Dear Boys,

You both are technically 8 and a half right now, but no one is counting, right?? You two are at a very fun age. You are starting to be more like big kids, where we can talk about life and go on fun adventures, but you’re also still my little boys.

This year you are in second grade at St. Rose, are both playing a lot of sports (soccer is both your favorite), and are still best friends. You still very much are a package deal – doing all the same activities, sharing friendships, and generally wanting to be together 24/7. Your best friends are Carter, your cousin, and Max. You both love nothing more than to have them over to play and the moment they leave, you immediately call them to play games online together.

You are both insanely smart, scoring in the 99th and 98th percentile for math and reading. School is a bit too easy for you right now, so we are taking you one a week to a math enrichment tutor. You’d think this might be something you disliked going to, but it’s the exact opposite. You both LOVE going to do extra math and are very proud of what she teaches you. This week is was multiplication.

Davis, you are still my snuggler often asking me to scratch your head, tickle your arms, or draw letters on your back. You are a perfectionist through and through and can get quite upset when you don’t do something to your standards. We see this a lot when you’re doing origami, a lego set, or drawing. Unfortunately you’ve surpassed my abilities in all of those, so I’m not much help!

This fall you had your first reconciliation and you of course were the FIRST person in line to see the priest and reported that you told him not one sin, but seven. Haha! You always push yourself to do your best, and hold yourself to a very high standard. Along with this, you HATE losing. It’s not that you necessarily love winning, it’s that you cannot stand losing. lol! This will serve you very well in life, sports, and work, but I also hope you give yourself grace too.

While you may not be as big as your brother, you excel in your sports thanks to your aggressiveness, focus, and hard work. You play defense for your GTFC soccer team and are not afraid to pressure boys who are two years older than you. This summer you won swimmer of the year in your age group for all the extra time you spent practicing and improving in the pool. You were so proud!

Whitaker, you are my wild man with the biggest heart. Your ADHD sometimes (ok a lot of times) makes you loud, rambunctious, and impossible to contain, but you are also the boy who says “I love you mom. You’re the best mom in the whole world!” every night at bedtime. While our house might be quieter and cleaner, it certainly would not be filled with as much fun or love without you.

You are very tall and very strong for your age. The past two years you won the Cross Country Championships meet! It was so exciting watching and cheering for you. You are becoming more athletic and coordinated as you get older. I think you’ll wind up being a great athlete once you settle into your body and develop your focus a bit.

You are a very social kid who loves being with your friends. You like to make people laugh and can be very silly. You are the jokester in our family for sure. I often have to tell Davis to STOP laughing at you because it just riles you up even more. But let’s be honest, it’s nearly impossible for him to not be entertained by you. You guys even made up your own language “BIB & Mai!” lol

You both are wonderful little boys who are doing very well in school. Our house is very full of crazy boy energy thanks to you two and your little brother, but we wouldn’t change a thing. We have fun watching all your crazy antics and thankfully we don’t live in an open floor plan house, so there are pockets of quiet to be found! lol

I love you both so much and am so thankful God made me a twin mom, and even moreso a twin BOY mom! Keep having fun, loving each other and your family, and being your best selves.

Love,

Mom

Hey boys – you’re six now! It’s crazy to me to think how much you’ve grown up. It feels not long ago that you were teeny preemies in the hospital, and now you’re rambunctious, strong little boys.

We did it big for your birthday this year! You had a joint birthday party at the Maumee Indoor movie theater with your best bud, Max. We invited your whole class and watched Sonic 1. You guys had a blast running all around the theater with your classmates.

Some other highlights from this past year were our family trip to Cancun for Mimi’s 70th, watching you both start to play basketball & baseball, and celebrating your graduation from preschool.

This year you boys started really becoming your own separate people with your own separate interests. For a long time you guys almost seemed like one unit, lovingly called “The Brothers,” who did everything together and liked all the same things.

Lately, though, your interests have started to diverge and you even have been making more of your own unique friendships. While this has sometimes led to more sibling fights and disagreements, I think it’s good for you to explore your independence.

Whitaker you are my loud, physical, ACTIVE boy who has a heart of gold. You are the first one to offer something you have to a friend if they want it because you love to make people happy. The other day we went to the Lucas County Fair and your buddy Max couldn’t eat the ice cream because of his allergy. While all the other kids got their ice cream, you quickly said “I want to wait until we find a place Max can eat so he’s not left out!” You have a very sweet heart.

Like most six-year-old boys, you are extremely active and loud. You proudly proclaim “mom at least you can always hear me from the back of the car because I’m so loud!” Haha! You are just full of energy and sometimes it is too much for you to contain.

Despite being in the 99% for height and being built like a little muscle man, you currently have little interest in sports. You’d prefer to spend your days swimming at the pool, playing with your friends, or jumping on the bounce house in the backyard. You are very social and like to be around your friends playing pretend, ghost in the graveyard, or tag.

