1, 2, 4, 5, 11

I don't typically post about my 4-year old twin babies "Syd" and "Tay" or "Goose" who just turned 11 because I feel that I need to protect them and don't feel real comfortable exposing them but I have to share how the parent-teacher conference went today. As I mentioned yesterday, I had Syd's at 7:20 a.m. and Tay's at 11:00 a.m.

Now before I go into the details, I have to tell you how different the girls are. They are fraternal twins (like any two sisters) and not identical.

Tay came first via emergency c-section and weighed a whopping 4 lbs. Tay is my baby twin who is wise beyond her age. She is very smart and extremely shy. It took her forever to warm up to the grandparents. She is very cautious and weighs every situation. She is more patient than most adults I know. Especially with her sister.

Syd came next at 4.5 lbs and is a burst of energy everywhere she goes. She never meets a stranger and has a huge smile on her face starting in the morning and even when sleeping. She is more athletic than book smart which is fine by me (future ball player).

So here is the best way to describe my baby twins. The parent teacher conference. Now please remember they are 4-years old.

Syd:

1. Social/Emotional: "Shows curiosity as a learner. Always participates in group activities."
2. Language/Literacy: "Shows appreciation for books and pictures."
3. Mathematics: "Developing number skills. Can duplicate simple patterns."
4. Science: "Understands 4 of her 5 senses and their uses."
5. Creative Expression: "Expresses creativity through painting and loves glue."
6. Physical Development: "Uses strength and control, pulls a wagon of friends around the track."
7. Comments: "What a delight to have in our class. Always uses manners and is such a good friend to other classmates. She is our ray of sunshine in the morning. She is one of most well behaved students."

Now, it was also said that we need to improve on counting. She can only count to 5 then skips to 11. She needs to work on cutting with scissors (guess cutting hair does not count). She can't draw a star (I did not know this was important). Her birthday is next week (it's really in July). When she writes her name she writes the letters tyl (her sister's name).

Tay (notice how much more detail is added... poor Syd):

1. Social/Emotional: "Knows and follows rules/routines. Moves through transitions independently (i.e. helps clean up, etc.) Eager to learn and seeks help from teacher only when encountering a problem. She is now overcoming shyness and participates in classroom activities with her friends."
2. Lang/Literacy: "Enjoys listening to books on tapes. Recognizes and writes her own name as well as her sisters on every paper. She is now beginning letter sounds."
3. Mathematics: "Understands numbers and quantity. Counts and sorts objects according to physical characteristics of color, shape, size. Recongizes and duplicates patterns."
4. Science: "Asks questions now and uses senses to observe and explore materials and natural environment. Enjoys using binoculars and magnifying lenses to observe for investigation."
5. Creative Expression: "Now eagerly participates in group experiences. Uses a variety of materials for tactile experiences and exploration.
6. Phys. Development: "Demonstrates good small and large motor skills. Uses all her writing tools and enjoys riding bicycles. Good self-help tactics for problem solving."
7. Comments: "Taylor is such a sweet child, always helping others and finally becoming less shy. She loves to play "Mommy" in dramatic play and assists her classmates by tying their shoes and taking care of all."

Nothing was written in the Needs Improvement column for Tay.

This is absolutely correct in explaining their differences. Syd is so dependent on her twin sister and I just somehow overlooked the fact that she is lacking in her skills. Tay does everything for her and they are best friends. At night, I tuck each one in their own bed (yes, they share a room) and within 10 minutes, they are in bed together whispering stories and snuggling together.

So we have some work to do, but I wouldn't change a thing if it meant changing their beautiful personalities. They are adorable and I am so glad they are mine.

And for the record... how important is drawing a star when you already are a star?