Twins, 15, to celebrate ‘4th birthday’ on Feb. 29
It’s an exciting time for a pair of twin sisters from Polk as they anticipate celebrating their 16th birthday on Feb. 29. However, because of their Leap Day birth, it will be only the fourth time they have celebrated their birthday on the actual date they were born.
High Plains High School sophomores Peyton and Rylee Hofmann were born to teachers Lynn and Tom Hofmann on Feb. 29, 2008.
“(Our parents) were hoping for like March 5th or something like that,” Peyton said. “Our original due date was at the beginning of April, but because we were obviously twins, they were just hoping to get to mid-March.”
Peyton was born at 4 a.m. the morning of the 29th with Rylee following soon after at 4:20. While the girls can’t celebrate their exact birthday every year, each Feb. 28 they have celebrated has been just as special.
“It makes it feel a little more special,” Rylee stated. “We have a birthday every four years and it’s confusing because you have to explain to people like I can celebrate it on the 28th, but also celebrate it on the 29th.”
The twins say their unusual birth date has caused some interesting problems over the years.
“When you get new apps or you sign up for something where you have to put your birthday, I never know which one to pick,” Peyton said. “Like do I just choose Leap Year or if I just make it generic and just do Feb. 28 just for the sake of being simple.”
Whatever the problem or other situation the sisters say they have always faced it together describing themselves as being “glued at the hip.”
“We all knew how to play by ourselves when we were younger,” Peyton responded. “In kindergarten, it was a big slap in the face when we had to do things apart from each other.”
In high school, the Hofmann twins have been involved in “practically everything” together.
“We participate in everything,” Rylee commented, listing volleyball, basketball, track, FFA, student council, speech and the high school’s former FCCLA program as some of the activities they have participated in during their high school years. Sometimes, however, their togetherness has presented challenges.
“Sharing is sometimes difficult,” Peyton said. “Sharing friends, sharing both of our parents, sharing birthdays, sharing all of the same classes and teachers.”
And Peyton said despite the twins’ many similarities, each is her own person.
“Everyone usually thinks being a twin you’re the same,” she said. “But I think Rylee and I are some of the biggest polar opposites and that’s something really beautiful. I definitely think (being twins) led to one person being the quiet one and the other being the loud one.”
“Everyone makes jokes whenever we bicker,” Peyton commented. “They’re like, ‘Oh, the twins are at it again!’ I think it’s comforting having someone that is with you all the time and I don’t have to censor my thoughts around her because I’m with her all the time, so might as well tell her.” Adding another layer of coincidence to the twins’ unique birthday is that the fact that they were delivered by their grandfather, who is also a twin and was also born on Feb. 29.
Their mother, Lynn, explained how her father, Dr. Carroll Verhage of Geneva, came to help bring her girls into the world.
“He was kind of coming to the end of his medical career and I happened to find out I was pregnant,” she explained. “I found out I was pregnant with twins and I asked if he would be my doctor.”
Having delivered several babies during his career, including the twins’ older sister, Brittney, Dr. Verhage was happy to oblige.
“My mom just wanted him to be part of it because I know her dad’s always been a big part of her life so she called him up and that morning and he delivered us,” Peyton said.
Born on Feb. 29, (1944), and having a twin brother, Lynn said her father has also had some interesting and humorous interactions.
“My oldest son was probably 6 and we went out to eat at Pizza Hut,” she explained. “My uncle and aunt came and they were sitting at two ends of the table and he was kind of sitting in the middle and my son says, ‘Mommy, why are there two grandpas?’ He was really confused.”
And Lynn said there are other coincidences connected to her daughters’ birth as well.
“Some of the irony of the kids being born on (my father’s birthday), my husband was born on his mom’s birthday (May 3) and she’s a twin,” she said.
While the manner in which they have celebrated their birthday over the years has changed, the Hofmann twins say family has always been an important part of those celebrations.
“We used to be in Sutton, but we moved after second grade to High Plains,” Rylee explained. “It changed because in Sutton and the Geneva area, that’s where all of our family was, so we would celebrate with them more.”
The sisters also said their unique situation has been the subject of much good-natured teasing.
“It leads to a lot of jokes,” Peyton said. “For our uncles and other family members, it’s so funny to point out the fact we’re 4 years old and we drive and go to high school.”
While graduation is two years away, the girls are already set on what they want to pursue after high school.
“I’m definitely going into medicine,” Peyton said. “I think my grandpa has something to do with that. I’ve seen him enjoy it and I definitely see myself going into that field, probably with kids, pediatrics.”
Rylee said she shares a similar ambition for the medical field.
“I’ve always been interested in that,” she said.
The twins stated they are looking forward to continuing their birthday tradition of celebrating their four year birthday with their family and friends.