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A few months ago, I attended a boutique sale a mom-of-twins friend of mine put on. Carla of BabyJI Design is a mom of twins, a budding professional photographer and designer of fabulous, funky, fun skirts for little girls (see photo). My girls can’t stop twirling around in her skirts and complain rather loudly when it’s time to take their skirts off and get dressed for bed. Carla’s twins are now 3 years old and like the rest of us who have survived twins parenthood beyond the first couple years, finally has time to think about what she’d like to do in her life outside of raising her kids.

Since my girls were infants, I’ve made a whole new set of friends – other moms of twins in Gemini Crickets. We all share a special bond in raising our multiples though our lives were quite different before this phase. Each time I get to know another mom, I’m constantly amazed. Pre-children careers in this group include a rocket scientist (literally), lawyers, teachers, principals, vice presidents, directors, social workers, CPA’s and more, much more. It’s a highly educated lot.

Some of us moms in this group have returned to our pre-twins careers working full- or part-time. Some of us are fortunate to be able to stay home to care for the kids (a more exhausting and personally rewarding career than any other I have known). And some are embarking upon new paths - like Carla’s photography business and skirt designs.

Having children could change your priorities. Having children could open your eyes to a part of you, you’d forgotten. The bulk of my pre-children professional career was in hi-tech, as you might expect in Silicon Valley. My particular career path led me to leading marketing teams. The [pre-children] career change to scrapbooking entrepreneur taught me that creative design is also a personal strength.

When our twins entered preschool, I went back to hi-tech. The reality is that we live in Silicon Valley and life is not cheap. However, in this raising-children phase of my life, I have rediscovered a passion and talent in photography. It’s another direction I see in my future. Even more significant than changing industries and careers, raising my children has opened up possible career paths I would not have previously considered. Photographing my (and others’) children reminded me of a gift I’d almost forgotten. I’m looking forward to exploring a new direction.

Posted by Linda D (January 25, 2008)

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The wee driver of the shiny teal convertible turns to me and smiles as if to say, “This is the life, isn’t it?” With one hand casually gripping the wheel and the other hand tasked with holding a grape lollipop at the ready, my three-year-old J is the picture of a carefree existence. I smile back, but he has already shifted his attention elsewhere. On a TV just in front of him, a friendly blue dog and his friendly pal Joe have just encountered a moon fairy. “It’s Blue’s Clue’s, Mom! ” chirps J, through sticky lips stained purple, making him look as if he really could be one of Blue’s friends. Somewhere just outside his consciousness, a stranger is circling his head like a gnat, snipping away at his hair with scissors, but J hardly notices. J is having a blast.

It’s haircut day for my shaggy haired twin boys. We’d been trying out different salons with mixed success. Today, we’re at a salon which specializes in children’s cuts. While I’ve yet to find the perfect hair salon for my boys (a stylist here cuts hair with her cell phone glued to her ear which is so annoying), it meets a couple of big needs: convenience and seat belts at every station. This salon’s gimmick is lollipops (the mini kind), which they award to their pint-sized customers at the end of the session or, in our case, whenever it’s deemed necessary. They also have mini-vehicles for the kids to sit in. There’s a TV and a loft full of toys.

While J is sitting patiently during his haircut, his twin brother L is poking around the loft, fingering toys and pretending to be occupied. He wants to be anywhere but here. The stylist calls his name, once, twice… I see L slink back towards the back of the loft, resisting. “No, Mom, I’m doing something!” “But there’s a red lollipop waiting for you, ” I say, mentioning his favorite color. “NOOOOOO, I don’t want to get my hair cut. I don’t NEED to get my hair cut!!” he declares, backing away, tears starting to flow. I pick him up, carry him down the steep stairs and plunk him into a cute little car, buckling him in quickly. At this point, we are doing far better than we did a couple of visits ago, when one of L’s flailing legs managed to kick the poor stylist smack on the NOSE. (We then went to another salon for a few months after that incident, keeping a low profile.)

