2019_JulAugNEW

The Magazine for Multiples since 1984! 

TwinsMagazine.com 

July/August 2019 

TWINS 

UNITE 

FOR THEIR 

FIRST 

DEPLOYMENT 

Smart Play 

STEM Style 

RAISING TWIN 

READERS: 

From the ABCs to 

Shakespeare 

Help Your 

Kids Understand 

the Twins’ 

ARRIVAL 

DRINK UP TO EASE 

PREGNANCY 

ACHES AND PAINS

In Every Issue 

A Note from the Editor ........... 3 

Twins in the News ................... 4 

Columns 

PREGNANCY 

Helping Your Singleton 

Child Understand 

the Twins’ Arrival......................... 6 

Drinking more water 

can ease pregnancy 

pains and aches.........................10 

TODDLERS 

And They're Off!.........................12 

PRE-SCHOOL 

Smart Play STEM Style.............14 

PARENTING 

Raising Twin Readers: 

From ABCs to Shakespeare....16 

The Twin.......................................19 

Back-to-school 

Stress Free....................................20 

TWINSFEATURES 

Twins Unite for their First 

Deployment................................22 

Twin Sisters Retire Together 

After 34 Years in the 

National Guard...........................25 

table of 

contents 

July/August 2019 

Canadian Twins in 

the Grip of a Summer 

Cheese Wave............................... 28 

TALESFROMTWINS 

My Lost Twin............................... 30 

TWINSLOL 

Lady, Can't You Control 

Your Kids?..................................... 32 

On the Cover 

Senior Airmen Jeffrey 

and Joshua Young - 

together for their first 

deployment 

10 TIPS 

TO PREPARE 

YOUR KIDS FOR 

MULTIPLES 

Page 9 

Twins Say the 

Cutest Things 

Page 13 

Volume 35 Number 3 

July/August 2019 Founded in 1984 

OWNED AND PUBLISHED BY 

Blue Rise Media dba: 

TWINS Magazine 

publisher@twinsmagazine.com 

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 

Keith Shirley 

editor@twinsmagazine.com 

ART DIRECTOR 

artdirector@twinsmagazine.com 

CUSTOMER SERVICE 

subscribers@twinsmagazine.com 

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS 

Tech. Sgt. Clinton Atkins; Ryan 

Campbell; Susan R. Cohen; Brian “Fox” 

Ellis; Kristen Fescoe; Nancy B. Gibbs; 

Liz Gooch; Jacqueline Manning; Vinay 

Saranga; Laurence Segrave; Kim Suvan 

MAIN CONTACT PHONE NUMBER 

Tel: 1-718-502-9061 

www.twinsmagazine.com 

Ahhh....... 

ANOTEFROMTHEEDITOR 

I love summer. A season full of open windows, 

drinks on the patio and family vacations. And there's 

still so much to get to! As a dad of twins, I find that 

relaxing can be a LOT of work sometimes - especially 

when the countdown to the start of the school year 

looms! 

Here at TWINS Magazine we’re celebrating 35 

years this summer! After a brief hiatus, we're back 

with some exciting plans for the next few months. 

The coming weeks will also see the unveiling of our 

new subscriber services which will be full to the brim 

with new resources, contributors and contests! 

OF course, we're also close to a time for change 

as school-age twins get ready for the new school 

year (shhh...). Manage the chaos and check out some 

back-to-school tips on pg 20. We also celebrate military 

sunrise and sunset moments (pg 22, 25). 

We’re always on the lookout for true-life twin stories, 

rants, and more. If you’d like to contribute to the 

magazine, please email me at editor@twinsmagazine. 

com for more information. 

We're looking forward to sharing more great stories, 

news and advice - and having some fun doing it! We 

hope you enjoy and be sure to tell us what you think! 

Sincerely, 

Keith Shirley 

Follow TWINS Magazine on social 

2 TWINS Magazine A www.twinsmagazine.com 

July/August 2019 3

TWINSINTHENEWS 

A TWINS Magazine 

Bohemian Rhapsody was a triumph, 

the film rekindling the love affair 

that so many fans have with Freddie 

Mercury and Queen. Fox’s 4th highest 

money-maker ever snagged an Academy 

Award for Best Actor Rami Malek. A quote 

to People Magazine, “His mother, siblings 

(including twin Sami) and cousins are all 

incredibly proud of Rami” 

George Clooney Says His Twins Are Already 

Pranksters! Ella and Alexander, 

who turn 2 next month, can already 

“do all their ABCs in Italian and in English” 

proud dad George Clooney told Savannah 

Guthrie on the Today show. 

“They’re not terrible twos.. but they are already 

pranksters, just like their dad. “[They] 

put peanut butter on their shoes so that it 

looks like poo-poo on their shoes and stuff, 

and they think that’s funny,” Clooney said. 

Image: Katielee Arrowsmith SWNS 

The 2019 Twins Days Festival was held 

August 3rd and 4th. This annual international 

event is recorded as the “Largest 

Annual Gathering of Twins in the World” by 

the Guinness Book of World Records. 

This year saw close to 2500 registered sets of 

twins. Congratulations on another great year! 

Next year's festival will be held on the weekend 

of August 7 - 9, 2020. 

Twins are encouraged to register at the Twins 

Days web site at www. 

twinsdays.org. 

Edinbburgh parents are overjoyed at the 

health and happiness of their identical 

twins - in spite doctors telling the couple 

that one had to die while still in the womb. 

At 16 weeks pregnant, doctors told Nicky and 

James Ferguson that due to a problem with the 

blood supply between the babies, stopping 

the heart of the weaker twin was the only way 

to make sure at least one of them survived. 

The parents from Edinburgh didn’t listen to 

the advice and instead chose to give their girls 

Lillie and Lacey a fighting chance. 

Nickly told London’s Daily Mirror “We couldn’t 

have lived with ourselves if we had done it - 

how could we possibly choose one over the 

other? 

Talking about the girls’ condition now, she said: 

“They are both doing incredibly well [and]have 

such a strong bond between them, which is 

lovely to see. 

“When we watch them together, we know we 

made the right decision to save them both.” 

“They have defied doctors’ expectations and 

now Lacey still has her twin sister with her.” 

Image Source and Copyright: 

The Sandusky Register. Photo/ERIN CALDWELL' 

Last year, Alexis and Mercedes Fox, 9, set 

up a lemonade stand at a family yard sale 

to raise money for Cancer Services of Erie 

County in honor of their grandmother, Mary Jane 

Neuman, who was diagnosed with breast cancer. 

They ended up donating about $120 to the nonprofit. 

In June, the fraternal twins began their stand 

again, collecting $150 from selling lemonade and 

homemade braclets. After Cancer Services shared 

the twins’ mission thru Facebook, Paul Koch, a 

Civista Bank executive and a Cancer Services 

board member, agreed to match their donations 

and challenged local businesses to do the same. 

As their efforts spread, the Huron Schools students 

have accumulated more than $3,000 in 

donations this year. And for the twins’ recent 

birthday, they asked for donations instead of 

gifts, collecting $220. 

Alexis and Mercedes told the Sandusky Register 

they didn’t expect to receive so much support. 

“It’s amazed us how many people have stepped 

in,” said Audra Fox, the twins’ mother. 

Share your Story 

Ever wanted to see your name in print? 

Ever wanted to be a part of the #1 magazine for and 

about multiples since 1984? 

Well, we'd love your contributions! 

We’re accepting editorial submissions for 

our blog and video sections. 

Don't think you know how to write your story? 

We'll help! 

Just visit twinsmagazine.com/submissions for the 

chance to have your writing featured! 



AGESANDSTAGES 


PREGNANCY 

Helping Your 

Singleton 

Child Understand 

the Twins’ 

AR IVAL 

I 

was the happy mother of a nearly 2-year-old boy 

when we were told that I was carrying twins. 

My initial reaction was panic, even though, as a 

mother and pediatrician, I’d had a fairly extensive 

education to prepare me for the experience. My 

thoughts quickly raced from the practical, “How 

will I fit them all in my car?” and “How will I ever 

have everyone ready in the morning so I can get to 

work on time?” to the emotional, “What will they 

mean to Adam? 

