May 2008

Twins. It’s pretty much what everyone says – a lot of work. So many people ask is it harder with two?

The answer is yes.

And no.

In many ways it’s more rewarding. But what the hell do I know, I’ve only had two. In no particular order…

- Twice the diapers (cost).

- Twice the diapers (human waste).

- Your kids are out of diapers faster than two singletons who are close in age.

- The bond is amazing - every morning Katie and Patrick look to each other in their cribs. At day camp, they glance across the room at one another. They are as much friends as they are brother and sister.

- To see your child bond with another, like holding hands or a kiss, is even more rewarding when they do it every day in your living room.

- Zone defense is hard. Man-to-man is where it’s at.

- If one is quiet, something is brewing. If both are quiet, best go see what they’ve gotten in to.

- Nobody wants to leave their kid alone in the car when you’re getting ready to go out. But how do you strap them both in? Answer = two people. Always.

- Or at day care you push one in a stroller and carry the other.

- Twice the laundry.

- Katie and Patrick share better than most singletons we know. Of course, they also take things from one another, too.

- As much as they share DNA and a birth date, they are two completely individual people with strengths and weaknesses like all of us.

- Travel by plane with one infant means the parents share kid-on-the-lap space. With two, not so much.

- The safest car seats cost $250. Each.

- Day care costs more than I’ve ever paid in rent. It’s a mortgage payment.

- Forget real conversations at a party with your kids. If you’re primary, you are unable to do anything else. If you’re talking to a friend when one gets away from the primary, you’re running mid-sentence.

- People stop and stare – everyone loves an infant. But two brings out conversations from strangers about a sister who has twins, etc. When I take just one, we get ignored.

- As they get older, they will have each other to play with, so there is less relying on Mom and Dad to be full-time playmates.

Happy Monday. Er, Tuesday!

Friday we went to a fish fry on the “G” (Avenue G for those not in the know). Bruce and Clair put out a great spread with deep-fried cornmeal catfish with amazing hushpuppies. Katie and PJ had fun with Bruce’s nephew, a boy named Lucas.

Katie was very flush from the heat, but it didn’t stop her from exploring.

Patrick was found in or around this planter. He must be a farmer like his namesake.

Saturday was quieter than we expected - our babysitter canceled last minute. I was able to ride and we took a family dip in the kiddie pool.

Sunday found us over at the Brotmans – it was nice to re-connect with Dan and Amy. Plus given that their daughter Ella is close in age to the kids, the surroundings were very comfortable. We figured out why people with kids hang out with each other - no worries about electric outlets or cabinets, etc.

The food was superb, the Negro Modelos were cold, the conversation was fun and we met some new people, the Millers.

Lucas trying to get his hat stuck, PJ splashing and Ella having fun.

This table is on the must buy list. After PJ figured out that sand doesn’t taste good, he played in it and the water until he was soaked.

Monday is here and I’ve ridden for FIVE days straight (min 1.5 hours on each day). No shit, right? I’m so excited, I think I might ride tomorrow. In fact, I might start the kiddie commute via bike trailer. Plus next weekend we’re in San Angelo, and I know I’ll be riding on some of my most favorite trails.

We’re off to a picnic at 4pm. Should be fun. Hope your weekend was memorable, too.

ONE.
This is Jerry Jones, right? I mean the guy has a Cowboys plate, but who isn’t a fan of JJ from Good Times? DYNO-MITE!

TWO.
Mike eats squirrel. He tells me they are good to eat, but bad for my pecan trees. He recommends a high-power pellet gun.

THREE.
Looking for party tunes? WOXY has the Modern Rock 500 every Memorial Day. It’s a good listen, so if you stream, point your browser to WOXY.com.

FOUR.
Sometimes, even the (self proclaimed) king of DM trickery gets tricked. Say it ain’t so, Joe.

FIVE.
White. Sox. Base. Ball.
White. Sox. Base. Ball.
It’s a long season, and like all teams they’ve seen a losing streak. But right now they’re white hot, and Carlos Quentin is a big, happy surprise. Kenny has certainly had his share of on-the-bubble trades that have panned out (Jenks is another), and our pitching looks solid, too. June 19th and 20th, I’ll be in The Cell.

BONUS
No 6 if you get this far. We’re happy to report that Katie is officially walking (when she feels like it). She takes 8-10 steps before losing it. And Patrick pulled a first, too. Last night he decided that playing catch with dad is much more fun when you get the ball back to him. Woot!

I’ve mentioned it before: my hockey league is going under. But just today the Austin American Statesman picked up the story thanks to some clever PR.

Exposure is good, especially since there is a core group of people trying to find alternatives. Like this summer - when the local ice rink takes down one of it’s ice sheets, we’ll play there. But then fall comes and we’re homeless again.

I’ve been forced to choose between ice hockey or none. Which is cool, I like to ice skate. It’ll take some time to get the legs back under me, but it’s faster and requires more skill – two perks in my book.

It’s also more costly. The nice think about roller hockey is the fees are about 35% less than ice. Roller is a great way to try hockey because anyone with skates can do it. Many of my teammates have expressed that they can’t afford to play ice.

Now if someone were to step up and build a new roller rink…