What a wonderful weekend!

I am sorry for the lack of posts in the past week, but there was not much good news to report.  Asher continued to poop several times a day, my cold was completely draining, and our nanny called out on the one day she works because of the weather.

But the week ended wonderfully, with a weekend away with our neighbors, Tom, Amy, and Paden, at their beach house.  We left Friday around 2, and it took only 1 1/2 hours to get to their house at the Jersey Shore.  They have a lovely house with 5 bedrooms, plenty of room for our family and theirs.

Paden sleeping peacefully

Our weekend mainly consisted of cooking, eating, and relaxing.  My boys were happy to make trouble all day long, of course.  Benjamin found some new trouble-making activities.  He managed to get up the carpeted steps at record speed!  Also, he enjoyed opening cabinets and pulling out whatever was inside:

Benjamin playing in one of the safer cabinets

Asher also monkeyed around.

Asher trying out his old infant seat that he gave to Paden

Asher remembering how to hop right out and scamper away

Friday night for dinner we had chicken, asparagus, and roasted potatoes.  Eric and Tom drank beer and wine, and Amy and I had ice cream for dessert.

Saturday morning I made pancakes, and the boys had pancakes and strawberries for breakfast.  Both were a big hit!

Asher with only pancake because he ate all his strawberries

When the boys went down for their morning nap, Amy and I made trouble in the kitchen.  She made a butternut squash and crab soup, and I made braised short ribs.  We had the soup for lunch and the short ribs for dinner, and everything was so delicious.

Tom and Amy were great hosts, and we really felt completely at home.  We all got along easily, and it was pleasant to be with a family with a baby of their own, who were not eager to go out during nap times or stay up late getting wild and crazy.

Tom and Amy let us use their video monitor while we were there, and it was so fun to use!  At nap time on Saturday, the boys riled each other up.  I looked at the monitor and didn't see Asher, so I assumed he was asleep.  Next thing I see, Asher is flying across the screen with a humongous goofy grin on his face. The next time I looked, Asher had taken off one of his socks and was waving it at Benjamin, who reached out and grabbed it, and they looked like a married couple doing the hora with a napkin.  Then they did tug-of-war (Asher won), and then it looked like Benjamin was crying, and Asher reached out to pat his hand and comfort him.  I really wish we had gotten a video monitor of our own!

Benjamin playing with Paden

We came home today to try to clean and run errands.  Eric's job was to install the boys' convertible seats so they would graduate from their infant seats.  I know we are "late" on this, but got the Chicco Keyfit-30s so we would have extra time in them.  But the boys' feet are hanging over the edge, and we estimated Asher's height at 29 or 29 1/2 inches, so it was time.  Here is Benjamin modeling his new big-boy car seat:

 He is a total ham for the camera.  He was sitting in that seat with no real expression on his face until Eric pulled out the camera, and then he grinned like a supermodel on a photo shoot.  He is so adorable!  Both boys get cuter each day.

I am starting to plan their first birthday, and have some ideas in the works... I need to get on the invitations this week so that people have plenty of advance notice!  I cannot believe my little angels are so close to 1 year old!