Friendship

"Mom.  Sometimes we think we're just too close.  We do everything together."

 

No girls, impossible I think. I love that I find you huddled together most of the time.  Your giggles are infectious.  You imagination is amazing.  And I am so proud of your friendship.

We've Come a Long Way Ladies

 

Ten years and a lot of miles girls.

The other day Alida says to me: "Sometimes, we think we're a little too close."

Impossible.

Contortionist

Glancing over, this seemed perfectly unnatural.

And then I saw Elaine tucked behind her sister.  Oddly, they weren't even trying to be weird; they were just sitting that way.

The things you can do when you have a twin with the same size leg.

Safari

Give the kids each some money and send them off to the arcade at a hotel.

 

Perfect, because then Patric and I snuck into the same arcade and played Space Invaders (or some such amazing recreation of a classic game with vibrating chairs and swiveling guns) until we ran our own selves out of money.

 

We didn't see the girls while we were there because they were in a photo booth taking pictures of themselves with various backgrounds.  This is by far my favorite--Alida appropriately terrified and running.  Elaine, magically calm and relaxed during the stampede.

Girls

You made slime from memory and a bunch of my stuff, even after I told you there was no Borax in this house.

And then you cleaned up the mess and packaged up gifts of slime for all of your friends.

 

When I had to take the boys to Boy Scouts at 6 in the morning on a Saturday, I returned to breakfast.

And you cleaned up the mess!

 

And then, you come down and show me your blue hair and your pig face, and I can't help but smile.

 

Every sleepless night, so worth it.

Sisters

Saturday morning while the boys were at camp, and I had coffee on the front porch.

The girls played some hoops together.

I inevitably had to go in to do some task or another long before they were done.

 

When I walked out again, I discovered why there had been an end to the game that morning.

Apparently Alida had been hogging the ball a bit...

Basketball apologies in rose petals.  I love little girls.

Give a Girl a Piping Bag

And too much frosting, and you get a bit of artwork.

 

I love girls. 

Five Minutes Earlier

Elaine: "I hate you Alida.  I'm never speaking to you again."

seriously.

Sisters

Oh, Alida.

You hurt your ankle--but there is no swelling and the limping is intermittent.  Hmm.

Yes, you should get some sleep; it heals most wounds around here.

Right after Elaine gets you some ice and secures it with a sleeping mask of course.

Fall Cleaning

When you show up with that on your head, you must be put to work.

A Friendly Competition

Girl 1: White goes first.
Girl 2: No, I insist, you go first.
Girl 1: No, really you should go
Girl 2: No, I insist, you go first.

A Few Moves Manage to Take Place

Girl 2: Oh, I can't do that, you'll kill me.
Girl 1: It's okay, I won't I promise.
Girl 2: Really?
Girl 1: Really, it's okay.
Girl 2: Oh, thank you.

A Few Moves later.

All is over, the girls are done and skip off to try on new clothes. No one loses.

Stuff I find around the house

 

 

When questioned.

 

Elaine: I was tickling her, so she wanted revenge.

Sisters

I love it when I randomly find them like this as I move around our house. 

Always brightens my day.

Having a Sister

Means always having someone there to wiggle your loose front tooth for you.

Mommy Away

And as I randomly found the photos from the most recent mommy-away days on daddy's phone, I found our most recent random randomness.  

Halloween in January, wherein Alida has turned her sister into a dog.

Sure, why not.

How we tell them apart now

Elaine. Straight to the closet after school--clothes changed, hair brushed, and ready to relax.

Alida: After school, just ready to relax, can't remember where the headband went that she started the day with and doesn't care. Every day.

Synchronized Flexibility

I find myself constantly rolling my eyes around here.

Math

Spontaneous by the ladies.

And mostly in mirror-speak.

This from their time spent playing office.

A Coke and a Smile

 This may  be their first ever Coke.

 Which made them break out into this.

A Coke and a (synchronized) smile.

The Girls' Birthday

 We dumped the boys for the day, and headed to the store for donuts. Just us ladies.

Then we watched Alice in Wonderland.

Then we made "Tangled" hair with some packing material.

 Then we planted an herb garden or two.

And we made and decorated cupcakes.

Then I looked up at the clock, and it was noon.

It know it has been too long since I focused my undivided attention on these people that when I do, I am again surprised at how much energy they have.  But, we had the pool for the afternoon.  And this was the most restful part of the day, watching twin five-year-olds jump, swim, jump, swim, jump, swim.