Both toilets were backed up, and at first Todd Tharp couldn't figure out what was wrong — one bathroom was upstairs and one was downstairs.
What was causing both to malfunction?
The answer was found later in two angel-faced, big-eyed, curly-haired boys living in the prime of their terrible twos — Tristan and Trevor, the same culprits in the carpet-stain, invaded-cupboards and kitchen-mess mysteries.
After taking the toilets apart, Tharp found a number of flushed toys, something common for many parents of toddlers. But for the Tharps, it's twice as much trouble — or fun, depending on how you look at it.
When Tina Tharp, Todd's wife, found out she was having twins, she cried. They were tears of pain and tears of joy, Tina said. She was scared and excited but had no idea what to expect.
She worried about finances and the pregnancy itself along with raising two babies simultaneously.
Now two years later, the Sandy mom presides over a club aimed at supporting parents of multiples called the Mothers of Twins Club that helps walk parents through all the related fears and questions.
Tina, who has two other children, ages 8 and 5, said twins and their parents tend to gain instant celebrity everywhere they go. There is definitely a fun side, Tina said, but it is often overwhelming, especially in the younger years.
Simple tasks people take for granted, like going to the store or post office, become ordeals that call for planning, assistance and child harnesses. And keeping things under control at home could be a job for three people.
"Sometimes I think they work against us. I think they tell each other, 'You go distract mom while I get into the cereal,' or 'You go downstairs and I will stuff something in the toilet up here,' " said Tina. "Sometimes you think, 'I can't do this, I don't know what I am going to do, help.' "
That is what MOTC is for. Parents of multiples need help, need advice and need coaches that can relate and tell them they have been through the same frustration, the same situations.
Utah has MOTCs in Davis County, Salt Lake, Provo, Cedar City, Park City and Tooele. They are affiliated with a National Organization for Mothers of Twins Club, a nonprofit organization aimed at building networks of support for parents.
MOTC holds monthly meetings that have guest speakers, couple dinners, holiday parties, a teachers panel and an older twins panel. Additionally, the clubs hold moms' night out evenings and play groups once a month.
They also have a Mentor Mom program where each new twin mom is assigned a mentor mom who helps with questions during both the pregnancy and the first year of the babies' lives.
Raising multiples can be really pricey, so MOTC also holds semiannual "super-sales" where members bring items like clothes, blankets, toys and strollers to sell, trade and buy.
Though the club mostly comprises parents of younger twins, Tina encourages those with older children to join to give advice and help to those with kids in the elementary and teenage years.
"You get out of it what you put into it," said Tina as she refereed a hair-pulling fight between Tristan and Trevor. "The moms don't have a lot of time, but when they want to participate we are here for them."
For information and to find club contacts in other areas, visit www.nomotc.org. For Salt Lake MOTC information, call Tina at 576-0128 or e-mail tharpti@hotmail.com.
E-mail: terickson@desnews.com