Another Year Older

Pre-ravaging illness we had a great weekend celebrating this guy's birthday. Isn't he so handsome?

A year or so we and friends of ours who also have twins agreed to trade off babysitting nights with each other. Brilliant idea, and makes going to dinner and a movie affordable since a babysitter in our area for a few hours doubles the cost of a night out. So this night one of the Tall Twin parents (as we call them) was coming, and while we waited, we enjoed a little happy hour on the front porch.

 And once he got there, we posed for a prom-like picture. And then were off to dinner. Had a great time celebrating another year of wisdom gained by Keith. And as luck would have it, the restaurant was filled with retirees, so it made Keith feel very young. Bonus.

The next day we headed to do some errands before the afternoon's cookout. It's Saturday in college football country, and the boys insisted their flags go on their car windows. We tend to do what the boys tell us.

If you're reading this in another country, you might be really confused. These are small flags that show your loyalty and love for a particular sports team or school. Or, in our alma mater's case, it more accurately shows our embarrasment over their poor performance. EDITED: The team is doing much better now. Anyways, the flags go on the top of your window, and then they flap in the breeze. On our car the boys each get a flag on "their" windows, and they've become quite possessive of their flags. MY FWAG! No touch!

 Since it was Dada's birthday, he got to pick the breakfast location.

 And then we ran a few random errands. One of the stores gave the boys a whole strip of Halloween stickers, which were promptly used.

 And prepping for the cookout began! Cole helped me in the kitchen. And by "help" I mean he ran around the kitchen island yelling "catch me", while Grady supervised the tailgate tent assembly.

 And convinced Dada to let him wear the lucky visor.

 I put the finishing touches on the birthday cake. I did make the cake I referenced in this post, and it was tjhe best cake I've ever made. I used toasted coconut instead of the toasted pecans, not because I wanted to, but because someone had a fit and I burnt the pecans. I think Plan B was much more tasty than Plan A would have been.

 These two took a great nap and were eager for guests to arrive.

 And here come two of the guests! Morgan and Mason, who sometimes are referred to as Marget and Jason when the boys are tired and confused by names. And behind these two were a steady stream of guests and before we knew it we had a full house.

 The kids tore into the toys.

 Matthew, reluctantly joined mom Stacy for some snacks.

 Dads converged on the porch to supervise play-doh and stickers.

 Moms of twins chatted. Honestly, once you have twins, you realize they are everywhere.

 Back inside Gavin, the oldest kid at the party, found himself a comfortable spot.

 And our boys found Baby A'ecks! OOOOH. Baby A'ecks! They talked to him, petted his head, made sure he was comfy in his coupe. We all adore Alex.

 What a handsome devil. I still want to steal him.

 Speaking of twins, here's another set, Mena and another Alex.

 Dada fired up the grill.

 And playing continued.

 As did chatting.

 And then Grady wanted out of the car.

 Mason is the kid that will find and point out our lack of babyproofing, so I imagine here he was going to explore the exterior of the porch to do just that...

 Did I mention Baby A'ecks is now bipedal?

 So the kids were all over the backyard and the house, until magically, a large cake with lit candles appeared. And just like moths to a flame, they all clustered to help Keith blow out his candles.

 And then they dug in. Frosting was a big hit.

 Now loaded with sugar, most of the kids wanted to play with the car...

 And the big boys resumed their bean-bag game. Note the intensity. This was serious business.

And as quickly as it started, the afternoon was over. That's the beauty of hosting people with little kids. They come, have a good time, and are gone by 7pm 'cause every parent loves bedtime.

There's more to the birthday weekend, but I'll save that for tomorrow.