Top Things I've Said in 2011 as a Twins Mom

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to declare 2011 o-v-e-r and start fresh in 2012.

This was not the easiest year for many reasons and I feel like I've aged quite a bit during it.

In honor of trying to push this year along, I'm putting together my annual list of the Top Things I've Said This Year a little early.

As a twins mom, I get to repeat myself a lot and it was definitely true this year. Here is a list of the top 12 things I've said the most this year (in no order).

12. Guys, can you stop leaving your things on the floor!

11. Can you hold on to the railing when you're on the stairs.

10. Do not wake me up before seven zero zero.

9. Can you please put some socks and slippers on?

8. I'll pay you $1 if you brush my hair.

7. Time for your homework.

6. Is Good Luck Charlie on yet?

5. It's time to leave. Can everyone go to the bathroom please?

4. This year kind of stunk.

3. Please put your PJs on, you cannot walk around the house in your underwear.

2. Can you go the pharmacy and pick up ____ , the kids have strep, pinkeye, stomach bug, pneumonia, a collapsed lung, ear infection, cold.

1. Will you PLE-ASE hang out with the kids so I can get some sleep????


That last one is always directed at my husband in the most annoying voice.


So, this is pretty much what I've said this year. Add a comment below and tell me what top things you've said this year.

Why Americans Don't Like Flakes

Today's post is a story I'm going to share about British chocolates, in this case the Cadbury Flake. Did you know that Cadbury and Nestle (and maybe other chocolatiers) sell completely different candy in other parts of the world? Whenever we travel internationally one of our favorite things to do is to go candy shopping for items that we can't find in the US. I guess some chocolates don't translate well to the American crowd and we may have figured out why.

We've discovered some awesome candy by doing this, but sadly Cadbury's Flake is not one of them and here's why. The Cadbury Flake is described as having "a delicate, crumbly texture." Picture a chocolate candy bar that's long and thin like a hot dog and made in such a way that when you bite into it, the whole thing collapses into tiny flakes of chocolate. Sounds exciting, right? Who wouldn't like a mouthful of tiny flakes of milky, creamy chocolate. Except that it doesn't quite work out that way.

On our summer vacation to Toronto this past year, I was so excited when I found a Cadbury Flake - a chocolate bar that I have never tried before. I watch a lot of British TV and there is always reference to this chocolate. As soon as we got back to the hotel room, I had to try my sweet treat.

I sat on the edge of the bed and opened up my Flake. As soon as I took the first bite, the entire thing broke apart sending tiny pieces of chocolate all over my lap, the floor, the bed, and my son who was sitting next to me on the floor. I scooped up as much as I could into a pouch I made out of my shirt and carried it into the bathroom where I proceeded to fling the flakes into the toilet.

Except that the Flake knows how to travel and not only did it end up in the toilet, but all over the floor and the tub too. I cleaned up what I could, but honestly I knew that the next time that someone flushed the toilet (with 5 year old twins -and a husband that drinks diet Coke by the gallons that would be in about 5 minutes) and took a shower that most of it would be cleaned up so I didn't really do a good job.

I washed my hands, shut the light off, and went back to the bedroom area to watch TV. In two minutes I had completely forgotten about the incident. About 15 minutes later, my husband walks into the bathroom, flicks on the light switch and SCREAMS "How did all this sh*t get everywhere in the bathroom?"

Well, it's true that anything is possible with twins, luckily that day all I needed to say in response was "no hon, it's not poop, it's chocolate!"

Best Books I Read in 2010

At the start of every year, I compile a list of the best books that I've read in the previous year. I read about 50 books a year, but there are only a handful that make this list - I'm picky!

Here are the best books I've read in 2010 (in no order):

I Can Make You Thin by Paul McKenna (Self-Help)
I kind of got this book as a joke - I really didn't think that it was going to be anything special and possibly even laughable, but it was truly awesome. It helped me to lose 10 lbs by helping me to realize my bad eating habits and how to correct them. It's a quick read filled with a lot of practical information about how to lose weight without dieting.

I'll Never Be French (no matter what I do) by Marc Greenside (Non-Fiction)
How many countless books can be published about silly Americans buying a house in a foreign country only to find that he/she is in over their head? This one is priceless though. I laughed outloud many many times and really like the author - he gets himself into the funniest circumstances.

The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen (Fiction)
This was just a good fun "chick lit" type of book that has twins as characters. Very enjoyable and a fun book to read. I loved the main character and could relate with her a lot.

