’t be doing? Do you console or discipline first?

Interview with Multiples and More Founders

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 23:34:00 +0000

Lani Lyons (left, center) and Amanda Nethero (right, center)
founders of Multiples and More Blog Network with their families.

In celebration of Multiples and More’s 1 year anniversary in March and the tremendous success of the blog, I had the opportunity to interview its founders, Amanda Nethero and Lani Lyons.

I’ve been a fan of Multiples and More since it’s early, early days and Double Up Books has even been a sponsor for some of their blog events throughout the year. Multiples and More was actually one of the reasons that I started this personal blog. Everyone was having so much fun and connecting with each other that I wanted to be a part of that on a personal level.

Me: Tell us about yourselves and your families.

A: I’m originally from Chicago Heights, Illinois and meet my husband Scott in 2003 while working for Walt Disney World. Scott was actually my manager, and we didn’t start dating until after he transferred to a different department. We got married in May of 2006 at Walt Disney World since it was the place we met and built our relationship. On May 5th, 2008 we welcomed our twins, Aaron and Jillian into the world and it has been a beautifully crazy ride ever since!

L: My husband Todd, and I are both from N.Y., but met here in Florida at the golf course we both worked at. Our triplets, Lily, Ben, and Cameron were born in November 2007. I stayed home with them for their first two years, and just recently returned to work. These days I am trying hard to balance work, motherhood, relationships, and of course, my online projects.

Me: How did you both meet?

A: We met through our MoMs group, actually at a MoMs night out. Lani spilled wine on one of the other mothers and I knew a friendship would blossom. Ha ha!

L: Leave it to Amanda to make me sound like a drunk! It should be noted that it was not my wine that was spilled.

A: It was the MoM next to her, and was seriously hilarious.

Me: Were you bloggers before starting the Multiples and More blog network? If so, tell us about your blogs and how long have you been writing for them?

A: I had only been blogging for a few months before we started Multiples and More, so I was still pretty new to the whole thing. I actually have two other blogs in addition to Multiples and More (I drink a lot of caffeine, that’s how I get everything done). Twice the love…half the sleep (http://www.netherotwins.blogspot.com/) is my main blog that is basically a slice of life. I cover everything from playdates to recipes, it’s really fun. Twice the love reviews (http://www.twicethelovereviews.blogspot.com/) is my review blog, it’s still pretty new, but if I ever get a product to try I like to share my experience.

L: I have had my personal blog Triplets: Who Knew? (http://www.lyonstriplets.blogspot.com/) for two years now. It started out as simply a way to keep family members updated with the kids pictures, etc, but has become so much more. I have made great friends, and learned so many wonderful things from fellow bloggers. I was even able to raise over 2,400 dollars for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by hosting a blog party on my blog. Blogging has been a great way for me to connect with other MoMs!

Me: What is Multiples and More and what is a blog network?

A: Multiples and More is basically an online place where families/friends of multiples can come and hang out. We really wanted to create a community, or network, where everyone could come to learn about the latest trends in parenting multiples, the latest products, and each other. There really is no better place to gain support than a community of people that know exactly what you are going through.

L: My favorite thing about our network is seeing other parents of multiples connecting through it. Commenting on each other’s blogs, helping each other out with support and advice- that’s what it’s all about for me.

Me: Where did you come up with the idea for a multiples related blog network?

A: Specifically, World Showcase at EPCOT. Seriously, we were walking around one day and bam it hit us. We would always walk around talking about how there really isn’t one place you can go to get all of this information, and how frustrating it was to spend countless hours looking for this information. We decided we would just grab the bull by the horns, so to speak, and make this place happen.

L: We have done a lot of brainstorming while pushing our 5 kids around Disney World in strollers, and we have the leg muscles to prove it.

Me: Having gained over 1,000 followers in a year, what do you attribute your success to?

A: Honestly, word of mouth from our great community!

L: Exactly!

Me: Do you have anything exciting planned for your 1 year anniversary that you’d like to share with us?

A: We have a weeklong celebration planned including a ton of giveaways from our previous sponsors and some new sponsors. We’re also going to feature everyone’s favorite posts.

L:It’s going to be a great way to win some prizes, meet new MoM bloggers, and gain new readers for your own blog as well!

Me: What advice and tips can you share to help new bloggers such as myself?

A: Most importantly you have to believe in what you are writing. If you don’t believe it, nobody else will. It’s also important to network. Comment on other blogs, become active on Facebook and Twitter.

