1. Seven-year-old twins are just starting to assign identities. “You’re the tall one.” “He’s the older twin.” “She’s good at reading and I’m good at math.” They only see themselves as a twosome so they have to even it out. They can’t both be the funny one.
2. They’re still proud of their twinniness. They make their siblings jealous by claiming to remember their time together in utero. They love to hear stories of themselves as babies. They beam when someone recognizes them as twins. How long will this Twin Pride last? I hope forever, but we’ll see.
3. Sam and Elisabeth’s first smiles were at each other. Their first giggles were at the other twin’s antics. And today, they gut-laugh hardest at the other one. This is both incredibly sweet (when they’re snuggled together on the couch) and incredibly annoying (when they fall down in the grocery-store check-out line because they’re laughing hysterically about tooting.).
4. Sam and Elisabeth are planning their eighth shared birthday party. They’re still attached enough they wouldn’t consider anything else. One day they will want sleepovers or laser tag and they’ll celebrate separately. But for now, they’re busy planning an epic Star Wars/elephant party.
5. Sam and Elisabeth have always been very physical with each other. Must be the months as wombmates, but they share space closely. Whether they’re snuggling or wrestling, they see the other one’s body as an extension of their own. When puberty starts, they’ll probably become more territorial about their personal space, but that’s a strange concept right now.
6. Our twins go to a small private school, so they are together just about every hour of every day. While this used to be a comfort, their independence is emerging, and they can really get competitive and annoyed with the other one. Case in point: every day, on the car ride home from school, they race to finish their homework. They cheat, yell, cry, and gloat depending on who can answer the math and phonics questions the quickest. These are the moments I pray they’ll be in separate classes next year.
7. One day World War III will start when Sam starts dating Elisabeth’s best friend or Elisabeth wrecks their shared car. One day they will marry and replace the main girl/boy in their life with someone else and a deeper commitment. One day they will be absorbed in their own lives and far away from each other and celebrate June 23 without the other one. But we’re not there yet. Seven years old is the perfect age for twins who are young enough to love their relationship and old enough to show that.
