1st time trick or treaters

Let me set the scene...wind gusts about 45mph, temps in the 30s and an occasional sleet/rain. Sounds like perfect trick or treating weather, right?!?! This was the first time for the kids as we did not take them out or even buy them costumes last year as they were still pretty young for it. Although I would have loved to do a theme like most triplet families do like the 3 pigs or 3 little bears or 3 peas in a pod but I had already picked up a couple costumes at rummages for the boys and Liz was going to use a costume that we got from one of the generous people in California. So we had a giraffe, a hound dog and a butterfly. I almost bought some costumes at the resale shope of Eyore, Tigger and Piglet, but refained from doing so. So the plan was to meet at Jean's house and take the kiddos out. The boy rode in Jean's wagon and Liz rode in the single stroller. We made it about 2 blocks and turned around to come home. Stopped at about 7 houses and I took turns taking the kids out and up to the houses. It was just plain miserable. They did excellent considering the weather.
We then took our treasures and headed to Grandma and Grandpa's house. They enjoyed seeing the kids dressed up. The kids enjoyed warming up.
We had a good time and are looking forward to next year when they can walk most of the time.
Love, Jen
Zachary as the Hound Dog
Alexander as a Giraffe

Elizabeth as a Butterfly

The boys in the wagon

Liz in the stroller

Warming up at Grandma and Grandpa's

Alexis as Lady from Lady and the Tramp

No longer a jail...

Yesterday afternoon I took the plunge...I took down the "fence" guarding the TV and other electronics. Zach had mastered getting over it within seconds and the two were working on getting over in less than 10 seconds. It had become an attraction to get mom's attention. So I took it down.
Now you may remember the "fence" as the "jail". It was the play yard we got for the kids a year ago. It kept them safe and sound and mommy sane! We had it orinigally on foam mats to make falls a little less hard. Once they grew out of the "jail" we used it as a "fence" in many different forms to protect things in the living room. It was the last thing we took down before giving the room to them. It then became the protector to the TV (our last thing in the room that is ours).
After I took it down I decided to put it in it's original form. The kids are loving it. No, it no longer keeps them in but it is great enjoyment for them. It takes up quite a bit of room so I am not sure how long we will let them use it, but for now it is their "house". They put their chairs in it, books, stuff animals, lego, balls, the baby in the stroller. They absolutely are loving it.
Before I put this post on I went back to posts done in October 2007 to find the pictures of them the first few times we used it as a "jail"...they have grown so much. What a year can do...growth AND hair!
Enjoy.
Jen

Fingerpainting

You may be thinking...hey she already posted about their first fingerpainting...I didn't...I posted about the water colors which turns into fingerpainting. This time was with actually finger paints. We invited Jean and Alexis to join us this morning for an activity. We all had a blast! The kids were stripped down for very good reason! Although the pictures are one giant mess they are still colorful. Grandma ended up showing up while this activity was happening so she got to help clean up the mess. As you can tell they are more body paints...why limit it to the fingers right?!?!?
Love, Jen

Wrestling with Roxy

This posts is in honor of our great dog Roxy. She is not mentioned much but plays a big part in our family. For being a dog with a not so great background not to mention no kids background, she is a great dog for our kids. She puts up with a LOT from the kiddos - from tripping over her, falling on her, hugging her, petting her, etc. Zach and Liz love to play with her. She was not much a player when we first got her but has grown into the role very nice. She loves all the toys that we have...many that have never been played with. The kids love playing tug of war with her. She is so gentle with them...knowing not to bite them or scare them. The video is much better then still pictures but that is all I got here. Liz squeals with joy when playing with her and Zach just giggles. It is quite the thing to watch.
Love, Jen

The aftermath of 4 toddlers...

So you may wonder what it looks like when all four kids are playing together...well the best way to explain it is tornado like...lol! The four of them LOVE to pull the cushions of the couch. Today they decided to stack them like a mountain and jump on them. They love to wrestle on the couch and jump up and down. Who knew a couch could be so much fun?!?! Notice the dogs trying to stay "safe" in the middle picture. The living room and dining room are usually disaster areas while the kids are up. You definitely want to watch where you step, cuz stepping on a wood block is a killer. :)
Love, Jen
PS I am enjoying my new job very much. THe kids are very excited when Alexis gets here and Sadie (Jean's dog) too.

Mom, can we help?