L: Be original, and be honest in your blogging. Joining networks like ours, and SITS (www.thesitsgirls.com) is a great way to make new connections and gain readers as well.

Me: If someone would like to contact you, how can they get a hold of you?

A: You can contact us at multiplesandmoreblog{AT}yahoo.com or you can contact me personally at twicetheloveblog{AT}hotmail.com.

Thanks Amanda and Lani for such a great interview! I'm certainly looking forward to your 2nd year and all the fun things you have in store for everyone. Continued success to you both.

Married to a Real Comedian

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 01:59:00 +0000

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For a short amount of time pre-twins, my husband was a real life, part-time stand-up comic. He had taken a comedy class in Boston and as part of the "final exam," he had to perform at a comedy club in front of a live audience. The manager of the club loved his act so much that he asked Michael to perform on a regular basis.

That regular basis lasted until one day, right before his performance, Michael came down with a kidney stone and had to cancel his appearance last minute. Unfortunately, Michael never returned to comedy after that, but he sure would have had enough material to fill hours after living through having a kidney stone!

Michael's entire act consisted of roasting me - his wife, his best friend, his love. He talked about what it was like being married to me, the apparently hysterical things that I've been known to do, my harebrained schemes, and everything else in between. It was a no holds barred performance and he made me sound like he was Ricky living with a real Lucy Ricardo. I have to admit that I did think it was funny (so did the audience) and I enjoyed being the butt of his loving-in-a-way jokes, but now that I have an audience of my own through this blog, it's PAYBACK time.

His Love of Cleaning
My husband is a clean freak. Remember Bob Saget on Full House? Remember how he would line up all his shirts in a row and make sure everything was orderly. My husband has him beat. Two times a year, Michael arranges for us to participate in the "BIG CLEAN." Unfortunately, the big clean always falls around a holiday - Christmas and July 4th. I no longer associate these holidays with joy and happiness like I'm supposed to. All I can do is to dread the big clean. The big clean involves doing things like vacuuming out the refrigerator, moving furniture around to get behind things, cleaning drying vents with a long brush, and sponging down doorknobs.

It's TV Time
When Michael and I first started dating, he told me that he didn't watch much TV. Now, let me set the record that I only watch about 1 - 2 hours of TV a week. When someone tells me that they don't watch a lot of TV, I'm thinking that they watch TV about the same amount as me. Well, I fell right into the trap and didn't know that he actually watches a lot more TV than that until I was already well in love with him.

That’s it, Time for Bed
When Michael is ready to go to sleep, that's it, end of story. I am given 1 minute's notice that he is going to bed and off he goes. I barely have time to say "good night" before he is asleep. His mother says that her side of the family could fall asleep on a picket fence if they had to and from what I've seen with Michael, I certainly don't deny it. The problem is that it takes me forever to fall asleep and I like to chit-chat a little bit to give closure to the day. This never goes over well though. If you don't let Michael fall asleep when he wants to, he gets very grumpy.

When people find out that Michael was an aspiring comedian, they always want to know if he is really funny at home. Yes, he is really funny at home. It's not so much what he does that's funny (that's my department), it's what he says that's so funny. He has snappy comebacks for everything and he is always making me and the kids laugh. I do have a blast with him.

It's not always fun and games in our household though - especially when Michael remembers that it's time for the big clean. Then, we're not laughing at all!

Take a moment below and feel free to give us a playful roast of your significant other.

Traveling with Twins

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 20:53:00 +0000

This week's question on the Multiples and More blog is all about travel.

What are your best tips for traveling with multiples?

My #1 fun thing to do ever is to travel (Yes, it wins over reading!). Pre-twins, my husband and I traveled quite a bit both home and abroad. There is nothing that gets me as jazzed up about life as planning trips and taking that journey.

But now that the twins have arrived, I'm sad to say that we haven't done much travel and have limited our vacations to driving trips once a year. The thought of bringing all of our twin gear on a plane seriously scared me as I'm the type of person to pack everything. That's all about to change though now that the twins are getting older. I have our travel plans planned out for the next 10 years.

For our first trip with the twins, when they turned 2, we drove an hour away from our home and vacationed in Western Massachusetts. We figured we were far enough away from home to feel like vacation and close enough in case anything went wrong or we forgot something and had to go back. Luckily, we did not have to come home although the first day was rough because our hotel room wasn't ready until 5pm!! My cranky toddlers were not happy to have to skip their nap. We like to keep them on the same schedule on vacation and home.

