More on Rocks and Words

Something that I left out of my post two days ago, the one about rocks, Kathryn, and the words she contains, is that all that talking I did to her made her a genius.

Once, as a three-year-old, she came to me with a question. She asked me why half of our front yard was wet and half of it was dry. Before I could answer, she said, "Is it because the wet part is in the shade and the dry part is in the sun?" and then "and the sun made the water warm and it turned into a vapor and it went up to the sky?"

I don't talk to the twins. Unlike Kathryn, they were born into a different time. With Kathryn, I talked to retain my sanity. Now, the only thing that has any hope of preserving what sanity I have left is silence. So for four years, the twins have been left to fend for themselves.

Which is why, the day after Kathryn collected so many rocks and put them on our porch a few months ago, the twins went to each other for an explanation:

"Where did all these rocks come from?" one asked. Don't ask me who it was. I still can't tell them apart and at this point it's kind of embarrassing to ask.

"Well," said the other, thinking it over. "Sometimes it just rains rocks."

"Oh yeah. Sometimes it does."

I think I need to talk to the twins more.

Comments

[becky from sc]

You could start by asking them their names. ;)

[becky from sc]

Or you could organize some kind of mixer with name cards or something. You could write their names on the cards and tell them to pick the one with their name on it. Just trying to help.

[Shnerfle]

Just go with tattooing their names on their foreheads. You'll be doing a public service and their elementary school teachers will love you.

Ya know, sometimes I really wish Jersey was closer to LA. I'd so love to put our kids together in a room and observe them thru a bottle of Pinot. You seriously crack me up.

[Jennifer P]

Maybe Katherine can take over talking to the twins? It sounds like she has plenty of wisdom to share.

[Katie]

I think the twins and I are kindred spirits, being birthday buddies and all

[Swiggy]

That's great! Though, I think you may have missed your window - hee!

[Michelle]

I think Jennifer P is onto something, Brian. I mean, why have minions (I mean kids) if not to do your bidding? ;-)

[Jen]

They may not be geniuses in the traditional sense but you have to admire their imaginations. Or at least the imagination of whatever one it was that came up with that answer.

[Mr Pubin]

I like what Jen said. The one that came up with rocks from the sky will have a great future in the creative arts. And the one who agreed will make a fine sheep.

Or Republican.

[Elizabeth]

I understand -- I forgot to teach my youngest child what noises animals make. He was at least four and didn't know what sound a cow makes.

[Dan]

Your're saying that it doesn't rain rocks?

[uccellina]

I have a file clerk working in my office today, and I just snorted very loudly while reading this post. She is casting surreptitious, scared looks my way now. Just thought you should know.

[Kate]

When my son was smaller I would move around the house doing my thing (usually carrying him because he was rarely happy about being on the floor alone) and I'd think through all kinds of stuff, then after a while I'd realise I hadn't said any of this stuff out loud and my poor kid was living in this world of silence. Somehow he still learned to talk, and he seems to know some stuff. Amazingly resilient aren't they?

[Tarin]

The Dad, were your girls in Point Pleasant this Mem Day Weekend? I swear I saw them, but not you. Unless you've changed alot lately.

Loving you, as usual.

[Catootes]

Tell you what, I'll swap you one 13 year old boy who thinks he knows everything, and never shuts up, for your twins.

When you've managed to get the 13 year old boy to shut up, we'll switch back again.

[Sadia]

*snort* Thanks for the laugh.

I can't tell my monozygotic girls apart from the back. I don't even try.

Me: "Hey, Jessie."
One of 'em: "I'm not Jessie."
Aha!

[hendo]

You need to encourage totally different tastes in clothing, and cut their hair differently. One could have pierced ears; the other, a pierced nose. Get creative.

More seriously, the clothes-and-hair thing is actually the only way I learned to tell James-and-Charles apart in the year above me at school, and my friends Kate-and-Jean at uni. Kate was hippie-ish with longer hair, Jean more conservative dresser. I lived with Jean for a couple of years after uni and felt proud when I got so good that I heard one of them call from Jean's room, went in and found one of them wearing Jean's pyjamas, and I *knew* it was Kate!

[hendo]

Oh, and PS. In Canberra, it occasionally rains dirt / mud. So maybe the twins aren't insane.

[Loretta]

Can we get a raining rocks masthead?

[Kim S.]

Oh how I love you. You crack me up. We've done the same damage to our 2 yr old ID twins. Their older sister started sight-reading words at 2 1/2. The twins are still at "AAARRHH, MOOK" when they want a glass of milk.

I figure they've done lasting damage to me, so I just returned the favor...

[joe]

my father-in-law has a story about it raining fish in the village he grew up in.

[Regina]

Your kids crack me up! I think you're doing just fine.

[Scientific Chick]

Kim S., that was an awesome comment.

LD, if you're lucky, the twins will develop their own language, and you'll be saved the trouble.

[KatStuff]

Ooh. Yeah. Good idea.

Also a good idea someone had to make katherine talk to the twins. Sounds like she's got plenty to say. Just give her a buck a day to explain stuff to them.

[Pickle Horwitz]

I love your writing. It's got that edge that seems to be missing from my life.