Why I Dress My Twins Alike (Most of the Time)

Back when I was pregnant with the girls, I was often asked if I planned to dress them alike.  I think my standard response in those days was, "I think we'll just dress them in whatever we can grab!"  Oh, how true that was at times.  

I did start to notice, though, that if we were going out I liked to dress the girls alike, or at least in coordinating outfits.  I looooved the little cotton rompers that come in packs of two or three.  I could throw one on each baby and have them similarly dressed but not exactly matched.  We got so many clothes as gifts, we had a ton of matching outfits.  People find it hard to resist buying doubles of cute little baby clothes, it seems.  Most of the girls' nicer outfits came in a pair, either because it was gifted or I purchased them myself.  So, from an early age, they have been dressed alike most of the time for church or other "nice clothes" functions.

The 'dressing alike' trend continued and increased when the girls reached the toddler/preschool years.  During the last couple of years, A & M have probably been dressed alike more often than not.  I don't think too hard about it, and neither do they--so hopefully I'm not having too much of an effect on their delicate little psyches here.  When I occasionally ask if they want to wear the same thing or something different, there's about a 50% chance they'll choose the same thing anyway.  Most days, they really just don't seem to care.  M requires a 'twirly dress' nearly every day, but beyond that, neither of them is too very picky.

I will let you in on my big motivator for dressing them alike:  it's easier.  Do I think they're cute as pie in matching outfits?  Sure!  But I think they're cute as pie no matter what they're wearing.  When I'm pulling out clothes for the day (or pajamas for the night), it's just SO much simpler to grab two of the same outfits rather than fussing over who is going to wear which one.  I do still often buy coordinating outfits--the same outfit in different colors, for example--but it's basically the same principle.  M wears the purple and A wears the pink.  (The colors are their choices....I didn't have a whole lot to do with that one!)

Yes, even the pajamas usually match.  I don't want to hear fussing at bedtime either.  And I reason that if they're wearing the same thing, one shouldn't be cold while the other is burning up.  See?  Simplified!

Dressing the girls alike also keeps things simpler in my mind.  Naturally, the girls have certain clothes that are favorites of mine.  Occasionally I will run across an outfit that I just absolutely love and I know I have to buy it for them.  Of course I have to get two, right?  I can't buy Addison an outfit I love and Mackenzie an outfit that I think is just okay.  (I realize no one but me would know that I didn't just love both outfits, but it makes sense in my head, okay?  Just a little neurotic around here.)  If it comes in two colors I like, or if there are two different-but-equally-cute options, I am likely to choose those.  But if not, a duplicate set is added to the cart. 

Getting dressed for church on Sunday morning?  No need to spend time picking out two outfits that are equally cute/equally loved by mom/on the same level of dressiness...just throw a matching set of dresses on and be done.  Simplified again!

I have begun to question if we are maybe reaching the age that it's time to stop dressing them alike so often.  Even if they don't care about the clothes they are wearing and whether they match or not, maybe I need to start making more of an effort in this area.  Surely I can spare an extra few minutes to pick out two outfits versus one in duplicate. 

I'm not saying it's going to happen overnight, and I'm sure there will still be plenty of times when I can't resist buying two of the same outfit.  But at least maybe the girls can start wearing them on different days...

Do you still dress your twins alike (or did you ever)?  What do you think is the "cutoff age" for dressing alike on a regular basis? 

Wednesday Quick Takes

I feel like everything I want to talk about lately can be summed up in a few short sentences.  (That is most definitely an indication of how my mind is working these days!)  So, how about some middle-of-the week bullet points?

• My spring semester is finally finished and officially closed out.  Now I'm starting the hard part of getting ready for summer...with an entirely new textbook.  The next several weeks could get a little stressful, but I'm trying to keep in mind that the stress now will only make fall that much easier.

• We are really beginning to feel the late spring/summer attitudes taking over.  Trips are being planned, activities scheduled, and we are all dreaming of the beach.  Unfortunately, our beach vacation isn't until September again (although it's worth the wait because that is the absolute best time to go, in our humble opinions!).  For a few minutes earlier this week, I thought we might be able to sneak away for a last-minute trip next week, but we couldn't swing it this time.  So we will wait until September and plan lots of other fun in the meantime.  I, for one, can't WAIT to return to my most favorite amusement park ever one weekend soon!

