Blog #6: Mar & Kar

I have a twin sister named Kari--Kar for short--who is two minutes younger.  We were delivered three weeks early, at almost 3am, on May 7th.  My parents didn’t find out that there were two of us until about a month before we were born (maybe due to the less-advanced early-80s technology?).  I don’t blame my parents for not having any other kids.  I am sure that two at once is plenty to handle when both mom and dad have to work. 

Growing up with a twin was different.  When I watch tv and see children playing by themselves, I always wonder what that would be like because my sister and I always had someone else there.  While going to school, enduring dentist appointments, playing in the yard, getting ready for bed, etc., we were never alone.  We celebrated every birthday together, graduated from elementary school together, got our drivers licenses together, went to dances together… you name it, we did it together.

People always ask if it is “cool” being a twin, and I honestly don’t know how to answer; I don’t know what it is like to not be a twin.  I can say, however, that it isn’t all fun and games.  Being a twin brings with it a whole bunch of identity-related issues that my sister and I still struggle with as adults.

I don’t really have any recent photos, but I scanned these while at my parents’ house yesterday:

This picture was taken when we were really small.  You can always tell which one is me because I was much chunkier than my sister.  The average birth-weight for twins is 5lbs 8oz.  My sister was 5lbs exactly, and I was 5lbs 11oz (meaning that I was giant compared to her).  My poor mom… over 10.5 pounds of baby total!

 

Could we be any more adorable?!  This was taken in our backyard in Santa Ana at 13 months old.  I’m on the left.  

  

This was our first time dressing up for Halloween (1.5 years old).  These outfits were homemade; my parents used coat hangers to get the ears to stand up.  Apparently, we were looking up at an airplane that was flying over.  The next two Halloweens, my homemade costumes (a clown and Frankenstein’s creature) were not-so-cute.

 

This picture was taken at a wedding when we were 20 months old.  Thanks mom and dad for cutting our hair at home.  Look at those horrible bangs! :)

 

Here we are at two years old.  We grew up with a house/yard full of reptiles, but I think this picture was taken at my grandmother’s house.  According to what’s written on the back of the photo, the desert tortoise was named Sam.

 

Here we are outside of the Santa Ana Zoo at 3.5 years old.  I’m smiling really hard!

 

This one is from the third grade.  I believe that this was taken at the Balboa Pier.  Look at those jackets!  That bright parachute material gives you a good idea of when the picture is from!

Yesterday, my mom and I went through all of the photo albums from babies to junior high.  We were crying we were laughing so hard by the end of it.  Lots of dated outfits, awkwardness, and ugly glasses :)