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By Abigail Pogrebin Click to read the rest of this entry

I've been asked often: How do we find a way to spend individual time with each twin when we know it's so important? I know that the realities of life -- the chaos of school, work, playdates, doctors' appointments, errands, family events, neighborhood events, religious commitments, etc. -- make it a genuine challenge to carve out separate time with twins. But since I feel so strongly (now that I have the benefit of hindsight) that each twin needs separate memories with parents, I suggest small rituals that can become routine. For example:

Double Up Books, the Premier Bookstore for Twins, Triplets & More, has just released their holiday gift guide! They specialize in books about twins and multiples for both parents and children. They have a fabulous selection. I hope you'll consider shopping there for the people on your gift list this year! The following video gives you some of the highlights. You can view their full catalog and order at www.DoubleUpBooks.com!

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The village of Kodinji, India, is home to approximately 230 sets of twins. That doesn't sound like a lot, but in a village of only 15,000 people, that is four times the number of twins than is common in the rest of the world. In the industrialized world, twins occur more commonly in women between the ages of 35-40, but most marriages in Kodinji occur between the ages of 18 and 20, so women are bearing twins at a young age.

Doctors and scientists are puzzled as to why there are so many twins in Kodinji. They don't believe the villagers are exposed to any harmful drugs or chemicals. A local doctor, M.K. Sribiju, believes there is something in the environment, perhaps in the water, that is causing twinning. The village's fields are surrounded by water, and the village becomes quite isolated due to rains during the monsoon season.

It is a mystery that has yet to be solved!

Surely the stresses of raising a set of sextuplets and a set of twins must have contributed to the breakdown of Jon and Kate Gosselin's marriage, but what about other families with multiples? It's been rumored that parents with twins and more have a higher divorce rate, so it's interesting to examine the preliminary findings issued by Mothers of Supertwins (MOST) from an ongoing survey they've been conducting on "Divorce and the Multiple Birth Family."

The survey began on June 25, 2009. As of this writing, they had surveyed more than 2,800 parents or guardians of multiples. Most of the participants were: Click to read the rest of this entry

by Cheryl Maguire

My twins were my first children, which caused me to purchase many unnecessary items.  I only wish someone had told me the following: Click to read the rest of this entry

The answer is yes! According to Britain's Daily Mail, that's just what happened to Mia Washington when she was unfaithful. Her eleven-month-old twin boys, Justin and Jordan, are half-brothers. Experts say there is only a one-in-a-million chance of this occurring.

When Mia was ovulating, she cheated on her partner, James Harrison, with another man. After the twins' birth, Mia noticed that the twins had different facial features, and she decided to investigate. Subsequent DNA tests show that there is only a 0.001 chance that the twins have the same father. Mia broke the news to James, who has forgiven her for her infidelity and is raising both twins with her as his own. Mia is now pregnant with another child (and says there's no doubt of this child's paternity!). Click to read the rest of this entry

By Susan M. Heim

I love to support moms who start their own businesses. Often, they are inspired to create a product or offer a service by their own experiences as mothers. Angelice Tyson is one of those moms. She's the mother of identical twin boys (as well as a singleton little girl), and often despaired at the lack of cards in stores that could be given by or to her twins. Thus, she gave birth again . . . to Gemini Greetings! Click to read the rest of this entry

The National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs, Inc. (www.nomotc.org) has declared April 2009 the first National Multiple Birth Awareness Month. The following information on their website explains why this month is so important: Click to read the rest of this entry

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More has arrived! People have been asking for a Chicken Soup book about twins and multiples for many years, and it has finally been delivered. I am honored to have coauthored this book with the Chicken Soup for the Soul series founders, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen. This newest book is a collection of heartwarming and hilarious stories from parents of "twins and more," and from multiples themselves, filled with time-tested advice from those who have "been there, done that." Twins mom and CNN journalist Soledad O'Brien lends her hearty recommendation to this book, saying "Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More is funny and moving, insightful and inspiring. Life with twins is a chaotic, wonderful, joyful experience - and this book captures it perfectly! Click to read the rest of this entry

I laughed out loud at the following video about twins and their superpowers! If you've always wondered whether twins really have their own language or feel each other's pain, this clip will answer your questions. This video was created by Eric Ruhalter, author of The KidDictionary: A Book of Words Parents Need but Don't Have. If Eric's book is as entertaining as his video, I highly recommend it! Click to read the rest of this entry