Since then we've taken 2 more trips and although I packed well the first time I learned a few tricks along the way that I'll share. If nothing else, I'm a list maker and that especially includes when I'm getting ready for a trip. My lists have come in handy over the years and keeps me on schedule. Here are some important items from my travel list.

#1. Bring GARBAGE BAGS. If you've got two kids in diapers, you will quickly fill up whatever trash receptacle is available in your room. Even if your twins are older, you'll still be amazed at how much trash accumulates while on vacation.

#2. Bring disposable sippy cups if your twins use them. I found some great disposable cups at our supermarket for our last trip. Use once and toss them. For the previous trips, I brought a small bucket, dish soap, and a towel so I could rinse out their cups for the next day. Trust me, that's the last thing you want to be doing at the end of a long vacation day.

#3. Bring a book light. We usually just get 1 hotel room so when our kids go to sleep at 7:30 that means lights out for everyone. My husband is happy as a clam to go to bed at 7:30 with them, but I like to stay up with my book light and read.

#4. The first year I brought the pack and plays, but the twins didn't want to sleep in them. So, one of them slept with me and the other slept with daddy. I squeezed the open pack and play in between the two queen beds to act as a bed guard rail. In later years, I took the suitcase rack and put it next to the bed with a suitcase on it (covered with a sheet so they wouldn't be up next to a dirty suitcase) which keeps them from rolling out of the bed. We also bring a huge cooler (remember we've always driven to our destination) and put a suitcase on that too next to the other bed.

#5. Bring breakfast with you. We pack a huge cooler filled with juice and milk. We also go to the supermarket and I let them pick out those individual cereal bowls for breakfast. We pack some yogurt in the cooler too. We eat breakfast in the room and then we buy lunch and dinner out. Don't forget the plastic spoons!

#6. I bring extra tote bags so that I can pack just things that I need for day trips on vacation. And, I pack everything in ziplock plastic bags - like makeup, any liquids, etc... I love the jumbo sized bags and use them for everything. I also bring a smaller cooler to bring with us for the day so that we can leave our large cooler in the hotel room.

Every year I take a photo of what I've packed for the trip. I think it looks less year after year, but I may just be fooling myself.

2007

2008

2009

This year we're taking a big trip to Canada, but still driving (everyone on Twitter convinced us to drive). It's going to be 9 hours of driving to get us there. The most I've ever driven anywhere with or without kids is 4 hours so this will definitely be interesting. I'll be happy to post any tips about driving long distances with twins once I've lived it.

What travel tips with kids would you like to share?

Beautiful Blogger Award

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:04:00 +0000

I was honored yesterday by receiving a blogger award from a new reader of my blog! I was so excited to receive the award, but also get introduced to one of my readers. Thanks to Kandi at http://www.twin-spiration.com/, a fellow twins mom, for giving me this award. Be sure to check her blog out - it looks so fun.

If I nominated you, congrats and here are the instructions:

1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award and insert a link to their blog.

2. Pass on the award to about 15 other bloggers who you recently discovered and think are great!

3. Contact the other bloggers and let them know they have been chosen for this award.

4. Say 7 things about yourself.

7 Things About Myself

1. I absolutely, positively love to travel. Although I haven't done much of it since the twins came along - we're going to fix that soon though. I've been as far as Australia and all over Europe. My favorite places are London, Toronto, and Sydney. Next favorite is Rome and Athens. The next place that I'd like to travel to is Scotland.

2. There are only two shows I watch on TV, otherwise it's off for me. As a bookstore owner, you can probably guess that I spend a lot of time reading. My favorite shows, in case you're interested, are Burn Notice and Modern Family.

3. I like salty things, not sweet things.

4. Being pregnant with, delivering and raising twins are the single most important accomplishment that I have ever had and that I'm really proud about.

5. Okay, this isn't about me, but I have to share that my husband is a die-hard Bachelor fan. He's all about romantic comedies too. I'm more of an action, martial arts, foreign film type of gal myself.

6. I love QVC. You can read why here September 18, 2007: Feeling Connected While Alone in the Middle of the Night While on Bedrest.

