Actress Julie Bowen had her hands full of children last Friday at The Coop in Studio City, Calif, where she threw a birthday bash for 1-year-old twins Johnny and Gus.
The party was organized to raise money and supplies for Baby2Baby, a charity founded in 2006 by Marnie Owens, Lee Michel and Karis Jagger (Mick Jagger's daughter) that donates gently used baby items to families in need.
Bowen, 39, has been involved with Baby2Baby since the birth of her oldest son, Oliver, 3.
"Honestly, [the twins] have more than enough stuff and there are so many families in Los Angeles that don't even have the bare necessities," the Modern Family star tells UsMagazine.com. "So if I can take two over-privileged kids' birthdays and use it as an opportunity to get other kids the stuff they need, I'm overjoyed to do that."
Parents noshed on salads and mini sandwiches while kids were treated to cupcakes and rice crispy treats. Along with slides and a huge ball pit, children also got face paintings and made balloon animals.
The mom, who recently told Us that her secret to getting into shape after having twins was running, displayed a slim physique in skinny jeans and a white top. While attendees gushed over the birthday twins, Bowen described Johnny as a "Mister Gadget" and Gus as "more lovey needy."
"They're starting to do a little tiny bit of walking but they are mostly interested in being picked up and getting a ride wherever they can," she tells Us.
She jokes that big brother Oliver is jealous of his little bros.
"I love Oliver," she says. "He is my first and is always going to have a very special place in my heart. But he has not come around to understanding the beauty of his brothers. He will, eventually, but we just have to try and make sure he doesn't kill them."
Her mommy must-have items include "a wide variety of snacks and juice boxes."
"And I've got boys, so trucks and balls and cars," she continues. "If it rolls, it moves, it makes a noise or if you can turn it into a gun! By the way, you can turn anything into a gun it turns out. You can turn a flower into a gun! So, all the attempts to not have weapons around the house, just don't work. You can turn a sock into a gun, so it doesn't make any difference."
When it comes to bonding with the kids on the Modern Family set, Bowen describes them as "amazing" and says she evens feels a maternal instinct toward them.
"Arie [Winter, who plays her daughter, Alex]l, Nolan [Gould; her son, Luke) and Rico [Rodriguez; her cousin, Manny] are the funniest kids I have ever met in my life," she says. "Rico is a genius! He is hilarious. And it's funny because I swear like a sailor so I have to keep that under wraps!"
