Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Fantastic Weekend!

We had a great family day this past Saturday. I know I've said this time and time again, but our little guys are just so pleasant. I realize they could turn into tiny monsters any time, but until then I am touting their amazing ability to just go with the flow.

Our group of girlfriends have been trying to meet twice per month. Once for dinner and once for a family party or outing. I've been so lucky to be a part of a wonderful group of girls...um, I guess we're women now.

Anyhow, this months outing was a morning at the zoo. With so many friends around we were even able to let the boys out to run around a bit. Each time we go to the zoo they are more and more excited. Lily even barked at a Bongo.



After loading three tired tots up we decided to skip eating out for lunch. I got to feed a sandwich, 2 fruit bars, and a banana to them on the way home. It's amazing I didn't get car sick this time.

We got home and they took a 3 hour nap. It was heaven.Since we were SO well rested we headed out for a family dinner at a nearby restaurant. Everything was easy sailing until we headed out and realized we had a flat tire. I spent the next 30 minutes entertaining babies while Brian was laboring away in the parking lot. Thank goodness straws are so fascinating....

We had a blast this past weekend. We went to the Zoo with several of our friends and their families. I definitely should have worn shorts, however. We let the boys out to run around a little and I was sweating by the time we got back to the car!


I was so lucky to be able to host a baby shower for a good friend of ours that lives in Maryland Sunday afternoon. We are expanding our group by another baby girl! Thanks so much Kayleen for making the trip down to TX so we could celebrate with you! We love you!

Monday, April 27, 2009

New Friends

We've been on several play dates lately. Some with old friends and some with new. Thought I"d share a few pics of our new friends.

Our first big outing was the New Member play date of a local Mom's League that I joined. Yep, I joined a big group of a lot of people that I don't know. I joined mainly because they have weekly playgroups, but I also felt that surely these local women could give me the scoop on what to do around here. Oh yeah, and hopefully I would make a few friends as well. I was extremely nervous, mainly because I was taking three toddlers to a park by myself.

I'd love to tell you that it was a fantastic time and I found all of my new best friends. It was o.k. I barely spoke to anyone b/c I was chasing the kiddos around. I did, however, find out that the boys LOVED the sandbox and Lily HATED it. Oh well, at least I could keep them somewhat corralled there. Mainly it was stressful, but I'm glad I went. I am making an effort. I am not giving up on them yet.

At first glance it would seem that the boys had made some new friends below. The boy in the green was actually taunting Jack with a really cool truck. He kept waving it in front of Jack's smiling happy face and telling him he couldn't touch it...all while Ben was inspecting his shoe. I'm not sure this is the type of friendship I was hoping for?


BUT.... Our next play dates have been amazing and wonderful. I didn't realize how happy it would make me to see my children make friends, especially when those friends are such great children...which of course they would be b/c they have great parents!

We met up with two of my friends whom I used to work with. Here's Gabe and Ben checking each other out.

Lily is just fascinated by BIG girls and was so happy to have fun with Molly.


Here's the whole crew. Kind of strange to think I brought half of the kids, huh? Lily liked Gabe so much she repeatedly stole his pacifier out of his mouth. I hope I don't have a bully on my hands!


Last Thursday my trio got to meet another trio. I have been lucky to find another triplet Mom who is helping me figure out how to do all of this. It's nice to be able to talk to someone who's been through all of this and survived. I'm finding with this new stage I'm having more and more questions. There's so many things I want to do and sometimes the only barrier is figuring out a way to do it by myself. I have also joined a local Mom's of Multiples group.

Here's having fun at Northeast Mall!

Here's Bennie checking out the ladies at lunch!

We've had a blast and are looking forward to lots of new experiences. I've especially enjoyed getting to hang out with my friends again!

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Our New Crazy Cups.

Each morning for breakfast I fix the babies yogurt smoothies. They LOVE them. As soon as Jack sits in his chair he starts signing milk. It's easy... 8 oz whole milk yogurt, 1/2 cup fruit, 1 tbsp wheat germ, 1/2 avacado, then 4-5 oz of milk. I've been serving them in the Take and Toss straw cups. Which has worked great until Lily became strangely obsessed with pulling the straw out. Then she lovingly taught her brothers how to do the same. Monkey see...monkey do.


So, I was wondering through WalMart one night(because that's what I do for fun these days), and I found these crazy cups. They were in the seasonal section, you know where they have all the fun plastic cups, plates, and serving stuff? They were only 96 cents so I thought I'd give it a try. Works great!