7. I'm a tea drinker.

The Blogs that I nominate for the Beautiful Blogger Award are:

http://www.mamiofmultiples.com/ Mami of Multiples
http://3kidsin2yrs.blogspot.com/ Binkies & Bandaids Life with Irish Triplets
http://www.thefivefish.com/ The Fish Five
http://doublethelove08.blogspot.com/ Double the Love
http://myordinarymiraclesblog.com/ My Ordinary Miracles
http://2setsoftwins-helene.blogspot.com/ I'm Living Proof that God Has a Sense of Humor
http://ourspriggsfamily.blogspot.com/ The Spriggs Family
http://www.itstwinsanity.com/ It's Twinsanity
http://twinspirationalrunner.blogspot.com/ Twinspirational Runner
http://2setsoftwinsforme.blogspot.com/ Life with Two Sets of Twin Boys

Problems I Wish I Had

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:20:00 +0000

It's true... I've been a little blue and cranky lately. This happens to me every year during this time of year as I deal with the miseries of winter in New England. I am not a cold weather person, I don't like snow, and outdoor winter activities turn me into a popsicle.

My hands from November until May are like ice cubes so every year I start searching online for homes in warmer climates. However, by the time I'm done looking the weather has turned a corner here and I wonder why I ever wanted to leave in the first place.

I've also been dealing with a few minorly stressful things (in the grand scheme of things - keeping it in perspective) which hasn't helped my mood any. Although I'm grateful that my issues are minor, it got me thinking about problems I wish I had. That sounds funny, doesn't it? When you read my list below, you'll understand where I'm coming from.

Problems I Wish I Had

I can't decide whether to get my nails manicured on a Tuesday or a Wednesday or what color I want them polished.

I have so much money in my bank account that I've passed the limit for being FDIC insured.

My passport is so filled with stamps from wonderful vacations that I need a new one.

My personal chef always arrives 10 minutes early just as the massage therapist is wrapping up and I can't answer the door.

The smell of popcorn in my home theater drifts over to our bowling area.

The private school my twins attend called to say that my twins have completed the entire curriculum for the year in only 3 months and they have nothing left to teach them.

Figure out how will I get my personal assistant, chef, and two nannies to my winter home in Arizona.

My mailbox is overflowing every day with letters from children whose lives were saved by a very generous donation I made to the research foundation.

Should I wear my Louis Vuitton or Prada purse when I go shopping.

My husband keeps buying me red roses when I told him that I wanted white ones.

The credit card company called to say that they made a mistake on my last bill and they owe me $10,000.

The new wing of the library that's named after me is completely filled with books and they don't know where they are going to put the new books I sent over and want my suggestions.

My twins complain that my $35 lipstick leaves stains on their cheeks when I kiss them.

What problems do you wish you had? Leave a comment below and add to the fun.

Photo credit: Jennifer (on twitter as @Jamiain) at http://bloggingtwinmomma.blogspot.com/. Blizzard of 2010. To view original photo, go to TwitPic Photos.

Top Things I've Said in 2009

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:35:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

I always like to close out my year by putting together a top 10 list (although in this year's case it's a top 12 list). Here is my list for 2009.

As a mom of twins, I have the opportunity to repeat myself... a lot. This year was no exception and I found myself repeating the below phases many, many times throughout the year.

Listed below are the top 12 phases, ranked in order of importance and repetition, that I've said this year.

#12: I really want an iPod Touch.

#11: If there's one thing that I am, it's prepared.

#10: Okay everyone, it's time to get dressed.

#9: Please stop doing that.

#8: Guys, it's time to clean up now.

#7: Don't jump on the couch cushions please.

#6: Hold onto the railing when you're coming down the stairs.

#5: If you're eating, where are you suppose to be sitting?

#4: Time for bed.

#3: Say you're sorry, please.

#2: I love you.

#1: You've got to bold the gazebo to the deck or it's going to blow away.

That last one is in honor of my husband who didn't believe that a heavy metal gazebo could be taken out by wind. Needless to say, he learned the hard way shortly after putting up the gazebo.

What were the phases that you've repeated throughout the year this year?

What Did I Do Good Today?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:27:00 +0000

Once the dust settled after my husband and I got engaged, married and moved into our new home, we found that we had fallen into a relationship slump. It was about a year into our marriage by this time and we had settled into an unsettling routine.

There were no big fights, yelling or arguments, we had just found that we didn't enjoy each other's company as much as we had. We pretty much stayed in different rooms whenever we were home at the same time and our conversations were reduced to discussing what was for dinner or if the mail had came. In a weird way, we had drifted apart. We were newlyweds, this wasn't suppose to happen.