•  Jeremy has a work trip in Nashville next month and I am tagging along for a few days.  I am thinking of bringing the girls up for last part of the week (after I've had a couple of glorious days and nights of doing nothing at all).  Suggestions for fun kid things in Nashville?  

• My sister and I saw The Great Gatsby Sunday night.  That was my Mother's Day request, and it was an excellent one.  I may repeat that idea next year.  : )  LJ and I thought the movie was pretty fantastic.  I am not usually a big fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, but he was perfect as Gatsby.  And I think maybe he's looking better with age?  Why do so many men have that luxury?  I am a big fan of Carey Mulligan, and I enjoyed her portrayal of Daisy.  I have read the book twice, but it's been years, so I had forgotten a lot of the plot.  I did catch one of my favorite quotes at the end:  "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy--They smashed up things and people and then retreated back into their money...."  I recommend the movie...and reading the book first, of course!

• On a long day at home a few weeks ago, I started showing the girls how to cross their eyes.  Addison picked it up pretty quickly and has been freaking Jeremy out with her "trick" ever since (he can't stand to watch anyone do it!).  Mackenzie couldn't quite do it, but she'd try and try, opening her eyes as wide as they'd go, and making me crack up every time.  This past week, she finally got the hang of it, and spent most of dinner the other night making J groan.  Isn't she classy?

Happy Wednesday!
How is your week going so far?

A Dual Inheritance, by Joanna Hershon: Review & Giveaway

Before I read A Dual Inheritance, I had never heard of dual inheritance theory.  Apparently, it's a real thing, defined by Wikipedia as "a theory developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s to explain how human behavior is a product of two different and interacting evolutionary processes: genetic evolution and cultural evolution."

Although the dual inheritance theory is mentioned at the beginning of the book, I didn't really think of it much while I was reading.  It is more in retrospect that I see exactly how Hershon wove the concept into the story.  I do think it's a perfect title...plus, it just sounds nice:  A Dual Inheritance. 

This book totally captivated me from the very beginning.  It's what I like to call an epic story--there's not one huge thing that happens, it's not even necessarily plot-driven.  This is a very character-driven book, and it covers decades, continents, and generations with its characters. 

Ed and Hugh meet one night during their senior year at Harvard, beginning the most unlikely of friendships.  Ed is a slightly hard-edged Jewish student, attending Harvard on scholarship.  He has big dreams and big plans and is determined to make a better life for himself.  Hugh, on the other hand, is from an "old money" family, a member of the envied Boston elite.  Despite all his advantages, Hugh is restless and reluctant to follow the path set out for him.  A Dual Inheritance is the story of these two men, the stages of their friendship (budding, thriving, and then non-existent), and the unexpected effects they have on one another and the lives they each choose to build.

I can't say enough how much I truly enjoyed this book.  From the characterizations to the changing landscapes, to the depiction of the relationships, I thought it was all just fantastically well done.  I recommend reading this one over a long weekend when you can let yourself be truly engrossed in the story...trust me, you won't want to put it down!

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GIVEAWAY!

The publisher, Ballantine Books, has offered a copy of this book to one reader.  To enter, just leave a comment on this post and tell me the last book you really loved.  Be sure to leave an email address if I don't already have yours, so that I will have a way to contact the winner.  At the publisher's request, this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.  

The giveaway will be open through Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 9:00 p.m. central time. 

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I received a copy of this book for review via TLC Book Tours and the publisher.  All opinions expressed are entirely my own.  For more reviews, check out the full tour post.

We Did It! A 5k Foam Fest Recap

Remember a few weeks ago when I pondered how crazy I must have been to sign up for a muddy, wet, and messy 5k, for FUN?  Turns out, I was indeed pretty crazy.

When we signed up, none of us had any worries about the weather on May 4.  I mean, we live in the South, May is practically summertime, right?  My biggest concern was that it might be too hot for me at our 12:30 race time.

As the weekend approached, I kept hearing about a massive cold front that would be moving into our area.  By midweek I was obsessively checking the weather every day.  The prediction hovered between 55-60 degrees, with lots of rain.  Okay, not ideal for being soaking wet and muddy, but we remained pretty optimistic.