As an added bonus....they look like something straight out of "Dazed And Confused"!

Friday, April 17, 2009

So How Does One Go Shopping With Triplets???

I've been to WalMart and Central Market several times with the babies, but I always had to unload the stroller, put them in it, then load it back up when we were done. It's just a lot of work for a very short amount of time. It's also not feasible to buy a large quantity of items because there's nowhere to put them. Unless you push the stroller and pull the cart behind you. Which some parents of multiples have to do. For reals.


Since we are now at of RSV season. (Yippee!) I feel fairly safe about putting them in a shopping cart now, I just wipe it off with a Clorox wipe before I load them in. There's a few logistical issues with a regular old shopping cart, however.


How about this picture below of the babies first shopping trip to Target. Notice we are breaking every single safety rule possible. No seat belts, standing in the cart, children in the cargo area. Oh yeah, we are flirting with danger.




After this trip, which was the quickest trip to Target EVER, I decided I had to rethink this. I didn't even buy anything. In all honesty, I just wanted to see if it could be done. It can and I did. There is, however, NO WAY I could have bought very much. It would have had to fit UNDER the cart for sure.

Clearly a weeks worth of groceries could not be purchased using this method.

Which leads me to our next adventure.


Shopping for groceries at WalMart. It makes you afraid just reading that doesn't it??? It should.


We've gone twice now. The first time was a little scary, not going to lie. We worked out a few kinks for the second trip. Here's how it can be done:

1. Use the Special Kid-Friendly Cart. Our Walmart has a whole row of special carts with two plastic seats on the back. Unfortunately they are located INSIDE. So, it's best to go after lunch when you can be sure at least one or two of these carts will be located in the cart holders in the parking lot. I did quite a bit of driving around the parking lot this last time, but it was worth it. It's better to load them in by the car. Otherwise you have to wipe down a regular cart, put them in, go inside, wipe down another cart, then strap them in. It's just wasted time.

2. Bring your own seat belts. Through our restaurant travels I've figured out that seat belts in public places only work about 50 percent of the time. Not great statistics when you have 3 children that need seat belts. The initial trip to Walmart included a very faulty seat belt for Jack which became a real problem at the check-out line. After the first trip I figured out that I had to bring my own. So I did. Brian bought me some belts from REI that work great. Technically you are not supposed to put a kid up top where a kid would normally sit b/c there's no leg holes. We do it anyway. I just belt them in for safety with my nifty REI belts.

3. Make a list. Organize it by isle/area. If you don't you will forget something important. Like milk. It is easy to get distracted when there is SO much going on in front of you. Lily wanted to stand up and kept reaching for things in the basket. Bennie kept sliding down and strangling himself with the belt. Jack was busy waving to EVERYONE and saying Hi! Thank goodness for the little man at the front door who gave them stickers which occupied them for at least 5 minutes.

4. Wear your tennis shoes and walk real darn fast. For some reason the faster you go the quieter they are. Weird, huh?

I'll take pics of them in the cart soon. It's just been a little too hectic to get it done so far.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Takin' It To The Streets.

RSV season is officially over!!!

It's actually been over for a few weeks but we've been so busy that I haven't been able to post about it.

What does this mean? No more isolation. No more being a scaredy cat about everyone touching them. No more restrictions about who can come over and where we can go.

Yep, we're pretty much normal people now. Finally. The relief is overwhelming. I'm just a normal Mom with three normal toddlers that can do anything that normal toddlers actually do. Parks, McDonalds, grocery trips, playgroups, whatever. We can do it. I am just so excited I can't stand it.

I remember last year Brian and I having a discussion about what this would be like. I think he was worried that I would continue to be germ-phobic after our "quarantine" had ended. I really don't think he has anything to worry about. I'm so sick and tired of being abnormal I just want us to do the things that everyone else gets to do.
Instead I am finding that I have other worries.

With the relief, which believe me is the biggest emotion, I'm also finding that I have a little fear creeping in. Fear of the unknown. Fear of doing things that I have never done. Fear of doing things wrong.

I will admit my biggest fear in life(besides heights and closed-in spaces) is the thought of being embarrassed in public. I can't stand it. I go out of my way to avoid situations in which I have no idea what I am doing. My biggest fear is looking like an idiot. Or looking like I have no idea what I am doing. My tactic has always been to avoid being in situations like this. If I'm unsure or scared of something I just don't do it.

