Latest / Twin Mom Life / From Sunday Scaries to Sunday Reset, Managing School-Aged Kids & Teenage Twins with Natasha D'Anna

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From Sunday Scaries to Sunday Reset, Managing School-Aged Kids & Teenage Twins with Natasha D'Anna · Twin Mom Life

• Natasha D'Anna: Maybe everyone has it all figured out, but I don't have it all figured out all the time. I needed like some kind of disciplinary practice. And the one thing that I do look forward to is a Sunday reset. I call it Sunday reset because when I was younger I had like Sunday scaries all the time. Jessielee Sittig: Hello and welcome to the Twin Mom Life podcast. I'm your host, Jess. I created this podcast to help build community, connection, and most importantly, friendships among moms of multiples. Being a twin mom can be amazing and magical. That twin bond is unlike anything I've ever witnessed, but it can also be isolating and overwhelming. I'll be chatting with other twin moms, diving deep into the twin experience. giving advice on what works for us so you don't have to learn the hard way. Juggling two babies at the same time is challenging, but I'm confident we can learn from each other and figure out how to raise these babies together. Jess Sittig: welcome to the podcast. How are you? Natasha D'Anna: I'm good. So good to see you, Jesse. It's been a long time. Jess Sittig: Yes, you too. know it's gone by so fast. So today we have Natasha and we met at the Mom 2.0 conference. And I just have to tell you, you were like the s one of the sweetest people that I talked to at the conference. I was very intimidated. I'm newer to this space. My podcast is six months old. Like I I'm a newbie. So you were so, I mean, everyone was so welcoming, but I feel like it really stuck out to me how much you were like, I just have like this nurturing soul. And I really appreciated all of our conversations. Natasha D'Anna: That Jesse. I love that I I made you feel that way because I could imagine. I mean, we've all walked into rooms before and we're like, we know no one, we don't know what this is about, we don't know what it will lead to, but we hope it's good, right? So I love Jess Sittig: Yes. Natasha D'Anna: that I was like a good part of the experience, and I loved meeting you, and I loved how you were not at all obvious, intimidated by anyone. You were just super friendly and welcoming as well, right? And I felt like you knew like your people. Like you're like, this is my community space. The energy is here. I'll talk to this one. I'll talk to that one. And it was so beautiful. It really was. Jess Sittig: That conference had amazing energy. I mean, I've been to several conferences work related in previous careers, but I've never been to a conference where it was literally just moms in that parenting space. And it was very refreshing. And when I first saw you, you were on a panel. I think there were five moms, and the majority were Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: twin moms. I was like, what is happening? There were so many twin moms at this conference. It was unreal and super exciting because I Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: going into it, I didn't know who was going to be there or if, you know, twin moms are typically not the majority. So when there were three out of the five moms on that panel, I was like blown away. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, we were like, we're ready to go. Like we needed this. We need to connect with other moms. We need to I guess like reset ourselves. And it was it was perfect. It really was so good. Jess Sittig: Yeah. That was so fun. Well, I know that you have been so busy traveling and doing all this stuff. And I just want to know, I try to ask every mom before we dive into everything, have you filled your cup lately? Like what have you done today to fill your own cup? Natasha D'Anna: Have I filled my own cup? I actually have. I I feel like though I've been busy, I I worked up to it. Like I feel like at the end of the year, I say, the school year, it's everyone's throwing everything in and June is packed and it's like put your helmet on, get ready. Well, today I have the hat on. And funny enough, it's a super girl hat. Jess Sittig: You look so cute. I love it. You look so cute. Natasha D'Anna: So it's just, you know, I I was kind of prepping and thankfully helped, you know, the worst thing that could happen when you have a busy schedule is you get sick or something with a cold. But everything's been fine and I was ready to go. And knowing that I can get all the things checked off the way I, you know, expected to, it fills my cup up enough. The kids are happily ending the school year. And I honestly, I'm happy when everyone else is happy, but I do make sure that I have some, you know, moments for myself in there. So yes, I have I have been filling up my cup. I actually had a great dinner yesterday. It was work-related, but it was a good cup filler because you know it's exciting and things that I'm interested in. So yes, I have. Jess Sittig: That's so key. I mean, like the conference that we were just talking about, I cannot believe how much that filled my cup. sometimes those work Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: things, even if they are work related, can be the biggest cup fillers. So Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Especially if you're doing the work that you love. That's all that matters, right? Because Jess Sittig: I love that. Yeah. Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: as so many people say, they're like in their nineties and they're still working and it's like, well, is it really work? Right? Because that's where they found the happy joy and balance. So it it is good to have that cup filler also be work sometimes. Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. I I think the passion is what makes everything more fun and why I loved the conference because everyone I talked to, like you could feel the passion when they talked about whatever their business or project was. It was just, yeah, like I love that. When you find something that you're passionate about, it doesn't feel like work. Natasha D'Anna: Absolutely. I believe in that. As I've continued on my work journey, you know, through adulthood, that's what it comes up to at the end of the day. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. Well, on that note, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your family? Natasha D'Anna: So I am a New York City native mom. I still live in New York. I love that you live in Austin. I I actually enjoyed your city. It was very nice my first time there. and I look forward to coming back. so I am at Twin Delicious In Co. It's a company I created, and I started it because I wanted to share, I don't know, the journey of like being a a the twin and the connection of motherhood and how we can make a happy home with the happy loud chaos rather than the, you know, combative chaos that could happen between siblings. And I started this all with a children's book. I guess receiving opinions from other people not to dress them up alike, let them have their own personality. Jess Sittig: Mm. Natasha D'Anna: I just felt like, you know, th this is a unique situation. I was born as a single like a singleton, right? Now knowing that term. Jess Sittig: Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: I didn't have a twin connection, you know, I didn't have a sibling that I was born with. So why are we disconnecting them before we allow them to connect? We have the their Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Natasha D'Anna: whole lives to have the world do something like that. And my home, I felt it was better to have them connected. I love learning through books and I couldn't find many books about twins to tell them the story or read to them. So I just, you know, imagine a story of what they would be like school age. And I created any two can be twin delicious. And it's a story based on twin daughters, twin girls, who face a bit of a challenge because they're so much alike and they love to do things alike and they have to show their differences in this story. It's an amazing book. Fast forward I want to tell you this because I joke now that I create stories that come to life. So my daughters were two and a half, three when I wrote that book, published 2013. And they were in second grade, eight years old, and seven or eight. And they have peanut allergies. So one of them she comes home and she tells me, you know, she's so upset. Mom Abigail told me that she was gonna put peanuts in my lunch, and I was so upset, and and I'm like, my gosh, that's that's horrible. Like she knows that you're allergic, right? And She's telling me this, I think about it, I'm like, Abigail. So the little girl in the book who challenged them, her name was Abigail. And I give her the book and I say, here you go, you're going to take this to school and give it to Abigail because you guys will be best friends. Like, that's it. This is official. Can you imagine? to the to the name. To the name and probably the age. Jess Sittig: That's wild. That's so wild. You're like, I was foreshadowing. