This Is Your Brain On Twins

Photo courtesy of Indie Art Photography

I used to consider myself a fairly intelligent person. I got good grades in school when I wanted to, earned a degree from a reputable university, and even made a living correcting other people's grammatical errors. And even after Haley and Carter were born, I felt like I was able to hold it together pretty well. No "mommy brain" here.

And then came the day my trusty brain cells got the shock of their lives. "You're having twins!" declared the ultrasound tech, and right then and there every single smart brain cell in my head jumped ship. The smart cells caught the next flight to the Caribbean and left me and all of my dumb brain cells to fend for ourselves. And ever since the twins joined our circus, my life has been little more than one scatterbrained mishap after another. Here are a few of the things I've done this month alone:

1. Haley and Carter were playing with the Loftus kids, who have been our good friends for six years. I went to the wrong house to pick them up and didn't realize it until the owners came to the door.
2. One day I took off Drew's dirty diaper, cleaned him up, and put his pants back on without a diaper underneath. I didn't know what I'd done until Haley screamed, "Ew! Why is Drew all wet?" I nearly made the same mistake two days later with Adam.
3. The other day I went to the grocery store to pick up Adam & Drew's vitamin prescription. I came out of the store with $46 worth of cereal and steaks, but no vitamins.
4. I got the three boys all bundled up and buckled into the car one day, slid into the driver's seat, and couldn't find my keys. I emptied my purse, searched the car, checked the counters in the house, and still couldn't find them. So I took the boys back inside, took off their shoes and their coats, and then found my keys in my pocket.
5. After I'd been out running errands one day I went home to our old house.
   

I know that Adam and Drew were both meant to be in our family, and since Chris and I had decided to have only three kids, the only way they were both going to get here was to come together. And yet three years later, I still don't understand why. Don't get me wrong: I love Adam and Drew just as fiercely as I love Chris, Haley and Carter. But I wonder, why was it so important for them to both come to us?

I've spent so much time during these years pondering that question, and I'm starting to realize that maybe having twins was the only way I would learn the lessons that I need to learn. I'm learning that we don't have to be perfect. I'm learning that some things can and should slide. I'm learning that it's OK to ask for help or to say no if I need to. I'm learning that children can fend for themselves and even struggle a little and still turn out alright. I'm learning that being completely overwhelmed every day is the thing that keeps me tethered to my Heavenly Father.

I'm sure there are other reasons for the twins to be in our family, reasons that I'll discover and understand as life progresses. And even though I'm on the fast track to complete, raving lunacy, I wouldn't trade having twins for anything. If nothing else, the road to lunacy is an entertaining ride.