SAN MARCOS
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They finish each other's sentences. They have the same smile and twinkle in their eyes. When one gets sick, the other is likely to feel under the weather, as well.
CHARLIE NEUMAN / Union-Tribune
PTO member Jenny Stanfield took a picture of Hali (left) and Hana Warren. Stanfield was taking pictures of the school's 17 sets of twins for the yearbook.
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If there are things that set them apart, 7-year-old identical twins Kayla and Melissa Boone are not likely to share them with their schoolmates at San Elijo Elementary School in San Marcos.
“We play tricks on our friends,” Kayla said.
Or was it Melissa?
Although the two might turn heads elsewhere, seeing double is not unusual at San Elijo Elementary. There are 17 sets of twins among the 937 students on campus.
The number, 3.6 percent of the student population, is not high enough for the school to be listed in “Guinness World Records.”
“I was a little disappointed,” said Nolan Schiffer, a San Elijo parent who contacted Guinness in October.
The number of twins at San Elijo would have been highly unusual once. In 1970, twins occurred in about 1 in 60 births. Since then the percentage has nearly doubled, in part because of fertility drugs. Today, about 1 in 35 U.S. births results in twins, or about 2.9 percent.
“Under 5 percent is not out of the norm,” said Craig Sanders, co-founder of twinstuff.com, a Web site for twins of all ages. “I would say 7 to 10 percent is much more significant.”
On a recent sunny morning, a group of San Elijo parents gathered on campus to talk about the joys and challenges of raising twins.
Schiffer said life had changed dramatically since the arrival of his 7-year-old twins, Sarah and Cate. There are ballet classes, Irish dance lessons, and harp and guitar instruction.
“They are very competitive. They vie for attention constantly,” Schiffer said. “My wife and I don't get to sit down until 10:30.”
Although the twins share traits, they have distinct personalities, he said.
“Sarah is more serious and meticulous,” Schiffer said. “Cate is very verbose. It amazes me that she stays quiet in school.”
San Elijo Principal Lynda McDonnell said she had her share of multiples in the classroom when she was a teacher. She said she made a point of seating them at separate tables and recognizing them for individual achievements. She became adept at telling twins apart and understanding their personalities.
“They have their own body language; they are individuals,” McDonnell said. “We notice their gestures and sense of humor.”
Although most twins probably will be in the same class in the early school years, McDonnell recommends different classrooms when they get older.
“It's giving them their own space and giving them the opportunity to rely on classmates instead of just the sibling,” McDonnell said. “They will have different experiences to share at the the end of the day.”
When it was time to enroll her 5-year-old twins in kindergarten, Cristiana Carbonero chose to place them in different classrooms. The decision was spurred by their personalities, Carbonero said. Gabriella is outgoing, while Sebastian is shy.
The results have been encouraging, Carbonero said.
“Sebastian has made his own friends. He is developing his personality,” she said.
Carbonero was surprised when she learned she was pregnant with twins.
“I thought the nurse was joking around when she said she heard two heartbeats,” she said.
Because the household grew from two to four in one swoop, life has changed for Carbonero and her husband.
“It's always interesting – very, very busy,” Carbonero said. “They are constantly interrupting. They want to talk first. They bicker and fight. But when they are apart, they miss each other.”
Although McKenzie Birk and her twin brother, Grady, 7, are in the same classroom, they have different friends.
“But they are aware of each other; they know what the other is doing,” said their mother, Danielle Birk. “They have this sense of security with having each other.”
Kindergartners Santino and Giana Pizzo said they love to play together at home and at school.
“We play hide and seek and Simon Says,” Santino said.
Their mother, Amy Pizzo, said having twins means not having to worry about keeping her children entertained.
“They are both independent and hold their own pretty well,” Pizzo said. “They play well with each other. I never have to worry about setting up play dates.”
The families of the San Elijo twins have not had a chance to form a group.
“I guess we are too busy with our twins,” Pizzo said.
Triveni Sheshadri: (760) 752-6757; triveni.sheshadri@tlnews.net
