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TOP JOBS

Story By Jacque Hilburn
Feature Writer

When busy mom Mary Leigh Roberts of Tyler goes grocery shopping, the list usually includes three gallons of milk, two loaves of bread, several bunches of bananas and many, many, many cartons of yogurt.

That's just for one week.

Food goes quickly when you are raising twins, she said.

When there are two sets of twins, ages 6 and 4, to feed, clothe and parent, it comes as no surprise the family checkbook never gets dusty.

"I usually go to the store every week," she said. "We also buy in bulk."

Mrs. Roberts, 35, said she wasn't terribly surprised to learn her first pregnancy would result in two bundles of joy instead of one.

"Twins are on both sides of my mom's family," she said. "It was always a running joke I would be next."

The initial shock over having twins was replaced by excitement.

Roughly 14 months later, Mrs. Roberts and husband, Chris, were flabbergasted and delighted yet again to learn two more were on the way.

"At first I figured the Lord was mad at us," he teased. "Then I realized that when you've been given a lot, a lot is expected from you. We take our jobs as parents very seriously."

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Mother's Day is today, but Mrs. Roberts is quick to pull her husband into the parenting limelight.

The couple views parenting as a tag-team effort.

"The Lord has provided for us, always, and he has allowed us to be at home with these children," said Mrs. Roberts. "I've enjoyed it. They are so very different, all four of them. The way I've looked at it is whatever you do for one, you do for two."

Or four.

The first set of fraternal twins, Christopher and David, are 6; the second, William and Mary Elizabeth are 4.

There appears to be a natural curiosity about twins that is almost always accompanied by a round of 20 questions.

"We never got them mixed up," said Mrs. Roberts of her first-born, who bore similar characteristics in appearance as infants. "Even when the boys were infants, we were able to tell them apart."

Little William is quick to point out another key difference between him and his sister.

"She has longer hair," he said.

The couple encourages and honors their children's individuality.

The youngsters, on the other hand, seem to delight in recognizing each other's differences.

"Will really kills us," Christopher said. "He's funny."

"David's the mean one," William said.

Already Mary Elizabeth recognizes the potential benefits of being the only girl.

"I like to go shopping with my mom," she said, grinning widely. "She takes me shopping for toys and clothes."

SERIOUS PLAY

The Roberts view parenthood as an honor, and say play and prayer are crucial for building a healthy family.

While his wife holds down the home front, Roberts shoulders the role of primary breadwinner, husband and father. He helps oversee operations at Leo Jones Insulation.

"One thing I got from her is that at the end of the day, after the kids are asleep, we lay our hands on them and pray for each kid individually," he said. "If you pray for your kids, for their lives, for their careers, it makes a positive influence."

The couple said the most difficult part of their child-rearing journey was surviving the first few weeks after birth.

"They were eating every three hours. When one was eating, the other was sleeping," said Mrs. Roberts. "It seemed like it would never end."

The schedules eventually leveled out and things settled into a new norm.

"We spend a lot of time playing, being silly and letting the kids be kids," Roberts said. "We make things fun."

Crafts, not computer games, are the norm for the household.

"Chris and I have always encouraged the kids to go out and play," said Mrs. Roberts. "We're behind in technology. We've always had them outside doing stuff. We've always tried to be active parents."

The children appreciate the energy:

"I like it when we wrestle and play tickle monster," William said.

"One time she (Mom) tickled me and my tooth got bumped and it came loose," David said. "I pulled it out."

"It was already loose," Christopher said.

BUSY DAYS

With four growing children, the family's daily school routine unfolds something like this:

Christopher and David wake up around 6:30, eat breakfast and get ready for school. While the boys are gathering their things, Mrs. Roberts makes their lunches and rousts the younger children out of bed to make the carpool run to school.

"Many times the younger ones go in their pajamas," she said.

Upon their return, the routine is repeated to get the William and Mary Elizabeth to preschool by 9:30 a.m.

While the kids are at school, Mrs. Roberts works part-time as a counselor.

The action fires up again around 1 p.m. when preschool lets out.

With about an hour to kill before it's time to pick up the older boys, there's time for play, crafts and snacks, said Mrs. Roberts.

Homework with the older children is tackled before extracurricular activities, followed by the evening meal, bath time and a little more play.

The couple says consistency and structure are critical to keeping things on track.

"I always wanted to be available when I had kids," said Mrs. Roberts. "The sense of family, the importance of family and of spending time together, you get a sense that's the way it should be."

Roberts added, "I'm really lucky all the way around. I've got a great wife, great kids, and a really great life all the way around."