“Why don’t you watch Blue’s Clue’s?” I suggest, giving L his red lollipop, hoping to cinch the deal. For a while, the combo of a sugary treat and a beloved TV show, seems to settle him somewhat. But then, oh - but THEN. Snippets of hair start raining down, coating the lollipop and causing my boy to gag. Soon, he’s simultaneously crunching and gagging on his hairy lollipop (gross!!). Crunch. Gag. Crunch. Gag. I take away the lollipop and attempt to remove the offending pieces from his mouth. The gagging continues. “He’s gonna hurl!” (L was my vomit boy for 1.5 years so I know the signs.) As the countdown to spewtime begins, I dash outside to my car which is parked just 10 feet away and look for that plastic cup I think I remember seeing somewhere in there. I grab the cup, sprint back to L and miraculously manage to catch all the vomit. Whew, that was close. L is a distraught mixture of snot, tears, vomit and hair trimmings and so, by proximity, am I. The composed stylist quickly finishes up and I swoop in to remove my traumatized boy. Somehow, his super speedy haircut is complete and even looks great. Meanwhile, his brother J is down to the final few snips of his leisurely haircut and he is all sunshine and happiness, despite having had to change out his hairy lollipop a couple of times as well.

As we exit, I grab a handful of lollipops, clean up my boys, and leave a very big tip. I give each boy one final lollipop, tucking the rest away in the glove compartment for future bribes. It always amazes me how very different my two boys have always been. One acts as if his visits to the doctor (prizes!), dentist (headphones! a robotic chair!) and hair salon (lollipops!) are like trips he’s won on a game show. The other acts as if these trips were bestowed upon him by a cruel fate. But they are my boys, this combo of dispositions and somehow, it feels right. But furry lollipops? Ewwww. That’s one combo I can definitely do without.

Posted by Akemi B (January 10, 2008)

This entry is cross-posted on Silicon Valley Moms Blog.

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When I was pregnant with my twins I invariably received the same comment from almost everyone I met—”Twins? You’re so blessed!” At the time, I didn’t feel blessed. I felt scared. Today I feel blessed because, let’s face it, I have two cuties on my hands. But I have always wondered what the appeal of twins is all about. Everyone seems to revel in the joy of twins. Well, it turns out that there is a rich history of twins. And it begins with the Bible. Romulus and Remus were twins raised by a mother-wolf. Rebekah, wife of Isaac, gave birth to twins, Esau and Jacob. “And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. (25:23)” I don’t know what all of this means as far as why the LORD presented Rebekah with two babies instead of one. I’m sure He/She must have had something important in Mind. But one thing I do know is that there must be some significant to twins if there were twins even in the early days of Creation.

It turns out that there are mythological twins in just about every culture. In West Africa, for example, there is a myth about twins, Mawu and Liza, whose unity represented the order of the universe. Lisa dwelled in the East, and Mawu in the West. They were born of nana Buluku, who created the world. In Maya mythology, there are the Hero Twins who battled the forces of good and evil. The twins are put through a series of trials and tests by the gods and perform magic tricks which ultimately results in victory. In Greek mythology Artemis, the Virgin Goddess of the Moon, is twins with Apollo. Both are associated with the bow. Apollo had a curved bow and Artemis had a silver bow. When the noble inhabitants of Syria were at the end of their lives, Artemis and Apollo used their bows to painlessly kill them. In Navajo mythology ancestral twin heroes, called “Little War-Gods,” helped rid the world of “monsters and pests, including diseases and vermin.” Twins Romulus and Remus were the mythical founders of Rome. Each was in charge of a section of the city. Romulus eventually killed Remus and the city, Rome, was named after him. The list goes on and on. In some myths twins work together for good, while in others they fight and sometimes one kills off the other. In Africa, even today, twins are believed to have special gifts and are sought after for healing.

As we know, Gemini is the astrological sign of twins and stands for the two brightest stars in its star pattern, Castor and Pollux, the mythological twin brothers of Helen of Troy. “Gemini people have a joy of expression, a quick mind and a certain sparkle which will always help them toward their goals in life. Gemini subjects are the Zodiac’s lovers of language…the poets, the bards and the wordsmiths and verbal magicians. Those born under the Sign of Here, the inherent intellectual gifts often bring great success with no true effort, but Gemini natives are usually hard put to sustain it. Thus, these individuals should strive to learn perseverence and cultivate depth.”