One day it just hit me how awful things had gotten so I talked with him about it. He was feeling the same way, not really even enjoying my company either. So, we decided to work together to improve our relationship.

One thing that I invented during this time was the game "What did I do good today?" Right before going to sleep, we had to tell each other one thing that the other person did good during the day that we are thankful for. I attached two rules to the game:

What the other person did good had to be something that wasn't so obvious. For him, that meant he couldn't tell me that he enjoyed dinner or that he appreciated me cleaning. It had to be deeper and more thoughtful than the obvious things I had done during the day.
We also couldn't use the same "good thing" two nights in a row.

Over time, things returned to normal with us, and I attribute a lot of it to this "game" which put us both into a more positive frame of mind. The funny thing is that even now, almost 10 years into our marriage, we continue to have our nightly ritual of "What did I do good today?"

Last night's was that I appreciated that he took the initiative to get the twins ready for bed without me having to shout "It's time for bed!" And for me, he said that he appreciated that I called to say that I was running a few minutes late.

I'm looking forward to starting What Did I Do Good Today with the twins when they get a little older. It's a great way to remember to tell someone every day how much you appreciate him or her.

Is there something special that you and your spouse/family do to let each other know how special he/she/they are?

Not Telling the Truth to my Twins

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:28:00 +0000

I'm ashamed to admit this, but there's a lie that I told my twins for quite some time. The lie that I told them is "Sorry guys, you can't eat this, it has nuts in it."

I used this lie whenever I was about to eat something that I didn't want them to eat even though it didn't have nuts in it (heck, I probably shouldn't be eating it either I know) or when I'm about to eat something before dinner, but didn't want them to eat before dinner. And, maybe I would say it sometimes when I didn't want to share whatever yummy goody I was eating.

Thankfully, my twins do not have a nut allergy, but I couldn't let them eat nuts until they turned 4 years old which was the pediatrician's recommendation when they were born (due to a history of food allergies on both sides of the family). I quickly learned that "sorry guys, this has nuts in it." became an easy way out of sharing my naughty food with the twins.

If you have kids, you probably know what I'm talking about. Eating food alone, quietly has become a luxury in a way. Since now that they are 4 and can eat nuts, I had to come up with another way to scarf down a quick goody or two without having them ask me "can I have one?" My latest defense in keeping the "good stuff" away from the twins? I open up the kitchen cabinet door and hide behind it. It's my dirty little secret in my arsenal of not getting into the "can I have one?" "no" back-and-forth routine.

It's Halloween this week and my cabinet is now filled with all sorts of tempting candy that is calling out to me. I've been spending a lot of time behind that cabinet door.

Do you have a secret place you go to enjoy a quick goody in your house?

Onwards and Upwards

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:32:00 +0000

Always looking onwards and upwards.

There's one thing that stands out among the rest that my husband does better than me - progress. He is really good at making sure that we move forward as a family. He is always leading the family along the developmental continuum and pushing us to acheive new things.

What the heck am I talking about? To put it in plain English. Michael is always encouraging me to encourage the twins to grow up. If it wasn't for him, I swear that my 4 year old twins would probably still be in diapers. He was the one who announced one day last year "Don't you think it's time to start potty training?"

I don't know why I'm not good at progress and looking forward towards the next step in our twins' development, but I'm not. I guess I tend to get stuck in a rut, doing the same things over and over again the same way. I like to call it my "mothering mode," but sometimes it does turn into my "over-mothering mode."

It was my husband who suggested that maybe it's time for the twins to be separated into different cribs after a few nights of them rolling over each other. It was also him who suggested that maybe 2 years old is old enough to switch them to a sippy cup instead of a bottle.

And, yes, him again who said "Let's get beds for the twins so that they can come out of their cribs." If left up to me, my twins would probably still sleep in a crib. The next thing he is working on with me is getting them to use children's toothpaste instead of baby toothpaste.

I figure that I have so much to think about on a daily basis, it's sometimes hard to think about what I should be working on next in the grand scheme of things. The day to day grind gets the best of me for sure. I'm glad that Michael reminds me that progress with the twins (progress in general) is a good thing and points out those areas where we should be moving forward on.

You know though if I'm honest with myself, I think that there is a little part of mothering nostaglia that plays into it as well and causes me to delay. Could my twins really be growing up so fast? Am I ready for that? I know they sure are.