Another afternoon in the play area required some raking of leaves. The kids know exactly what I am trying to do and actually try to help a little. Alex was very funny this time going out. He got into the play area and immediately laid down on the leaves. He is too funny! Again we got a nice big pile of leaves. The kids swam in them for a while and then began grabbing big handfuls of of leaves. They then proceeded to carry the leaves back across the play area and dump them on a new pile. It was quite the sight. A big pile with a trail of leaves to a much smaller pile. The kids were so proud of themselves and yes they ALL helped do it. We will be sad when the leaves are gone, but then we will have snow to explore. Aw, to be a kid again!
Enjoy,
Jen

Triple the Smiles

Even though we have rough moments and it is triple the crying or whining, we also have triple the smiles which could melt any heart. It is moments like these that make the rough times vanish. Hope this makes you smile!
Love, Jen

A Proud Moment

As a parent you have some very proud moments with your kids. I must say this is the first one (of probably many of this type) of this kind. The kids are learning to undress and dress themselves. Zach discovered that there is a different way to wear a shirt. He was very proud of himself. He walked around patting his belly. A proud moment for this mommy!
Enjoy,
Jen

The BIG 2-0

A few days late but here it is...the kids are 20 months old. We are almost thru our second year of life! Can you believe it?!?! Time continues to fly! We are also almost to the point where we start saying their age in years. It is amazing we started saying their age by their gestational age (what they would have been had they not been born until their due date), then we went to weeks, then months and we will soon be saying years! We take the kids to their pediatrician in November and will update weights and heights then. We also go back to the NICU, well not the NICU itself but the hospital they were born at. We are going for their 18 month (corrected age) appointment in the Stepping Stones Program. This program is for all NICU graduates to track their progress. We are looking forward to seeing some of the kids nurses, but I actually don't like being in the NICU. Hearing all the sounds of the NICU is a little difficult. Even though our NICU stay was pretty uneventful compared to others, it is still a difficult time to remember. Anyways, the kids are still growing like weeds and learning SO much. Development is an amazing thing to witness! So here are the happy kids!
Love, Jen

Fall Fun!!!

Last year at this time we watched the leaves fall from inside the house. This year we are catching them as they fall. The kids absolutely LOVE playing in the leaves. I cannot rake them fast enough for them. They love throwing them, walking thru them and dragging the leaves with them, laying in them, putting them in buckets, crunching them, etc. We took some fall pictures with them in the leaves which turned out great! This makes raking leaves fun for me and not such a chore. The last picture is with Andy and Waldo, my Aunt Deb's dogs. The kids love Waldo as he is just their height being a Bassett Hound and Andy is SO gentle! I am glad they came down to play for a little bit this day.
Love, Jen

Can we all ride the horsey???

Another boring, say the same stuff presidential debate was on, so what do we do...play horsey. Daddy can no longer lay on the floor without getting attacked by the kids. Alex and Liz both hopped on. Then Zach wondered if he could get on too. So with some 70+ pounds of weight on his back, daddy did what any good daddy would do...take the kids for a ride. Alex took some time to share more room, but eventually did give a little. You can't tell they are having a blast...can you?!?!?

Just wanted to share.

Love, Jen

Meeting of the minds...

Triplet meetings started out with the kids on the floor. We then graduated to bouncy chairs and then to high chairs. The next step was their little snack/lego table. And today we have graduated to the "big people" table. Now they don't always stay in the chairs as they find it a LOT of fun to climb across, dance, etc on the table, so meetings are highly supervised. I think they are planning their strategy to distract me while making dinner as it ALWAYS takes longer than it should no matter how easy the meal is.
Love, Jen

Infancy was easy compared to toddlers...