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: That's so crazy. Well, I the reason I love the book so much is it is, I feel like there are some board books on finding out you're pregnant with twins and twin infants and what that means, which is great. That that is needed. what there isn't a lot of is books about older twins. And I feel like in the media, my husband and I talked about this recently because we were watching a movie and come Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: to find out one of the Twins, they're like adult men. he has an evil twin brother. And I'm like, why is everything in the media like twins are evil? I don't like that. Like Natasha D'Anna: Ye yeah. Jess Sittig: as twins get older, it has that kind of negative aspect. So I love Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: that this is about older twin girls. And I yeah, I just love that because I feel like that doesn't really exist in the twin space. It's very rare to find a book about twins who are a little bit older and not babies. So Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, yeah. It's like l board books are wonderful learners, but I feel like let's tell a little bit of a Jess Sittig: Yes, absolutely. Natasha D'Anna: story. Yeah. Let's tell a little bit of a story. And I continue to like every book that I make it has like a sibling kind of match or the story is related to a sibling bond, I think it's super important. Will these characters grow? Yes, they will grow and their stories will change, but you know it it's good that you're absolutely right, Jesse. Let's nurture that sibling bond because in life there's so many opportunities to disconnect it. So that's my mission. Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Absolutely. And I think that's so huge. So there is someone on Instagram. Courtney Brinson. She is a twin raising twins. And she has very interesting perspectives coming from a twin. And she she was talking recently about like you don't need to force separation. Like if if they want to be together, keep them together. You don't need to force separation. You need to honor the twin bond and sure that individuality. But if they want to be together then why force it? Like my boys Natasha D'Anna: Why? Yeah. Jess Sittig: are starting preschool in September and they're going to the same preschool that my daughter went to. And when she left that school, they're like, are your boys coming? I'm like, yeah, I think so. And they're like, okay, well I want to let you know that our policy on twins is that we just separate them. And I was like, why? Like why is that Is that a hard and fast rule? That seems like maybe that should be family-based if a mom or a family wants to separate them. Fine. Yes, yes. Okay. Well, Natasha D'Anna: We did have this conversation. We did. Yeah. Jess Sittig: did I tell you that they ended up? I sent them some research and said, hey, there actually is some research benefits of keeping twins together. Could you just take a look at it? And if no, then no problem, we'll find somewhere else. But we've loved your program. But I personally feel a strong I want to keep my twins together, especially they're three years old. And they said yes. Natasha D'Anna: I love that. I love that. Jess Sittig: So I just I I'm glad that I I said it so kindly. Like if you wanna, you know, take a look at the research, here it is. If not, I love your program, but it's not for us. And I was me too. Yeah, it was Natasha D'Anna: I love that they were open to do that. And I love that you did that. Yes. I as a parent advocating for herself and her children. I I love that. Jess Sittig: It was really cool. So I just feel excited that and I'm just like laughing. Like I'm not, you know, I have common sense. If they are fighting and causing disruptions or whatever, then we will separate them if we need to. But we've never had that issue. So I'm just like praying, like please let it be a good experience for everybody so that they, Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: you know. feel like they changed this rule and it was a positive experience and not a negative experience. So fingers crossed that starts in September. Natasha D'Anna: praying for that too because yes there should be open of room for change and it should be an option. I I I Jess Sittig: Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: I will think about you the whole next school year now. I'm gonna check it. Jess Sittig: Mm. Natasha D'Anna: How are the boys doing? Should I send books to the school? Jess Sittig: Thank you. Well, and the cool thing Natasha D'Anna: Hey. Jess Sittig: is, so my daughter just finished kindergarten And I asked the principal, like, hey, what's your policy on multiples for like the school district? And she was like, do you have twins? And I'm like, I do. And she is a twin, which I just thought was a fun connection. And they Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: have a family by family policy. So I'm like, great. That's how I think that's how it should be. So okay, so Natasha D'Anna: I love that. Okay. Yeah. Jess Sittig: what have you done with your girls? Natasha D'Anna: So they were together until third grade, and then maybe before COVID, like I'm trying to think of the timing, then they separated because they were going to start floating anyway. and to be honest, one of my daughters, baby A, she would not participate until March. It was like everyone paid attention. She would not participate until March. So she needed a little more time to warm up. Did I ever follow up and say, well, okay, what was the timing afterwards in her participating? I think it's just her personality. But for them, they had their opinion was let's try it and see what happens. And they were fun. this is the thing I feel like with twins. If they have the bond, or at least if you nurture the bond in the beginning, then they will just like two best friends. They will probably like the same things. They will probably have the same taste in clothing and friends and have the same instincts on who you know is a kind person and who isn't, like who they'd like to hang around and who they wouldn't. So it turns out they end up choosing the same friends and it's a happy medium anyway. I'm like, okay, I don't have to learn a new group group of friends, a new group of parents. Like it just works out. So it's been pretty consistent in them having the same, you know. likeness and things and there's differences, but as far as like that whole separation and having two different crazy things happening, no. we're at the point of you know that will happen because now we have lacrosse, we have flag football, we have who wants to you know do this extracurricular activity and who so then you become the octa the the literal octopus mom. But yeah. Jess Sittig: I gotta tell you, I'm like a little bit nervous for that phase. So I feel like every phase of parenting is hard in just different ways, different seasons, right? And I have Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: some friends with kids. So the boys aren't in any kind of like extracurricular yet. My daughter is, she's in gymnastics. But you know, our schedule, like that's only one thing a week. It's fairly minimal. But when Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: everyone's in something, I am a little bit nervous for that crazy schedule, especially Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: if. I mean, hopefully the boys like the same sport or music or whatever, but if they don't, then I want to nurture that difference. And I'm scared about the schedule. Like, Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: how are you balancing taking everyone to every practice and game and yeah, what Natasha D'Anna: It's funny because I think when we started getting really serious about it, my husband stepped in happily. Like I've always managed school and like the activities and things that go on with school and then we have our own work schedules and my husband had the the freedom to do whatever he wants. And it's like if needed, I need you to show up for this school activity because I have this one going on here. Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Natasha D'Anna: but now that everyone's like seriously in sports and extracurricular, he's he's on board and he's like, all right, I'll take over that group chat and this for this group chat. And it's it's just the sports he's interested anyway, right? So so that has helped. That has helped a lot. Yeah. We tag team. Jess Sittig: That's great though. Yeah. Teamwork. Yes, exactly. Teamwork. Mm-hmm. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, teamwork. You need a team, exactly. And if you don't have a spouse or a partner, then I definitely recommend joining community with other parents because, you know, we all need help sometimes. And, you know, you have your own children and then you have other children that are not yours because that's what happens eventually. Jess Sittig: Yes, absolutely. Well, I love that. So my husband does jujitsu and it is like his dream that the boys will do jujitsu. So I'm like, well, that will then that will be your thing. You can take them to jujitsu practice. we're still a bit away from that, but that's how it's gonna have to work. You do. Natasha D'Anna: I love jujitsu. I love jujitsu. I did I did jujitsu from six to twelve years old. Yeah. Jess Sittig: my gosh, that's incredible. I'm I'm scared because sometimes he will come home and it is so funny. He literally had like a minor black eye. It wasn't anything crazy, but like normally someone would be like, my gosh, how'd you get a black eye? And I'm like, babe, you got a black eye. Like just so calmly. Like it's Natasha D'Anna: It's like normal. Yeah. Jess Sittig: normal. And I I'm a little bit afraid of that. I'm like, I love it for women for self defense and like the discipline, but I'm a little bit Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Like, I guess I'm being vain. I don't wanna have bruises or a black eye. So Natasha D'Anna: That's how I feel about football for my son. Ugh. But then Jess Sittig: Yeah. Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: once again, I I this is what happens with my writing. I wrote a children's book, I am that kid, and it included football. And my son is like, when's the season starting next? Like when's the next season? He's like ready. I'm like, I'm scared. I'm scared. Jess Sittig: I'm especially like being in Texas, I feel like they are serious about football. And I'm scared. we have such a long ways to go before we reach that. But I feel like out of any sport, I can of course every sport has different risks involved. But football Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Yeah. Anything can happen. Jess Sittig: specifically, I'm like, I'm scared of that. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: Crazy. Scared. Jess Sittig: I Natasha D'Anna: There isn't enough gear in the world. Jess Sittig: Absolutely feel you on that. Yes. Yes. Okay, do you want to know a fun fact about me? Natasha D'Anna: Yes. Jess Sittig: Okay, I cheered my whole life. I've always done like cheer and gymnastics. And then in college, I took a break from that. In all honesty, I tried out for the college team and I didn't make it. So I felt a little rebellious. And my college roommate played rugby. So I played one year of college rugby. Natasha D'Anna: Whoop, that's serious. College level rugby. Like as a newbie going in, you went in college level? Jess Sittig: I mean I wasn't good. I I wasn't good at all, but I tried. I tried it and I that was the first sport that I ever played with the ball. Natasha D'Anna: I love that. You challenged yourself, seriously. I love that. You did. Aww. Jess Sittig: I did. And I I did. I had a lot of injuries that year. That's like football without the helmet and pads. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, no, it's crazy. That in lacrosse scares Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. I would never do that again. Natasha D'Anna: me a little bit, but I'm like, okay. Jess Sittig: Okay, so is is one of your daughters in lacrosse? Cause you were saying like lacrosse practice. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, she is. And and I I I don't understand how you're holding this, getting a ball, kicking and all running at the same time. Jess Sittig: I don't know. I, I mean, like I said, I have played only one year of rugby. That is the only sport my whole life I played with the ball. I don't know anything about lacrosse. I the other day my Natasha D'Anna: my goodness. Jess Sittig: daughter, so my daughter's doing gymnastics, which is like a safe space for me. But I'm like, Natasha D'Anna: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: anything you want to do, if you want to do softball, soccer, I will learn. I will figure it out. And the other day she saw someone like playing softball with her dad. Like they were just throwing the ball, pitching and whatnot. And she was like, What's that? I wanna play that. And I'm like, okay, trying to figure out how do you play softball? Natasha D'Anna: Ha ha ha. Jess Sittig: boy. Natasha D'Anna: I I love our Google and AI friends, right? Jess Sittig: I man, I feel like kids are so curious and I always want to encourage that curiosity. But sometimes I'm Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: like, I feel like I'm smart and there's a lot Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: of questions they ask that I do not know. Natasha D'Anna: Ha ha ha. Jess Sittig: Just like we're gonna have to, we're gonna have to look that up together. So okay, so how yes, I'm I Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. We need an additional resource. Go ahead. Jess Sittig: I know, I need like a phone friend. Yeah, absolutely. Okay, so how old are your twin girls now? I know they're they're teens, but I'm not sure exactly the age. Natasha D'Anna: twins are 15 now. And yeah, Jess Sittig: my gosh. Natasha D'Anna: my son is nine. So there's a bit of an age gap, but they're such good big sisters from the beginning. and we're at the stage where I still have to listen to two stories at once and sometimes the story twice. But it's so good because they Communicate well. So so that's what I appreciate. I'm like, okay, every stage is different, but I feel like I I've told myself from the beginning, you were once a child, you were once a baby, you were once a teenager, and you're a mom for the first time only, you know, when you become a mom. So give yourself grace, and it's all normal if we can get through every stage, even when there's crying involved. Jess Sittig: I yes. Well, it's so true. I mean, the first thing I was thinking when you said that that, you know, they're telling you two different stories. I'm just thinking it is so good that they want to come and talk to you. Because I feel like Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: that's when that age starts to get hard. I feel like I thought I knew everything in high school. And my mom and I are still very close and I'm so thankful. But I feel like maybe in high school was when we bumped heads the most. And Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: so I just think that. It is special to like be able to communicate through, you know, high school's hard, I just remember Natasha D'Anna: Yeah it's Jess Sittig: thinking back like you you want to be independent, you think you know everything, you don't, you're dealing with like friendship challenges and yeah, it's just a lot. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, all of those things happen. And I d I'm pretty sure, as everyone says who, you know, seasoned parents, the d dynamic is different between the boys and the girls when you start to hit the different stages. But yes, the girl thing happens with friendships. I think it can be a a different they handle it maybe different than the boys. I I I even like no, my son, he'll have like a hard time with someone and I don't find out until I notice, you haven't played with this one in a while. And he's like, Yeah, we don't talk Jess Sittig: Mm. Mm-hmm. Natasha D'Anna: that much. And I'm like, but if it was my daughter, I would know immediately. Like, this is what happened. And Jess Sittig: Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: she said this this way. And then she, you know, didn't share this. So I she wanted this. And I'm like, you know, it's completely different in how they experience things. but I think and I I don't want to foresee it for it to happen this way, but they're still at the age where I am the Uber driver. So I have to know a lot of things. Jess Sittig: Sure. Natasha D'Anna: but they will take public transportation. I've allowed that. You know, we live in New York City, so it it's accessible as long as they're safe. They have, you know, mobile devices and phones. I can contact them and see where they're going. But driving has been a topic of conversation as they see the seniors in school like drive to school and my friend is driving and she's a senior. Can I go with her? And I'm like, absolutely not. She's a new driver. Like, no. So I think that's where a little bit of disconnect may happen, but I hope we like stay looped in, you know, you know, as well as we can. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Sure. Yeah. Well, when you said 15, that's what I was thinking. I was like, man, driving is around the corner. And that is something. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: I mean, I'm so my my oldest is six. So we have a long time to like process that. But I'm scared. Are you scared? How are how are you doing? Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. So bad. I don't I don't know. Like I it's so weird because I feel like it's so funny because I I never talk about this, but I feel like there's certain things that I've imagined in my head, like the boys, like you know, and and will they be interested in the opposite sex? So we've covered that. We know that you know the posters are up. I guess you know that's grounds to say that's their interest, right? and that's all normal, right? We all did that. And this is a little bit harder for me to think about than anything else. Because I think those are life and relationships. And I think like driving is just something completely out of our hands. It's like almost like the first day of school when they go for pre-K or kindergarten or daycare, however, when it's time to, you know, send them off. It's almost the same thing. It's like you're by yourself, like in a world of strangers, you know? And this, Jess Sittig: Yeah, yeah. Natasha D'Anna: yeah. I'm kind of I'm I'm approaching it that way. I have to stop. I have to stop because willing, you know, someone's watching them from above and they'll be safe and it'll be fun and they'll be wonderful, professional and, you know, careful. Jess Sittig: Yes. Well, and I think that's I asked my mom this. I was like, cause my daughter just finished kindergarten. I was a wreck for like the first two weeks and she had been in childcare before. I don't know. Like it wasn't like, my gosh, she's been home with me nonstop for six years. Like she had gone to a preschool. It wasn't like a full five day week, but it was three days a week. Like we had done this. So I don't know why I was so emotional about it. I think it was. Her being alone, the lack of communication, like from preschool. my gosh, this is what she ate today. This is when she went to the bathroom. Here's eight pictures from today, where you go Natasha D'Anna: Mm hmm, mhm. Yeah. Jess Sittig: to a more normal school, like not just preschool, but you go into the public school system. And then you those updates are like, you Natasha D'Anna: Done. Jess Sittig: vi you're not getting anything like that. So I think that was. Something that I had to process. And then I asked my mom, I was like, obviously I'm far from this, but like, how did you let me move out? How did you let me go to college? How did how did you let me do that? And she was like, I Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: just had to trust that I had put the work in and I trusted you. And I had to like let you go a little bit. And I think that is Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: probably the hardest thing to do as moms because we just so fiercely want to protect our babies. So Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: I guess it's knowing like Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: you put the work in and there Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: that you trust them. And I I think the hardest thing, like you said, Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: with being in the world and with driving is other people. Like Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: are other people what are they doing? You can't control those people. Mm-hmm. Natasha D'Anna: Okay. You can only, like your mom said, and I love that you took the conversation and the question to her because I it's all community-based, like with within your family, like reaching out to other people and asking them, I think it helps a lot. Like we have our own instincts, but going to someone who's been through it, it really does matter, which I love that we're having this conversation because hopefully it reaches someone else who needs to hear it. But it's it's the thought. Like you did the work, you laid down the groundwork, you hope, and and hopefully. Everything works out. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Yeah, you gotta let fly a little, which is it just Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Well done for your life, I know. Jess Sittig: Well, and I think this is a great scenario where technology is so helpful that you can Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: call them and check on them. You can see you can track their location. You know, I had a cell phone when I was 16 so that I could call my parents if I got a flat tire or whatever. But there wasn't like tracking location back then. I didn't even have Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jess Sittig: like a GPS. I had a flip phone. Like I didn't have GPS on my phone or in my car. So I think all the time I'm like, how did I? They I like no, like my my daughter doesn't have a phone yet, but we have an air tag. You know, Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: so I like being able, which maybe I don't know if that sounds creepy, but that that's what we do. And I like being able to see her location and it just gives you like a little bit of that like control back where you can kind of breathe, like, okay, and you can feel Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: calm about that and knowing that they're safe and that if you haven't heard Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: from them that you can I got too excited, I just knocked my microphone off. Natasha D'Anna: That's the truth. Jess Sittig: Woo. but I I do think that technology and having like the trackers and things like that are so helpful, especially something like this, like driving and and being a new driver, I think is so important. So hopefully Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: that gives you a little bit of like peace of mind. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, no, absolutely. Absolutely. Jess Sittig: Okay, so your girls are 15. I would love to know, you know, my boys are three. So what do you Natasha D'Anna: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: think has been the hardest age for you and maybe like the most fun? Or your I don't know if you could pick a favorite age, but maybe like the age that you've Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: enjoyed the most? Natasha D'Anna: So when you say three, my vision, my goodness, I just it just hit me, the vision of when they were three years old. their birthdays are December thirty first. So they went to school when they were three. They went to pre K because they were turning four. Yeah, that December. So they spent the first beginning of the school year as three-year-olds. And I remember the first week of them coming home. I did I take a picture of it? I may have a picture of her, but I have that vision. You just sent me right to that vision. My daughter was sleeping at the foot of my bed. I have a bench, and she was sleeping on the bench flat, like Like this, head down on the bench, and her little shoes were in front of her. Like she took her shoes off, put them on, like so neatly, and lay down. Like she had the hardest day ever. Jess Sittig: Like I'm out Natasha D'Anna: And then