Weise: No guests, but the party was still a hit

MONTREAL - Dale and Lauren Weise will have a good story to share with their fraternal twins about their very first birthday party someday.

The couple recently threw Jersey and Hayes a low-key celebration back home in Winnipeg to mark the occasion amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

No guests could partake in the festivities indoors due to social distancing restrictions, unfortunately, but that didn't stop the Weises from having a blast amongst themselves.

"I never would've thought you could have a family birthday party with nobody there and have as much fun as we did," said Weise, 31, who returned to his native Manitoba two weeks ago. "We set up balloons, and Lauren did a really good job of making some smash cakes for them. We had the music going all day. We were just dancing and having a good time as a family. It was cool to spend the whole day as a family partying and having fun."

The pictures from the event speak for themselves.

Jersey and Hayes were the stars of the show from start to finish, while their older siblings Hunter and Jordana were eager to lend a helping hand.

"The twins get a ton of attention every day all day long, but they really made sure we weren't doing anything else. We just literally focused on them. They had a great day. They loved the cake," mentioned Weise. "I know Hayes loves getting dirty. Jersey's a little more dainty. She's a little bit more polite when she eats. But, I think the kids really had a good time."

Being on full-time daddy duty again has Weise smiling from ear to ear right now.

He genuinely enjoys everything about fatherhood and the incredible experiences that come with it.

"It's been crazy and wild. It's been everything I could've expected. They're so much fun. It's chaos from 6:30 in the morning until 8:30 at night, but me and Lauren, we just love it. Our kids are the best part of our life," praised Weise. "We're just sitting here and seeing how fast time goes by. The last year flew by. Hunter's going to be seven and Jordana's going to be five. It really does go by fast. I look back at coming to Montreal the first time, and Hunter was just six months old."

There's no denying that Hunter and Jordana make their parents' lives a little easier when it comes to caring for Jersey and Hayes.

They both assist in their own unique ways, however.

"Jordana's amazing. She's a built-in babysitter, a little mommy. She always wants to help. When we go and take the babies for a bath, right before we put them to bed, Jordana's in the living room cleaning," explained Weise. "Hunter on the other hand, he likes to play with them, throw stuff around with them, and have a good time. He does a good job entertaining, so they get a good balance from everybody."

But he gives Lauren a standing ovation for being a wonderful mother.

She's a rockstar, according to the 10-year NHL veteran.

"I think first and foremost I realized over the last couple of months - not that I didn't realize before - but just how much work really goes into being a stay-at-home mom. I've appreciated it before, but to handle four kids, it literally is non-stop from the time you get up to the time you get in bed at night - changing diapers, cleaning up, making food, making four different meals because our kids are all different eaters," praised Weise. "And the twins have such different personalities, so managing that. Hayes is so loud and demanding. If you don't watch him, he's climbing on the couches. Thank goodness for Jersey, she doesn't make a lot of noise, she eats so clean, and she goes to bed easy. It's hilarious to watch both of them. They've been a welcome addition."