At the Capitol, his duties involve making the laws and running half of the legislative branch of government.

At home, his duties involve changing diapers and dressing a pair of squirmy 2-year-olds.

Such is the life of Bob Kiss, speaker of the House of Delegates and father to twins Cameron and Carter.

"He's a full-service dad," said his wife, Melinda Ashworth Kiss. "There isn't anything he considers my job. He changes diapers."

Kiss, D-Raleigh, said the split duty between his high-profile position in the Legislature and his family was a driving factor behind his announcement last month to seek a final two-year term and then call it quits.

A typical day for Kiss starts after Melinda has laid out clothes for fraternal twins Cameron and Carter. Kiss' first official duty of the day: getting them dressed.

"Sometimes it's easy," Kiss said. "Sometimes it's like wrestling with two octopuses."

Like in most two-income families, most days are a juggling act.

In addition to running the 100-delegate House, Kiss is a partner at the Charleston law firm Bowles, Rice, McDavid, Graff & Love. Melinda is the chief financial officer for the state Workers' Compensation Commission.

The couple has a home in Beckley and rents one in Charleston.

The busy schedules were compounded when the twins were born Dec. 11, 2001 Cameron 1 minute, 56 seconds before Carter.

"Where they're not yet at is doing all of the school activities," Kiss said. "In a couple of years, that will change. When you add that to our busy schedules trying to get them to soccer or whatever it is they've involved in when you add that to the equation, to me, I think it becomes unmanageable. Something's got to give."

That something: the Legislature.

Kiss first was elected to represent Raleigh County in the House in 1988. He moved up to speaker in 1997.

"The Legislature, this takes a lot of time," Kiss said. "Legislative service is one thing, but it's the rest of it that takes a lot of time. Going to constituent meetings. I don't see how I'd juggle that in a couple of years."

For now, Kiss is dealing with diapers crises at home and budget deficits at work.

Have the new domestic duties changed his legislative outlook?

"I'll tell you the one thing it has done to me," Kiss said. "The first day I came here in 1988, I knew that what we do affects people we don't even know. After they were born, I thought more about what the affect of what we do 10, 15 years down the road."

One day last week, with Cameron and Carter whirling around his office, Kiss said he's been most surprised by how different his twins are.

Cameron likes to read and will eat anything he can get his tiny little fingers on. Carter is a music man and will only eat pizza and potatoes.

They both agree on a favorite game, something called Faster, Faster. As the title implies, it involves running very fast for a very long period of time.

Hours before their dad gaveled in the day's session, the twins had a unique playground for a few moments: the House chamber. They ran up and down the red-carpeted aisle as their dad encouraged them.

"I think they realize their dad is a little bit older because when I play Faster, Faster with them for a little while, they say, ‘No, Daddy. Sit.' "

After a few minutes of frantic running, Cameron and Carter calmed down and caught their breath. The family posed for a few pictures, and the twins took turns wielding their dad's heavy wooden gavel.

"Do you want to be speaker?" Kiss asked.

"No," Cameron responded without skipping a beat.

Kiss betrayed a smile. "I'm with you, buddy."

Josh Hafenbrack, Daily Mail Capitol reporter