Gilded: How Newport Became America's Richest Resort by Deborah Davis (Non-Fiction)
I live about 1.5 hours away from Newport, RI so I've been there and seen the beautiful "summer cottages" (aka huge mansions of the rich) many times. This book goes beyond the glitz and glimmer of the beautiful facades and gives us the nitty gritty details about the houses and the families (as wacky as they were) that lived there. I loved learning about New York and Newport high society.

The Glass of Time by Michael Cox (Fiction)
If I had to pick the best book out of the lot, this would be it for 2010! This is a book that kept me up late at night reading. I would try to steal a few pages while the twins were busy doing something during the day and I would carry it around the house with me. It was un-put-downable. There aren't a lot of fiction books that have this effect on me so this is huge in my opinion. I loved this story about a family secrets in Victorian England. The author reveals the plot layer by layer in brilliant fashion. You won't be disappointed!

Did you have a favorite book that you read in 2010? If so, post it here... I'd love to know.

The Joy of Being a Bookseller

One of the great benefits of being a bookseller (see our bookstore at http://www.doubleupbooks.com/) is to be able to attend booksellers conventions. There are two conventions that I attend regularly - NEIBA, the New England Independent Booksellers Association (of which Double Up Books is a member bookstore) and BEA, BookExpo America.

At these conventions, I get to talk to other booksellers, meet authors and publishers, and get the latest scoop on all of the upcoming books including receiving free copies (yes, you read that right free copies! They are called "galley" or "advance reading copy" because they aren't the final published copy of the book.). I usually come home with anywhere from 10 - 30 books and about 25 lbs of book catalogs (and yes, I carry all of this on my back in a backpack and various bags! See what carrying around twins has helped me with.)

I just got back from the NEIBA convention a few weeks ago and wanted to give you a glimpse at some upcoming books that I think are really exciting. Some will be published as early as November and some won't be published until spring 2011 so keep your eyes out for them if a book interests you. Of course, if you want to know the exact date for the book release, email me and I'll be happy to get that info for you.

Rescue - Anita Shreve

Cleopatra - Stacy Schiff (this is the book that the movie with Angelina Jolie will be based on. And, did you know that Cleopatra had twins?)

The Pursuit of Happiness - Douglas Kennedy

The Distant Hours - Kate Morton (she wrote the House at Riverton which was great. This book has twins as characters.)

As Always, Julia - letters between Julia Child and Avis Desoto

Brain Rules for Babies - John Medina

The Sherlockian - Graham Moore

The Lake of Dreams - Kim Edwards

Moonwalking with Einstein - Joshua Foer (my husband loved this book and that's saying a lot)

Elizabeth I - Margaret George

Sweet Valley Confidential - Francine Pascal (if you liked the Sweet Valley series as a teen then you'll like this book as an adult which picks up the twin characters 10 years later.)

Cool, huh? I'm excited for these books especially, but there are many others that are going to be published over the next few months. Stay tuned.

Are there any books that you are looking forward to being published in the next few months?

My Favorite Book

There is no way that I could pick just one book for the illustrious honor of being my favorite book! Could you? I read over 100 books a year times that by many, many years and you've got a lot of books.

But, I like to keep track of these things so that when people ask me what my favorite books are I have them on hand and ready to share (and also that I can remember them in old age or when my twins kill off some more of my brain cells).

Here is a list of my all time favorite books. To be fair to authors, I didn't include any of the books that I sell on www.DoubleUpBooks.com. So, on with the show...

Favorite Chick-Lit Book of All Time
Alice K's Guide to Life - Caroline Knapp
This is the book that started the genre.

Favorite Book as a Middle Schooler
Luuvy and the Girls - Natalie Savage Carlson

Favorite Play (tie)
The Heidi Chronicals - Wendy Wasserstein
Shirley Valentine - Willy Russell

Favorite Book of my Husband's That I Would Like To Throw Out
Private Parts - Howard Stern

Favorite Book from the 50s
Gentleman Prefer Blondes - Anita Loos

Favorite Book about Breaking Up
Heartburn - Nora Ephron

Favorite Book Translated into English
Like Water for Chocolate - Laura Esquivel

Favorite Funny Book
I Love Everybody and Other Atrocious Lies - Laurie Notaro
Seriously pee in your pants kind of funny.

Favorite Book I Use as a Flyswater That Belongs to My Husband
Miss America - Howard Stern

Favorite Book about an Australian Expat
Almost French - Sarah Turnbull

Favorite Book about Australia
In a Sunburned Country - Bill Bryson

Favorite Book About a Woman on a Boat and Favorite Book I Read in 2009
The Motion of the Ocean - Janna Cawrse Esarey (um, that's pronounced JAN-nuh Course ES-uh-ree)
Hilarious and heartfelt.

