Dateline: July 2010 Twins' Age: 8 Less than a month earlier, the furry face in the middle had joined the Lage family. Clearly, he fit right in! Double Daddy just reminisced yesterday, "Larry was the perfect dog at the perfect time for our family."  Still miss that sweet boy every day. This sweet trio of smiles warm my heart this mid-week. -Cheryl   ..read more

Dateline: September 2006 Twins' Age: Freshly 5  Presidential placemats. Pointy birthday hats. Declarative ribbons. Cakes adorned with current fave characters. Is that a tell-tale bit of icing on He-Twin's upper lip? Who's the featuree on She-Twin's cake?  Can you tell?  Memories of birthday glee warm my heart this mid-week.  So much love for them---and Double Daddy---then, and so much now.  -Cheryl   ..read more

 Dateline: October 2007 Twins' Age: 6  Stumbled upon a e-folder long-unopened, a treasure trove of days-gone-by glimpses.  In the foreground: Sparkly-eyed siblings, sporting big grins with baby teeth. In the background: Darren's poster project prepared for his kindergarten class "Get to Know Me." Sarah's pink and purple---and rarely used---pocketbook received for our review as "twinfluencers" (before the term was coined).  Stadler and Waldorf, no doubt cracking wise, from their make-shift balcony, atop the sofa back. Loving the breadth of memories spurred by this simpl ..read more

Dateline: November 9, 2016 Twins' Age: 15 Our duo decked-out in their unauthorized high school regalia. This year, US News and World Report ranked their schools as #2 & #3 in the state of Virginia. Imperfect to be sure, but Richmond Public Schools for the win!  Who believes it's nearly been 7 years?  This spring, new regalia...college diplomas. So proud of them then. So proud of them now.  -Cheryl ..read more

 It was a Tuesday. Our twins' very first one. That morning at home began much like the delirious days preceding it: a 7:30am awkward and anxious tandem nursing, followed by double baby burping and dual diapering. As a first-time mom, I was adrift in the new-parent paranoia and hyper analysis of every hiccup and twitch -- and yet simultaneously entranced by each finger movement and chest-inflating breath, times two. My treks up and down the stairs were strictly limited by doctor mandate to once or twice a day. After helping tend to the morning's first baby maintenance session, my husband ..read more

As of yesterday, at 12:34p and 12:41p respectively, He-Twin and She-Twin turned 22 years old.  Seems as though that should qualify as a "golden birthday" for babies born in twos.  With all away at college, separate celebrations were mandated.  So many candles, but far brighter lights within them both. Double Daddy and I couldn't be prouder or more excited to see how they let 'em shine, let 'em shine, let 'em shine.  Twenty-two years, and we're as twinfatuated as we were from the first minutes.  We love you so, Darren and Sarah.  -Mom ..read more

Her first day of 16th grade, She-Twin graciously accommodated my request for a back-to-school photo. Traditional backpack view? Not forgotten or ignored; sleeping roommate's rest honored. Wishing you a wonderful senior year, sweet girl. We love you, and are so very proud of you.  -Mom ..read more

His first day of 16th grade, He-Twin graciously accommodated my request for a back-to-school photo. He even remembered the traditional backpack view.  Wishing you a wonderful senior year, sweet boy. We love you, and are so very proud of you.  -Mom ..read more

"You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby.  But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.  He didn't mind how he looked to other people, because the nursery had make him Real, and when you are Real, shabbiness doesn't matter." ―from Margery Williams ..read more

Dateline: June 18, 2023 Twins' Age: 21 Father's Day memory with these fabulous, full-grown favorite people. How doubly-blessed their Daddy and I are.  *If given the opportunity, we recommend Pig & Brew. Delish...for dads, and everyone.  -Cheryl ..read more