Difference

Miss J and Miss F have been getting a lot of attention for their twin-ness recently. "A lot" as in, a lot more than usual.
We are in a new town - a relatively small town, at that - and I am guessing they have not seen many identical twins before. Well, actually... Considering the people at the supermarket welcomed us at the doors with big smiles, energetic waves, and exclamations of, "Oh LOOK! The double kids!" .... It's not really a guess so much as it is a stating of the obvious.

Thankfully we are also surrounded by our own bunch of freaks, who have been wonderful in celebrating Miss J and Miss F as individuals and making their twin-ness into a kind of kewl, freak talent, rather than a defining feature.
Still, I was so very relieved when Miss J herself started a conversation about her and her twin sister's individuality at the breakfast table today....

Miss J: "People look at us because we look the same, don't they?"
Me: "Yes Miss J, some people do. Being a twin is very special and not many people get to have a twin sister. You only look the same though, people who know you know that you are both different."
Miss F: "Yeah... We look the same, but we're not the same, hey mum?"
Me: "No, you're not. You are both different.... Like how Miss F loves to sing and twirl a lot and Miss J loves to dance and jump a lot. That's different."
Miss J: "Yeah, and Miss F likes yellow jelly but I don't."
Me: "Yep. How else are you different?"
Miss F: "My scooter is white and it has flowers and it has 4 wheels but Miss J's is pink and no flowers and it has 3 wheels."
Miss J: "Yeah, and I like painting hearts but Miss F likes painting flowers."
Me: "Exactly!"

I have to say, I was finding our conversation very reassuring at this point - hearing both Miss J and Miss F speak about themselves as individuals was music to my ears.
It was also a relief not to have to worry about them developing any kind of complex from all the extra attention.

Then, just as this last thought passed through my mind, Miss F added,

"Yeah, and Miss J's farts stink but mine don't!"

Oh dear.

7 comments:

MissyBoo said...

Hahahahaha! So Miss F thinks there is a smelly twin and a non-smelly one to tell them apart???
Well thats easy then!

♥.Trish.♥ Drumboys said...

Very cute.LOL
My boys are non identical but people still ask - are they identical ?
I think it is so important to celebrate their uniqueness.

Debby said...

I know a lot of people who seem to believe that their farts don't stink.

jeanie said...

We have 4 sets of identical twins at our school - and several of the non-identical variety.

The easiest way to tell them all apart is to call them by the wrong name - now we have anpther method!

Anonymous said...

I teach twins this year and am very careful to make sure we celebrate their individuality. They are identical with only monor differences - about 1 cm in height and one has a ounder face. They are VERY different in nature, of course, as are any siblings. I was gobsmacked when a releif teacher worked last week and asked me if they were identical, seeing A was taller than S, as she thought identical twins were total mirror image!! (Umm hello?)

Alison said...

M&B - lol, yeah - naturally she always come up smelling like roses!

Trish - we have friends with boy/girl twins who get asked all the time - "Are they identical?" lol!

Debby - It's cute at 4 though... Right?!

Jeanie - lol, nice method! Unfortunately J and F still sometimes answer for each other.

Rhubarb - I love that you appreciate twin differences! lol at the relief teacher though.

Anonymous said...

Up until this year when someone asked the girls if they were twins they would look confused and reply (in stereo) "No.. we're big girls". It is only recently that they have used the word 'twins' to identify themselves of their own accord.
We've been having a few 'twin issues' in our house of late, both good and bad... but I was so pleased to hear them casually chatting about how silly it was that some people can't tell them apart... they listed off a heap of differences, but totally left out the obvious one - Z has three less teeth after her accident! I'm sure they included the fart one too...

Glad to hear your girls are as spunky as ever..