Our son, Adam, a bright and personable little boy, 

was the center of our busy household. He easily 

answered such questions as “Who is the best 

boy?” (“Me!”) And had the high self esteem that 

comes with being the one and only. He knew soon 

enough that something was happening to disrupt 

our household---Mommy was often sick and had 

to go to the doctor. Mommy didn’t chase him 

around quite as often as she used to. He responded 

to this in stride, giving me kisses and empathetic 

hugs, watching my belly expand. 

Our growing family 

Adam’s education began to incorporate his future 

siblings. He learned the concept of two fairly 

quickly. He could count two cribs in the nursery, 

two swings that appeared in our den, two homecoming 

outfits purchased ahead of time. He recited 

with pride that the neighborhood kids had 

mommies with one baby in their bellies, while his 

mother had two. He learned the concepts of big 

and little while comparing his old baby socks 

that I sorted through to his current “big boy” 

pairs. He clearly knew his colors, able to tell me 

which of the new outfits were to be his (blue) 

vs. his forthcoming sisters’ (pink). Adam was 

prepared for Daddy doing more and more with 

the use of five plastic toy elephants. During 

bathtub play, the “daddy” elephant got lunch 

for the “big boy” elephant while the “mommy” 

elephant rested and waited for the two baby elephants 

to come play. 

We played out what life might be like with a 

larger family, using our 2-year-old’s favorite 

stuffed animals. We became keenly aware of 

and pointed out references to twin in our 

household. Bambi has twins at the end of our 

abridged Disney book and a bear has stork-delivered 

twins in the beginning of Dumbo. 

Adam didn’t know how to ask questions about 

what was to be. We were fortunate in having 

the time to introduce the concept in a framework 

he could understand. Quietly, and over 

several months, the idea of the two new sisters 

became part of Adam’s daily existence. 

Awaiting the big day 

He also had other major life changes unfolding 

for him. Suddenly, moving him out of his crib 

and into his big-boy room became important 

to us. We did not want him to feel evicted by 

the twins. We chose bed linens and wall decorations 

he liked and rewarded any attempts on his 

part to stay in the bed—even if only to have a 

story read to him. We encouraged his increasing 

self reliance, realizing he was not a baby anymore. 

He perceived we were treating him with 

respect for his emerging skills and grinned with 

pride when we let him do little “chores” around 

the house. 

As a full-time working mom, I yearned to spend 

more special, never-to-be-available again, singleton 

mothering time with my boy. My husband, 

parents and I took vacation time with Adam a 

few months before my due date. Although it was 

difficult to be told to leave work due to medical 

problems in the pregnancy, I used my time at 

TWINS Magazine A www.twinsmagazine.com 


AGESANDSTAGES 


PREGNANCY 

home to read to Adam, watch him and reassure him. 

I found myself mourning the future loss of this special 

time with my son even as I anxiously awaited the birth 

of my twins. 

I told Adam stories of what would happen when the 

twins wanted to come out. He seemed nonplussed to 

wake up to his auntie and uncle in our house when I 

was taken to the hospital for the first time. He simply 

accepted our explanation, “babies not here yet,” 

when I came home empty handed later that day. It 

was more difficult when I was hospitalized for preeclampsia 

four days prior to my delivery. Adam expected 

me to arrive as usual from my doctor appointment 

and cried when I didn’t come home to tuck him into 

bed. He slept in our bed that night. My husband 

tried to maintain his usual routine, which did help, 

but Adam was unsure and upset when visiting me at 

the hospital. I was happy I had purchased and gift 

wrapped some stickers and a small car for him and 

kept them in my overnight bag. Those things and his 

interest in my hospital bed control panel helped ease 

the situation. He was able to leave me at the hospital 

that night without tears. 

Big brother status 

Our identical twins, Emily and Elizabeth, were born 

on Father’s Day. They arrived with much excitement. 

One of them had apnea and a resultant NICU stay. 

Adam met the girls and began playing with my bed’s 

control panel. Yet another little present—a stuffed animal 

“gift from the babies”—helped him to realize that 

they were a good presence in his life. Adam learned 

to kiss and hug his new sisters. He understood quickly 

that if they were sleeping, his parents were able 

to spend more time with him. We tried to attribute 

good things to the girls’ arrival. He was now 

a big brother entitled to big-brother benefits. 

We praised him often, especially for being good 

with the girls. Frequent small things, such as a 

pack of jumbo crayons, reinforced good behavior. 

Of course, spending time with Adam alone 

was still important to my husband and me. A 

trip to the store, a few minutes on the swing set, 

a bedtime story all fit the bill. Family members 

helped us find time for this. 

Adam began to learn more about taking turns 

when the babies arrived. He understood that 

each child needed Mommy’s attention. I found 

myself telling the babies so Adam could hear, 

“It’s now your turn for a new diaper and then 

its Adam’s turn.” I enlisted Adam’s “help” in 

minding the babies in the car, asking him to 

tell me if they were sleeping or if the sun was on 

their faces. I was careful not to overdo this and 

make him feel like a servant. We are the most 

fortunate in having Adam’s grandparents, aunt, 

baby-sitter and others take turns reinforcing 

how special our little boy still is to us. 

Time and effort well-spent 

Children need time to adjust to a new situation. 

We did the best we could in introducing the 

concept of twins slowly and in play situations 

to help our toddler understand the events associated 

with the birth of his sisters. We had 

familiar people picking up the slack when I became 

less physically able to do things at home. 

We really strived to preserve a routine. 

Now that I am back to work full-time, our lives 

are settling into a happy, if sometimes hectic pattern. 

Adam, Emily and Elizabeth seem always to 

have been part of our lives. I’m not sure any of 

us really remembers life without them. But one 

thing we are sure of is that taking the time to prepare 

Adam for the arrival of our twins was time 

well spent. It helped him to accept the changes 

in our family with ease and joy. A 

Susan R. Cohen, M.D., of Sharon, Massachusetts, 

is a pediatrician in the city of Stoughton. She is the 

mother of three, including identical twins girls. 

10 Tips to Prepare your 

Kids for Multiples 

1 

Take your singleton 

with you when you 

shop for the twins and 

let the older child pick out 

things for the babies. 

2Show your singleton 

his/her baby pictures 

and talk about when 

he/she was born and what 

life was like the first few 

weeks you brought them 

home. 

3Use dolls to act out 

‘coming home from 

the hospital’ and how 

to touch and play with the 

twin babies. 

4 

If possible, adjust 

daily schedules and 

routines before the 

twins come home so the 

older sibling’s disruption is 

minimal. 

5When you pack your 

bag for the hospital, 

pack one for your singleton 

child, too. Include 

art supplies, snacks, a new 

toy, disposable camera and 

a book on bringing home 

multiples. 

6 

When you come home, 

greet your older child 

and spend a little 

private, one-on-one time 

together. 

7 

Praise positive behavior 

and encourage your 

singleton to share their 

thoughts and feelings with 

you. 

8When people fuss over 

the twins (get ready 

because they will), try 

and defuse the situation by 

saying something like, “This 

is Josh and he is a wonderful 

big brother and such a 

help.” 

9Spend time alone with 

your singleton to communicate 

that she is 

important and just as much 

part of your family as ever. 

as you 

interact with your 

10Verbalize 

singleton: “I love 

our talks between just you 

and me,” or “These times are 

so special for me”. When you 

tuck your child in at night, 

review the day and tell them 

how much you love them. 



AGESANDSTAGES 


PREGNANCY 

Drinking 

can ease pregnancy aches and pains 

oping baby. Bottled water can also be a concern, since most 

brands can come from any source and remain unregulated. 

Instead, consider adding alkaline water to your daily intake. 

By using oxygenated drinking water such as Alkame 

Water, you can enhance your energy levels as well as give 

your immune system a boost through added antioxidant 

properties in the water. 

Unlike its tap and bottled water counterparts, Alkame is 

created in such a way that cells in the body absorb water 

much faster so that it hydrates you (and baby) more 

completely. Better yet, the bottle is made of biodegradable 

plastic, making it safer for mother and baby. The bottles 

have a long shelf life, and they are BPA-free and 100 percent 

recyclable. 

Experts also recommend spreading your water intake 

throughout the day rather than larger glasses a few times 

a day. In this way, you and your baby will be assured of 

staying hydrated at all times. A 

Alkame Water, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alkame 

Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: ALKM). For more information 

about Alkame and its benefits, visit www.alkamewater.com. 

All of these symptoms, however, can be alleviated naturally 

by drinking water, say experts. 