Then I had three wonderful, beautiful, amazing babies. They have now grown into three smart, social, inquisitive toddlers. They are also unpredictable? Oh yeah, and they have no common sense. On top of all of that they have no perception of fear or danger. They simply do whatever they want. It can be screaming in the middle of a store, running across a parking lot, or biting a fellow playmate.

Hmmm. I see a conflict, do you?

I have a feeling this summer will be filled with a lot of mistakes, a lot of do-overs, and a whole bunch of learning. I'm also guessing I will have my fair share of embarrassing moments, don't you?

I have promised myself that my fears and shortcomings WILL NOT stop me from doing things with my children. Even if it seems hard or impossible I will find a way, even if I look like a big doofus. Which I'm pretty sure I will at some point along the way.

My Mom has lots of fun stories about embarrassing things that I did. I believe I asked someone who was dipping snuff why he had worm dookie in his mouth. Oh yeah, then there was the time I peed in my Granny's front yard. Let's not forget about the time they had to stop an entire roller coaster because I freaked out.

I guess I can handle a few stares because I have to push Lily in a stroller, pull Bennie on a kid leash, and carry Jack...who is trying with all his might to escape. Please people, if you see this DO NOT stop me to talk.

I want them to experience all of the same stuff any other kid their age experiences. More than that I want to experience those things with them. I want to be strong and conquer my fears so they will not have the same fears someday. I want them to know that I'm always there to help them figure out how to do the things that are hard. Because life is hard and it is filled with lots of stuff that's scary.

This journey is teaching me a lot about myself. Not every day has been easy, but even the hard days end. I've also learned the difficult moments drag on forever while the fun times fly. I want to be the best at this that I can be, which means a lot of trial and error. I've got the routine down here at home now I have to figure out what works and what doesn't in the public eye. Nothing like trial by fire.

So here we go. Off to make friends. Off to do things that we have never done. Off to look stupid at times. Off to have fun. Off to make beautiful memories.

Stay tuned for all the antics!

See what I mean?
Yep. That's Ben on the back of the couch and that's Jack clinging to the couch for dear life. I hope they make it to their teenage years with all of their appendages.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Thanks For The Memories...And The Rest!

Rhonda and Terry's birthday present to me this year (29) was a weekend of babysitting. Great idea guys! This present resulted in a weekend away for Brian and I... Brian did a fantastic job of

We headed out west to the Wildcatter Ranch in Graham Tx.

We had a great room in a log cabin with a beautiful view from our back porch. The rooms had all the bells and whistles including a gas fireplace. So romantic!
Ah yes...the self-portrait...of two very happy and relaxed parents of triplets!


I spent most of my time hanging out watching Brian fish and reading a new (not so long) book. In fact, I finished the entire thing on our trip. We also had a stellar dinner at the steakhouse.
And did a very small amount of hiking.

It was a great trip and much needed. Thanks to everyone who made it possible. I love the day-to-day grind with three toddlers, but a little R & R is always welcome. We went our own speed, did our own things, and ate a massive amount of junk food...Just the way a vacation should be.
The babies had a blast at Nonnie and Poppie's house and had lots of visitors while they were there. They kept them moving and shaking the whole time. Apparently wheelbarrow rides were a favorite activity. We sure did miss them, however, and as always had lots of conversations about them. It's funny how they are NEVER far from our hearts or minds. We love them bunches!

Sunday, April 5, 2009

The Longest Book Ever.

I just wanted to share with ya'll my latest accomplishment.

I love to read. I always have a book going. I'm an extremely fast reader. I read every single day.

And then one day I got cocky.

I purchased this book from my local Half Price Books.

Admittedly, it was one of the best books I have ever read. It is entertaining, insightful, and educational. I understand so much more about the history of man and religioun, the evolution of our current religious system, and the overall beliefs of the different sects of religion.

It was a fantastic read and I HIGHLY recommend it.

But Holy Cow. It took me about 5 months to read it. I read every night, almost. It is almost 1,000 pages of the very smallest print ever. And the smallest margins ever.

But, I did it and I am a better person for it.

My next 10 books will be mindless romantic comedies, however. With maybe a comic book or two thrown in.

Friday, April 3, 2009

The Conch

Often the first question people ask when they know we have triplets is: "Do they play together?"

