It takes two...

Today, mommy and Lizzy found a new tooth pushing through next to Ol' Chomper in Ervin's mouth. Lizzy said that now that Ervin has two teeth, he should be able to eat ice cream. Ervin, however, was unavailable for comment (or picture) so get your own peak next time you see him. :)



Yesterday daddy finished installing Ervin's birthday swing. Ervin was very patient while daddy finished installing it, and was very excited to give it a test run. While Ervin was swinging, Lizzy had fun riding her tricycle. Here are some photos of the happy duo.

Birthday Boy Ervin!

Happy Birthday Ervin!!!

Today was Ervin's 1st birthday. I can't believe it's already been a year! So much has happened since Ervin was born.

If there was one person who had more fun with Ervin's birthday than Ervin, it would be Lizzy. She was so excited all day at the prospect of going to the "party store" with Daddy when he got home. Apparently, after searching the store for the proper party decor Ervin was presented two choices: dinosaurs, and Disney/Pixar's Cars. He didn't even hesitate.... Cars. He becomes more like Zak every day. :)

We started the festivities by opening presents. Ervin received a card from "Grandpa" Clair with a duck and bubbles on it. He was so excited for the card we had to pry it from his hands to get him to even notice his presents! Lizzy was just chomping at the bit to hand over presents to open, and was extremely helpful in offering her present-opening expertise to Ervin.

After presents we proceeded to dinner of Mac 'n' Cheese Meatloaf. Ervin of course ate just as much as Lizzy, if not considerably more, without the need to add in Lizzy's words "syrup" (ketchup).

Then came the thing everyone was waiting for.... dessert. I made ice cream cone cupcakes with devil's food cake and chocolate frosting. I searched online for any tips to make them a bit easier and I found some help from the Betty Crocker website. They suggested instead of baking them right-side up, put the batter in a muffin cup, place the cone on top, and bake. It went great! This way the cake doesn't overflow, plus the cake domes on top, making it look more like an ice cream cone when frosted.

But the most important part of our day was when Daddy switched Ervin's car seat to forward facing. Ervin was so excited. It was like he was in a whole new car. It was great.

All in all, a great way to spend Ervin's first birthday!

The Tunnel

Here's a picture of the kids and their "tunnel". Lizzy loves to build a tunnel using a blanket that is spread out over the ottoman and couch, creating a tunnel inbetween and underneath. Ervin loved to help her out today as he develops his standing skills. While straightening it out one time, they realized they can wave it up and down to create waves. That is what they are trying to do in this picture.

Also, we experienced great joy and rejoicing when Bugged Plants, Inc. came to spray our home to rid us inside of ants, gigantic dog-sized spiders, and the 30 or so bees living outside near the roof. They came a couple of months ago and we immediately noticed a huge difference. I think we have such a bug problem here due to the major swampy-marshy-foresty land that doubles as a backyard.