Happy Birthday Oliver and Silas!

 How can it be that my babies are NINE!

What in the world would I do without these sweet, fun, cute boys who fill my days with hugs and kisses and enthusiasm and their great and original thoughts and ideas???!!!

We had a great (and packed) day.

We started with a birthday breakfast with the blueberry pancakes they found a recipe for online and simply had to try. They were good! A friend who sometimes catches a ride to school with us showed up early so he joined us for breakfast.

The twins got their first presents of the day at breakfast - the ski goggles and basketballs they've been dearly wanting!

I picked them up at lunchtime and we went to their favorite place for lunch - Zupas. Then they came home with me so they could have some special time with the puppy and help me make their birthday cake (Chicago chocolate cinnamon cake) and birthday dinner (lasagna). They LOVE helping me cook so we spent some quality time in the kitchen together.

This sweet puppy was so fun to have around for their birthday. But we placed an add online and found her a really great new home the day after their birthday. (We had like 30 people call/email about her within minutes of placing the ad and I let the kids help pick which people should get her. They got to meet the lady we decided would be best and say their goodbyes to the puppy the day after their birthday and everyone felt great about everything in the end - but there were a few tears!)

Then the twins had basketball practice and scouts (where they got to work on their Pinewood Derby cars which they thought was the perfect thing to get to do on their birthday). So we had a late dinner and ice cream and cake and everyone gave their presents and it was a lovely day.

Ashton gave them coupons saying he'd walk them to 7 Eleven to get the treats of their choice - they LOVE going on special "brother dates" with Ashton! (Ashton just got back from sledding with the young men so he has great hat-hair here.)

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Eliza set up all the twins' stuffed dogs in the living room with birthday signs and special hats/costumes as her special surprise present for the twins. They were thrilled.

Isaac gave the twins this little remote control car of his that they always want to play with. So nice of him. Didn't get a photo. Oh well.

Here's my dad's birthday poem for these two - he captures them very well!

Oliver and Silas,
Silas and Oliver.
Either way you say it, it is a dynamic duo,
A volcano of enthusiasm,
A deluge of delight!
When we popped in for a surprise the other night
I got tackled by two whooping, hollering banshees,
And it was the highlight of my day!
These two little power packages
are also the motherlodes of love.
They love you with their eyes and with their laughs of delight.
They love you with their muscular hugs,
And they love you with their strong spirits.
Love right back at cha fellers.
The world has been a much better place for these past 9 years
With you guys on it!

Love to the end of the universe from
Grandfather

And here are the posters the twins made to present at school on their birthday. Fun to see what they wanted to write about themselves. And of course they had to include photos with what they labeled on the poster as their "temporary dog."