Are They Twins?

I enjoy reading Flitterbugs {the blog} because their family has a brown baby boy and girl just like we do!  A recent post of hers inspired me to share a little about our experience when I venture out with the kiddos.

I should start out by saying that we're met with joy just about everywhere we go.  It's funny -- I guess before I had kids I never thought about how anonymous shopping typically is.  Because I'm not anonymous when I go shopping anymore.  I've become much more accustomed to strangers starting conversations with me and accounting for the extra time this will add to errands (as if the unloading and loading of strollers, bags and children didn't already add time!).  The funny thing is that we're not just noticeable.  I get comments like "they're getting so big!" or "he's talking a lot more now"... from people I don't even recognize!!!

The number one question I get is "are they twins?"  I can count on hearing it at least once if we're in a public place.  Sometimes I wonder if it's because the older the kids get, the less they look like twins.  What do you think?

If you've followed our story you know they're not twins.  Sweet girl is about 2 1/2 weeks older than her brother.  So when we first brought them home and I got the twin question, if I didn't have time for a longer conversation once in a while I'd say "no, she's about two weeks older than he is," and just leave it at that.  That is, until someone at Target asked me "well, how did you manage that?"  I was kind of at a loss for words!  It still surprises me when adoption just isn't on someone's radar at all.

A cashier at Family Dollar once commented on what a beautiful color the babies' skin is (I agree!) and she asked me what their dad's race was.  I didn't have the heart to tell her he's a redhead.

At the park one day, a young mom asked me if I was babysitting.  I told her no, that these were my kids and asked if she was babysitting the young girl with her (even though the little girl looked a whole lot like her).

I've had older ladies in Kroger tear up after talking with us.  One had to walk away because she was a little overcome with emotion.  An elderly man in the Walmart parking lot once gave me a dollar for each child.

These kinds of conversations are pretty comical to me now, while the kids are too young to know what people are talking about.  In fact, at this point I think they sort of like the attention, or at least they're used to it.  But sometimes I wonder how our responses will change as the kids get older.  Time will tell, and I'm trusting the Lord to give us wisdom!