School paper #4

Two of a Kind

            Anthony and Joseph look so much alike that people will ask if they are identical twins. No, they are not. They are fraternal. But on occasion you would think that they were identical by their personalities and resemblance to each other. Twins can be both  alike and different in a vast area including looks, personality, and school.

The first thing people will notice about these six year old twins is that they look almost exactly the same. Same blond hair, blue eyes, build and facial features. This amused them as they became older and realized that they looked alike. Then as time went on they became oblivious to how much they looked alike and began to honestly believe they looked only like themselves and no one else. There are subtle differences that, if you see them often enough, without any effort you will be able to distinguish  which child is which. Anthony has a larger head, Joseph’s head is slightly smaller. Anthony has a small freckle on his upper left lip, Joseph does not. These minor things make it easy to tell which boy is which. There is also a mere five pound difference between the two boys yet at the fun old age of six, it definitely makes a difference in clothes and feel when picking them up. When dressed alike the majority of people can’t tell them apart. From the comical faces to the sweetest grins these boys are one in the same. When dressed differently it is easier to distinguish who is who. Although they have the same taste in clothes it seems that they do not have the same taste in hair, one likes is hair brushed back and one likes his hair spiked. But the similarities and difference do not end there.

            Personality is a major enigma that faces people who have twins. Experts as well have been perplexed by how two people, almost identical, can be as though they are one person in some aspects yet as different as the sun and moon. This observation has been studied for years and years. There is no doubt that twins can and will act in the same fashion. Anthony and Joseph love to play the same games and play with the same toys, something they have had in common since they were able to sit. Transformers, Hot Wheels and Lego’s are the toys of chose. When shopping they will always gravitate towards these. They are so enamored by the same toys that they will work together to make sure they get the optimal amount of each collection by planning who will get what and then sharing. Anthony and Joseph also like the same types of movies and shows. There is never an argument over what to watch. Sports…same, both love to play soccer, and play on the same team. After playing for three years their coach still calls them by the wrong names. Now when it comes to differences they can be vast. At any given time Anthony can and will break out in song. He loves to sing and entertain. When they announced the school talent show, Anthony insisted that he would play the drums for the whole school. Anthony does not know how to play the drums, nor does he have a set. In his mind, and as stated, “it would be easy, you just hit the drums with the drum sticks like boom boom pow”. When asked what he would use, his reply was simple, the school has a set he can borrow. This plan came with a crying fit when told no. But in an effort to work with a child who showed an intense interest in an activity, a set of drums were bought and lessons arranged. Now Joseph, on the other hand, is not a singer nor does he like to show off. He is more hesitant in front of others and really won’t sing. But dance? Definitely yes, Joseph is the dancer and will dance alone in a private setting or in a group, but never as a sole dancer on display. When asked if he would like to perform at the talent show he had an adamant NO!

            When it comes to school the boys differ quite a bit. Anthony is laid back and needs a lot of breaks when doing homework. There is a constant “I need to go to the bathroom” and “I am hungry” with Anthony. Joseph likes to work quickly and has better focus. He’s always the first one done with homework. They also differ in their strengths and weaknesses. Where Anthony excels in math and has a tougher time with reading and writing, Joseph is quite the opposite and excels in reading and writing over math. On off days they can switch it up and be better in the other subject. It really gets to be a tennis game with the boys and their schooling! And let’s talk the craziest difference of all. They both have a speech impediment. Slightly unusual, yet not completely uncommon with twins. In this respect they are the same. But to the astonishment of their teachers and speech therapist the letters that they each have issues with are the total opposite of the other, and yes, very unusual! One can pronounce F’s but not the S sound, while the other can pronounce the S sound but not the F. There are a number of letters to this effect, yet not one letter is the same for both. It has been an interesting few years for the people who work with the boys on a daily basis. 

            Overall it is fair to say that twins can be so much alike yet so different. And each and every day is a different day with both of them. In the end they both share the most important qualities…they both give a lot of love and they are both bursting with energy. Their love for others is abundant, their love for each other is unsurpassed. From day one they have been the same and opposite, and in ninety years, they will still be the same and opposite. A puzzle about two people created together that will probably never be answered.