August Aquarium Visit

Back in August, we went to the Explorium with Ninah and her twin sister, Aunt Jan. Here are some of our favorite photos from the trip!

Ninah Tries to Rein in a Crazy Free Range Toddler on the Sahara

Aunt Jan Puzzles the Great Mysteries of Life With The Boys

Touch Tanks Are Meant for GENTLE Touching... We're Still Working On That!

I LOVE a Fun Day With My Brother!
(Gabriel Up Front, Elias In Back)

I Can't Even Caption It! It's Just TOO CUTE!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

We haven't been up here in a LONGGGGG time, but tonight we had something so cute, it would have been criminal not to post: Halloween Pictures!!!!

We've had a busy Halloween season -- punctuated by many different costumes and LOTS of fun! Last night we went to the Great Pumpkin Drop in Old Town Auburn -- dressed as a ladybug and fireman. Unfortunately, Kathy didn't have the forethought to get photos of that! But she did get photos of us going to Halloween storytime this morning!

Jus' Hangin' 'Round The Corral, Ya'll

Howdy Pa'dna' -- Cowpoke Elias Needs a Nap!
(You may want to take a sec to look back and compare these kids to the ones wearing the same costumes last year!)

But these were all Practice costumes, because last week when we asked the boys what they wanted to be for Halloween, they clearly said, "A Fire Engine" and "A Balloon." So... after much head scratching, this is what Chris and Kathy came up with:

Brace Yourself Folks,
This Kind of Cuteness Can Have Unwanted Side Effects

Elias checks for showers before taking off to the skies!

Four-Alarm Cuteness Straight Ahead!

Who Called For Fire Chief Gabe???

And for those of you who are wondering, the amazing, magnificent Daddy-Chris made that Fire Engine! And he will make you one too -- for the low-low price of $1999.99

Look out Monkeyman; E's Tongue is Comin' for you!

You may be wondering just how we convinced twin two-year-olds to wear bulky,cumbersome costumes while walking around in the presence of strangers. We used an ancient, powerful parenting move -- passed down from generations of masters who came before us. And, though we are hesitant to share such precious information in such a public forum, we have decided to do just that. Ladies and gentlemen, that sacred move is...

...the Lollipop Bribe!

That's right -- for 2 hours, we roamed the streets of Georgetown appeasing the cries of our toddlers with sugar -- slowly absorbed through the stickiness smeared on their hands, face and hair.

This Sugar High Feels Goooooooood!

Edited to Add: While Gabe remained quietly engrossed in his lollipop throughout the Trick'r'Treating experience, Elias came progressively more and more out of his shell. He started out silent, and then started whispering (and eventually YELLING) "Trick Or Treat!" anytime the big kids were around and he felt worried he wouldn't be noticed. This morphed into long stories to strangers about the candy they had just given him and his favorite candy from earlier in the evening (e.g. "You give me Lollipop and big candy. I have three big lollipop!") By the end of the night, he was reduced to once again ignoring the people giving out candy while promptly and loudly telling Chris and Kathy, "I go find MORE CANDY now!"

Thank YOU!

Wow! This weekend we walked with THOUSANDS of other folks in the March of Dimes March for babies. It was fabulous!

Capital after most folks have started walking.

The boys and mom were all sick, but we coughed and sneezed our way through all six miles. It was really amazing to be there with so many other families celebrating and remembering their miracle babies.

Sick, but excited!

We walked with our local Mothers of Multiples club. We had all the participants from last year's walk, plus a few more. It was great, but I think we definitely slowed things down... You can't have that many multiple strollers side-by-side and not irritate a crowd! :-)

That's a gaggle of babies!

THANK YOU!!! Thanks to your support, we raised over $1200 for the March of Dimes. We feel so blessed to have so many awesome friends and family members. You guys rock!

THANK YOU!

The Full Monty

It's that time of year again. Neither Kathy nor Chris is writing this post. That's right. This is Gabriel and Elias in the flesh on the blog just for you, our many fans around the globe.

Once a year, we take a pause in our busy social calendar to advocate for a cause that is very important to us: The March of Dimes annual March for Babies. This year, our goal is to raise $2000 to help all the babies born in 2009.

But, ya know, so far we aren't doing so well. With less than two weeks to go before the walk, we are less than halfway to our goal. So we spent a little time doing marketing research to find out what sells.