Perhaps this interpretation of the significance of twins in dreams will help us understand better the magic of twins: “Twins in astrology represent opposites, and we may use this symbolism to explain our dream. The twins could suggest a duality in thoughts, ideas, feelings, or states of consciousness. The twins could also represent the balance that is extremely important to our emotional and psychological health. Old dream interpretation books say that dreaming about adult twins foretells of “double trouble followed by double joy.” Are we as a species supposed to be learning about balance and duality from twins?

Many people I’ve talked with agree that there appear to be more and more twins being born these days. Does this have some spiritual significance? Or is it simply the result of more fertility drugs and procedures? I don’t know. But I do know that there is something special about twins…other than the fact that they are so darned cute.

Posted by Cheryl W. (December 23, 2007)

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Well, I must be lucky because I’ve heard the voices of two angels. I heard them this morning…around the Christmas tree, as I was decorating it. “Oooo…look at that!” “Mommy, what’s that?” “Can I put that on the tree?” “It’s Santa Claus, Mommy!” Sweeter sounds I swear I have never heard. It felt like rhapsody to my ears. My twins will be 3 this January and this is their first true “awareness” of Christmas. Everything has taken on a new and exciting glow…a magical wonderland of lights and tinsel and pretty “toys” on the tree to play with–Put that down! Don’t take that off the tree!—    

It is so easy to become jaded by Christmas, with the hustle and bustle of decorating, buying and wrapping presents, sending out Christmas cards, taking the “just right” holiday family picture…what I call the duties of Christmas. Most years I am so excited about Christmas (it truly is my favorite time of the year) that my heart overflows with joy, excitement, and anticipation for the entire month of December. But this year was different. I did not look forward in excited anticipation. Rather, I “bah humbugged” the “chores” I had to do to complete the myriad of holiday expectations—from decorating our yard to buying the “perfect” presents for everyone to buying the tree and then decorating it to dressing up for holiday parties. It all seemed like so much duty! Maybe it’s my age, maybe it’s because I’m so exhausted taking care of two toddlers every day on top of everything else that everything seems like a chore these days (can I get a witness!?).     

So, when I heard the sweet sounds of my two little angels heralding their first unjaded experience of this wondrous holiday that is about giving and sharing and showing your love for other people, and realized that they would get to experience for the very first time what I have been experiencing for so many years (never mind how many!), I thanked God silently in my heart. Their excitement in their cherub voices brought an indescribable joy to my ears, awakening me once again to the joy and excitement of this treasured holiday. Today my husband and I spent the day for the first time as a family, decorating the tree, hanging lights, laughing, and enjoying the sparkles in each others’ laughter and eyes. I have waited a long time to have a family of my own to share the joys of Christmas with and I had almost forgotten about this dream—until the voices of my very own two little angels reminded me. Happy Holidays!

Posted by Cheryl W (December 13, 2007)

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Living here in the Silicon Valley where it almost never snows, we can’t exactly step out the door and experience a winter wonderland. But with the chill of an overdue winter finally in the air, the twinkling lights of all those decked out houses finally feels just about right. I’d love for my twins to discover the joys of an old-fashioned winter. I want to watch their faces as their feet sink into the crunch of new fallen snow. I want them to behold the sight of sleighs lined up outside a cozy, snow-covered cabin. Cue the Bing Crosby tunes and let’s celebrate winter!

True, Silicon Valley is no stand-in for the wintry slopes of Lake Tahoe. No one gets all fuzzy with Norman Rockwell nostalgia when they head to Silicon Valley for the holidays. And while we can’t ice skate in the glow of The Tree at Rockefeller Center, we can teeter on ice skates in the shadow of palms at San Jose’s Downtown Ice, adjacent to Christmas in the Park. We may be in balmy Silicon Valley, but we can certainly sample a bit of wintertime fun.