Favorite Book About Buying a House in Another Country
I'll Never Be French - Marc Greenside

Favorite Book that Changed My Attitude
Forget Perfect - Lisa Earle McLeod

Favorite Book That Made Me Rethink Things
The Secret - Rhonda Byrnes

Favorite Book Turned into a Movie
The Prestige - Christopher Priest

Favorite Book by an Author Who I've Had a Crush on for 22 Years
If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor - Bruce Campbell

Favorite Book Series
Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella

Favorite Book with Plot Twists
Glass of Time - Michael Cox

Favorite Self Help Book in the Marriage Department
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work - John M. Gottman, PhD

Favorite Autobiography of a Chef
My Life in France - Julia Child

Favorite Autobiography of a Swimming Movie Star
The Million Dollar Mermaid - Esther Williams

Favorite Book Written Like an Autobiography
The Memoirs of Cleopatra - Margaret George

Favorite Book about the Fate of Marie Antoinette's Daughter
Marie-Therese, Child of Terror - Susan Nagel

Favorite Biography
Bess of Hardwick: Empire Builder - Mary S. Lovell

Favorite Historical Fiction about Catherine de Medici
The Devil's Queen - Jeanne Kalogridis

Favorite Book That Made Me Thin
I Can Make You Thin - Paul McKenna

Favorite Book about the History of Chinese Food in America
The Fortune Cookie Chronicals - Jennifer 8 Lee

Favorite Classic
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Favorite Gothic Classic
Rebecca - Daphne du Maurier

Favorite Book Based on a TV Show
Burn Notice - Tod Goldberg

Favorite Book of All Time
The Queen's Necklace - Frances Mossiker
This book has it all... love, scandal, fine jewelry, history, murder, deception, the guillotine, and it's 100% true!

What are your favorite books??

Having Fun with Twins' Language

I've learned the hard way with my twins that it isn't always how I say something, it's about the exact words I use. Here are some examples...

1. When asking my twins to clean their room, they fight me tooth and nail on this request. However, if I ask them to organize their room they are only too happy to comply.

2. When at the dentist, if they are asked if they want sparkly teeth, they cry hysterically and try to get out of the chair. But, if they are asked if they want clean teeth, well, then that's okay. For some reason clean works for teeth, but not for rooms.

3. My daughter likes sandwiches which the main ingredient is a hamburger patty, but if I ask her if she wants a burger, she crosses her arms and says "no!"

4. My twins do not want to take art lessons, but it's very acceptable and even fun to go to art school.

Do you have any similar examples where using the "wrong" words get you into trouble?

Like a Broken Record

Image: graur razvan ionut / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

My 4 year old daughter loves to listen to the same song over and over and over again. Her favorite song eventually changes to a new favorite song that we'll have to listen to many, many times, but until that happens we're all stuck listening to this one song.

Where does she get this from? I wince when I tell you that it's from me! Where did I get this from? Definitely my mother. Do you see a trend here? I'm pretty sure it's genetic although my taste in music is totally different from my mom's taste. I grew up with her listening to Rod Stewart over and over, ELO over and over, David Bowie over and over, and Meatloaf over and over (probably why I don't listen to this musicians today).

The very 1st song that I can remember playing over and over was I Feel Love - The Benji Theme Song. I was about 4 or 5 and my parents bought me the soundtrack from the movie. I would sit on the couch in our living room and play the song over and over carefully lifting the record needle back to the beginning after each song.

Here is the song from the movie...

It's good, huh? You'll be singing it all day now. Feel free to play it over and over.

What's my daughter's favorite song right now? Well, I've been hooked on Bollywood movies lately (more on that in another upcoming post) and have been listening to the music from it in the car. Here is the one that she likes - it's a little different from my favorite song at her age.

Dard e Disco - "Pain of Disco" from the Bollywood movie Om Shanti Om

(with photos of Shah Rukh Khan, the Indian actor in the movie)

I'm officially dard-e-discoed out.

It's funny because I guess the thing we have in common is that both of our favorite songs as a kid are from movies (although I will never let her watch Shah Rukh Khan dance this scene in Om Shanti Om - look it up on YouTube if you want to see why).

Do you or your children have a favorite song that you like to listen to repeatedly? If so, share it in the comments section. I'd love to hear from you.