Twin Speak Quote of the Day: "TomKat"

There is lots of research and literature in the academic, clinical, and popular presses about what most-of-us-common-folk-parents-of-twins call "TwinSpeak." Of course there are lots of better more clinical more sophisticated ways to explain it, I'm sure, but here's the gist of it:
TwinSpeak is that 'secret language' known to be shared amongst many twins and multiples. TwinSpeak is when twins start babbling as babies, then speaking as toddlers, and they use words and/or phrases (and/or create whole languages) that they -- and only they -- understand. It is basically when twins develop a verbal form of communication all their own. TwinSpeak includes when twins use words that only each other understand, or when they continue to refer to things in a specific "twinspeak" way despite knowing the "correct" way. It is really interesting. And it is one of the things that makes parenting twins really different than parenting other children. Kyle and Owen have had lots of interesting phases of TwinSpeak over time. I could write tons about this. But for now, I just want to write about one tiny little instance that happened today on our way to daycare.

In the back seat of the "New Blue Car" the boys were chit-chatting along, as usual. It was quiet for a bit then Owen -- with his fingers fiddling around with his eyes/eyeballs -- suddenly announced: "See my TomKat?!"

He said it again, "SEE MY TOMKAT?!" I was desperately trying to understand what he was saying, so I was silent for a second. Owen said, "Hey, Kyle, see my TomKat?!"

Here's what then transpired:

Kyle: "Yeah, Owen, I see TomKat!"
Owen: "You have TomKat Kyle?"
Kyle: "Yeah, Owen, I have TomKat."
Owen: "You see my TomKat?"
Kyle (now with his fingers fiddling around with his eyes/eyeballs too): "Yeah, Owen, see my TomKat?!"
Owen: "Yeah, Kyle I see your TomKat. You like TomKat?"
Kyle: "Yeah, I like TomKat!"
Owen: "I like TomKat too!"
Kyle: "Yay TomKat!"

I was dumbfounded. Given the country's recent fascination and craze (o.k., I admit it: my recent fascination and craze too) over The TomKat (i.e. Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes: "TomKat" -- click here if you have been living in a bubble for the past year and don't know what I'm talking about)... the first thought I had was, "My god! Am I that pathetic of an in-the-closet-People-Magazine-reading-"TomKat"-junkie that my two year olds have somehow picked up on this TomKat craze thing?????!!!!!!! My god! How do they know about TOMKAT?!!!" I wracked my brain to try to remember ever even mentioning TomKat in front of my toddlers. Meanwhile, they continue on with their TomKat conversation in the backseat.

Then it occurred to me, "Wait a minute! Why are they fiddling with their eyes like that?! What does that have to do with Tom and Katie?" And suddenly I was able to translate their TwinSpeak to english (something I'm not very often successful at doing) ---- I loudly said, "Hey, boys!" to try to interrupt their boistrous TomKat conversation:

Me: "Are you talking about contacts?! Are you pretending you have contacts in your eyes!?"
Owen: "Yeah Mama! TomKats!"
Me: "It is contacts --- you say it, c-o-n-t-a-c-t-s."
Owen: "T-o-m-K-a-t-s."
Kyle: "You have TomKats Owen?!"
Owen, "Yeah, Kyle, I have TomKats!"
Kyle: "Owen, you see my TomKat?"
Owen: "Yeah, Kyle, I see your TomKat. You like TomKat?"
Kyle: "Yeah, I like TomKat!"
Owen: "I like TomKat too!"...
... and so it goes...

Just another day as ThirdWheel-Mama to my TwinSpeak-Twins.
:)