So when Gemini Crickets POM of Silicon Valley announced plans for a family holiday party at the library come winter wonderland, I went all dizzy with excitement. After all, who doesn’t love a party? The Gemini Crickets Halloween party had been a rolicking success and with the same awesome event team planning the holiday party, I knew this was a must-attend event. The only catch was the start time of 3pm, smack in the middle of my kids’ naptime. My plan was to tire my kids out in the morning, put them to bed early, and hopefully have them wake up in good moods in time for the party. Of course, only part of my plan worked. My kids spent the morning running around and exhausting themselves (a good thing) and they went down for naps early (another good thing), but then they awoke in horrible moods (not a good thing). But several outfit changes (mom, kids) and mood swings (mom, dad, kids) later, we piled into the mini-van and headed to the party, our moods turning cheerful as I cranked the holiday tunes.

As we turned into the parking lot, a fellow twin mom called me on my cell phone. “The parking lot is full, ” she warned, “There doesn’t seem to be anywhere else to park.” Oh, my - what to tell the kids? We ended up parking across the street in a church parking lot and high-tailing it on foot across the crosswalk of a very busy street, a daunting trip, even in our bright Santa hats. But when we arrived at the room, it was magic. Silvery snowflakes danced overhead as if sprung from the panels of the snowy landscape that decorated the room. Children were happily frosting cookies, making snow globes and crafting ornaments. Sets of multiples in coordinated holiday garb spun about the room looking impossibly cute. Philanthropy donations of diapers and cans of formula piled up. Play group parents gabbed amongst themselves and planned their next play dates. The funky local children’s musician, Mr. David, rocked the room and got the crowd (and this mama) jumping. Meanwhile, a jolly old fellow dressed in red was busy memorizing lists. “Do you have cameras, Santa?” asked one of my boys. Santa looked bewildered. Didn’t he know about the cameras, the ones hidden all over our house to spy on my kids’ behavior, both naughty and nice? Santa nodded.

278 people had RSVP’d to this event but not all came at the same time and most didn’t stay for long. The room, while by no means large, didn’t feel overly crowded; it felt intimate and warm. Call me crazy, but I thought everyone seemed relaxed and happy. Even my cranky family had a great time. Sure, the only crunch beneath my feet came from stepped on goldfish crackers and the sleighs were really double strollers. Sure, we crooned with Mr. David rather than Bing Crosby. But it was fun, it was merry, it was festive and the air outside was cold. Amongst the friends in our community of multiples, this was truly the spirit of a winter wonderland.

Happy holidays to all families of multiples!

Posted by Akemi B (December 09, 2007)

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I don’t know about you but nursing my babies was not my forte. Now, I know it takes two to make this work (the baby and me) but still. One of us was only a few hours old! She certainly didn’t get much instruction and had to totally rely on instinct alone. Couple that with a new mother who had only read books and gone to traditional birthing classes and well, it’s no wonder I did not experience the legendary euphoria I’d heard so much about.

Latching on? Pumping? Football holds? Double nursing pillows? After reading what I could find on breastfeeding, I arrived at the conclusion that none of the potential issues I’d studied would make sense until I had baby (babies, in my case) in arms propped onto my breast. After all, wasn’t most of this instinct on the baby’s part?

My situation was an educational one. I had twin girls and while one’s instincts were spot on – her mouth searched, found and latched onto one nipple without hesitation – the other apparently decided to ignore Mother Nature’s impulses and couldn’t quite get that suction motion just right. It was a struggle every time it was time to feed…and that was a *lot* of times. So much for instinct.

Partly because I didn’t pump while in the hospital (didn’t realize I should), partly because I had two mouths to feed (milk production requirement was double that of a singleton – lots of pressure for a first time mom), partly because it was hard to get one to latch on to feed, partly because I was paranoid that both girls weren’t getting enough to eat, partly because I had to pump directly after every feeding session – nursing my babies was not a time of sweetness and rapture. I was tired. I was worried. So, why did I do it?