Until about Friday afternoon.

That's around the time it sank in that yes, it was probably going to be pretty cold, and raining on top of that.  Now we all know why the race organizers make it very clear that there will be no refunds.

When this was our view all the way to Nashville, I was pretty worried:

Still, we powered on.  What else could we do?  I think at this point we were all just thinking, "This will suck, but let's get through it and then we'll go out and have a good time tonight."  At least, I know that's what Jeremy and I were thinking!

When we arrived at the race site (where, I must mention, we had received an email reminding us that parking would be in a field...and they would have tractors on hand to pull out any vehicles that got stuck in the mud.  Comforting, right?), it had blessedly stopped raining for the most part, but it was a cool 49 degrees.  Yep, at this point, we were all pretty convinced it was going to suck.  A lot.

We look ready, though, don't we??

Once our heat began, I think we were all pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't quite as awful as we feared.  There was very little running to be done, at least for our group.  The mud was just SO ridiculous that we were sliding all over the place.  It was hard to walk and stay upright, much less do much running.  (Which was okay with me, I will admit!)  

There were a couple of obstacles in the beginning--a moon bounce filled with foam and water, for instance--then a looooong stretch with nothing but muddy trails.  And the hills...there were so many hills.  At one point I remember my friend Kelly saying something along the lines of, "This hill has to go down sometime, right?!"  

A little over halfway through, we began to encounter more obstacles--5 ft. walls, then a set of 8 ft. walls (which I turned out to be good at...who knew?), an inter tube crawl across part of lake, wading through a huge mud hole, a lily pad run (on top of the water--that was pretty neat!), a gigantic cargo net climb, two enormous blow-up slip-n-slides, and even an electric mud crawl.  Yes, with real electricity running through the ropes we were crawling under, as we found out the hard way!  Surprisingly enough, there was only one significant injury in our group...Jeremy twisted his ankle when he turned around to see our reaction to the electricity.  (He finished the race limping, but he's doing okay.  Just swollen now.)

Finally, just over an hour after we started, our group finished together.

No, we didn't lose one...Shane was so cold he went ahead to change and warm up the car.  (My legs are red because they were FROZEN, in case you're wondering.)

I checked the temperature when we left, and it was around 46 degrees.  We were soaking wet, muddy, tired, and freezing.  But still, I felt pretty triumphant.  I completed every obstacle on the course (except the electric mud crawl, which I skipped out of halfway through--I don't do electricity, thanks!).  We all stuck together, helping one another up when we fell and encouraging each other through the tough parts.  It was, dare I say, actually a lot of fun.  I never want to be that cold again in my life, but I am definitely glad I did it. 

I might even go so far as to say I'd like to do it again next year....as long as the temperature is above 60 degrees!

The State of Affairs: April 2013

We kicked off the month by celebrating Addison & Mackenzie's 4th birthday.  I decided to majorly scale back their party this year, one of the last few before we get so overwhelmed with school friends, etc.  I reserved a local cafe for the afternoon and threw the girls a small, very laidback, princess-themed party.  It turned out perfectly, and I think my princesses and their guests had a very good time.  Since it is spring, I spray painted small clay flowerpots white, then let the kids paint them.  At the end of the party, they each got to plant a small flower in their pot to take home.  It was an easy craft, but hopefully a special touch A & M will remember.

The rest of the month has been fairly quiet.  The weather has been gorgeous, besides the awful pollen covering every surface.  One Saturday evening we played t-ball in the yard with the girls, and I have started taking neighborhood walks with them some afternoons.  A & M took swim lessons this month, which went...okay.  They (especially M) were a little scared, but I am proud of them for sticking with it for five weeks.  They learned some of the basics of swimming and are a slightly less frightened in the water than they were before we started lessons.  Overall, it was well worth it, and hopefully we can get in another round of lessons later in the summer.

Books Read in April: 3.5
The Clover House--Reviewed here.

Carry On, Warrior--Reviewed here.

Just One Day--I enjoyed this one very much, and it pulled me out of my reading slump.  It's YA, by the same author (Gayle Forman) of If I Stay/Where She Went, but much less emotionally taxing than those books were.  A bit far-fetched, but this book was just what I needed this month.  Can't wait to read the second book coming out this fall.