“Pregnancy can be a taxing time for a mother’s body,” 

says Dr. Pietro Baio, DC, of Performance Edge Chiby 

NewsUSA 

Being pregnant can be one of the most joyous 

occasions in life, but it is not without its challenges. 

It can mean joint pain and stiffness, 

added weight gain, mworning sickness, heartburn, leg 

cramps and water retention. 

Have a Drink...of Water 

ropractic, P.C. “Vitamins and minerals are now needed 

for both mom and child. The increased consumption 

can cause a decrease in natural alkaline minerals, 

which can be a factor in morning sickness and the 

possibility of the child being born with jaundice. 

Adding alkaline water to the drinking regime of the 

mother during pregnancy can aid in a smoother pregnancy 

and birth.” 

According to the American Pregnancy Association, dehydration 

can lead to miscarriages and preterm labor, as 

well as constipation and fatigue. The takeaway mes sage for 

women who are pregnant? Drink more water. 

That is why a minimum of six to eight glasses of water 

per day (10-12 are even better) is recommended to avoid 

dehydration, possible cramping and other problems. 

Think about it: Water acts as the body’s transportation 

system by carrying nutrients through the blood to the 

baby, aiding in digestion, flushing the system of unwanted 

toxins, and generally keeping our internal systems 

running smoothly. 

Consider the source 

Not all water is the same, however. Tap water, for example, 

has been known to contain high levels of lead and other 

potentially harmful ingredients for you and your devel- 

Finding some comfort when carrying Multiples 

• If it becomes too uncomfortable for you to sleep in your bed, you could try sleeping or relaxing in 

a reclining chair. You should be able to get comfortable and you will be able to lie back without lying 

flat on your back. The footstool lever, pushing the chair forward, will also help you get up. 

• Another more comfortable position for resting may be found in a memory foam or latex bed but you 

may need some help getting up, though! 

• For the aches and pains of pregnancy, try using a heating pad and hot water bottles can also help 

relieve pain. Hot showers may help you relax as well. 

• To relieve pressure and backache, try kneeling on all fours and slowly rocking back and forth. 

• Since you will probably be very large and somewhat off-balance toward the end of your pregnancy, 

always wear flat shoes (with rubber soles, if possible, to protect against slipping). Hold onto railings 

when going up and down stairs, and be careful of carrying heavy things, such as other children, 

baskets of laundry, or bags of groceries. Try picking things up with your toes rather than bending over. 

• Do not buy an extensive maternity wardrobe in the beginning. You may go through three sizes during 

your pregnancy. Try borrowing clothes or buying used maternity clothes. Contact your local parents 

of multiples club to see if they have any maternity clothes for sale. 

• By your last trimester, it may be difficult to get the panels on maternity underwear, pantyhose or 

pants even halfway up your belly. Try wearing regular bikini underwear, forget the pantyhose (wear 

socks to keep warm) and wear dresses instead of pants. Try large, bulky sweaters or sweatshirts for 

outside coverings. 

• Even at your largest, you may be able to wear men’s large or extra large sweatshirts and sweatpants. 

Sweat suits are great for early days home from the hospital with babies—they are comfortable and fit 

well, no matter how much weight you have gained during your pregnancy. During those early days 

when day and night seem to blend together, sweat suits will be comfortable to sleep in and still look 

nice if someone stops by unexpectedly. 

• Have someone take pictures of you in your last trimester. It will be fun to look back at them 

(wait a few months after your pregnancy ends!) and marvel at the stomach’s capacity to stretch. 



AGESANDSTAGES 


TODDLERS 

AND THEY’RE 

As anyone who has ever been in a room full of 

toddlers can attest, these pint-sized beings possess 

energy that seems to defy conventional 

laws of thermodynamics. Much like bumblebees, who 

should not be able to fly but just don’t know it, toddlers 

attack each day with focused energy that would make 

an adult implode. 

This seems especially true of multiples. In defiance of 

traditional physical properties, energy between young 

twins seems not only to transfer between the parties but 

also to multiply. 

This behavior may be observed in those (rare) unsupervised 

moments when your duo accomplishes more destruction 

than would seem possible for two 35-pound, 

36-inch-high people. The result is more than simply 

double what each child could possibly accomplish acting 

alone—it is magnified by some exponential factor 

unique to multiples. 

I once foolishly sent my two to their room for a 

“cooling off” period toward the end of a particularly 

nerve-wracking day, hoping to calm my high-energy 

tikes. Instead, the interlude served only to provide an 

opportunity to carry out a thoughtfully-crafted plan 

lacking only an unsupervised moment in which to put 

it into action. Mere minutes elapsed (the dead quiet 

clued me in) before the room was transformed from a 

bedroom into a toddler amusement park. Both beds 

were stripped of coverings and mattresses were turned 

on end to create slides. Plastic protective mattress covers, 

paired with soft cotton sweat pants proved a perfect 

combination to achieve maximum aerodynamic 

downhill acceleration. 

Our challenge is not only to survive these years with as 

little property damage as possible, but to maintain our 

sense of humor and hang on to whatever 

shreds of parental authority we can. 

Twin acceleration cannot be overcome, 

but perhaps it can be channeled. 

If mischief can be multiplied, then so, 

too, can industry and empathy. The 

power of teamwork is a wonderful lesson 

for children who grow up in pairs, 

trios or more. Our duo’s enor¬mous 

power of destruction, given the proper 

circumstances, can become unlimited 

potential for exponential laughter and 

magni¬fied acceptance. 

My husband and I saw our first indication 

of how the power of twin 

teamwork would serve our duo well 

the first day their school bus arrived. 

Our daughter was eager for transition 

to a Big Kid School, but our son wavered 

as the bus approached. His steps 

slowed, then stopped altogether as his 

grip on my hand tightened. 

His twin sister gave him the courage he 

needed. Seeing her brother’s distress, 

she took his hand and, led the way, said 

“Come on, let’s go!” And they climbed 

the steps of the bus together. 

The law of thermodynamics as applied 

to multiples states that twin energy 

can be multiplied to amazing—sometimes 

hair-rais¬ing!—effect. A corollary 

is that their unique energy can be 

trans¬ferred directly from one twin to 

the other. After surviving years of barely 

restrained chaos to find our toddlers 

were now children, we witnessed the 

first day of school the true power of 

twin-energy. No longer simply a force 

capable of destruction rivaled only by 

Mother Nature, one twin’s determination 

was exactly the right amount for 

both of them! A 

Liz Gooch is a mom of three including a 

set of twins in suburban Atlanta 

Twins Say the Cutest Things 

I am a mum of a 4-year-old boy Brad and 2-year-old twins Alexander 

and Jacob. Often Brad would call the boys “brothers” because he 

couldn’t tell them apart. By the time he was 3, he pretty much knew 

who was Jake and who was Alex. My mother still is unable to get it 

right and is always amazed that Brad can tell the difference. One day 

she asked him, “How do you know who is who?” He replied, “Well, Jake 

has a ‘J’ in his name and Alex has an ‘A.’” “That’s right, Brad,” I replied, “but 

when you look at them how do you know?” His reply was quite simple, 

and a little bit exasperated: “Well, they have wrong faces.” 

Debra Brown, Ontario, Canada 

When I get my 4-year-old identical twin girls ready for preschool, I let 

them tell me how they want me to do their hair. Cecelia came into the 

bathroom first and asked for a ponytail in back. Mackenzie came in 

the bathroom next and, without seeing her sister, asked for the same 

hairstyle. When Mackenzie came out of the bathroom, they discovered 

they had the same hair. Cecelia grabbed her own ponytail and her sister’s 

and exclaimed, “Look, Kenz, we’re twins!” 

Suzie Haglund-Carney Rochester, N.Y. 

I am the mother of 2½-year-old twins, Johnny and Courtney. Last Memorial 

Day, on our way to the cemetery for the Memorial Day service, 

my husband, an army reservist who recently returned from a deployment 

in Iraq, was dressed in his military uniform. 

When our son asked, “Where are we going?” my husband replied, “We 

are going to pay respect to all the soldiers who died so that we can be 

free.” After thinking about his dad’s explanation, Johnny replied “But 

I’m not free… I’m 2!” 