Well, there’s a ton of information out there as to why one should breastfeed and I realized that - like any book on pregnancy, raising children, sleep schedules and more – you have to choose what you believe makes sense and go with that. I believed that my girls needed to, at minimum, get those first few days of antibodies and nutrients. I believed that the longer I could breastfeed, the better it would be for the girls. I believed that a mother’s milk is better than formula in terms of nutrients and other good stuff. I believed that my mother/daughters bond would strengthen every time I held them so close as I fed them. I still believe all of that.

What I DID NOT believe is that nursing your children will make them smarter (couldn’t believe this came out of someone’s mouth). I did not believe that if I didn’t nurse them, they would eventually become the violent criminals in society we lock away (this was truly an amazing falsehood, too). I did not believe that my bond with my girls would not exist if I did not nurse them. I did not believe that I would be any less of a mother if I fed them formula.

And I still do not believe any of that. In fact, I learned that my own mother nursed me for all of two days. It hurt and she did not want to do it. And I love her very much. I don’t want to imagine a life without my mother around (or my girls’ grandmother). I did very well in school and went to a rather prestigious university. I have a beautiful, loving family. I have a fulfilling career. Who I am and what I’ve done had nothing to do with the fact that my mother did or did not breastfeed me as an infant.

So, if you happen to run into a misguided, fanatical breastfeeding zealot (and they do exist, surprisingly), ignore them. Do what feels right for you. If you love it, great. Do it. If it hurts or you’re too tired and can’t (or don’t want to) cope with the difficulties of breastfeeding, stop. Our babies’ happiness is deeply affected by our own – and that’s far more important to embarking on this new adventure called motherhood.

Posted by Linda D (December 7, 2007) Crossposted at Silicon Valley Moms Blog for Babes and Boobs: Breastfeeding Topic Day on Silicon Valley Moms Blog and its sister sites)

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I had two very different breastfeeding experiences. All three of my kids started out in the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), so none of them breastfeeding right after birth or even anytime in the first two weeks following birth. However, this does not determine the outcome, as I found out.

My first children were twins. They were born 9 weeks premature, at 31 weeks. The suck/swallow/breathe ability does not develop until 34 weeks gestation, so that was when we started feeding not via a tube. I would try to nurse and then also try to bottle feed. It was tough juggling the schedules of two babies in the NICU. The nurses want them on their determined schedule, but (as all Mommies know!) sometimes the schedule just doesn’t work out. Their schedule was 30 minutes apart, every 3 hours. So, first to one baby and then to the other. Oh, and then I would pump afterwards. And throughout the night at home, while they were bottle fed by the night NICU nurses. Exhausting. And then they came home! Anyway, it was truly amazing to see what happens to a baby who is nursing while hooked up to heart rate monitors and oxygen sensors. Especially with my son, everything would go perfect when he was nursing.

But…then we got home and my daughter was diagnosed with relflux. She loved to nurse, but wouldn’t actually get anything. She cried and cried. My son was addicted to that little plastic nipple shield and would become frantic without it. I hated that. I pumped and pumped and tried to nurse. My husband bottle fed on his shifts and pretty soon we drifted towards me mostly pumping and bottle feeding. At 6 months, I couldn’t take the pumping anymore and stopped. I felt immense guilt, but knew that it was best for my babies for me to be a happy mom, not a stressed out one.

My younger daughter was a surprise baby. We skipped the NICU tour at the hospital before she was born, because I did not have the preeclampsia that necessitated my very early twin delivery. She was born 10 days before her due date and everything was supposed to be fine. Minutes after birth, she started turning blue and was whisked away to the NICU for observation. Two days later, she was on extreme life support and was diagnosed with Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension in the Newborn (PPHN), a fairly rare illness that is extremely dangerous. She very nearly did not survive. Thankfully, she turned the corner on Mother’s Day, when she was 6 days old and made a full recovery, many scary weeks later. Although she was on full IV nutrition and did not ingest any type of milk until she was a few weeks old, she turned out to be a champion nurser. Maybe it was all she had been through…I don’t know. But her doctor at the Stanford NICU finally turned her loose to go home because she obviously ate very well while nursing and refused the bottles from the night NICU nurses. She nursed until she was 14 months old and would have gone longer if there had been more milk (my supply dropped dramatically once I instituted the Sleep Through the Night program at 10 months old - I really didn’t realize how much she was getting at night until then).