It's a great question. It makes sense, right? I mean, lots of parents of multiples have told me that is the BEST thing as they get older, that they have built in playmates. They will always have someone there to play hide-and-seek, imagination games, and of course to get into trouble with. And, let's face it, this is without a doubt a big bonus for me. When they do get to that point it will mean less entertaining that Mommy has to do.

They are most definitely NOT at that point now.

A most curious phenomenon has occurred in recent days. Brian and I have termed this phenomenon...."The Conch". (Ya Ya, remember "Lord of The Flies"?????)

Each day it's a different toy. Sometimes it's a toy that has been around for months and months, like a rubber duck. And, even though we have multiple ducks available to them, it is JUST the PINK duck. Sometimes it's a commonly used and very available item, like their cups that have their names on them. Again...three cups...only the one that has Lily's name on it is the most sought after item of that day. Often, it's not even a toy. It can be some one's shoe, the remote, or even some small piece of trash. Their is simply no logic to it.

It can be a puzzle piece, a wooden shape, a piece of plastic food, the magna-doodle, a solo cup, a zip lock bag, the nose sucker, or my shoe. All it really has to be is something that somebody else wants. And what makes any item on any certain day THE CONCH, simply escapes me.

But, the most amazing thing, is the shear amount of frustration and anger that this one small and seemingly insignificant item can bring. Screaming, crying, hitting, hair-pulling, and biting are all apparently good ways to deal with this anger. Or not.

I mean, really, what kind of show would I be running if that was the lesson I was trying to teach?

They each have their own methods of winning, all of which work at one time or another.

Bennie, aka the Bendozer, uses brute force to steal. For reals. He just runs over and sits on someone and takes the toy. He then musters up as much lightning quick speed as his short little fat legs can handle. Let's face it, those things are meant for power not speed. But, for now it works for him. Until the other two get faster.

Jack, being my toe-walker, tippy toes over quietly, gives whatever the item is a quick yank, and runs off. He often loses his balance and either falls over or runs into a wall at this point. I mean, how many thieves do so in high heels???

Lily takes one of two routes. She never loses a tug of war. Never. I credit this to her being the last mobile baby. That was her only defense when her brothers would steal stuff from her and run off. Hang on for dear life and NEVER let go. That girl has some tremendous hand strength. She also somehow also knows to go low to the ground. She's like a pit bull that clamps down on something with it's jaws. It ain't lettin' go and neither is she. Her other method is a bit trickier. She sits on it. That's right, she hides it with her rear end. Genius.

Then there is the pain and anguish of losing something that is so dear to the heart.

Bennie handles it with a high and lonesome cry. He would make a great bluegrass singer. Or a girl.

Jack hits. Great. Or, he begins a long, low, deep growl that sounds part human and part beast. He is ANGRY and he lets you know it. And the neighbors. In China.

Lily, rarely cries. She's more about inflicting as much pain as quickly as possible. Usually with hair pulling but biting is a sure second. All with a set jaw and a face devoid of emotion. Scary stuff.

Man, oh man...what am I in for???

Isn't it funny, though? Each child so unique in their tactics. Makes a serious argument for nature doesn't it? (Nature vs. Nurture)

So, this is our latest challenge. The unhappiness brought on by love lost...or toy stolen. I would say this one thing is what creates the most unhappiness in our household these days. I have always said that we have been so lucky that we were blessed with such happy children. They just are. They all have such sweet natures. Their natural disposition is happiness. What an amazing gift. We have often had days where nobody cries all day long, unless they get hurt or they don't want to go down for a nap. I swear I'm not lying.

I'm beginning to fear those days are nearing an end, however. At least until they are old enough to grasp the concept of sharing or taking turns. Dang, that's a long way off.

We are muddling through this as best as possible. We praise turn-taking and sharing when it happens (usually by accident). We attempt to be fair and honest in the assessment of any situation. We try to teach right and wrong when given the opportunity. And, when it all gets too much, we ignore. Just like the government.

Then, we go out and buy a 5-ft tall castle-like monstrosity to put in the downstairs playroom. Notice it's nifty rock-climbing wall, slide, and steering wheel at the top? Now, what exactly is the steering wheel supposed to steer is what I would like to know.




We got it off of Craig's List after months of searching for the "perfect" one...aka not in McKinney and not $300 dollars. It is AMAZING what a hot item these are. There were several that I tried to get only to find that they were already sold. So crazy.


Yeah, I'd like to see them steal THAT from each other...