Although at times you are rough and tumble, you still want mom and dad near you most of the time. Of all the kids, you have the hardest time when a babysitter does your bedtime and can get scared to try new things.

This summer we went to the lake house and you were afraid to swim in the open lake. After some coaxing, I got you to jump in with me and you loved it! I am hoping little by little you start to face your fears and build confidence as you do.

Whit you are a great kid, with a big heart. I can’t wait to see how you grow this year and what new experiences you have.

Davis, you are still my snuggly guy who frequently asks me to “snuggle me.” You like when I scratch your back and tickle you. You have a sweet, happy demeanor that I adore. Sometimes you’ll just walk by me and flash a huge smile as you go.

While your brother is loud, you can be so quiet that I have to ask you to repeat yourself 5x before I can hear you (sorry your mom has bad hearing!). You are a gentle soul who can spend hours outside, looking for monarch eggs, playing with sticks, and generally being lost in your own magical world.

You found a competitive streak this year and loved participating in swim team, baseball and golf. With this competitiveness, you’ve started comparing yourself to your brother. You often ask when you’ll grow as tall Whitaker. I just tell you to focus on your “personal best” and that everyone grows at a different pace!

You have gotten really into your own unique hobbies this year including origami and rubiks cubes. You say you want to “be a cuber” and pretty much always have a cube in hand. It’s pretty impressive how you learn algorithms and focus until you solve them.

You like to try new things and put yourself out of your comfort zone even when scared. At the lake this summer, you worked up the courage to go on the jet ski with me and we went all the way to 27 mph! You were so excited.

You make friends easily and are usually the first one to approach kids at the playground and organize a game of tag. One of your classmate’s moms told me her daughter said “That Davis is as sweet as a kitten!” and I totally agree. You are made of sugar and honey!

Six is going to be a big year for you both. You are starting kindergarten, will learn new skills like how to read, and will start your first real competitive sport – cross country! I can’t wait to see how you grow, mature, and continue to be great little boys.

Your Dad and I love you both so much. While the two of you can drive us absolutely up the wall with your crazy antics – like your nightly wrestle mania matches – we love the fun, laughs, and chaos you bring to our house. There’s never a dull moment and someday I will miss it all.

We feel so lucky to be raising little boys and know you’re going to grow up to be wonderful men. Keep being the best you that you can be.

Love always,

Mom

Whitaker & Davis,

Today you little sweeties turned three years old! We are celebrating your birthday this weekend with a party with your family. You are both so excited for “pwesents” and “cake!” This year the theme of your party is “construction.” I got you a cake that looks like a construction site with trucks on it, a truck piñata and shirts that say “I’m digging being three!”

Life sure has been fun with you two lately. As if it was even possible, you two have gotten even closer. You play together so well and generally do not want each other to be out of sight. Yesterday you got new baseball hats in the mail from Aunt Amy and Uncle Mike. You both put them on and immediately said “now let’s play baseball!” We set up your little t-ball and you took turns whacking the ball.

The sweetness you both display melts my heart. We get a LOT of unprompted “I love yous” from both of you along with big long hugs. You are quick to call nearly anyone your “best friend,” including last week when Whitaker follower our cleaner around saying “you’re my best friend, Abby!” You melt hearts where-ever you go.

You both are starting to drop your naps, but still tolerate quiet time in your room (mainly because it’s really just playtime with each other). You both are also extremely physical – climbing, jumping off things and generally pushing your abilities to the limit whenever you get a chance.

Davis, you have become quite an applesauce lover. In fact, it’s pretty much the only thing you want to eat these days. You still love your “blue bankie” and have also amassed a large assortment of “snuggle ings” that you MUST have in your bed in order to sleep. Laying with you at bedtime is my favorite time. You hold my hand and say “I love you mama” over and over again. You also have started asking us all “are you happy, dada?” The answer is always yes when we’re with you bud.

Whitaker, you are SUCH a ham. Seriously you have the biggest personality and are not afraid to talk to any one. It’s not rare for you to approach adults, kids or even grandparents when we’re on an outing and strike up a conversation. You are still insanely loud and prefer yelling vs talking. I think you just have so much personality in there it bursts out of you! You are not much of a cuddler still, but will happily give me big bear hugs whenever I ask for one.

You two bring so much life, laughter, silliness and vibrant energy into our house. It’s often loud, chaotic and busy around here, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. I love hearing your trucks roll across the floor, your giggles as you chase Finn and yes, even your requests for a SNAAAACKS (seriously can you eat any more??).

It’s hard to believe how quickly time is going by. It feels like not long ago you were teeny tiny babies home from the nicu. It’s hard not to cry when I look through your baby photos. It’s just so bittersweet! But I will say I am beyond thankful I’ve gotten to spend every day with you since you’ve been born. What a blessing it is to watch you grow up.

We all love you both so much. Three is going to be a big year for you – potty training, preschool and becoming more independent. My wish is you stay your sweet, good-natured selves, keep your special twin bond strong and know how dearly you both are loved by so many.

Love always and forever,

Mommy