Architect vs. Engineer

“Are the twins identical?” I have been asked this question twice. I have an acquaintance who also has a set of boy-girl twins who tells me he has been asked the same question, also.

Although this question has always made me smile, I guess some people do not realize boys are not identical to girls. My answer is and will always be “Well, one is a boy and the other is a girl, they don’t really look alike, but they were born on the same day, so I’m not really sure.”

Girl Twin has always been interested in “artsy” things. Boy Twin likes things that “work”.

The twins were asked by their “art” teacher to design/build a container to receive paper Valentines Day cards from their classmates at a Valentines Day party. They were asked to use discarded household items for materials.

This was just the kind of assignment that thrills Girl Twin. She found a discarded plastic milk jug and a egg carton. Girl Twin was going to build a plastic pig. She cut off the egg “cups” from the bottom of the carton and glued four of them to the milk carton for legs . Another egg cup was glued on for the nose. Two more cups were glued on for the ears. A little pink paint, some additional paint for detail and she has a very artsy pink plastic pig.

Boy Twin went an entirely different route. “Hey Monner, do you want to see my Valentines box?” I found myself looking at just that; a cardboard box.

Me: It looks just like a box, don’t you think you need to dress it up a little? Boy Twin: Check out this door I cut in the side of the box.

He had cut the box to have a flap of cardboard creating a door in the box. The door had strings attached to the sides. It looked like a drawbridge.

Me: That’s cool, are you going to paint it like a castle? Boy Twin: I don’t think so. Me: It seems a little plain, maybe you should dress it up a little. Boy Twin: OK, maybe I’ll paint the box, but watch this.

He opened the door to the box and put some paper in the box. Next, he stuck his finger in a hole on the side of the box I had not noticed. The door automatically closed.

Me: How did you do that? Boy Twin: I have a motor in here.

He opened his box to show me how he had rigged his box, complete with motor, batteries and a switch.

He did take my advice and paint his box. Black, no design detail or trim; just black.

I don’t think the twins are identical.

Our crazy lives!

Monner