In Philadelphia, the closest boy in age to my seven year-old twins was a fourth grader who threw rocks at passing cars and dropped the occasional F-bomb.
It goes without saying that I was thrilled to learn that in my new neighborhood, there are six first-grade boys, one of whom still takes an afternoon nap.
My boys are in heaven. Most days after school, the group roams the neighborhood like feral cats, peering into people's trash cans, throwing footballs into trees, and going door-to-door begging for snacks. Approximately once every half hour, they all run through my house.
"I have a head ache when they are all in my kitchen," the mother of one of the boys admitted to me this afternoon. "When they are by themselves, everything is fine. But when they are together, they are just so hyper."
I can honestly say that I am not familiar with the serenity to which the woman implicitly alluded. I struggle to think of a moment in my sons' lives when they are not hyper.
My brother, who has two year-old triplets, put it best: having multiples is like having friends over all of the time.
It's great, but is an experience that often requires medication to survive.
Having had 4 kids in 3.5 years I can relate! Now ages 7-10, they keep each other constantly entertained but until this year (first year that they're all in school all day) I had not known many quiet moments :)
ReplyDeleteI have one 5 year old and he is very rarely calm so I can only imagine if there were 2 of him.
ReplyDeleteExactly! I have 8 year old triplets. People often like to say, "so I guess you're done having them all at once." I ususally say, "I would love to have one more." I don't know why but the response I ALWAYS get is, "But what if you had another set of triplets?" And my reply is, "Then I'd up my medicine."
ReplyDeleteOne boy is worth one boy. Two boys are worth 1/2 a boy. Three boys are are just trouble. --Grandpa B.
ReplyDeleteAmen, sista! Pass the ibruprofen!
ReplyDeleteI was a nanny to 7 separate sets of identical twins.
I take birth control religiously, although I am single, don't kiss boys and don't go on dates.
I have learned.
Holy crap, that is the most astute, dead on statement about having multiples that I have ever heard!!
ReplyDeleteHaving twins myself that is the best thing I have ever read. Love your blog always makes me smile!
ReplyDeleteWow, I never thought of that. It makes sense, though. It's good to hear that your boys have friends in the neighborhood :)
ReplyDeleteYour brother is a genius.
ReplyDeleteAnd twins are just lovely, but why must the noise kids make multiply exponentially in a group? I have four, so, we can drown out the sound of planes taking off.
When my kids were little our place was Grand Central Station. Oddly enough, I miss those days occasionally. They do actually grow up fast, it just doesn't seem like it when you're in the middle of kiddie rush hour.
ReplyDeleteYes, people often ask me how I manage with 5 children (ages 7, 6, 4 and 18 month old twins). I smile and say I just do it day by day. I don't tell them my real secret: prozac!
ReplyDeleteThey seem to feed off each other no matter what.
ReplyDeleteOne good thing about having twins, though, and having them first, was the 3 singletons that came after were a relative piece of cake!
Serenity Now...Sinfield :)
ReplyDeleteI have 1 child. Wonder how it'll be once we have more...
Oh my heavens, you crack me up! I found your blog through another friend's links. I love your writing and your sense of humor. Seriously laughing over here. :)
ReplyDeleteamen. my triplets' best friend is an only child next-door. i think we freak them out big time. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI have 4 year old triplets. Serenity is not a word I would use to describe my house. Your brother's description really captures the multiple experience.
ReplyDeleteMy dad was one of 3 boys. They would play together with darts, BB guns and other fun things. Someone usually got hurt.
ReplyDeleteWhenever they went outside to play, my grandmother would shut the door behind them and lock it.
They are all still alive today and the stories they tell my grandmother (the things she didn't know about them doing) make her shudder. ;)
I was the middle child of seven kids with only an eight year span. It was like growing up in a frat house for Pete's sake.
ReplyDeleteWhile I can't relate to a house full of boys, I can relate to having small children all close in age - in April, we will have four in under 5 years!
ReplyDeleteI love reading your blog and can relate in so many ways! I've been given a blogger award, and I am passing it on to you!
You can check it out on my blog! http://theferriegirls.blogspot.com
Steph
I can SOOOO relate!! My DH and I are exhausted by the time the frats finally get to bed!
ReplyDeleteMy oldest are twins. Some days it was a blessing, other days, a curse. However, when my 2nd son was born, he was one active, wild, into- EVERYTHING, kid. On days I thought I'd go crazy, I'd comfort myself by thinking, "At least he's not twins!"
ReplyDeleteHang in there!
Dang, a 4th grader that throws things at cars and drops the f-bomb? Nightmare, that means my Jack has a twin in Philly! Plus, I have at home a 12 year old, 9 year old, and almost 8 year old. The last two are as bad as twins.
ReplyDeleteas the mother of 6 year old triplets all I have to say is amen!
ReplyDeleteAs a mother of 2 sets of identical twin girls (they are 18 months apart), I ABSOLUTELY couldn't agree more with this!
ReplyDelete*Doorbell ditching alert*
ReplyDeleteComing to your neighborhood within 2 short years.
Being an identical twin myself, I can relate to this article. My sister sister and I had times like this in our childhood. Now that I have sons, I fully understand what it's like to be in a house full of testosterone and loudness.
ReplyDeleteI love the fact that your kids check in with you often during their playtime with neighbors. Mine do as well, and I love that.
I have two sets of twins. People (of singletons) often tell me how lucky I am because my kids always have a friend and someone to play with. Yes, but the difference is unlike when a single child has a friend over to play, eventually the friend goes home. Our "friend" never leaves. And have these people never realized how difficult it is for a child to nap when they always have a friend to play with?
ReplyDeleteEXACTLY! I have a 4 year old and two year old twins and I can so relate. No one understands unless you have multiples (or kids REALLY close in age)
ReplyDeleteI have a 3.5 yr old son now and twins on the way. My house is anything but quiet with one, I am not sure what I have in store when the other 2 get here.
ReplyDelete