Twin Project

When H and M were two years old and then again three years old, they participated in the Boston University Twin Project.  In fact, they still get b-day cards from BU every year.  I don't recall the details (I notice while writing this blog that I "don't often recall" a lot!) but it was some sort of study that recorded their activity level based on other twins'.  They had to wear monitors on their wrists and ankles for 48 hours.  Then, twice a year, for two years,we went in to Boston, they were observed and filmed while playing with the folks conducting the tests, we went out to dinner and we went home. It was fun.  It was a good excuse to get in to Boston with the kids every now and again. 

Well, last night, we watched the videotapes of their sessions.  First off, let me say, that it was hysterical to watch them cry and scream and throw fits when I left the room.  ( I forgot all about that phase of their lives - especially H's.  But it's nice to see how much they loved The Mumma...G was a little bit annoyed that they weren't crying asking for him...) The girls and I were cracking up as we watched them turn red in the face and flail on the ground like raving lunatics.  G didn't enjoy watching it again quite as much.  It was like he was reliving it again...no thanks...

It was really fun to observe them interact and play (once they regained their sanity).  It was amazing to me.  They both were spot on mini-me versions of themselves now.  Way cool.

Hannah was soooo upset each time I left the room.  Her face turned redder than red and her little eyes bugged out of her head.  I'm sure she sweat through her clothes.  It was mostly, though because she was unsure of what was going to happen next.  She didn't miss a trick while the test was being conducted.  She was watching every move the grad students made.  You could tell from the look on her face that she wanted to be happy about what was going on (I mean it was all games, toys, movies, M & M's and goldfish - what could be wrong with that?!)  Eventually, she warmed up to the peeps, participated, played and had a blast.  I think she was more hesitant of the unknown. 

Now, years later, she is the same way.  Each night, at bedtime, she asks G and me these three questions, in this order:  "If we have a bad dream, can we wake you guys up?"  "Is the bathroom light on?" "Are we going to see you in the morning?"  The answers are always "yes", but she has to ask every night.  (Sometimes I answer "no" to them and then proclaim "Happy Opposite Day" but she doesn't find that as humorous as I.)  Each morning on the way to school, she likes to go line item by line item as to what will happen after school, who will pick them up, who will be where, what our dinner plans are and such. She just likes to be prepared.  And if she is, she's good to go.  She's totally fine (thankfully) if things change mid-way through the day. She just needs to know that there is, in fact, some sort of plan as we head out the door.

Maddie started out just fine in the study sessions. She walked in and started working the room.  (Just like her Daddy.)  From the get go, she played with everything with a smile on her face, talked (as much as she was able at two and three) and seemed to be quite comfortable from the very beginning. We thought, "ahhh, this will be easy.  Not like the crazy Sister"  Then, all of a sudden, every time, (I think she must have heard my voice on the other side of the door), she completely and totally lost her mind.  Out.  Of.  Her.  Minda.  She turned in to a raving lunatic - kicking, flailing, nutso.  She was pissed.  And there was no consoling her. She couldn't and wouldn't listen to reason. She was rarely like that as a babe.  It was so funny to watch. 

And, she's still a bit like that. She's pretty even keel and then BAM! She's crazed - perhaps because H didn't erase a pencil marking in her notebook well enough or because I brush her hair at the wrong angle or because G puts her pants away the wrong way in their closet.  We all stare at her (as we did during the study) like, "are you effing serious with this?!  Chill out, dude!"  She mutters under her breath as we tease her, willing us to go far, far away.  Eventually, she's cool. But in the interim - look out.

Suffice to say that the people dealing with both of them and their tantrums were NOT getting paid enough.  YIKES!

They had little itty bitty bodies with massive heads of hair - ponytails in all different directions.  They had chubby cheeks and diaper bums.  They had little voices and littler hands.  It was sad to see how much things had changed.

... I was still a bit chubbed, wearing overalls and had a horrible haircut.  It was not sad to see how much that had changed.