Thanksgiving Tap Dance

Chronologically, this is quite a leap.  You'll just have to suffer, because it's totally worth it.  

Pat has been hanging on to the box of gold lame and tap shoes since 1987 when we all put on a show for the family.  The resulting photograph ended up on national TV the following year as Granny chatted up Chuck Woolery on the Scrabble game show. This was before I really understood that not everyone got together with their families at holidays and dressed in full costume to dance and sing.  

And for all the things in the world to be thankful for, my own children will get to have that same awkward realization at some point. 

Granny shared the stage with her newest back-up dancers as the rest of us mumbled through songs and snapped pictures.   

How happy this makes me.

Take Two

Victory is Ours!

We have been meaning to get the girls out to Twins Days every summer so far, but this was the first year we were in town for the celebration. It's a crazy gathering with its own culture that we just barely understand. We are clearly on the outskirts, only just the serfs in a bizarre kingdom where the people are the show.  If you're around the Cleveland area the first weekend if August and enjoy a bit of the surreal, I highly recommend it. 

Twins of all ages dress in identical outfits, some in themed regalia; this year was "Twice Upon a Time." Pairs of Snow Whites and pairs of Harry Potters wandered amongst the small town carnival set up, taking in the sights or participating in the talent show. I was originally confused by the audience's wild appreciation for the one-man clogging show. One guy in his 60s or 70s dancing onstage in a loud, patriotic shirt and the whole audience was clapping and stomping along like it was Elvis. Later, I read in the program that he had been doing this clogging performance with his twin brother for nearly 50 years and this was his first Twins Days performance after the passing of his twin.  I cried for a bit then. And felt like those overly enthusiastic audience members were kind of my heroes. 

The rest of the day was not so fraught with emotion.  We ate some fair food, rode some tiny carnival rides and played a good long time on the playground. 

Except for the part were we became pageant patents. 

There are contests for every permutation of twindom.  Twins with the longest running attendance, twins from farthest away (Japan), most alike male, least alike male/female.  And so on.

I'll tell you here that we crushed the competition for least alike girl twins under 4.  

I could temper our bragging by mentioning that there were only three sets of competitors in the category at all ,but where's the fun in that?

Watching while the judges "interviewed" the contestants was my favorite part. The girls played their roles perfectly, Naomi sitting quietly on the bleachers or in William's lap while Lillian was dancing around and chatting up the judge. 

The girls were awarded the gold medal and seemed very pleased by it, even though they had no idea what it was about.  Naomi was a bit heartbroken that she didn't get to say her name into the microphone. I think she'd been psyching herself up for it. 

If we are in town next year, look out all you fraternal girl twins, ages 4-8.  We have a streak to build. 

Little Miss Fix It

 

Naomi likes to help.  All the time.  She is pretty much in charge of making her own smoothies now, except for the part where I have to use the loud machine.  She likes to help set and clear the table, get Kleenex for anyone who might need it.  She is pretty good at unloading the dishwasher,but I can't get anywhere with putting away laundry. Here she is this summer helping with the car repairs.