A Dual Inheritance--I'm a little over halfway through this one, which counts for a lot, I think, because it's a pretty lengthy read.  I can't put it down at night, a fact that surprises me a little since it's not what you'd call action-packed.  Review to come!

Still reading bits and pieces of a few others here and there, including Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma, which I've been meaning to find for a while.  Interesting stuff, and lots to think about.  (Thoughts to come, of course.)

Notables
I'm still running, roughly 2-3 times a week.  My goal is to turn that into a steady three times a week, hopefully soon.  Our big 5k/foam fest is coming up this weekend.  (I'm a little scared!)

I slacked off a bit on cooking new things this month, but now that spring is here, bringing with it an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, I hope to pick back up in that area.  The first trip to the big farmer's market in Huntsville is scheduled for this week or next, and I can't wait!

How was your April?

The Evolution of a Bedtime Story

I have loved books for as long as I can remember.  My mom was the best to always take me to the library and she kept me fully stocked in the books I wanted to read.  I remember being so very excited to get my very own library card, even though it had to reside in the file at the library until I was older (after graduating high school, maybe?  It's a little fuzzy now).

Because of my own love affair with books, I desperately hoped my girls would love reading and books, and I did everything I could to encourage that love.  I read aloud to them when they were too little to understand the words--mostly magazine articles, but also chunks of To Kill a Mockingbird.  How's that for culture?

I put out books for the girls starting almost immediately, when they were far too young to know what to do with them.  I wanted them to see books lying around, to know what they were, and to hear the words and see the pictures they contained.  Naturally, we started with thick and chunky board books, soft fabric or plastic books, and a couple of these indestructible books, which A & M really loved around 18 months or so.

When the girls were just a few months old, I started read an actual "bedtime story" each night.  Even if they squawked and fussed through it, this short little routine was one of the last things I did before putting them in bed for the night.  At some point, I began reading a short little Baby Einstein book (Lullabies & Sweet Dreams), which had a nice little rhyming cadence...that I can still recite most of, for the record.  This book remained in our bedtime rotation, even once we added other books in, for at least two years.  I still try to pull it out every once in while, even though I am usually vetoed now.

I rejoiced when the girls finally reached a point where they would sit (relatively) still in my lap for a couple of stories.  I don't remember exactly how old they were at that point, but I remember thinking it was a pretty young age for them to be actually "listening".  (I am guessing a little more than a year or so?)  I was so excited to finally be able to get through a small stack of books at bedtime.  Though my mind was numbed at times by the basic, repetitive wording in most of the simple board books, I was glad to see my girls' interest growing.

We stuck with the simple books through about age 2 1/2, employing only a few more wordy titles here and there.  As soon as I felt it made sense, though, I started incorporating more and more books with actual pages, more text, and (gasp!) occasionally an actual plot.  I was relieved to be free from board book prison.  And to my surprise, as the length of the books we read increased, so did the girls' patience for the stories.  They became good little listeners, only rarely interrupting and always sitting still where they could see the pictures.

After age two, I began seeking out all manner of books that I enjoyed reading to the girls.  I hunted down childhood favorites, flipped through tons of books at the library, and made note of books I saw recommended online.  Some became new favorites of mine, while others struck the girls' fancy.  We had a few standbys in common, but often our favorites do not overlap.  (I may or may not have placed the ones I loathed reading aloud at the bottom of the pile occasionally.)

I love, love, love getting to explore new titles with my girls, and watching their comprehension grow by leaps and bounds.  Though they haven't shown any real interest in learning to read themselves yet, I feel sure that we have built a solid foundation that will hopefully help them become lifelong readers.

Recently, I have branched out in their bedtime stories once again, trying out the idea of chapter books.  Mackenzie is still enamored with the The Jesus Storybook Bible, which she requests every single night. The stories are not very long, but do have a sense of continuity from one story to the next, so I figured they might be ready for some of the more simple chapter books we could read a little from each night.  After watching the movie "Ramona & Beezus", which the girls loved, I picked up the book at the library.  I remember reading and re-reading Beverly Clearly when I was young, so I was excited to share her books with them.  A & M were so excited to see Ramona in book form, and to hear some of the same stories they'd seen in the movie, plus new ones.