Tiffany Werner 

I taught my 16-month-old boys Johnny and Arto the word “nice” very 

early. I would rub their heads and say, “Be nice to brother,” when they 

were being mean, so they learned to be nice from early on. Well, when 

they see other kids doing something mean, they tell them to be nice 

and they rub their heads. The other day I heard Arthur in the playroom 

yelling “Niiiiccccee.” He was by himself, so I peeked in and he was yelling 

at one of his toys that wasn’t cooperating! I laughed out loud and 

now he tells everything to be nice. He couldn’t get his towel off of his 

head so he started crying and screaming, “Be nice!” 

Jackie Virginia 



AGESANDSTAGES 


PRE-SCHOOL 

Smart 

PLAY 

a Family Feature 

W 

hen twins play, they also learn. Not only can 

playtime improve behavior and concentration, 

but it helps kids explore with their imaginations. 

Both free play and adult-guided play allow 

kids to learn right from wrong, how to share and gain 

awareness of others’ feelings. 

Aside from neurological benefits, the power of play 

can also improve both long-term and short-term 

health. There’s evidence that active children grow into 

According to Marianne Szymanski, toy 

1 expert and founder of Toys Tips, Inc., an 

international child development research 

group she founded in 1991, has this to 

share about toys and twin play from her 

professional and personal observations. 

2Don’t buy two of each toy every time; 

however, buying tow of a favorite doll, 

animal or licensed character makes sense. 

3Check that skill levels and interest 

required, as well as age, is appropriate 

for each child since even twins can develop 

at different levels. 

4Keep in mind how each child will feel if he 

or she does not receive the same toy as 

his or her twin. 

Style 

active adults, thus decreasing their risk of heart disease 

and other scourges of sedentary lifestyles. Apart from 

these physical and emotional benefits, what some parents 

may not realize is that when playing, kids apply 

STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) 

principles, whether it’s playing with blocks, building a 

fort or kicking a soccer ball with their friends, kids at 

play are “playing” with STEM. 

While parents may feel they need to “introduce” their 

children to science, they’ve likely already started to 

5Think about safety of toys when used by 

children at the same developmental stage. 

6Look for toys that allow individuality of 

play—decreases conflict. 

7Watch how twins do play together more 

often than other children (dependent 

upon age). 

8Discover how toys for multiple users foster 

social interaction and develop sharing and 

taking turns. 

You can check out more tips by visiting 

www.toytips.com for reviews and more advice 

from Marianne Szymanski. 

understand it through everyday life and may even have 

a strong affinity for it. In fact, a report released by The 

Center for Childhood Creativity found kids are capable 

of developing complex STEM skills before they are even 

verbal. Knowing these skills are constantly developing, 

play time can be a fun way for parents to point out the 

science that makes things work. 

Stacking up math and science skills. Plastic building 

blocks are a classic for a reason; they give kids the opportunity 

to build a dream home, a castle, a car – the list 

goes on. By asking your child to build a house, person or 

monster, you are simultaneously introducing him or her 

to concepts such as balance, pivots and other mathematical 

and scientific theories. Another fun lesson you can 

bring to the set is using building blocks to practice addition, 

subtraction and multiplication skills. For example, a 

4-by-2 brick has eight studs on the top, while an 8-by-6 

brick has 48 studs. Help your kids make the connection 

by using the blocks to teach them how to build a better 

sense of numbers. 

Spring into action. Another classic toy that you may not 

have realized involves science is a metal spring toy. Generations 

of children have watched the bendable springs 

“walk” down the stairs in amazement. Challenge your 

child to explore and see at which angle the spring toy can 

“walk” the fastest. Make it even more fun by creating an 

obstacle course with books and other objects that may affect 

the trajectory to incorporate principles of physics and 

engineering. If your child is older, you can even use the 

toy to teach the basics of forces and waves by stretching it 

out then releasing it. 

Having your children play with science doesn’t have to 

involve test tubes and calculators; instead, you can harness 

the natural learning habits of your child. If you are 

looking for other ways to make learning fun, a program 

like ExploraVision can help. This K-12 STEM contest allows 

kids of all ages to create ideas for new technological 

innovations in response to real-world issues. Participants 

work on their projects to supplement their science education 

while also developing problem-solving, analytical 

and collaboration skills. A 

To learn more about the competition and how to enter, 

and for teachers to find free tips for engaging students, visit 

exploravision.org. 



AGESANDSTAGES 


PARENTING 

RAISING TWIN READERS: 

Shakespeare 

From the ABCs to 

By Brian “Fox” Ellis 

While your twins were still in the womb, only six months old, their 

ears were listening intently. The parts of their brains geared for language 

were well formed. As a reading teacher and professional storyteller 

I knew this fact intellectually, but I was curious about the 

language development of my twin daughters. 

While my wife was still carrying our twins, I began to sing a lullaby 

to them every night. On the night they were born, after I helped 

the nurses wash and weigh my twin angels, as soon as the chaos 

settled, I held both of my twins while my wife slept. I began singing 

my daughters that same lullaby. They both instantly perked up and 

looked at me as if to say, “Hey, I know that song! I know that voice!” 

It was two days before Christmas and even the mouse was 

asleep, so I spent half the night singing Christmas Carols 

to the most appreciative audience I have ever had. 

0-2 Years 

When your twins are newborns, admittedly, they may not 

sit still for Shakespeare or even all of Good Night Moon. 

But it is important that you read aloud to them. Lap time is 

vital. They learn that a book is a warm excuse for cuddling 

with their parents and giggling. 

Brain research affirms what linguists have long known: In 

these first few years babies’ brains are still growing. This 

growth is linked to language acquisition. They learn the 

sounds and rhythms of speech. Infants may not respond with 

whole words, but their brains 

are hard wired for language. 

Reading to them, singing to 

them and playing rhythmic 

games with their toes will help 

them learn language skills. 

When my girls were small we 

did not really read the book; 

we talked about the pictures, I 

told a brief version of the story and we made funny animal 

sounds. I would ask questions about the pictures and we 

made up stories. It was a time to share. 

The emphasis was on fun. They were also learning that 

books go left to right, these black marks make words, and 

words carry meaning, and stories have a beginning, middle 

and end. They were learning what scholars call reading 

readiness skills. 

It did not matter that we did not always get through the entire 

book. They were learning that books can bring great joy. 

At this stage it is important that they be given plenty of cloth 

and vinyl books for them to play with and chew. Cardboard 

books in the toy box imply that books are toys, but are not 

as good as soft books for babies. My girls also liked textured 

books with fuzzy pictures and things to touch. When babies 

are ready they will sit still for an entire story. 

2-5 Years 

Between the ages of 2 and 5 children can learn as many as 

2,000 words a year. That is an average of five to six new 

It is never too early to sing, 

read aloud or tell stories to 

your twins! 

words each and every day. Aware of this fact, I was always 

intrigued when a word I read to my twin daughters was 

used in their conversation within a few hours. 

But if you do not read to them on a daily basis this will 

not happen. Any reading teacher can pick out which kids 

were read to and which were not. The greatest gift we can 

give our children is the gift of literacy. 

More than simply reading the story in a droll voice, storytellers 

must feel free to sing, add accents, make sound 

effects, create the dramatic moment. If it feels like school, 

reading becomes a chore. Ask openended questions during 

and after reading the book. Share your opinions about 

the story and ask for their response to the text and pictures. 

Encourage thoughtful reading. 

My two-year-old girls loved 

to ‘read’ to me. They would 

crawl into my lap and open 

a book, turn the pages and 

make up a story mimicking 

some of the sound effects and 

big voices I used. Though 

they were not technically 

reading, they were proud of 

this effort and exhibited all of the skills needed to become 

good readers. 

We also loved wordless picture books. We looked at the 

pictures and made up a different story every time. They 

especially liked finger play and story songs. The Itsy-Bitsy 

Spider and The Alphabet Song were favorites. 

Bedtime and nap time stories are a great daily ritual that 

help twins relax and get to sleep, but don’t stop there. 

Rowdy stories and acting out the adventure can bring literature 

to life. Creating silly plays with dress-up clothes 

and original songs stimulates more reading while laying 

a foundation for creative writing. Original puppet show 

productions allow your twins to work together to interpret 

the text of a classic story. 

Beyond the book, at this stage it is important that children 

have diverse real life experience. (My favorite mantra about 

computer games: Reality is always better than virtual reality!) 