Do you find yourself doing similiar things? Like still brushing the teeth of your teenager (okay, maybe that's a little drastic, but you know what I mean). I'd love to hear from you (and know I'm not the only one).

Will you vote for Prologue to a Twins Blog?

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 23:27:00 +0000

I'm SO excited that my blog was nominated as Best New Blog on the Multiples and More Blog Network. This is such an honor because I'm completely new to the world of blogging and I think this is such an achievement in the short amount of time that I've been blogging. I just started reading blogs about a year ago and it wasn't until this past August that I decided to start my own personal blog. It has been a lot of fun and I've meet some incredible people (and learned a lot too!).

If you've enjoyed reading Prologue to a Twins Blog and feel it has potential, will you take a moment to vote for it? Just go to Multiples and More Blog Network Nominees - voting is easy. Just scroll down about 1/4 the way on the page and on the right hand side under the "followers" box starts the voting polls. No account or sign in needed, just click the button for Prologue to a Twins Blog and done.

While you are there, please vote for some very special blogging friends of mine.

Susan Heim is nominated for Best Writing for a Blog for her blog http://susanheim.blogspot.com/. Susan is a popular parenting and twins book author and her excitement for the topic carries through her blog. Her posts are always insightful and I love how she openly shares her life with her readers.

Jennifer Miller is nominated for Most Creative Blog for her blog http://www.twinhappy.com/. Jennifer always has new stuff on her blog and covers a variety of topics. She is also the founder and host of #TwinTuesday on Twitter which carries over to her blog.

Helene Gaither is nominated for Funniest Blog for her blog I'm Living Proof That God Has a Sense of Humor. Helene is mom of 2 twins and I give her a lot of credit for keeping her sense of humor. You'll laugh along with every post.

Heather is nominated for Best Blog of the Year for her blog It's Twinsanity. Heather is a mom of 2 sets of twins (6 kids total) and just traveled across the country by herself while her husband is on active duty. She does it all, including homeschooling, and keeps a positive spirit about everything that comes her way. So inspiring.

Thank you for anyone who nominated my blog and for taking the time to vote for it!

Blog for a Cure

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:30:00 +0000

Today starts the Blog for a Cure blog party at http://www.whoknewreviews.blogspot.com/! I'm very excited to have Prologue for a Twins Blog participating as well as making a contest donation in partnership with Double Up Books - The Premier Bookstore for Twins, Triplets & More. Lani Lyons, mom of triplets, is not only managing this blog party, but she is also committed to running her first marathon in order to raise money for cancer.

Blog for a Cure is a charity event to help raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - the not-for-profit organization which focuses on research and support for blood cancers such as Leukemia, Hodgkins Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma.

The Blog Party is a fun way for you to join us by donating, participating, or by helping us get the word out about the event. When you donate, you'll also be able to win some great prizes including a Gaga for Mama baby outfit. And, there's a bonus too - when you participate you'll get more followers for your blog. What a great way to grow your blog.

To find out more about Blog for a Cure, just visit Lani's blog for all of the Blog for a Cure details.

**Note to new followers - Thanks so much for following my blog! Please leave a comment below with the link to the blog that you would like a return follow to and I'll do that ASAP. I check for followers during this event several times a day.

Win a Bestselling Twins Book Contest

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:35:00 +0000

In cooperation with Double Up Books - The Premier Bookstore for Twins, Triplets & More..., I'm having a contest to win a copy of a bestselling twins book. 1 lucky winner will get to pick either Chicken Soup for the Soul Twins and More OR Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Twins as the prize.

It's easy breezy to enter! Just follow this blog using Google Friend Connect over there on the right hand column and leave a comment below before 11:59pm ET on October 15, 2009 telling me which book you would choose if selected as the winner and why that book was your favorite.

Want more ways to enter?
Then, check out Double Up Books' Fan Page on Facebook for more details (including terms about the contest) in our contest discussion topic.

Good luck and feel free to email me with any questions.

Rules for Raising Twins

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:00:00 +0000

My husband learned a terrible lesson the hard way last night. He walked barefoot down the hall in the dark.

Without twins or kids, this wouldn't have been a big deal and definitely not something that warranted its own blog post. But, as you know we do have twins and the sad lesson that my husband learned last night is to never, ever walk around your house in the dark, especially barefoot. Why? Because you will step on their toys, trip over whatever they decide to leave around, and gravely hurt yourself in the process.