I probably overestimated their attention span a little, as the chapters turned out to be a little longer than is ideal at this point.  Still, they did listen to a full chapter on several occasions and we made it through a good chunk of the book.  A few weeks ago, I ordered The Children of Noisy Village, and its chapters a bit shorter.  The girls have liked it the nights we have read it, and I like the quaint, simple story lines.

As a new facet to our bedtime story routine, the girls now request to 'read' on their own for awhile after I tuck them into bed.  Mackenzie gets her Jesus Storybook and Addison usually requests her large Princess book, and they wind down by flipping through the pages of their familiar favorites.  I love that they have developed this habit, and I hope it's a sign of good things to come on the book front.

While we may not be ready for a Harry Potter read-a-long for quite some time, I recognize how far we have come with books in four years.  I am thankful for the love of literature I see growing in my girls, and I will continue to do everything I can to encourage it.

One day, girls, we will get to Harry Potter, and your minds will be BLOWN. 

Carry On, Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton {Review & Giveaway}

I don't remember exactly how I came to hear about Glennon Melton's blog, Momastery, but I know I spent a chunk of time one afternoon browsing through her writing.  A few things I read made me laugh out loud, others had me nodding in agreement, and still others caused my eyes to well up with tears.  While I don't read her blog regularly, Glennon stayed on my radar.  When I was asked about reviewing her new book, Carry On, Warrior, I quickly agreed.

I knew a bit of Glennon Melton's story from her blog--a "recovering everything", she is now a shameless "truth-teller" who doesn't hide behind a created image of herself.  She is passionate, dramatic, and honest, and her writing is in turn hilarious, sappy, and touching.

I found these same things to be true about Glennon as the author of Carry On, Warrior.  If you have read and enjoyed her blog, you'll love the book.  You will see some of the same material--even not being a regular reader, I recognized a few of her more popular posts.  There were also things I hadn't read, and some of those essays turned out to be my favorites.  If you don't know anything about Glennon Melton, you may very well enjoy the book all the more.  Reading the blog is in no way a prerequisite, is what I'm saying.

I confess that I find Glennon and the whole Momastery thing to be a little...well, much, for lack of a better term.  The same was true for the book at times.  Parts of it had me rolling my eyes at her flowery and grandiose writing.  I was a little put off by the entire chapter devoted to her sister's divorce.  I mean, I totally understand the closeness of a sister, but it was her divorce to experience, not Glennon's.  The description of a full year of crying, self-pity, and focus on Sister, of giving little to no attention to her husband and children--the prime example of all that is just too over-the-top about Glennon, in my opinion. 

On the flip side, however, there are essays like "Unwind" (about a married couple who forget to value one another) and "A Mountain I'm Willing to Die On" (about teaching our children by example that they are good, they are valued, and they are loved just as they are).  Those are examples of Glennon's serious writing at its best.  She really does seem very open, and is obviously willing to share her weaknesses and dirty secrets, because as she says, no one makes friends by sharing their strengths.  Glennon's writing about her addictions and recovery is gritty, moving, and real, but always with an undertone of humor.  I do love a lady who can laugh at herself.

In fact, my absolute favorite essays in Carry On, Warrior are the funny ones.  Glennon is at her best when she's milking the comedy from everyday life, in my opinion.  Essays like "Sucker--On Vacuuming", "Initiation" (which I had read on the blog, but remains one of my favorites), and "Transcendentalist" are ones I will mark to come back to when I need a laugh.  They are the ones I will read aloud to friends, and they are what makes me recommend this book to others who I know will appreciate the same things.

Are you a Momastery fan?  Interested in reading Carry On, Warrior?  (If so, be sure to keep reading!)

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GIVEAWAY

I am pleased to offer an opportunity for one reader to win a copy of Carry On, Warrior, courtesy of Scribner Publishing.  To enter, just leave a comment on this post.  If you're stumped for what to say, tell me the last time you vacuumed your floors (that's related to the essay I mention above, and the fact that I haaaate vacuuming!).  Or tell me if you've ever heard of Glennon Melton?  Perhaps her essay "Don't Carpe Diem"?

The giveaway will close this Sunday, April 28, at 10:00 p.m central time. 

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I received a copy of this book for review via TLC Book Tours and the publisher.  All opinions expressed are entirely my own.  For more reviews, check out the full tour post.