If your twins have been to the zoo, flown a kite, ridden 

a train, climbed a tree, been to the theatre and tasted cotton 



AGESANDSTAGES 


PARENTING 

candy at the fair, these experiences will in turn inform 

what they read. New flavors and textures, new experiences 

strengthen vocabulary and prepare your children 

for creating their own stories. 

As an extreme example, our family went to Costa Rica 

on vacation when our twins were five. More than vocabulary 

enhancement, an experience like this gives 

your twins a rich resource to draw on for the rest of 

their lives. Now, when we read a story about monkeys, 

one my daughters will interrupt and tell her 

story about a wild spider monkey that crawled down 

from the tree, across her shoulder and stole a piece of 

papaya she was about to put in her mouth. We also 

kept a journal, I with poetry and they with pictures. 

On the plane trip down and back they would draw a 

series of pictures and I would write down their words. 

This evolved into a young authors’ project for their 

kindergarten class when we returned. A holiday trip to 

grandma’s house is the perfect excuse for this kind of 

picture writing. These pictures can be copied and sent 

to grandma as a thank-you card. 

6-10 Years and Beyond 

A growing body of research affirms one fact: Kids who 

love to read are kids who were read to when they were 

young. But you are never too old to read aloud or be 

read to. As my daughters’ attention spans grew, we 

chose longer books. We read more than 50 of The Box 

Car Children out loud. 

As they got older they took turns reading. Recently we 

read the sixth Harry Potter novel aloud as a family. 

Research also says children understand and learn from 

listening to a story two or three years or grade levels 

above their reading level. At the same time, improved 

listening leads directly to improved reading. 

If a child has never heard a word, it is not in their sight 

vocabulary. My wife and I still read poetry and newspaper 

articles aloud to each other, modeling our love of language. 

More important than reading aloud to your twins is 

that they see you reading. Action speak louder than 

words. When you and your spouse practice what you 

preach, you model that reading is fun and important… 

and they get it. Reading is a lifelong habit and the earlier 

you start, the better. 

The Reluctant Reader 

When I hear a teacher or parent ask a child: “Do you 

like to read?” I always correct them. That is not the right 

question! It should be “What do you like to read?” or 

better yet, “What do you like to do? Read about that!” 

One of my daughters will read a novel a day during 

the summer. Frequent trips to the library are not frequent 

enough. Our other daughter is not as eager to 

spend long days wrapped in the world of fiction. 

She loves snakes. She has a small non-fiction library 

on snake care and the natural history of reptiles. She 

also loves country music and would rather listen to 

CDs on her headphones than read. We bought her a 

subscription to a music magazine. Now she devours it 

cover to cover within a few days of its arrival. And because 

we value one-on-one time with our twins, I will 

occasionally choose a book that interests her and just 

the two of us will take turns reading it aloud. 

Even with identical twins, kids become ready to read 

at their own pace. Encourage both twins to read. Read 

to them and with them as a lifelong habit. Read together 

and individually to your twins. 

Give them the time and encouragement to develop at 

their own pace. If the differences in how well they read 

or what they like to read are made into an issue, then 

it becomes a more difficult struggle, especially for parents 

of twins. As twins grow older they look for ways 

to differentiate from their sibling. It would be easy to 

push them apart and inadvertently create the false idea 

that one is a reader and the other is not. 

With our twins we know that one loves novels and the 

other loves non-fiction, though honestly, we encourage 

them both to read broadly. And knowing that my 

teenage daughters proofread these articles, (both have 

published articles of their own!), I will give my wife 

and myself a pat on the back: These ideas have worked 

for us. From learning the alphabet song to appearing 

in school plays, our twins both share our love for literature 

and language. A 

Brian “Fox” Ellis is a professional storyteller, curriculum 

consultant and author of the new children’s picture book 

THE WEB at Dragonfly Pond (DAWN Publications, 

2005). He is father to Laurel and Lily, now adolescents. 

www.foxtalesint.com 

The TWIN 

By Jacqueline Manning 

One day while I was eating lunch at the local deli, I heard a 

familiar voice among the crowd of people at counter. It was 

my ex-boyfriend Bryan who had broken up with me three 

months previously, without explanation. Not knowing 

what to say I mumbled, “Hello, Bryan.”As he stood there 

with an intense look of wonder on his face, I thought, he is 

probably kicking himself for breaking it off. How wrong. 

For someone who previously had nothing to say to me, he 

had the audacity to ask, “Which one are you?”I had been 

his girlfriend for seven months and he couldn’t tell the difference 

between me and my twin sister Chrissie. 

I scowled at him and replied, “I’m the evil one.” In fact, 

most of my acquaintances asked, “Which one are you?” 

Answering seemed pointless. Inevitably, the same people 

would end up asking the same question the next time they 

saw me. Either that, or they’d play the name-guessing 

game. My parents, too, resorted to name guessing when 

the let’s-make-it-absolutely-impossible-to-tell-our-twinsapart 

dress code backfired on them. 

Growing up, two other phrases played on my ears like a 

broken record. The first and most popular phrase, “one of 

the twins” made me feel like I was a left shoe. 

Automatic association with the half of Mom’s embryo didn’t 

end there. My parents, relatives and peers often referred to 

my sister and I collectively as “the twins.”Everyone else I 

knew had names, but Chrissie and I were branded as a team. 

During the teenage journey of self-discovery, cutting the 

parental umbilical cord was easy. The hardest challenge I 

faced was my inability to break free from the twin umbilical 

cord. Along with all the cliché phrases I heard as 

child, peers constantly asked if my womb-mate and I had 

ever pulled the famous boyfriend/classroom switch or if 

we could feel each other’s pain. When asked if I felt Chrissie’s 

pain, I’d clutch my foot, moan and then say, “Sorry, 

Chrissie just stubbed her toe.” A 

FROM MY EXPERIENCE, I HAVE 

COME UP WITH SOME TIPS FOR 

PARENTS OF IDENTICAL TWINS: 

First, what’s in a name or a nickname? Distinction. 

I’m very grateful that at least my 

name was clearly different from Chrissie’s. So 

please, leave the rhyming to the poets. 

Second, for years I watched my parents delight 

in people gawking at their dressed-alike 

look-alikes. This adds to the lack of physical 

uniqueness, and you can bet that that fashion 

faux pas is going to backfire. 

Last, don’t tag-team “the twins” in conversation 

or refer to each one as fractional parts of 

a set. Otherwise, like me, they may end up 

feeling like a cheese-less pizza. After all, how 

would you feel if no one could figure out 

who you are? It gives literal meaning to the 

philosophical question, “Who am I?”And by 

now the answer must be painfully obvious: 

I’’m the one who doesn’t like to be asked 

who I am. 



AGESANDSTAGES 


PARENTING 

BACK-TO-SCHOOL 

STRESS FREE 

It’s almost back-to-school time for kids. For many students 

starting school for the first time or attending a new school, 

the transition isn’t always an easy one. How can you make it 

easier on your kids? 

By Vinay Saranga M.D., child psychiatrist and 

founder of Saranga Comprehensive Psychiatry 

(www.sarangapsychiatry.com) 

Dr. Saranga offers these tips: 

Ask your young kids how they are feeling 

For children going to school for the first time or those 

starting at a new school, the transition can be difficult 

and filled with anxiety. Sometimes kids won’t express 

their emotions so as parents, you need to ask them 

what they are feeling. Help them feel reassured and 

know that having mixed emotions of happiness, fear 

and even confusion are all normal and that many of 

the other kids are feeling that way too. 

Help your kids get excited about school 

Kids will model the behavior of their parents. When you 

talk about school, be upbeat and excited about it. Share 

some of the better memories you have from your school 

days or funny stories that portray school as a positive experience. 

Be real with your kids and let them know you 

were nervous in the beginning, but talk about all the good 

things like making new friends, learning to read and more. 

Attend your school's open house 

Going to your classroom a few days before school 

starts is about much more than just meeting your 

teacher. It’s a chance to help eliminate the unknown 

for your children. When they can see the classroom, 

meet their classmates and see where they are spending 

their days, it will help reduce their anxiety on the first 

day because it will already be a little bit familiar. 

Start learning before school starts 

Parents should sit with their kids and encourage them 

to get back into reading, writing and math studies before 

the first day. You can even pullout some of their 

work from last year and review it or download learning 

apps to make it more fun for your kids. This helps 

ready the mind for learning and begins to transition 

your children from summer play mode to learning 

mode so it’s not a big shock on day one. 

