Happy First Birthday, Graham & Cash!

Fastest year of my life...so far.

These two little loves, how I adore them! They are so fun to watch...I am laughing all the time (and not just from the sleep-deprived delirium).

When I was pregnant I was so afraid of them being weak and tiny. I know that sounds sad but when you think you're going to go into labor every day, it kind of freaks you out. Anyway, I've nothing to worry about because they are little tanks. They aren't on formula any more and all they want to do is eat. They love to eat everything, even snails and dog food.

Graham took one step today. Other than that, they are standing up forever and crawling at lightning speed. I haven't been in much of a hurry for them to walk, but I'm thinking that if they were upright, they'd at least be a little less grubby!

Here's a video of them dancing. Well Graham, not so much Cash. Which is funny because Cash was the first to do it months ago. They love anything that makes music.

They are in their Doc Bands, which are helmets to correct their head shape. They had flat spots on their heads, and no matter how we tried to reposition them, they always went back to laying on that spot. I was told it happens more with twins because they can't move much in utero. It's not purely cosmetic problem; incorrect growth can misalign their eyes, ears and jaw. So they will wear them 23 hours a day for three to four months and we go in every 2weeks for adjustments.
They got used to them in 5 minutes, although they sometimes pull on each other's helmet. We do get stares, though. I just don't want people to feel sorry for them...it's not that bad at all. I look at it like having braces, why wouldn't you do that for your child?
Anyway, I'm going to paint them to make them less "medical" looking. Don't be surprised if they end up looking like Raider's helmets :)

The fair!

We've only been once...so far.

And it goes against every fiber of my being to say this, but I tried the deep fried butter and it was a bit much, even for me.

Yuba City

We were only there for a little over a day, wish we could have stayed longer.

These are at Mark's grandma's house. I love her place...the layout of her house, her garden and fruit trees, the new white picket fence, and of course her little dog Penny Lee.

First birthday party

So we had an early birthday party for the boys in Napa (they turn one on the 26th). We just wanted a little get together with good food and good cake. Forty people and fifty pounds of mexican food later...

And I only took pictures of the kids. I've kinda got a thing for them.


Graham


Cash


My cousin Nick and his boy Evan


The newest addition to our family, baby Amelia


My friend Marcy's sweet little Luke

Napa trip

We drove up to Napa last week for my friend Molly's wedding reception. It was so great to see everyone. It was the first time some of our family and friends met Graham and Cash.
I can't believe how fast the time went...but it's always like that. Never enough time when you're with those you love :)


Marlo with her cousins, Sabrina and Luke.



My camera was on the wrong setting, but I like this photo.


The first time my 87-year-old grandma saw the twins.


Lo and her Buttercream cookie from Aunt Amy.


Mom's cherry pie, best crust ever.

not even in focus

but I love it.



How my mom would love to just cuddle her grandchildren all day. Not that they would stay still that long.

I'm having a hard time with the distance. When we're all together, I always think to myself, "Wouldn't it be nice if this was just a regular day and we were just dropping by?"

I mean, the village would get pretty big if nobody ever moved away. And it gives us new places to visit. Like someday, I'll go to Austin where my sister is. But I watch my children with their cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents and I have my mom's cherry pie and stay up late laughing with my sister and I think it's totally stupid that I don't live by my favorite people.

oh girl...

Marlo won't let go of this shirt that we got last year for "Disney days" at school. She squeezes into it and tells me, "Look Mom, it still fits!"

She doesn't want to wear jeans because "they're plain and they don't have pink or sparkle" and she doesn't like pretzels because "they're brown and brown is yuck".

lesson learned...

Don't have all your kids' hair cut at the same time by three different stylists. We went Saturday and had to return on Sunday for repairs. I have yet to get a pic of the results but these are from the process. Don't they look 16 behind the wheel?
I don't have one of Marlo because it wasn't her first haircut...and I was trying to keep these two still!

I think we'll be here a lot this summer...

we finally let the boys loose at the sprayground and they loved it.






and Cash's new mode of motion...just walk already.

Block party

from our neighborhood on Memorial day. So much fun.

Marlo went down this slide about 100 times.


a tiny glimpse


Matt and Noah


Reilly is so sweet...I wanted to keep her.



Cash


are those potato chip crumbs?

The first batch

Our friends Matt and Amy and their four kids stayed with us over Memorial Day weekend and we had so much fun. I think it should be an annual tradition. We went to Legoland first, so I'll start with those.