picture mania.

What's up everybody! Since you're reading this, that means that you've followed us over to private blogland. Thank you for that.

As a warning, this post has probably close to a billion pictures, so I recommend getting up and going to the bathroom, washing your hands, grabbing a cold beverage and a snack, and then coming back to the computer.

The babies do not like being on the other side of a baby gate. Dane especially. Dane is our sensitive baby. He's adorable like that, he takes it very personally when he gets put in his crib or when the baby gate goes up. But sometimes the babies make funny faces, and that makes all this crazy twinness work worth it. To see their faces smooshed in the mesh of a baby gate or pack n play.

This is Alec's smooshed little face.
Big news around here. We laid sod in the backyard and it's pretty dope. First we spread around some compost soil that Erik brought in big truckloads and dumped in wheelbarrow piles around the yard. Then I would use a rake to spread around the piles. I have a lot of experience in spreading dirt. Ask my mom and dad.
The huz being all handy and hardworking and stuff.
There he is again, still at it, and now laying the sod. Our friend and home teacher Nick came by to help. It was a HUGE help. The weather was perfect and in about 2 or 3 hours all of the sod was laid.
Here's Reid the next morning, remembering that there's grass and wanting to play in it. He still had his pajamas on so we gave him a sweatshirt and let him at it. We love this grass so much. Pretty soon we'll have some friends to roam the grass, but I'll mention that later...
The babies like to chat with each other. Here they pulled themselves up next to each other and I heard both of them giggling and giggling at each other. Alec is on the left and Dane is on the right.
The gang all ready for a Sunday afternoon walk around the neighborhood.
On labor day we went to the beach for a few hours. I love being so close to the beach. There are some A+ beaches within an hour drive from our house, but there's also a B- beach that's only 15 minutes from our house. So we pick that one.
Best idea ever. I put the babies in sleepers to try and minimize the sand that seems to get everywhere. It worked pretty darn well. Plus, it reduced the surface area that needed sunscreen. Double awesome. Here's Dane checking out some dried seaweed-ish stuff.
All the boys.
Alec being cute.
Isn't their hair coming in so nicely? I love it.
Dane's cute mug.
Reid loves the beach. He's super psyched every time we go, and the whole time he has sand all over him and never seems to notice. When I give him a snack, he has sand all over his face and probably eats as much sand as he does snack, but he loves it.
Here are the babies modeling their new booster chairs. We copied our awesome friends the Crandells and just skipped the whole high chair stage and went straight to this booster business. It worked great with Reid, and our babies love it, too. Here's Dane.
And Alec.
And another one of Dane. Look at how crazy huge his eyes are! Even as a tiny baby he's always had such bright eyes.
Bathtime. After a lot of trial and error, I've discovered that the boys like the sink the best. Especially Alec. Alec hated baths in the tub, but will now endure a bath in the sink without screaming. Sometimes he even smiles a little bit.
The boys are always playing together. One morning I found them all congregated by the window.
Then by the piano.
Last Friday we had a little birthday party for me. It was a success and a failure mixed in one. A success because our awesome friends the McCunes came over and partied with us. We had ice cream sundaes and here's Reid going to town on his ice cream. Sometimes utensils just slow him down, so he takes matters into his own hands. Literally. The party was a failure because I invited like 6 families and only one ended up coming. That sucks. It sucks being the new kid all the time and not really having close friends. Then, by the time you're in one place long enough to make close friends, you move again. Sucks. I want to be like, "I'm Emily, I throw fun parties! Hello?!" Oh, and I bought enough ice cream for an army, plus all kinds of sundae toppings. Which are now in my pantry. And I've decided to go on a sugar diet. As in a diet from sugar. Not a diet made of sugar. More on that later.
The boys enjoying the grass. Check out Alec's face in this one.
And Dane's face in this one.
This year we learned from last year's cake fiasco and just went with my favorite. A classic. Rainbow party chip. Erik employed his creativity to make this beautiful cake. That's me in some cheesy pajamas in the back.
The candles are sparkler candles, and Reid wasn't quite sure how he felt about the sparks.
Yeah, he was a little bit concerned. But the cake was awesome, and the birthday was probably my favorite ever. Erik was like superhero husband awesome. More about that later.
These pictures are just cute. I gave the babies those baby toast things and Dane wasn't quite sure what to do with it.
Here's the Reidman being adorable.
Alec loved the little toasts and is modeling why I'm never buying that crap again. I forgot how messy they are. There was toast mush and crumbs everywhere. Seriously. Everywhere.

Now, the moment you've all been waiting for...

The winner of the cookies!

Reid helped me pick a winner...
and that person is...
Casey! Suh-weet! Casey and I are friends from all the way back into elementary school, and I'm so glad that weird things like facebook and blogs have brought us back into each other's life. So, homegirl, email me your address so I can send you some sugar-induced comas.
The next issue of the blog will be a full report on Monday's successful birthday-ing. The theme of which is: Erik is the best.

It'll be a good one.