Inspired by Food Librarian

I'm not the craftiest person in the world. I attempt very little in terms of decorating projects, art projects, making my own gifts, baking, etc. Last night, to make a boring meal of leftovers more exciting I decided to make cupcakes.

So using a boxed cake mix (gasp!) Bea and I made 24 dark chocolate cupcakes.

Before we started though, I investigated my options for frosting. My good friend, The Food Librarian, always writes in her blog about "then I whipped up an easy batch of powdered sugar frosting". So I looked in my Sunset Easy Basics for Good Cooking (1982; my mom gave it to me when I went away to college in 1992) and found a recipe for Fluffy Butter Frosting (p. 181).

I made a half recipe (mostly because I only had 1/2 a pound of powdered sugar) and then colored half the frosting orange and the other half purple. I had just enough Halloween themed M&M's to top each cupcake.

Bea got to frost two cupcakes all by herself. She kept proclaiming, "I love frosting."

The Remodel

Watch the progress of the remodel on our house:

Oh, the girl

Gosh I love this girl. Beatrice is growing up so fast. I took this picture of her the other day after I had painted her nails and she looked so big and grown-up to me in the photo. She's taken a big blow with the arrival of the twins. She's a typical three-year old, full of independence and neediness, and I wish I had more time to focus on just her. Oh well.

She loves to hug and kiss Simon & Oliver. She also loves to dance like a ballerina. She has a tu-tu which she quickly puts on anytime we have visitors. Here she is posing with Oliver.

She also moved into the preschool on campus, and so that's added another component of change to her life. Luckily she transitioned with her best friend and she also knows most of the kids in her classroom. Here she is sitting with her best friend on the merry-go-round. I laughed because I told them to hold on tight and they proceeded to hold onto each other as well. :)

This last photo is of her and my Uncle John (my father's brother) down at Canal Park when they visited in July. I just thought this was a cute photo of them talking and her holding onto his hand. The last time she saw him was two years ago, so to her it was like the first time.

Announcing......

Introducing our new arrivals on July 22, 2009:

Simon Francis
5 pounds, 3 ounces
18 inches
8:59 p.m.

&

Oliver Amos
7 pounds, 1 ounce
19.3 inches
9:10 p.m.

Now that I've had 7 hours of sleep since midnight, I have some energy to post.

The boys arrived on Wednesday July 22nd, 2009. From first contraction to Simon's delivery was 2 hours and 15 minutes. I don't recommend attempting such a quick labor alone! :) A more descriptive birth story will be coming soon.

All the stars aligned for having a natural twin deliver with minimal intervention (babies both head down, no epidural, no IV (until after deliver), no cesarean and my back-up doctor on call). St. Luke's Hospital delivers twins in the operating room, which tells you a little bit about the way most twin deliveries go.

Here are some photos:


Simon after he'd been cleaned up


Oliver after he'd been cleaned up


Proud mama with Oliver & Simon (all looking a little beat up)


Bea's first interaction with Oliver


Bea's first interaction with Simon


Proud Clay holding his two boys (Oliver & Simon)


Leaving the hospital on July 25, 2009


Simon nursing on Oliver's hand


Oliver & Simon nose to nose