her sister, yeah, and her sister's in her room sleeping. I'm Jess Sittig: Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: like, wow, they came home and like found anywhere to sleep because they had the longest week. And I'm like, my goodness. But Jess Sittig: That was exhausting. Natasha D'Anna: yeah, I I That was a really good age. You you're right. the three, the five, maybe mm having my son and like watching them interact Jess Sittig: Mm. Natasha D'Anna: with him. That was fun. every stage, like I I like even now as they're getting older, I'm thinking I remember their middle school graduation. That was like exciting because I they were excited. They were excited for something new and they were, you know, becoming like little young ladies and and no getting ready to like make high school decisions and classes and getting excited about being more responsible. So yeah, every stage and age has been good. But I am a baby lover. Like I love the I love the baby stage. It's like give me a baby from one to as long as the knuckles are like fat still. So when when does that go away? Six, seven? I'm like obsessed. No, literally, like I I remember looking at my son's hand like recently saying, my gosh, like you don't have the baby wrinkles, like the fat in your knuckles anymore. It's like, my goodness. Jess Sittig: That is so sweet. I can at like a thousand percent picture what you're talking about. That's and it does like their little bodies change so much. And something about so they Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: just turned three on June 15th. And Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: something about that transition from two to three, it just feels like they'll always be my little babies. But it just feels Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: like they're less baby-ish and they're they're obviously still toddlers, but they're like l little boys. Like Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: We are we're done potty training. So they wear like little underwear now. And I'm like it it's Natasha D'Anna: Wow, I love that. Jess Sittig: well, I say that we're maybe I should say we're we're working on finishing potty training because before this podcast recording, my baby A did poop his pants. So Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: we haven't had any accidents with P in like two weeks, but it's the poop where, you know, I think that's just harder. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. And you know what? Sometimes it goes a little longer. There's accidents. You Jess Sittig: Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: have to pad the bed. Right? So it's like Jess Sittig: Yes. Yes. Yeah. Well, they do have to be potty trained by September. So I'm like, okay, we have time Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: still, but we gotta we gotta get that poop in the potty. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. I honestly I remember one of the girls never pooped in school. It was like, yeah. Jess Sittig: Just wait until she got home. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Yeah. Scheduled. I'm like, all right, I don't some people can do it, but you know, it happens every day, Jess Sittig: I do get that. And like Natasha D'Anna: just never at school. Jess Sittig: yes. Well it's like the comfort of your home. And I get that. I I prefer to do Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jess Sittig: that at my own house too. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, yeah. And you know so funny, she's baby A, which she has a lot of A personality. So yeah. I wasn't surprised. Jess Sittig: Okay, so have we talked about this? I feel like maybe we have that when you say twin A personality, do you mean that they tend to be maybe more like the calmer one and then twin B is the more chaotic one? Natasha D'Anna: That's how it usually is described, I think, when I speak to other parents or other twins themselves. but I I I don't know if I would say like chaotic because sometimes I feel like they switch. Sometimes they switch. Jess Sittig: Isn't that so funny? My husband and I were just talking about that because I would say, and and maybe I'm saying chaotic because I have toddlers. Maybe he maybe my baby B is the one who's, I don't even, I don't even want to say Natasha D'Anna: A little riskier. Jess Sittig: yes. They thank you. He's a little riskier. Like, okay, so baby A my baby A has had staples in his head because, not because he was being risky, because his brother, baby B, threw a rock at him. Natasha D'Anna: my goodness. Jess Sittig: my goodness is right. I was Natasha D'Anna: It's a core memory. Jess Sittig: yes. Okay, I was actually on my way to go have dinner with two moms from mom 2.0 with Autumn and Stephanie. Yeah. Yes, I was gonna go meet up with them. So I'm on Natasha D'Anna: Wow. Y really? my goodness, I love it. Yeah. Jess Sittig: the way to dinner to have dinner with them. And my husband calls me and I immediately know something is wrong. He would never call me when I'm going to dinner. He would text me Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jess Sittig: if he had a question, like there's something wrong. So I just answer, what's wrong? You need to come home. I think Wyatt needs staples. I'm like, okay, what happened? And I just, I knew. I knew that it was something that that Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: Weyland probably did, like pushing him or, you know, and of course, Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: they're three. He wasn't trying to be malicious. I think there's still like a lot of curiosity. They're boys and Natasha D'Anna: They're boys. Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: we have a lot of limestone pavers. my husband sent me a picture of the rock. That he threw. And I was like, how did he pick that up? He's three. I Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. I knew you were gonna say that. Jess Sittig: it was a it was a big rock. It was a big so luckily he didn't throw it forcefully because he couldn't, but it was just Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: enough. Like it was a very rock, it was a rocky rock. It Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: was not, it was not a smooth rock. It had lots of sharp corners. So it was Natasha D'Anna: Wow. Jess Sittig: enough to. Like we weren't worried about him losing consciousness or having a concussion. None of nothing like that happened, but he definitely needed, Natasha D'Anna: Right. Jess Sittig: and it was right here, which is the best place. So I'm pointing to like the back of my head. It is the best place Natasha D'Anna: okay. Jess Sittig: to get staples because it's like the sturdiest part of your head. Like that's what the doctor said, like awesome location. I'm like, wasn't expecting you to say like bravo to where he got hurt, but I guess that's good. Natasha D'Anna: It's like awesome location. No frontal lobe damage. Jess Sittig: Exactly. He was like, this is where we get worried. And at first Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: when my husband called me, I didn't know where it was. He just said in the head. So I'm thinking, my gosh, now are we gonna have to worry about like a scar on his face or something? But so I am thankful. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: You can still see like the little scar in the back of his head, but it's a it's it'll Natasha D'Anna: Wow. Jess Sittig: be a funny story when they're old. Natasha D'Anna: Forever. That's it. Forever story. It's so funny. Jess Sittig: Yeah. Yes. Natasha D'Anna: I sometimes I I don't know if I should be saying that, you know, that's boy behavior, but I think I've been around enough children to say and even my own, like the the play is just different. It really is. They need that. I mean. Jess Sittig: It is. I had a singleton girl first. We have like opposite. We both had girls first and then boys, but I had a gr a singleton and then twins. And Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: she will will like happily color and do tea parties. And I will say because the boys are younger, they'll do those activities with her too. And then by the end, we're like Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: chucking teacups. You know what I mean? So it's just a little bit of a different play and I agree from firsthand Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: experience it just is different at least in in Natasha D'Anna: It's different. Jess Sittig: my in my family you know so mm-hmm Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, I agree. Jess Sittig: yeah boys are just a different just a different breed Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. And then even comparing Singleton to the twins. I remember like family members saying when I was having my son, what's going to happen to him? You know, they they get so much attention, he's gonna be left out, you know, not having a sibling. And I'm like, Well, the only other thing that's coming in this home is a dog to keep him company. So everyone should get along and have fun. And it's so funny because now he has my twin daughter Kennedy, which is BBB, he calls her his best friend and then Vittoria is sissy, like she's authority. So she's officially Sissy and the other one's his best friend. Jess Sittig: That's so cute. It is interesting how they like pull into those different personalities, you know? That's Natasha D'Anna: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: so cute. I love that. And I just love the sibling dynamic. I think I was nervous to bring twins home too. I didn't want Kaya, my daughter, to feel left out of their bond. And I Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: don't think they that she ever has or she's never talked about that at all. And it is interesting. I feel like kind of like how we were talking, how they'll like swap personalities sometimes. I feel Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: like she also and they kind of switch like who they're closer with. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: I feel like at first I was worried she was kind of gravitating towards one of my sons. And I'm like, my gosh, am I not cultivating the other relationship? Well, nope, they just they switch back and forth, you know, which Natasha D'Anna: This switch that's Jess Sittig: is just kind of interesting to watch. That the three of them will play really well together. And then one twin will kind of go off and do their own thing and then She'll play with the other twin and her new favorite thing. So we're all home for a summer break. So she is getting way more brother time. And which she's Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: loving, by the way. It's also Natasha D'Anna: I love that. Jess Sittig: chaotic and there are more fights, but she is loving. And her new Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: favorite thing is Kaya's daycare. Natasha D'Anna: That's hysterical. But that's that's Jess Sittig: I'm like, okay, that's fine. You can watch your brothers. Natasha D'Anna: that is such typical like first child daughter like behavior. Like you're my little toys. Jess Sittig: There are, I don't know if you have to do this with your daughters in regard to your son, but there are so many times where I'm like, Kaya, I'm the mom. I will handle the discipline. Thank you for helping me, but you go take a seat over there while I talk to your Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: brother, you know, because she's always trying to be like little mama too. And sometimes it's so helpful. I'm like, you Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, I yeah. Jess Sittig: used to be like, can you go get me a diaper? And now I'm Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: like, I'm I'm gonna talk to your brother one-on-one. And You take a break over there. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, it's so funny because I remember and I still have this lady's like her expression in my head, it was a couple of holidays, maybe two holidays ago, and we're in Manhattan and it's crazy busy shopping during the holiday and we're leaving a store, but it was my daughter's and a friend, so I had four kids with me, and my son for some reason, I don't know, he was like getting lost in the store purposefully, right? And my daughter, I think she was just so annoyed because she wanted to just, you know, her friend is there and let me do whatever. And I'm like, okay, I'm shopping. So you guys stay here and do this there, whatever, trying to structure everything. And all of a sudden, like she went into full mommy mode, and I remember this lady like watching her, like, whoa. And I said nothing because my son was like, really, like it was too crowded for him to do that. And she's like, Let's go right now. And she's like standing in the corner by the door, by the revolving doors. And the lady watches her like walk by. And then she looks at me and I'm like, yeah. Like, thanks. Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: They're like, she's right. Yeah, thank you. That's fantastic. I love that. It's so cute. It's a cute story. Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: Sometimes we're like, okay, thanks for the help. Jess Sittig: Absolutely. I will tell you when we're like out at a park, I'm like, can you try to get that one who's running away while I grab that? Like, divide and conquer, sister. Like, help, help me out, help mommy out. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Yeah. Now I need your help, yeah. Jess Sittig: Yeah, so I do agree when we're I'm like it's all hands on deck. I feel like when Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: I'm like talking about like, I'm trying to talk to him right now. It's I'm picturing we're at our house, you know? Yeah. Being out in the wild. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, then it's like, no, let me be the parent. Yeah, we have our moments. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Yes. Being in the wild changes things. You know, there's just you don't have enough hands at all. So okay. Natasha D'Anna: No. We're already outnumbered. Jess Sittig: Yeah, it absolutely. You and well and you are Natasha D'Anna: Once you hit three and there's only two parents, I mean we're ready on number. Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Yeah, that was an interesting shift being outnumbered for sure. But you had twins first and then a singleton. And I I don't know if I feel like that is a harder transition because you are thrown into motherhood with two babies. Where Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: at least I had, I don't know, I practice with a singleton. I I will say. that my transition from zero to one was harder than going from one to three because I think it's like the shock of becoming a mom. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: So you had the shock of becoming a mom with twins. Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Yeah. I I yeah, I could now when I think about it, it's I I do remember the difference and I remember like trying to do a lot more with my son. Like I was like, wow, I can do so much more because I didn't have two. where I feel like I kind of did I rush things? I don't know, maybe a little bit. Like I just felt like he I don't know, like he just like blended in so easily because i it was like I had more time to do things. but he was very much attached, so it's not like if, you know he missed out on anything. But with them, I had to sit still for a a lot of my pregnancy and then onto them coming home. They were three twelve and four pounds in the NICU for ten days. So I came home with with one and then the other one came home the next day. And just I remember like finally getting them both in the car. Like, holy cow, I have two babies. And I like wrote everything down. The amazing NICU nurses told me to do. Like they were welcoming I had them New Year's Eve, so it's dead of winter. We had like the worst winter storms the whole month of January. And Jess Sittig: Peace. Natasha D'Anna: it the NICU nurses were just like, you see, all of these babies, these babies are are born during this time, and if they you know when it's time for them to leave and go home and it the weather's still like this, do not let anyone in your house. Like, absolutely not. This RSV, there's things that their little lungs cannot handle, you know, they're they're not ready. So As much as we would love to make everyone in our families happy because they're so excited to see the babies, it's like, wait, just wait. And I remember taking that very seriously. A, because I had a C-section and everyone else saw the babies before I did. So I'm like, you saw them. Like, just wait until you can actually, you know, enjoy holding them. And the NICU nurses gave me that advice. They also were very helpful, you know, me coming in and being a mom who wanted to pump and nurse and like get all of those things hands-on. and what else did they they also gave me like a ton like to keep them on the same schedule. Do something every three hours. Jess Sittig: Mm. Natasha D'Anna: And I listened to that. And it helped a lot, like keep them on the same schedule. That was super helpful. I remember just before taking one of them home, there was a baby coming back in who was born at the same time, but she was not the same time, I'm sorry. She was in the NICU before. I believe. I don't remember the timing, but I know that her birth weight was 1.9 and she had gone home. Yes. And I was about to take one of the babies home and the baby was being rushed back in Jess Sittig: gosh. Natasha D'Anna: because someone was probably in the home and she'd gotten sick. yeah. Jess Sittig: no. that's so stressful. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. And that was the lesson. The nurse, you know, she's like, You see that baby? Do not let anyone in your house. And she was like, That was enough. That was enough for me to see. Like them working on her. And like I was just like, I do not want that. Like it's not fair Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Natasha D'Anna: to the baby. So yeah. But we made it through. Jess Sittig: Well and yeah, okay, well, and on that note, I know you've mentioned that about your work with March of Dimes. Can you Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: tell us a little bit more about that? Natasha D'Anna: So March of Dimes has been around forever, but this my particular hospital in the NICU, they worked very closely with March of Dimes. So they recommended, you know, any resource reaching out to it was worth reaching out to March of Dimes, get connected with the organization. You know, their motto, every dime counts, is there for a reason. Like even if you don't need money or assistance for things, they're still there. You know, they can connect you to other resources. As a mom who's had babies in the NICU, they nurture so many, parents and moms who at least go through that stage. they're very popular in the twin community because of that. Like a lot of us do go through that Nikki stage. and their mission is just to you know, embrace nurture the beginning and and helping parents transition from the premi stage and even up until postpartum and and making sure that maternal help is at the forefront because some parents they come home and they moms we come home and we forget about ourselves. So they're there beyond just the NICU. They they're there to really, really help. And I believe from the beginning every dime does count and what they do is th they have a big purpose in life. So I I love working with them. they're trying to do a lot more in the New York community in particular. There's so many different chapters, but I was happy to like jump on board and help with any, you know, things that they have coming up to bring more demographics and because they've been around for so long. They they want to reach other parents that are younger parents, younger generations, like, hey, we're still here and we still do these things. We can even do more. Just let us know what you need. So that's their Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Natasha D'Anna: reach right now. and I'm I'm happy to Share the word and the mission. Yeah. Jess Sittig: That's so great. So is that something like where if a mom wanted to to get resources from March of Dimes, would they just check out the website? Like what's the best way to okay. Natasha D'Anna: Yes, absolutely. Start with going to the website marchofdimes.com and then depending on if they have a chapter in their town, they can Jess Sittig: Okay. Natasha D'Anna: speak to that representative, you know, directly. But I'm pretty sure on the website it it'll just have other organizations or things that you can people that you can contact for any kind of assistance, applications, things that you could apply for. yeah. And sometimes the hospitals, it depends on the hospital, like how big their NICU department is, if they have a direct connection to someone or representative, yeah. Jess Sittig: That's great. I'll put that in the show notes. Yeah, that was something I was talking to you about, I think offline. I have Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: heard of the Marge of Dimes and I just didn't really know a lot about it. So I love that it's still, it's still a very active resource Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: and waiting for people to check it out. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. From generation to generation I think they'll be around forever and it's it's very helpful. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Yeah, that's so great. So obviously we connected at the conference and I follow your Instagram. Can you shout that out? I'll put it in the show notes too, but can you mention your Instagram? Natasha D'Anna: My Instagram handle is at twin delicious. That's a 3D word. T-W-I-N-D-O-L-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. yeah, and at most of the social media channels you can find us at twindelicious or twindelicious.co. Jess Sittig: Perfect. And I feel like recently you've been sharing about your Sunday reset, which I am like all about. So can you tell us a little bit about that? Natasha D'Anna: so the Sunday resets, I it's so funny. Though I've been showing up on social media and like writing and blogging for so long, I never shared like my practice. but I feel like after having enough of even my close friends say, like, how do you squeeze all these things in? I'm just like, it there's more to it than just like go, go, go. Like you know Maybe everyone has it all figured out, but I don't have it all figured out all the time. I needed like some kind of disciplinary practice. And the one thing that I do look forward to is a Sunday reset. I call it Sunday reset because when I was younger I had like Sunday scaries all the time. I don't know. I enjoyed the weekend and it was like, Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Natasha D'Anna: it's Monday again, right? and then when I started to really enjoy my work, I got excited for Mondays. And also kind of off topic, just a confirmation of enjoying Mondays. I met Oprah at an event and I said to her, my gosh, this is the most magical Monday ever. And she's like, You're going to have so many more magical Mondays. And I'm like, I'm holding you to that. And that's it. Yeah, right? It's like Jess Sittig: That's so cool. How inspirational. That's amazing. So inspirational. Mm-hmm. Natasha D'Anna: So inspirational. So that's when I kind of said to myself, let's do a consistent Sunday reset and share that. Just looking forward to my motivational Monday. And that Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Natasha D'Anna: I've been just completely showing up that way and showing how I love spirituality, like I I have deep faith. So That was easy for me to look forward to having a moment, like even, you know, an hour to either attend mass or listen to something and meditate or read. and then I would incorporate brain dumping because I love writing. I have my planners. I have to send you one. Yes. there's the digital and then there's the hard copy, but I'm forever like I need pen to paper. I'm that person. Jess Sittig: Me too, I love I have an old school planner. I I love everything being digital. Like I think that's great, but I remember everything when I write it down. I I Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: that's how I like to play. I have written to do lists. I am the same way. I love that too. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, this medical research sharing how when we're taking our thoughts from our mind, the act of writing it down, like the act of doing anything else, the action makes us, I don't know, a little more accountable for what we're planning to do. And it works that way for me. Like so, calming down in a quiet space, you know. Can I say that I've always done this with having little, little babies? No, but I did make sure that I had that Sunday meditation moment, even packing them up in the car and like going to mass by myself or taking a walk, putting them in the carriage and like plugging in. Like take that time to be intentional, to sit still, and then your thoughts allow your thoughts to come in and maybe you have some ideas that something you want to do or just plans for yourself or clarity on something or we all have a list of things that we have to do but we don't want to do even those things that we don't want to do the busy work you you come up with a strategy to just say like I'm gonna tackle this like that's it and it's once it's done it's done. So I always say every little thing is important to put in your Sunday reset and Take a happy moment. Like even me going out, like I'm so happy the flowers are out and like I've been wanting to plant a couple of things or cooking, right? Feeding our soul, feeding our family. That's like a happy Sunday reset. Taking a walk. If you haven't like moved your body and you've been wanting to do it then. Do your hair, get a manicure pedicure, like read a book that you haven't, you know, that's been on your list. Call a person. Make Watch a show or, you know, anything. Like all those things could be on that day or that moment. And I feel like me sharing it, it it could have it's just like a reminder. Like this is how you should show up for yourself at least once a week. And this just happens to be my my day. Yeah. Jess Sittig: I love that. Well, and I love that you said intentional because I feel like we can be trying to do things and it just feels like messy. And then when you take a moment to like pause and be intentional, I think that Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: really changes like your mindset. And I also love Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: that you said brain dump. I feel like whenever I'm feeling anxious or I have the Sunday scaries, I'm like, I'm just gonna write it all down, even if it's like in short form, like to-do list, what I need to do for the next week. And then I feel like, okay. I'm not gonna forget it's written down and I can move I can stop like going over it in my head. So I love all of that. What what a great Natasha D'Anna: Yes. Yeah. Jess Sittig: way to change your Sunday scaries to the Sunday reset and then have a magical Monday. Natasha D'Anna: That's it. Jess Sittig: I love it. It's so great. Well, I've definitely Natasha D'Anna: check. Jess Sittig: been following and enjoying that on Instagram. So I'm excited to see. Yeah, Natasha D'Anna: I love that. Thank you, Jesse. Jess Sittig: of course. I have loved this conversation. It has been so fun. And I just would love to know if you could have a heart to heart with a twin mom or give her a piece of advice. What would you tell her? Natasha D'Anna: What would I tell another twin mom? I would tell her to try to be as present as she could during the moments Like in everything that that she's doing, especially when it comes to the children, like try to be present. Like give yourself grace, but be present because It's like the little from the little coups to the loud yelling or the screams, it's like you want to remember those moments. So and we feel them deeply, right? So so they're two of them and one of us, but not only do we have to be present to pay attention to two things at once, but yeah, try to be present when they're looking for your attention because Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: Think that's such good advice and so important. Like we're talking about your girls are 15 and Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: they want to come to you to tell you about their day and spill the tea. And that is all cultivated from a very young age, which you obviously have done by being intentionally present. So I Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: love that. And that's especially in this day and age where it's like so easy to like get sucked into our phones and to doom scroll. It's like put Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: the phone down that can wait for later and just like. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: be present with your kids. So I think that is such a good reminder that like Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: even I personally need. So I appreciate that. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, yeah. it gives us that reminder that we were once children, right? Like Jess Sittig: Yeah. Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: we enjoyed that stuff. Even the messy Jess Sittig: Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: stuff. We enjoyed it. Jess Sittig: Yes, absolutely. So true. And sometimes, okay, so my boys got this like awesome play-doh kit for their birthday. It's like all these different play-dohs, kinetic sand. It's like an ocean theme. So it comes with like Natasha D'Anna: I love that. Jess Sittig: fish and sharks. I am loving it. I the it's relaxing. It's like a sensory kind of calming. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jess Sittig: Like, do I need to do play-doh more often? I am truly enjoying this myself. So yes, I've I think sometimes in motherhood it's really easy to just like be so serious all the time. And it's Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: so fun to just like be present and play because Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: it's just cup filling. So Natasha D'Anna: Yeah, it is. It really is. The joy inside of us, like, comes out and we're modeling how to do it, right? Jess Sittig: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: Like then we wonder why are they eating the play doh? probably because we didn't show them that you can actually make a I don't know, a Jess Sittig: Yeah. Natasha D'Anna: square or a fake hamburger, but don't eat it, yeah. Jess Sittig: We're we're still working on that. So the brand that Natasha D'Anna: Ha ha Jess Sittig: it's from, like it it's non-toxic and it smells really good. Like I feel like Play Natasha D'Anna: my gosh. Jess Sittig: Doh, like the brand Play-Doh, it it has like this smell, like like a Play-Doh smell. Like you don't want to put it in your mouth. Natasha D'Anna: Do you does it yeah, I loved and I I'm probably guilty of saying, my gosh, I love this smell. My kids looking at me like you're crazy. I'm like, No, I love the smell of it. Jess Sittig: it has it has a distinct smell, is what I mean. Natasha D'Anna: It does. Jess Sittig: Where the play-doh that I have been buying is well, this was actually a gift for their birthday, but like the brand that I've been using, what's it called? Young Wild and Natasha D'Anna: Is it crazy, dub? Jess Sittig: No, it's I think it's called Young Wild and Freedman. And I think and it's like yeah, it smells like cinnamon. So I have to be like, Natasha D'Anna: it's the natural dough. Is it the natural dough? okay, yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: this is not food. Like it smells like cake, but d Please do not eat. I feel like they actually changed it because the one of the first kits we got, I was like, I want to eat it. Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Jess Sittig: This smells delicious. And this one, like it smells like cleaner, but maybe not like a dessert. So that's good. It's hard for a Natasha D'Anna: Okay. That's good. That's neat. Jess Sittig: a three-year-old to be like, well, it smells like dessert. So I'm gonna put it in my mouth. Natasha D'Anna: And I do a taste test and you're like, Yeah. I'm sure everyone's Jess Sittig: I know. I was Natasha D'Anna: taste tested it, but Jess Sittig: Yes. And I mean, if you could probably eat a little bit of it, it is like non-toxic, you know, but Natasha D'Anna: Yeah. Yeah. Jess Sittig: but yeah. So I love all of that though. It has been so fun to chat and I've so appreciated your time and just all of your insight, especially from a mama of teen girls. So Natasha D'Anna: Mm-hmm. Jess Sittig: just really appreciate it. and thank you so much. Natasha D'Anna: Thank you for having me. It was great reconnecting here and I look forward to us Jess Sittig: Mm. Natasha D'Anna: staying connected and doing this again. Jess Sittig: Me too. Yay. Jessielee Sittig: Thank you for taking the time out of your busy twin mom life to listen along. I hope this podcast shed some light on a topic that's been on your heart and gave you more confidence as a twin mama. If you know a twin mom, please send this her way. If you like what you heard today, please subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Check out the show notes to be connected with today's guest and get discount codes for brands I love. See you next Thursday. Until then. You are made for this.