Start adjusting schedules early on 

Chances are, your kids probably stayed up a little later and 

slept in over the summer. Don’t wait until the first day of 

school to wake them up early. Start having them go to bed a 

little earlier now and waking up a little earlier in the morning 

so it’s not so difficult come the first day of school. In 

addition, most kids do better with structure, so map out 

the before and after school schedules so your kids know 

what to expect. 

Get school shopping done early 

Rushing around at the last minute to get all those school 

supplies just adds to your children’s stress and anxiety. Start 

back-to-school shopping now. In fact, involve your kids and 

let them pick out their own backpacks, lunchboxes and notebooks 

in their favorite colors and patterns. Let them pick a 

new outfit for the first day of school that makes them feel 

confident and comfortable. 

Find the right balance of goals for 

the new school year 

Parents should work with their kids to set goals for the new 

school year. Make sure you help your kids set realistic goals that 

are on their learning level. Straight A’s, for example, is a great 

goal to have, but it might be unrealistic for some kids. If the 

goal is too far out of reach, your child will feel overwhelmed and 

defeated. If it’s too easy, he or she will become bored. 

Teach your kids age appropriate realities 

As your children get a little older and further along in 

school, they’re going to have to learn some lessons about 

life. As parents, you can help make the transition easier for 

your children by sharing advice around some of these topics 

such as bullying and being teased, life not always being 

fair, the importance of sharing, saying no to drugs, learning 

from their failures, helping others, inclusion and equality, 

how to get along with difficult people, letting their voice be 

heard and more. 

Give your kids something to look forward to 

Like adults, children need something to look forward to. It 

helps keep them motivated. Plan a trip or something fun for 

Winter break, Spring break or next Summer. When they are 

feeling down, remind them that this next big great adventure 

is right around the corner. 



TWINSFEATURES 


TWINS 

UNITE 

FOR THEIR 

FIRST 

DEPLOYMENT 

The MEPS personnel told them they actually had two 

“open mechanic” slots, to which they both gladly accepted. 

The twins were shipped out to Basic Military Training 

on the same day, and then to the same training squadron 

and even the same flight. 

During BMT, they each learned which job their “open 

mechanic” slot lead them to – 2F0X1, Fuels Distribution 

Operator. As the story goes, their military training 

instructor, who came from the same career field, jokingly 

said, “Oh God, the twins are in Fuels.” 

The twins spent a month and a half in technical school 

at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. When they graduated, 

their paths diverged. Jeffrey was assigned to the 22nd 

Air Refueling Wing at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, 

and Joshua went to the 87th Air Base Wing at Joint Base 

McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. The twins crossed paths 

two years later. Both brothers received orders to deploy. 

Joshua reflected on what it was like to live together and apart. 

“We got a lot more annoyed when we lived together and 

then obviously being in the military and station at separate 

bases, we didn’t get to spend time together. We get to 

play [video games] together and talk online, but obviously, 

we don’t see each other every day anymore. And then 

after finding out we were coming here, it was something 

to look forward to; it was like ‘[heck] yeah,’” said Joshua. 

Joshua was notified in March 2018 about his deployment 

to Kuwait and then his brother received a deployment 

notification in June 2018, for what he initially thought 

would be Qatar, but as fate would have it, turned out to 

also be Kuwait. 

Which brings us to present day. 

Jeffrey and Joshua have been here for two months, working 

12-hour shifts six days per week. There is always a 

Young on shift, except on their day off. The only way to 

know who’s who is to look closely. There is an inch height 

difference between the two and they wear different glasses. 

They even share the same perspective about their first de- 

By tech. Sgt. Clinton Atkins, 

332nd Air Expeditionary Wing 

AHMED AL JABER AIR BASE, Kuwait 

Twin brothers assigned to the 407th Expeditionary 

Logistics Readiness Squadron, Fuels Distribution 

Flight, have taken the term identical to rare 

heights in the Air Force. 

Senior Airmen Jeffrey and Joshua Young spent their adolescent 

years as Navy dependents, following their dad 

from the United States to Europe and back again. They 

lived in places such as Maine, Massachusetts, Virginia and 

Sicily, Italy. 

When their dad retired from the Navy, the Young family 

settled in Brooklyn, Conn., to be close to their mom’s side 

of the family. 

There, they turned a love for music into action, starting a 

band with a few high school friends. The band dissolved 

after their first self-produced album. At 21 years old, they 

realized something needed to change. Their dad encouraged 

them to go into the Air Force. 

“We were doing the same old stuff with the same old 

friends,” said Jeffrey. “Our dad did 20 years in the Navy, 

so I’ve always known that I wanted to put a little time into 

the service just to do my part.” 

After the twins took the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude 

Battery test, Jeffrey and Joshua qualified for a long 

list of jobs, but their demands were simple. “I want to 

work with the planes and I want to leave as soon as possible,” 

Jeffrey recalled saying to the Military Entrance 

Processing Station personnel, who marked them down as 

“open mechanic.” For those who don’t know, “open mechanic” 

means accepting the first mechanic-classified job 

that becomes available. 



TWINSFEATURES 


ployment. After coming from bases with heavies – a colloquial 

Air Force term for large aircraft such as the C-17 

Globemaster III and KC-135 Stratotanker – the twins consider 

this deployment an easier duty than home station. 

“Coming from a heavies base and you go out and fill up 

two F-16s, that’s 20,000 pounds [of fuel], and you’re like, 

‘That’s it? Alright,’” Joshua said. 

Jeffrey said to fill up a KC-135 back at home base requires 

75,000 to 120,000 pounds, which is much more time 

consuming. There, he uses an R-12 hydrant truck that 

hooks up to an underground pipeline that takes fuel from 

an above ground fuel tank. 

IMAGE 1 

Senior Airmen Jeffrey Young and Joshua 

Young 

IMAGE 2 

Senior Airman Jeffrey Young, 407th Expeditionary 

Logistics Readiness Squadron fuels 

distribution operator, runs a refueling hose 

out to an F-16C Fighting Falcon at Ahmed Al 

Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, April 4, 2019. 

IMAGE 3 

Once a crew chief connects the hose to the 

jet, Young pumps the JP-8 aircraft fuel from 

his R-11 fuel truck. 

Image Credits: Tech. Sgt. Clinton Atkins 

Nevertheless, as with any deployment, there are austere 

conditions including the desert climate, tent living, and 

the fact that the bathrooms are in separate buildings. 

However, they agreed it’s more rewarding to go through 

it with a sibling. 

“You go through real hard times, but you went through 

it with somebody,” said Jeffrey. “After you make it 

through, you can reminisce. So the benefit of deploying 

with your twin is that we’re from the same family and 

we’ll always go back to the same place, so forever, for as 

long as we live, we’re going to have the shared memories 

of this deployment.” A 

The appearance of U.S. Department of 

Defense (DoD) visual information does not 

imply or constitute DoD endorsement. 

Twin Sisters 

RETIRE TOGETHER 

AFTER 

34 YEARS 

IN THE 

NATIONAL 

GUARD 

Story by Ryan Campbell, 

New York National Guard 

LATHAM, N.Y., (July 1, 2019) – Twin sisters who began 

their Army National Guard careers together, went to 

war in Afghanistan together and share a house together, 

are now planning their retirements from the New York 

Army National Guard together. 

Master Sgt. Lisa Currier, a senior logistics officer, and 

her sister, retired Lt. Col. Lynn Currier, an information 

management branch chief, who both worked at 

the New York National Guard headquarters here, have 

seen many parts of their military careers share the 

same path. 

Beginning in 1986, the two sisters, who are both Troy, 

N.Y. residents, have spent more than three decades 

sharing service and experiences. Lynn got through 

the retirement process first, and continued to work as a civilian 

while Lisa waits for her retirement date. 

“We got out of college back in 1986, and were in Burlington, 

Vermont working and we had to pay bills and student 

loans,” Lisa said. “I was reading a newspaper and it said 

get your student loans repaid and work weekends, and 

stuff like that.” 

That turned out to be an advertisement for the Vermont 

Army National Guard, highlighting some of education 



TWINSFEATURES 


benefits that were offered. Lisa explained that she was 

able to talk her sister into joining with her, ultimately the 

Army Reserves, rather than looking into the state police. 

