Life for Roxy Etta and Shawn Anderson was already interesting — but the arrival of their twins has made it even more exciting.
Shawn is the owner and head coach at Badger Den Strength, a strength and conditioning gym he opened on Madison’s east side in 2018. And Roxy is working toward her PhD in the Human Development and Family Studies department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studies the positive effects of educational media for young kids. Along the way — last June to be exact — they have welcomed Freya and Juniper.
Roxy offers a glimpse into her family’s life and their focus on “cherishing the present.”
What brought you to Madison?
I came to Madison in 2014 for undergrad, and haven’t left since! We grew up in a very small town (Shawn and I actually are both from Kewaskum, Wisconsin — we’re high school sweethearts) and I was eager to experience city life during my college years. Madison is definitely where we belong.
What do you like most about living here?
Outside of our community of family and friends that we have in and near Madison, we love all that this city has to offer. There are so many beautiful and fun places to visit, events to attend, restaurants to check out. Even though Madison is growing really quickly, it still feels really down-to-earth and homey.
What are your favorite things to do as a family?
We really love to be active and spend time outdoors. One of our favorite outings is Olbrich Botanical Gardens. We enjoy watching how the plants grow and change from week to week. You can spend a few minutes or a few hours there, even in the winter since there’s a conservatory. When I was a little girl, I visited Olbrich with my grandma on a special trip to Madison. I caught a glimpse of the bridal party getting ready near the reception area. I told my grandma I wanted to get married there someday, and Shawn and I tied the knot there in September 2018! It’s also the first place we took the babies after they were born (besides the doctor’s office). It’s a really special place for us.
What was your reaction when you found out you were having twins?
Initially? Absolute shock. Shawn and I do not have twins in our family, and we hadn’t even considered the possibility. Shawn didn’t say a word the entire ultrasound. I couldn’t stop nervously laughing and saying “you’re kidding, no way.” After the initial disbelief subsided, we were a bit nervous but mainly excited.
What has it been like having two babies?
Shawn and I get asked this a lot. It’s difficult to answer, since the twins were our firsts. We don’t know any different! When I was pregnant and would meet other moms of multiples, their advice was to “get the babies on a schedule as soon as you can.” Shawn and I were pretty laissez faire before parenthood, but now we follow a pretty regular daily routine to make all of our lives easier. It takes a lot of planning and adaptability to meet the needs of each baby while maintaining some sense of consistency. Some days we walk that line better than others. We give ourselves a lot of grace and try to find humor in the beautiful chaos. It’s been a true gift to see two babies grow together with a unique bond. We couldn’t imagine parenthood any other way.
What are your girls’ personalities like? And what are they into lately?
I don’t think our girls could be any different, actually. Freya takes after Shawn — very relaxed, charming, learns through observing and likes to have alone time. Juniper is a lot like me — adventurous, bright, learns through trial and error and loves to interact with people.
They’ve just started to really notice one another and play together. They crawl and “chase” each other, play peek-a-boo, and babble and giggle back and forth. It’s incredible to see the beginning of this lifelong friendship.
What has parenthood taught you and your partner most so far?
Shawn and I have learned to let go of expectations. We thought we were going to have one baby, we had two. We predicted we would have two boys, we had two girls. We thought our families and friends would visit a lot in the early months, but a pandemic happened. We thought the girls would be similar, but they’re totally unique. When you make unnecessary expectations in parenting, you feel surprised or disappointed when things don’t shake out that way. We’ve stopped trying to predict the future and shifted our focus to cherishing the present.
Please tell us about your PhD work!
My PhD is in human development and family studies, with a minor in children’s educational media. I’m super passionate about research that investigates the positive potential of children’s media. I believe that since kids’ media is here to stay, we should make it as valuable as possible. Additionally, I love to share information and resources with folks that are navigating tech with young learners — like parents and teachers.
There’s never enough time for everything, so what do you prioritize most as a family? What do you always make time for?
We prioritize making little traditions that savor simple moments. Every Saturday, Shawn makes French toast and then we go for a long walk with our dog. Then the girls get some special alone time with dad while I go to the gym. In the evening, our best friends and their baby come over. We play with the kids, make and eat dinner together, put the kids to sleep and then have some adult time … usually spent playing Mario Kart or a board game. We look forward to it all week.
What are three words that best describe your family?
Adventurous, vibrant and loyal.
– Katie Vaughn
Katie Vaughn is the editor and co-founder of Northerly. She is a University of Wisconsin-Madison and Stanford University-trained journalist with experience as a writer, reporter, editor, blogger and author. She lives in Madison with her husband, daughter and son, and is always up for an adventure.