A really funny (funny weird, not funny ha-ha) thing was that, while I was always trying to increase my milk supply for the twins (taking Fenugeek and even some prescription medication as well, drinking tons of water, doing marathon pumping sessions, drinking Mother’s Milk tea), when I had my youngest baby and had to pump again since she was in the NICU, my body remembered pumping for twins and I had a HUGE supply. And it was actually a relief to me to be able to know how to do the pumping thing, which can be such a cause for stress when you have a very ill baby/babies in the NICU.

I am very proud of myself for pumping for 6 months for my twins and nursing for 14 months with my youngest. But when all is said and done, the thing I am most thankful for is that I have three very healthy and happy children, despite their rough start in this world.

Posted by Linsey K. (December 7, 2007) Crossposted at Silicon Valley Moms Blog for Babes and Boobs: Breastfeeding Topic Day on Silicon Valley Moms Blog and its sister sites)

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You know the kind of week I’m talking about…the kind of week where everything that can go wrong does go wrong. You can feel one of these weeks when it’s coming because… well… everything starts going wrong. That’s the kind of week I had this past week. Monday night my daughter came down with a really bad flu (which still has her in its grip like the cold front gripping the East and Midwest right now), Tuesday I started my period, Wednesday my son came down with the same flu, and by Thursday I had caught it. And, as if feeling sick, crampy, bloaty, and irritable wasn’t enough, along came the sleep deprivation that comes from caring for two flu-bitten toddlers who absolutely cannot sleep and for whom only “mommy” (or “mama,” depending on who is calling me at the moment) can ease their misery, even though Daddy tries valiantly to step up to the plate. And then of course there was no preschool, which meant no breaks for mom, which meant none of the deadlines that I needed to meet were met. Holiday visits with relatives and friends were cancelled, my husband and I had a fight (was it because of the current conditions in our home or because we’re both so romance starved that we needed an outlet and this was a convenient one? [Note to Self: Find some couple time!]).   

And, of course, the flu always brings its best bud/friend/compadre, Chaos, along for the ride, destroying any sense of order and stability in the home, no matter how much you’re trying to maintain your death grip on it. Try as I might I could not hold everything together (and I’m a pretty strong gal!). “Chaos” and “Flu” got the best of me. The household routine I try so hard to adhere to because it helps me remember what comes next in our busy days as parents of twins (and keeps me sane), along with the daily schedules I rely on to keep everything running smoothly (and show my kids [or is it myself?] that I really do know what I’m doing), were blown to smithereens as everyone snatched sleep whenever and wherever they could (I have never slept in so many different places in the course of one week as I did last week!), meals have been reduced to “whatever everyone will eat” and popsicles and ice cream have been used not so much to soothe sore throats as to calm the inevitable “I feel lousy” tempers. The TV time usually allotted was expanded from 2 hours a day to “anytime it will keep the peace.” Oh, and did I mention that our house, which just last week had at least a modicum of neatness and organization, is now in complete disarray?   

Every mother knows the kind of week I’m talking about because every mother has had her own intimate experience with one of these weeks at one time or another. It’s the kind of week you dread and once it’s gone you shudder and hope that it will be a long, long time before you ever see another week like that one again. One thing I have learned is that although these weeks may come crashing into our family “den” unannounced, like our own private Katrina, they also pass on through in about… oh, say….a week! And so, I look forward to next week when everything will be back to normal—we’ll get back to our normal schedules, eat healthier, watch less TV, and forget that this week ever happened. At least until the next stormy week blows in.  :-)  Oh, and just in case my story hasn’t convinced you and your family to get your flu shots, here’s a link to a recent blog post in the Silicon Valley Moms Blog giving you even more reasons to get your flu shots this year. Posted by Cheryl W   (December 05, 2007)

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 Extra! Extra! Read all about it!Today, we are very excited to announce that Gemini Crickets has a brand new logo and website.