With more women joining the military, the Army needed 

to make changes, Lisa said. She experienced first-hand she 

considers to be one of the most significant changes. 

“So we enlisted within a month 

or two on February 3rd of 1986 

together,” said Lisa. 

“On the buddy system,” Lynn 

emphasized. 

Under that system, Lynn explained, 

the two sisters were 

able to go to basic training and 

advanced individual training 

together. Coming home to Vermont 

they went right to work at 

Camp Johnson in Colchester. 

Over the course of the next 

three years, Lynn advanced her 

career in the New York National 

Guard while her sister stayed in 

behind in Vermont. Lisa, who 

had transitioned from working 

for the Vermont National Guard 

to working for IBM, wouldn’t 

stay behind for long. 

“She kept saying, come over, 

come over,” Lisa recalled. “I was 

working like 12 hour shifts and 

it was just crazy. I woke up on 

Sunday morning and decided, 

I’m tired of this.” 

Three years after Lynn made 

her way for New York, Lisa put in her resignation to IBM 

and left. Moving in with her sister, Lisa explained that 

within a couple weeks she was then able to find a job at 

the New York National Guard headquarters. 

The Currier sisters agreed that one of the most significant 

changes they’ve seen during their 34 year careers was an increase 

in women joining the National Guard. They’ve also 

been pleased to see more and more women being selected 

for leadership positions. 

“I love coming to work,” Lisa said. “We actually like it!”, 

Lynn added. 

“When I first enlisted 

I never thought I’d 

make three years. 

And now these years 

have flown by.” 

Retired Lt. Col. Lynn Currier and Master Sgt. Lisa Currier 

While preparing to mobilize 

for deployment to 

Iraq in 2004, Lisa who 

is a breast cancer survivor, 

discovered the Army 

didn’t have guidelines 

for how to treat women 

who had once had cancer. 

There were regulations 

on how long men had to 

be free from the various 

types of cancers that can 

develop in men, but there 

were no regulations covering 

cancers which effect 

only women, Lisa said. 

During mobilization at 

Fort Drum, the staff decided 

to insist on a six 

month period of being 

cancer free before Lisa 

could proceed with mobilization. 

There were 

relapses that reset the six 

month waiting period, 

and as a result Lisa spent 

her 18 month deployment 

at Fort Drum. 

Since then, medical policies 

have changed to accommodate women as well, Lisa said. 

In 2008, the Currier sisters found themselves deploying with 

the 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team to Afghanistan, one 

of several related pairs that were sent together on the yearlong 

deployment. 

“We did deploy together, but they separated us after three 

or four months,” said Lisa. “That was the big thing, they 

didn’t want them together on the same base.” 

“In case there was an attack,” added Lynn. 

They said that Lynn remained in Kabul, while Lisa was sent 

500 miles away to Mazar-i-Sharif. Initially however, Lynn 

arrived in country several days before Lisa and was waiting 

Image source: New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs 

to offer her a lift to the astonishment of other, higher ranking 

Service Members. 

“When I flew in, I think she knew I was coming,” said Lisa. 

“I did,” said Lynn. 

“I flew in with people that were a lot higher ranking than 

me,” said Lisa with a laugh, “she pulls up with the Gator 

and I throw all my stuff in it and we take off, while everyone 

else has to carry their stuff.” 

The year passed, with those initial few months spent with 

Lisa sleeping on her sister’s floor on a couple sleeping mats, 

and they returned safely home to their families. Now as 

they prepare to retire, looking back at their fondest memories 

of their military careers, Lisa said for her it is of all the 

wonderful people they have been able to meet. 

“It’s like a family,” Lynn added. 

Lynn’s retirement came on June 21, 2019, as she has 

plans to move onto being an education officer at the 

Watervliet Arsenal. 

But it was being a Soldier that meant the most to her. 

“When I had to take my uniform off, let me tell you,” Lynn 

started before Lisa emphasized that her sister was upset for 

weeks afterwards. 

After all of the years spent in uniform together, they explained 

that they still travel together, have recently bought 

a house together, and remain as close as ever. 

“If I had the same chance again, I’d do the 34 years again,” 

said Lisa. “When I first enlisted I never thought I’d make 

three years. And now these years have flown by.” A 



TWINSFEATURES 


Canadian Twins in the Grip of 

Cheese 

A SUMMER 

wave! 

provided by Tre Stelle 

Caprese salads, Mascarpone fruit strudels, 

baked pastas – the Summer is twice as nice 

when cheese is served! And it’s twice as 

good when one recipe can be turned into 

two different dishes. Cue identical twins! 

While identical in appearance, twins commonly 

have different likes and dislikes. 

This is why Tre Stelle doubled down with 

identical sets of twins across the country 

to collect their favourite cheese dishes. 

The result: one recipe made two ways! 

This approach to cooking means less time 

in the kitchen and more time to bask in 

the warmth of the sun – not the oven. 

Identical twins create 

one cheese inspired 

recipe made two ways 

for the summer! 

#TwinsForTheWin 

TORONTO, July 10, 2019 /CNW/ 

Toronto twins, Jessica and 

Franky Venuto drew their 

inspi ration from a classic 

Caprese salad recipe. Jessica prefers 

a low-calorie version of the original, 

but Franky, the more indulgent twin, 

prefers to use the same ingredients to 

make a hearty baked Caprese rigatoni. 

Montreal twins, Leanna and Jacklyn 

Hefter are more identical than most 

as they’re both four months pregnant! 

These new mothers-to-be, took 

inspiration from their bun in the 

oven to create a vegetarian and meat 

option of their grandmother’s famous 

stuffed shell pasta recipe. (This also 

offers the option of serving one or 

serving a crowd, or a hungry pregnant 

woman.) 

Vancouver twins Katrina and 

Alessia Yaworsky differ in 

their styles of cooking as 

Katrina likes everything 

gourmet while Alessia 

prefers the everyday 

style. They share two 

versions of a grilled 

cheese that would fit 

at a BBQ or black-tie 

affair. 

Twin sisters from Calgary, 

Katrina and Kirsten 

Dekur celebrated their love 

for dessert with a nod to their 

German heritage. They created 

a delicious duo of strudels – one savoury 

and one sweet! 

One recipe made two ways is also 

ideal for creating dishes that are both 

kid-friendly and adult friendly. Try 

pies that can evolve into parfaits, or 

burgers that can be pitas, and pizzas 

that work perfectly as calzones! All 

eight dishes would be ideal 

at your next BBQ or 

family gathering. A 

The same yet 

different. Twin sisters, 

Jessica and Franky Venuto 

use cheese to create one 

recipe made two 

different ways. 

(CNW Group/Tre Stelle) 

Get Your 

Cheese On! 

Download these 

delicious recipies now 

from 

TwinsMagazine.com/TwinsfortheWin 

Do you have a favorite 

recipe to share? 

Well, don’t keep it to yourself! 

Share it with the world at 

TwinsMagazine.com/Submissions 



TALESFROMTWINS 

MY 

By Laurence Segrave 

Oh my God! You’re A Twin! This is most people’s reaction 

whenever I tell them I have a twin brother. 

There seems to be a fascination with the subject. 

Although sometimes I have hated being a twin, especially 

when I was an adolescent, I learned later to embrace this 

peculiarity in my life. I call it a peculiarity, because let’s face 

it, that’s what it is, and that’s why I believe it draws a general 

interest and even sometimes fear. 

My twin brother is my best friend and although I don’t want 

to think about it, I’m very unsure that I could face life without 

him. To be fair to my parents, they always encouraged us 

to be different, and didn’t dress us in the same clothes. I feel 

it is a shame when I see child twins dressed alike, as it seems 

more about the parents showing off than about their children 

being able to express who they are. 

Alex and I are not identical but do look very alike. Although 

we were the only twins in our school year group, I would 

like to think we were respected for our individualities. 

I recently watched the 2015 Brian Heigeland film ‘Legend’ 

starring Tom Hardy who plays both Ronnie and Reggie 

Kray. The film follows the life of the Kray identical twins 

through the 1960s. It made me draw parallels with my relationship 

with my twin brother, and the obsession that 

people seem to have with the Kray twin gangsters. The film 

successfully portrays the desire of both brothers to lead 

their own lives, no matter how destructive, but they can 

never escape their ‘twin’ bond, despite their wish to do so. I 

would say that love is not a strong enough word to describe 

the bond Alex and I have. We need each other to make our 

lives complete. 