That's exactly what happened to my husband last night. He tripped over a wooden stepstool (my twin son put into the hallway after we had put him to sleep) and fell flat on his face. He thought he broke his toe, but after icing it we were grateful to find out that he did not. I highly doubt that my husband will forget to switch on the light anytime he wants to walk somewhere in the evening. Frankly, I'm surprised that he hasn't learned this lesson sooner since our twins are 4, but it is what it is.

This got me thinking about other rules for raising twins that I should share with soon-to-be-twins moms and dads and new twins moms and dads so here is a list I compiled for you.

Never, ever walk around your house barefoot in the dark. You are bound to hurt yourself.
Never, ever discuss private matters when the twins are awake, even if they are in another room because they truly do listen to you all the time. They will announce your deepest, darkest secret to the whole world with no regrets.

Never, ever let them help themselves to their own snacks. They will each take half of whatever is in the box leaving you with nothing.
Never, ever delay putting up all of the child safety devices. Matter of fact, get two different kinds of locks for each drawer or cabinet because between the two of them they will figure it out. Having two different locks will slow them down a little bit.
Never, ever try to explain that just because one twin gets something doesn't necessarily mean that the other twin gets something too. They won't understand and will make a huge scene in a store.
Never, ever think that you are just going to pick up the phone and have a nice, normal conversation with the person on the other end. The twins have an uncanny ability to know exactly when you pick up the phone and will proceed to scream at the top of their lungs or need your attention now until you get off.
Never, ever let the twins see you eat something yummy. They will want it immediately and devour it in its entirety. Learn to bring tasty treats and eat them in the laundry room, bathroom, or behind an open kitchen cabinet.
Never, ever announce that you are going to the bathroom to your twins. They will either want to keep you company in there or fight you for who gets to go first.
Never, ever pre-count how many hours you think you're going to be able to sleep that night. The twins will sense the anticipation and will make sure that they make up several times during the night.

So, what rules for raising twins and multiples would you like to add? What did I forget? Please leave a comment below. I'd love to hear from you.

Twins in Massachusetts

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:14:00 +0000

There is something in the water.

There's something in the water in Massachusetts. I don't know what it is, but it's causing an explosion of twin and multiple births!

Recently the census showed that Massachusetts is the state with the most number of twins in the country followed by New Jersey and Connecticut. Everywhere you go, there are twins - supermarkets, stores, schools, and parks. I hardly go a day
when I don't see twins somewhere. I'm definitely in good company here.

Just how prevalent are twins and multiples in Massachusetts? According to a recent statistic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Massachusetts has an average twin birth rate of 4.5 per every 100 live births. There are some towns in Masschusetts where the rate rises as high as 5.6. New Jersey and Connecticut are closely behind with 4.2 twin births for every
100 live births. The national rate is 3.2.

Besides some magical thing in the water, there are several real reasons why Massachusetts has a lot of twins. We know that there are factors that raise the chances of a woman conceiving twins such as the age of the woman upon conception. The older a woman is the more likely that she will either naturally conceive twins or need assisted reproductive technology to get pregnant.

Massachusetts has a relatively high average age at the time of marriage - for men the average age is 28 to 29 and for woman the average age is 27 to 28. Nationally the average age
for men to get married is 27 and for woman it is 25 (according to the US Census 2003). Interestingly, Connecticut and New Jersey, the other two states with a high number of twin births, also have an older average of people getting married. It seems that woman and men are waiting to get married until they are older here which increases their chances of conceiving twins.

Another possible reason for the increase in twin births in Massachusetts is the availablity of assisted reproductive technologies which also has been shown to increase a woman's chances of conceiving twins.

Not only does Massachusetts have a very large number of successful reproductive medical centers, but Massachusetts mandates that health insurance companies pay for fertility treatments including IVF, IUI, GIFT, ZIFT, and sperm and egg retrieval. New Jersey and Connecticut have a similiar insurance requirement.

Personally, in the past 3 years I've known many people in my state to get pregnant with twins both with assistance and without. It's always so fun for me to hear about someone else joining our ever growing multiples community, especially someone that I know already. It's certainly a special situation to be among so many twins in Massachusetts which will make it more likely that my twins will meet other twins.

Certainly there has also been an increase in the national number of twin and multiple births across the country as well - have you noticed that there are more and more twins and multiples being born in your state too? Do you think there are other factors that are causing this? Tell us below. I'd love to hear from you.