I was asked the other day if things were easier now that the kids are older. I answered with my standard not easier, but new challenges. I then visited my triplet forum that I am part of and there was a thread regarding 20 month olds and exhaustion. I read it and probably could have written it myself. The first line was something like...do you feel like you are on a treadmill at full speed and cannot get off. This is where the title comes in...you may think I am nuts but some days I really feel like 3 infants was a LOT easier then 3 toddlers. I will give you some reasons...
1) as infants you laid them down...they STAYED where they were laid (toddlers do NOT sit still...ever!)
2) infants cry but the reasons of the crying are few - tired, full diaper, gassy, hungry (toddlers whine constantly and the reasons are too many - someone touched them, they cannot reach something they are not suppose to have, they are hungry, they are tired, they are hot, they are cold, their toy was taken away, they just feel like it, etc. etc etc.)
3) infants barely know the others are there so there is no fighting (toddlers also seem to fight a LOT - over toys, space, attention, sippy cups, etc. etc. etc)
4) infant tantrums are nothing (toddler tantrums are just plain dangerous - to you, to them, to innocent bystanders)
5) as an infant tasks are more easily done (I will just give an example...changing a diaper...as an infant you have to worry about explosions and having to change a whole outfit...changing a toddler diaper is like a wrestling match...1st to catch them, 2nd to try to get them to lay down, 3rd wrestle to take off their bottoms while they are twisting like a croc, 4th taking the diaper off, 5th telling them not to touch or get their hands away from there, 6th wiping off their fingers and all other things they decided to put in the area, 7th getting them to lay down again, 8th trying to convinvce them to stop moving their butt long enough to strap the diaper on, 9th trying to dress a twisting croc and finally 10th putting them down off the changing table before they think they are a bird and can fly....ugh I am sweating just writing it...lol)
I could go on but the kids are swinging from the light fixtures...just kidding. I hope you are laughing as I am...toddlerhood is an experience just as infancy was...no I do not really think one stage is easier than the other...it truly is about the challenges. I try to embrace each one and learn from them (although it seems to take longer on some). So we work thru their frustration to communicate, tantrums, whining, boo-boos, sleeping issues and much more just as we did when they were infants. And for those who are wondering...I am exhausted...but still loving being a mom to these wonderful little people. I hope you enjoyed the humor in this post.
Love, Jen
PS So while I was writing this the kids continue to be...well kids...Liz has been putting a pillow over the fence and I got it a couple times for her...so you know what...she is throwing a tantrum because she cannot get the pillow SHE threw over the fence...here's to toddlers!!!

New jobs and fuzzy brown & black catapillars

I am happy (but a little sad) to announce that my sister has started a new job. As of right now it is part-time with the potential for full-time. So that means Alexis goes back to daycare. Well I am excited to say I am her daycare provider. Yep I am crazy, but really what is one more kid here...lol! So we are still seeing them often, which we all enjoy! The kids look forward to her coming over and have really been able to bond with Jean too. This situation benefits everyone involved. I had considered taking care of Alexis before but the kids were younger and needed a lot of attention and I did not want anyone to suffer from me taking on too much. Now they are a good age for me to take on one more.

On our first day of being a daycare provider the kids acquired their first "pets". Great Auntie Deb was down from up north for the weekend and was working outside up at the farmhouse and found those wonderful little brown & black fuzzy catapillars (you know the ones you use to catch as a kid and put in a jar with a stick and grass and waited for it to become a butterfly). She caught one for each of the kids and brought them down for the kids to meet. The kids were funny to watch as they had this experience. We got some pretty good pictures. Enjoy.

Love, Jen

First haircuts for the boys...

I know you are probably thinking...a haircut, really?!?! They have enough hair for that!!! My answer would be YES...they do! Can you believe it?!?!? With their hair being SOOOOO blonde and thin it is hard to tell that they actually have a decent amount. Alex actually had wings and the beginning of a mullet. Zach had some wings going on as well. So I bit the bullet this morning and decided to cut their hair...by myself! Well it went a whole lot better than I thought it was going to go. I had pictured a wiggly little boy...sharp scissors...with an end result of having to shave the head completely (and trust me I do NOT want to go back to having hairless kids!!!).
Alex did great! I put him in the booster seat (did not even strap him in), put a towel around (just like the pros do) and wetted his hair by dipping the comb into a glass of water. Then the cutting began...he sat pretty still, which is COMPLETELY amazing considering they do not sit still unless they are sleeping nowadays. :) Obviously since I was by myself I could only take a few pictures, so here they are:
BEFORE (he looks worried!!!)
DURING (a little more relaxed)

AFTER (is he handsome or what...totally takes after his daddy!)

Zach was next...he did get strapped into the chair as he does not know how to sit still. He also did a good job. He did a lot more looking around just as I was to cut but it still turned out ok.
BEFORE (not as worried as his brother looked)

DURING (he's having a good time)
AFTER (I am also a handsome guy)
I hope you have enjoyed the pictures. I can't wait for daddy to get home to see them.
Love, Jen

I am JUST a stay at home mom...

This post is not about the kids. It is about me or rather being a stay at home parent. A few days ago someone made a comment to me that reminded me that some people still think that being a stay at home mom/dad means eating bon-bons/chips, watching soap operas/ESPN & a ton of "free time" and that it is not a "real job". So on behalf of myself and all the other SAHM & SAHD out there here are the realities of our job: we work for no pay, we get no sick days or vacation days, we work 24 hours a day 7 days a week, our job is constantly changing, and many titles such as activities coordinator, chef, nurse, laundry attendant, teacher, accountant, meal planner, inventory clerk, purchaser, housekeeper, and many, many more. Would you take a job that description was the above? To be a SAHM/SAHD you have to be completely unselfish, able to multi-task, be able to work under some harsh conditions, be able to know a little bit about everything, etc.
As for me, I would not change a thing! I love my job! I took this job knowing that it is not easy or glamorous. It is more rewarding than most jobs (in my opinion). I am glad I put my career on hold and would stand behind and support my children if they decided to be stay at home parents.
So if you know a SAHM or SAHD please don't talk to them as if they are not important or talk down to them or over them. They have a REAL job and have the ability to hold a conversation. We are educated and have opinions.
Just think before you speak because words do hurt.
Thank you,
Jen who is happy to be "just" a stay at home mom

PS Stay tuned for first haircut pictures...will be happening this week!!!