When we were younger, we would have our own language 

and often create little acts that we both thought funny, although 

few others enjoyed what we were doing. We used 

to do it in public places, and I remember once someone 

telling us not to muck around. I think our peers found 

it difficult to be with both of us as nobody could 

compete with our ‘twin’ bond. My mother 

says we used to exhaust each other with 

conversation, like being at an endless 

cocktail party. 

My twin brother Alex suffers with a severe 

mental illness like Ronnie Kray did 

- paranoid schizophrenia, and it has 

been hell to watch him regress so quickly. 

We are in our early thirties. Alex was 

diagnosed when he was nineteen and since 

then has become more and more reliant on 

my mother and me. Most of his years after 

nineteen have been spent with crippling anxiety, 

with very little excitement and hardly anything to look 

forward to. He finds it very difficult to leave the house but 

will make an effort when prompted. The pain I feel about it 

– maybe some sort of survival guilt – has also affected my 

own mental health. For the last few years I have felt somewhat 

lost. The reason is that I have realized that I will no 

longer have my twin brother the way he was before. 

About a year prior to being diagnosed, I had never seen him 

so full of life. In fact, at the time I was struggling with teenage 

anxiety, and it was he who was going from strength to 

strength, socially and academically. Unfortunately, this was 

short lived and within months he was really struggling. It 

was left to my mother and I to rehabilitate him. He was put 

on strong medication, which made him very drowsy and he 

put on a lot of weight. 

Although my brother is not dead it is somehow as though 

he is – if you compare him to the man he was. 

I now understand how Reggie Kray must have felt when 

dealing with his own twin brother’s insanity. It really is different 

when you are a twin. When that bond is so strong 

Share your story in 

“The realization 

that you have lost 

your soul mate 

must be similar 

to our reaction 

to grief. 


and intense, you feel such a great sense of loss. You can never 

escape the bond, no matter how strongly you want to. 

My brother’s lowest ebb came in 2010, about five years 

after his initial diagnosis. He tried to take his own life. He 

jumped from the top floor of our house while on day release 

from a psychiatric hospital. I was living elsewhere at the 

time. My parents were in the house. 

I only found out about this tragic event eighteen 

months ago, seven years after it took 

place. It seemed that everybody knew but 

me. My friends, extended family and even 

acquaintances knew, but had been told by 

my parents not to tell me. At first, I was 

furious that I was the last to know, but 

when I had calmed down, I started to understand 

why my parents had been so secretive. 

My twin and I are so close, and at that 

time, when I was also emotionally vulnerable, I 

would have so devastated that my own mental health 

would have been affected. 

When I did finally hear, I was in a better frame of mind to 

process the event and make sense of it. I had never thought 

my brother was the type to attempt suicide although I was 

very aware that he was extremely unhappy. He refuses to 

talk about that day, and I can’t shed much light on it. 

Paranoid schizophrenia has regressed Alex severely. He is 

still academic, his mind is still as sharp, but he no longer 

has the motivation of concentration to put his able mind 

to use. It’s a great shame that he may not be able to fulfil 

his potential. We can still have laughs together but they are 

less than they used to be. I would just like my brother back 

before this horrible illness took hold of him and it seems 

that he has a tug of war between fighting the illness and 

embracing the world and his family. 

Writing this article has brought up some strong emotions 

for me and although it is not a panacea to express my feelings 

to a wider audience, at the very least it has been a 

therapeutic experience. A 

Your experiences matter. 

If you have one to share, simply visit 

twinsmagazine.com/submissions 

for the chance to have your story 

featured in our next issue! 



TWINSLOL 


LADY, 

CAN'T YOU 

CONTROL 

YOUR KIDS? 

In short, no (at least, sometimes)! The long answer: 

My 4-year-old twins are spirited, curious, energetic, and 

opinionated. 

One vivid example, scarred into my memory, took place 

at a large bookstore while we were out of town. My son 

missed his train table. So, for a field trip, I took him and his 

twin 3-year-old sister to play “Thomas” at the bookstore. 

It went beautifully, at first. I purchased my no-fat-grandelatte-with-a-shot-of-sugar-free-something, 

plopped my 

butt on one of those cute little kiddie-chairs designed for 

people 50 pounds or under, and watched my kids cooperate, 

share and play in a generally delightful manner for 

almost two hours. Clearly I was a superior modeler of excellent 

behavior; kids much older than mine were bickering, 

grabbing and yelling over the engines. 

When it came time to leave, I collected the books I’d 

chosen to purchase. Now, the hard part. My kids were 

not experienced liner-uppers. They were usually prisoners 

strapped tightly into their strollers or carts. Having 

recently outgrown these restraints, however, they were at 

the forefront of learning “how to stand still and quietly 

beside mommy.” 

I did the right thing. I explained quietly and calmly what 

I expected of them. No grabbing flashy chocolates or toybased 

merchandise stacked at children’s eye-level all along 

the line. No running, yelling, rolling in the mud on the 

floor, or licking surfaces. And it worked! They asked about 

things and moved around a few feet, but they were spectacularly 

civilized. Finally my turn to pay came. I smiled 

at my lovely children, pulled out my credit card and 

handed it to the cashier. 

My son sensed my moment of weakness; he made his 

move. From the corner of my eye I saw a flash of his blue 

nylon jacket bolt towards the entrance, where a busy 

parking lot menaced just outside the doors. If he missed 

the doorway-to-death he’d end up in Starbucks, where 

women in high heels and fashionable denim sipped their 

precariously perched $6 coffees. 

“Shit!” The word flew out of my mouth before I realized 

there were 10 serious-look¬ing introverts behind me. 

Dropping my purse on the counter, I made a run for 

him. My daughter quickly followed. Surprising me, my 

son stayed inside the store. Reaching the entrance to Starbucks, 

however, he threw on the brakes, made a 180-degree 

turn, and doubled back, weaving around stands near 

the check-out. Darting between scented candles and 

greeting cards, my son ducked through the growing line 

of waiting customers and headed for fiction on the upper 

level. Hot on his trail was my daughter. Before I could 

reach them, my 25-pound daughter, dressed head-to-toe 

in hot pink, flew through the air and tackled her brother 

to the ground. Beaming, she yelled, “Mommy! Mommy! 

I caught him!” 

“Get up,” I muttered gruffly to my limp and grinning 

son. When he refused, I grabbed his arm and dragged 

MISSION 

Accomplished 

by Nancy B. Gibbs 

Immediately following the birth of their 

children, parents of multiples love the attention 

that their offspring draw. But after 

taking a few outings, parents of twins 

sometimes become weary from the constant 

interruptions and numerous questions 

asked by strangers. 

A few months ago while I was shopping 

I spied a familiar scene. An elderly lady 

stopped a mother of twins. 

“Are they twins?” she asked. The tired mom 

was somewhat rude, giving her a quick answer. 

Then with a snide expression, the mother 

turned and walked away. 

“It’s OK,” I said to the elderly lady. “I’m a 

mother of twins and it is hard to keep a 

smile on your face when you haven’t slept 

in a month.” 

him along. The three of us took the long “perp-walk” 

past 15 impatient people in the lengthen¬ing line. My 

daughter trotted along beside, recounting her conquest 

with enthusiasm. 

I gave the cashier a dopey, sheepish, ‘What-can-you-doabout-kids?’ 

kind of look as she handed me my receipt. 

She did not smile. 

We’re still working on standing still. A 

Kim Suvan is a mom of twins in Calgary, Alberta 

I discovered early on that answering dozens of 

questions during each shopping trip is a part 

of the blessing of being a parent of twins. Here 

are some ways I dealt with the interruptions. 

1 I allowed ample time to get my shopping 

done. 

2 I grinned and accepted the curiosity 

of others. A smile always made me feel 

better. 

3 I realized that twins are unique and 

they would draw extra attention. 

4 I tried to be courteous and kind when 

others wanted to share their twin stories. 

I discovered that everybody either 

is related to a twin or knows someone 

who is a twin. 

5 When I felt impatient after being 

stopped a dozen times, I thanked God 

for the blessing He gave me. In a lonely 

world, two babies can bring a smile to 

even the longest face or joy to the saddest 

heart. 

Together, my little boys and I fulfilled a mission. 

We made other people happy. I reminded 

myself of that often. 



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