THE NEW LOGO:

It’s a boy! It’s a girl! It’s boy/girl crickets - twins! We are pleased to announce that our much desired new logo has finally arrived. Several months in the making after dozens of wardrobe changes and one eyelash lengthening treatment later, they are here, dressed adorably and on their best behavior to meet the club. Gracing our brand new logo, may we present the new and improved Gemini Crickets crickets. Feel free to coo!

About the Designer:

Thanks to designer and club member, JJ Barber from Scarlet Dolphin Designs, Gemini Cricket has a fabulous new logo. JJ created crickets that are similar but with different clothing to show that multiples have unique identities. They are looking at each other and smiling because multiples are always each other’s best friends, and finally, their antenna are intertwined to represent the twin or multiple connection or bond that started in the womb. It’s not easy to render a cricket cute so kudos to JJ Barber for accomplishing this task.

JJ Barber does great design work and has designed many an item in the past, including t-shirts and ads for AVAC Swim School, fun stuff for twins or about twins. She also does photography, greeting cards, photography, websites and more! Thank you, JJ - we love our new logo!

About the old logo:

It was a tired old black and white GIF file. Without the original illustrator file, we weren’t able to effectively create design elements around it. So it was high time for a logo makeover. The new logo has color and punch, and a dash of cuteness, lending a fresher, more modern visual appeal to our club. We added the tagline “of Silicon Valley” (part of our official club name) to better help the public identify our club geographically, and to set us apart from other clubs in the area. We wanted the logo to be simple, yet memorable so we went with clean lines and minimal detail.

Why boy/girl multiples?

The logo is meant to be a visual representation of the organization, not a literal translation of the types of multiples in the club, of which there are many. Many! Initially, we tried to keep the crickets looking unisex, but they kept looking slightly more like boys. Additionally, our club’s name is derived from two words: Gemini (meaning twins) and Crickets (from the Disney character Jimini Crickets, a play on words), so the name inherently gives off more of a twin vibe, even though we are a multiples (twins or more) club.

Coming soon:

Look for club member and graphic designer Carla Razura to splash the new logo onto t-shirts, posters, fliers and more. We hope you’ll like what you see!

THE NEW WEBSITE:

There is a brand new look on the website, including a cute new banner designed by Carla Razura from using the new Gemini Crickets crickets designed by JJ. The website structure has been completely redesigned. Geminicrickets.org is now a purely public-facing website and all of our members-only information will be managed through Big Tent. We hope this new website will attract new members by giving them a great feel for our club and allowing them to find events and information very easily. New members are also easily able to join the club and Big Tent right on the website. There is also a new portion of the website which is a club blog. This adds a little personality to our website and should be a fun endeavor. 

Thanks to the great team who worked hard to make this all happen!  

Posted by Linsey K (Decemberr 03, 2007)

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The Gemini Crickets Official Club Blog has moved to: http://gcblog.typepad.com/gemini_crickets_club_blog/

Please visit us in our new home for the latest posts. See you there!

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I love a parade - the whistles as the leader strikes up the band, the tramping feet of the high school drill team, the colorful floats with festive holiday themes, and the crowds! Oh, the crowds lining the streets smiling and waving as the parade marches by – the scene is crazy…and spectacular!

For the first time, Gemini Crickets participated in the annual Los Gatos Children’s Christmas and Holiday Parade (the 51st!) and I’m sure it won’t be the last. Over 15 families of multiples marched along Santa Cruz Avenue in downtown Los Gatos. Strollers, tricycles and wagons adorned with garlands, holiday paper and ornaments were perfect props for the precious twins dressed in festive seasonal attire or Gemini Crickets Mini Member t-shirts. Babies as young as 4 months to preschool-age kids meandered along the parade route smiling and waving to the small town crowd.

Fun and exhausting, we’re all looking forward to doing it again next year. Happy Holidays!

Posted by Linda D (December 02, 2007)