Rub a dub dub...4 toddlers in the tub...

Last night my sister and Alexis stopped by to visit on their way through town. We were just headed outside when they showed up so Alexis and the kids play outside for a bit. We invited them to stay for dinner. So Jean helped make dinner and entertain the kids as Jeremy was still working outside. Jeremy got in about 6:30 so we ate dinner at 7. I was planning on giving the kids a bath because we missed Friday night bath due to us being at a wedding reception, so asked if Alexis needed one too. We cleaned up the kids after dinner and headed upstairs. Jeremy cleaned the kitchen and was happy to do so as he did not have to help with baths. :) The experience was not to surprising for my kiddos as they always bathe together so what's another kid?!?!? :) But Alexis was extremely happy to have others to play with in the tub. So what do 4 toddlers do in the tub???? SPLASH!!! We had water pretty much everywhere. I think Auntie Jean had a great time watching as well. Here are the pictures from the fun bath time. They had a BLAST!!! Enjoy.
Love, Jen

One tired little boy...

One nap a day is going well. We have changed the lunch time due to the kids not wanting to eat much lunch before nap and sometimes falling asleep at the table. Now we let them nap and then eat lunch. It does work out well since we eat a later supper anyways. Somedays it has been quite obvious that the kids are ready for a nap. It could be whining, crying, tantrums, rubbing eyes or this...fighting to keep the eyes open. Poor little Zach tried real hard the other day to stay awake...shortly after the picture was taken I put them down for a nap.

Introducing the potty chairs...

Today I finally put the potty chairs together and introduced the kids to them. I took some pictures (go figure, I know;)) of the meeting!
Alex is wondering if the seat is a toy like a frisbee...
He was a little disappointed that it was not a toy...but hey he is sitting on the potty!!!
Liz had no problem testing out the seat...
Ok Alex it is not a necklace or hat either....
Again disappointment....but still willing to sit on the potty!
Liz trying to figure out the mechanics of the potty (she is such her father!)!

Zach thinks the seat is footwear...nope not that either.
Look mom I am sitting nice...(yea for two seconds)!
No Zach it is not suppose to be stood in either...
Thank goodness they stack nicely as the bathroom is tiny!
As you can see this milestone will be quite the challenge (to put it nicely)! Hope you enjoyed the pictures. They are such characters!

Love, Jen

Who needs a pony...

...when you have a daddy!!! Today I played horsey for a short period during the day. Well after dinner and clean-up the kids wanted daddy to play. So they all took turns riding around the playroom aka the living room. At one point both boys tried riding which did not work. Alex even tried riding backwards. Everyone had a great time! And yes....that is the VP debate on TV in the background...and yes....we should probably be watching it. We were at one point but when Palin didn't bother to even try to answer the questions we did not bother to listen to her babble(probably the only time I would even write anything about politics as it is bound to tick someone off). Anyways, daddy has a great time playing with the kids once he is home from work. Great stress reliever for him. Hope you enjoy the pictures.
Love, Jen

Future mommy!

Liz has been acting more "motherly" recently. She has tried to feed Roxy her sippy cup and constantly wants to cover her up with blankets. Roxy is very patient and plays right along (as best a dog can). Then today she decided to become a mom to a Teddy Bear. It was in the toybox in the boys room. She had played with it before but attached herself to it. So this morning it HAD to come downstairs with her. She did let it sit while she ate meals but all other times it was being held.

So what makes her "motherly"....well....

Every mommy should have her baby wrapped in a blanket and burp them...

and be protective of them....
As well as cuddle with them as often as possible....and laugh with them....
mommies should carry them properly....
and feed them.
Isn't she cute?!?! She got extremely upset if the boys took or even touch her "baby". Today she also started saying baby clearly. She has said it for a while but it is clear as a bell now.

Love, Jen

Future heartbreakers???

The boys definintely got their daddy's handsome looks! These two may break a few hearts in the future! Their smiles can melt anyone at anytime no matter how mad you are at them.