And, well, here's what we learned...

Skin Sells.

Just so show you how important the March of Dimes is to us, we decided to bare it all for a good cause. So, take a seat and chat with us about all the awesome things the March of Dimes does!

Grab a seat, the grass feels GRREEAAAATT!

You know the March of Dimes isn't just about research. They also do tons of work with women all over the United States to help prevent premature birth. That education has helped many families and babies who don't even know that they benefited! And the March of Dimes has programs to support the many families whose babies spend time in the NICU. Mom and Dad say that was the hardest part of their lives and they needed the help and encouragement provided by March of Dimes funding.

When babies are born premature, the March of Dimes has been critical in helping them to survive. When we were born 8 weeks early, we experienced consequences that affected our lungs, heart and brains. All were caught early and we were screened for a number of other things. When you support the March of Dimes, your money will help save other kids by screening for problems like the ones we had.

Check out these bod's! You know you're jealous.

Gabe here -- I want to give a special shout out to the March of Dimes. Being born is scary, especially when you are arriving before you're ready. I was so scared that my lungs and heart stopped working altogether!! But thanks to March of Dimes research, my body was jump-started quickly enough that today you'd never know I was a preemie! Check it out!

Gabe -- Paragon of Physical Perfection :-)

We hope you will take a moment to go to www.marchforbabies.org/kgoddard to sponsor us. Give what you can -- whether it is $5 or $50, we and all the babies yet to be born so appreciate your help!

Okay -- we've gotta get back to training now. Sure 6 miles doesn't sounds like very far for you, but our legs are only 12 inches long! Plus, Mom and Dad make that stroller really hard to push! Thanks for letting us 'air' all our thoughts!

I don't just go out there and run. I like to give people watching something exciting.
- Steve Prefontaine

And to our many fans who have already generously donated, this one's for you!

THANK YOU!!!!

San Diego Baby! January Flashback

We have skipped over so much over the past few months. There are some things we just don't want to forget, so we'll be backtracking occasionally over the coming weeks to share some of our recent adventures. In January Chris left his old job and started working for the Army Corps of Engineers. He took a week off to enjoy a brief moment of unemployment and we took an impromptu trip to San Diego... and it was AMAZING!

If you are thinking of coming to visit us, don't do it. Instead, go to San Diego and we will meet you there. The weather was great, the city was awesome, the people were friendly, and the food was delicious. And don't get us started on the BEACH!

Good Morning San Diego!
Walking on the water right outside our hotel

Sure, I'll have breakfast right here!

Gabe enjoys extra bedding options!

It's wet and I'm runnin'!

Gabe reflects on the future

Ninah Fun in Florida

Ninah hosted our terrific vacation in Florida and spent two and a half weeks helping Kathy herd the boys through their daily chaos and fun. Ninah always makes gingerbread men with the boys. Each visit they participate a little more in the baking process.

Licking the Bowl Was Our Favorite Part This Time!
(Gabe with spoon, E is staring enviously at the bowl.)

We also had a good time visiting Aunt Rachel and Uncle Justin in Dallas. The humans are fun, but cousin Bella the Mastiff is always the favorite!

Bella, Gabe, Elias & Ninah -- Can We Fit Anything Else On This Couch?
A Partridge In A Pear Tree, Perhaps?

THANK YOU NINAH!
We had a fabulous time!

Family Fun!

One of the best parts of our trip to Florida was getting to see some of Kathy's extended families -- including cousins and their children who we hadn't met! Fortunately the boys weren't too shy and jumped in with the other kids!

Cousin Love!
Andy gives Gabe a big lifting hug

The Boys Anchor the Stroller Viewing Line with Molly & Clay (peeping from behind)

Spring Break on the Redneck Riviera broke out while we were visiting. It turns out that giggling toddlers running around on the beach is a calling beacon for co-ed hotties. Interestingly enough, some family members seemed more interested to test this theory...

Chick MAGNETS!
Great Uncles Bill & Gary Reaping the Many Benefits of Babysitting!

And of course, we always love getting to see great Grandma and Grandpa and playing in the garden by their house!

Dang! Thems Some Good Lookin' Genes!
Four Generations of Hauns! (Ice Cream Parlors Beware!)