Dear Parents of Twins,
Wow, I can't believe it's November already! Where has the year gone? I always feel sorry for November because nobody pays much attention to it since Christmas is so much more exciting! But I'd like to urge you not to rush through this month. Times are tough, but we still have so much to be thankful for. Last week, after hearing that my yearly mammogram came back fine, I got the devastating news that a thirty-six-year-old mother of a four-year-old boy in my twins' class has aggressive breast cancer. That really put things into perspective for me. When I'm worried about money, when my kids or my husband are driving me crazy, when my plans don't work out quite the way I wanted them to . . . I think about how trivial these things are compared to what that family is going through. I count my blessings. I hope you'll join me this month in being thankful.
Addi and Cassi
Another story that really inspires me to count my blessings is the Hempel family. Their identical twins, Addi and Cassi, suffer from a rare genetic disease known as "Childhood Alzheimer's." Their parents' fight to find a cure will truly inspire you. You can read their story here on TwinsTalk and at www.addiandcassi.com.
Chaos 2 Calm Giveaway
I'm pleased to announce that we have three winners in the Chaos 2 Calm book giveaway! The first winner is Beth O'Dell, whose adorable boys, Trenton and Grant, were selected as this month's Multiples of the Month!
Our second winner is Karen Shaff, who contributed a TwinsTale about raising her teenage twins called "Teen Twin Tamper Tantrums." You can read her story here. Karen is also a very talented jewelry designer, which resulted from being pregnant with twins. She told me, "I actually started beading while on bedrest with my twin pregnancy." She encourages other parents of twins "to be creative and do something enjoyable while stuck in bed or at home with tiny tots. Who knows . . . doing what you love often does pave the road for a home business!" You can check out her beautiful jewelry and other products or get a headstart on Christmas shopping at www.karenshaff.com.
Our final winner is Debbie Criss, who told me that she wanted to win the book for her son and his wife, who are expecting twins! Debbie, if you're reading this, please e-mail me at susan [at] twinstalk [dot] com to claim your book!
Thanks to everyone who entered the contest. If you'd like to read more about Chaos 2 Calm, visit my review on TwinsTalk.
Baby Dipper Bowls Giveaway
There's still time to enter the drawing for the Baby Dipper bowls. These revolutionary bowls making feeding infant twins so much easier! The inventor, a mom of twins, has generously donated four "double packs" for four lucky winners! Enter here before November 15.
A Lot'o'tots Giveaway
There's another great giveaway going on over at www.alototots.com. You can actually win a trip to New Zealand! If you purchase any Mountain Buggy product from them by November 15, 2008, you will be entered into a drawing for a trip for two to New Zealand for six nights. It includes hotel, airfare, a tour of the Mountain Buggy Facility and $1000 spending money! Each individual item allows you an entry, so the more you purchase, the better the chance of winning!
Looking for Stepparents of Twins
Noelle, a stepmom of twins, is writing an article on stepparenting twins for Twins Magazine, and needs some sources! If you have stepchildren who are twins, please contact Noelle at ecupaige [at] gmail [dot] com. She'd love to interview you for her article. You can read more about Noelle's blended family on her blog, Blended Dreams, at http://blenddreams.blogspot.com/.
Book Reviews
I recently posted reviews for two twins-related books on TwinsTalk. Read all about Twin Sense, by Dagmara Scalise, here. And if you're a fan of the TV show, Jon & Kate Plus 8, about a family with twins and sextuplets, you'll want to check out my review of their new book, Multiple Blessings.
Have you recently read a book about twins or multiples, either fiction or nonfiction? If so, please send your review to TwinsTalk on the Articles page. Of course, all other articles are welcome, too!
Count your blessings!
Susan Heim
P.S. If you haven't purchased your Thanksgiving or Christmas cards yet, you might want to head over to Gemini Greetings to get cards featuring twins! They are adorable and definitely tailored for families with multiples!
