Empty nest

Who would have thought it? A house with just six-month-old twins seems a peaceful and calm haven compared to the usual mayhem and chaos that is our family life. The big boys have been spirited off to the grandparents house for a little summer break, so us parents are having some quality time with the babies. It's delightfully laid back and relaxing to only have to worry about feeding and entertaining the babes. There are no screaming fights, no small boys who must be exercised or like Gremlins fed after midnight will turn demonic, no disputes over toys and no whining and whinging if the television is switched off or away from cartoons for a moment or two.

Boy do we miss them. The house is so quiet, tidy and empty. I think this little sojourn has proved my point that we need four children to keep us amused as we just don't know what to do with ourselves without our quartet of slave drivers demanding our services day and night. We have lazed around in bed, read the paper in the sun, watched the motor racing in peace (him, not me of course), but above all we have realised how our two big boys complete us.

I miss number two's chubby arms snaking around my neck to give me a mystery cuddle, I miss number one's innumerable declarations of love and the incessant chatter of both of them. I miss the buzz that fizzes all around my gorgeous little big boys, and while it has been a real treat to be able to cuddle my babies without their older brothers spoiling the fun by demanding drinks, food, channel changes or a referee in their eternal battle for supremacy, I am counting down till they return in all their boisterous glory.

Fortunately twin two clearly realised that mummy and daddy needed a bit of cheering up as he chose today to roll for the first time to much clapping and excitement from his devoted parents. He clearly takes after our firstborn as unlike his twin who wobbled away like a weeble for weeks trying to get over onto his tummy, he, just like his big brother, isn't going to do anything until he has it down to a fine art. So instead of rocking frantically to roll himself over like twin one, he calmly tipped himself onto his tummy on the playmat, his grey blue eyes giving us a look as if to say 'I can't see what all the fuss is about'. What a little star.

Twin one on the other hand is keeping us distracted by slobbering and dribbling all over the place with his first full blown cold. He has kept us busy wiping him up with copious amounts of tissues and changing his top what seems like every five minutes after he has soaked it yet again with one or other type of bodily fluid.

So even though twins seem like an easy life, we can't be entirely derelict in our parental duties and should still retain the essential skills required to run the family till the big boys return in a couple of days.