Happy Birthday Sam and Jacob

I can hardly believe that Sam and Jacob are ten years old. Last night I kept thinking about ten years ago--discovering I was pregnant with twin boys, having the boys 2 months early and their month in the NICU. Bringing the boys home and not sleeping for a good year. Going in to get them in the morning to see that one or the other had rolled over to the other side of the crib and was laying his head on his brother's chest. Hearing them babble to eachother. Having the fire department, police and all our neighbors out looking for them when they decided to play hide and seek one day. The end of naps when they both worked together to push their chest of drawers over during nap time. Waking up to find the boys had managed to climb up on the kitchen counter and reach the bag of 1500 dum dums on top of the fridge and had systematically taken the wrapper off each one and given each a single lick before moving on. Taking Sam to the emergency room for a bump on the head and the twins being separated for a few hours, then the boys running to eachother, arms outstretched down the hall "Sajjy!" "Jatob!" for a big hug. The boys getting on the bus to go to their preschool because they did so much twin talk and couldn't stand being apart. Sam and Jacob starting kindergarten and Jacob tapping on his classroom wall, sure that Sam could hear him in the classroom next door. The boys taking Tae Kwon Do and Sam helping Jacob at home to learn all the moves. Listening to the boys in their room talking late at night as they lay in their bunk beds. Spending hours jumping together off the roof of the shed to the trampoline and back again. Working on a tree house using our neighbor's sapling, much to his dismay. The boys getting baptized and putting their arms around eachother. Creating havoc at scouts together while mom was the den leader. Braving a new school in a foreign country together. Helping eachother with German homework.

Sam and Jacob are very different. From the time they were born we could easily tell them apart and we've had our fair share of brother fights, but for some reason they were meant to come together--maybe they needed eachother to handle me as a mom, but we feel so blessed to have them in our family. Sam's cute laugh that comes rumbling out in a "Huh" and Jacob's grin ear to ear. Sam literally climbing the walls and Jacob's boats constructed of paper and straws and a roll of tape. Hours of lego creations. Thousands of hugs. We love you guys!

The beatings can now begin!

Jacob requested a strawberry cake with vanilla frosting. Sam requested chocolate lasagna (that would be my choice too). Both of them wanted army men on their cakes--atleast that was the same!

About a week ago I told Sam he could choose the dinner for his and Jacob's b-days--he chose spaghetti and meatballs. I told Jacob he could choose their breakfast--he said he'd make me a list. This is what he had on his list:

Pancakes, butter, syrup, raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, hot chocolate, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, ice cold pineapple, wild cherry Coke, and bacon. Well, we indulged the child and he got everything except raspberries, which I couldn't find in the stores.

One of my friends from my German language class is Chinese. She brought me a Chinese birthday candle. It starts out all closed up and then when you light the first candle, it lights the rest of the candles and opens up the flower. The heat sets the flower spinning and plays "Happy Birthday" over and over and the grand finale is a fireworks display coming out of the middle of the flower. It made trick candles look amazingly dull. Thank you to our Grandmas who sent us so many wonderful birthday presents!