This is a fun age. Sure, it can be a little annoying to break up the kids fights but overall, I think life with triplets is getting better and better. After 2 years of loading and unloading my 3 kids into their carseats (that’s 6 lifts in/out, 6 buckle wrestling matches and an aching back); my children can now climb in and out of their own seats, work out who’s going to sit where on their own, and can even start buckling themselves in. I’ll exchange a dozen “no’s” for the new ease of running errands any day! If climbing in and out of their carseats and kitchen boosters isn’t enough, get this. Sometimes Marcus (the only triplet in a toddler bed) now gets up in the mornings, opens his bedroom door and will come downstairs and start playing all by himself….while I’m still sleeping! Over the past few months I have not only been blessed with my children moving their wake-up time from 6AM to 7 AM but this new independence is astounding! The other morning while I was teaching my 6 AM bootcamp, Marcus walked into our bedroom, saw that only daddy was in the bed and actually went back into his room, shut the door and climbed back into his bed. Who is this child?
The most amazing happening to date…. yesterday I took the kids to the pool by myself (which I’ve been doing all summer) and I actually had the opportunity to lay-out on my beach blanket beside the baby pool while my children played with each other for 20 minutes! Honestly, is this really my life? The past two years have been so challenging and surreal that the normalcy of my current life is breathtaking. Lately, my children have been angelic. They play together, they are very loving, they sleep consistently and they listen.
A few people have asked about my disciplinary style. Honestly, I don’t really have one yet. I suppose I mimic the “style” used in daycare/preschool settings. I give tons of positive feedback, try not to put them in situations where they could misbehave (they have very few things that are “off-limits” in the house and I rarely take them to places where children’s normal behavior could be seen as “bad”), and I RARELY use time-outs or “No’s”. I mostly do TONS of redirecting and keep a pretty laid back demeanor. Rather than saying “Marcus, do not hit Mia with that golf club”, I say “Ouch, that hurts Mia, let’s hit the balls with the golf clubs.” Honestly, I think I was just blessed with really well-behaved toddlers, two of which are girls. I would say my infants were REALLY difficult and this is my payback. They took forever to sleep through the night, were extremely fussy and needy. They would never have just fallen asleep in their carseat or played by themselves on a blanket. And I couldn’t take them anywhere…they would just cry the entire time. Now, we stay pretty busy. I usually take the kids on outings to the mall, the grocery store, gymnastic class, the museum, or the pool, every day. Once the atrocious 3′s come around, I may be dealing with very different children so take everything I say with a grain of salt. I however, am savoring my toddler triplets. They are a blast!
Ok, maybe running through the fountains at the mall isn’t great behavior. But, no one was around and it looked so fun!
Even though life has been much smoother lately, I still need a break! Last week Max and I took a lovely vacation to Vegas with my sister and brother-in-law. It was just the right amount of relaxation plus excitement! Big thanks to the grandparents for watching the kids for us! And, a HUGE thanks to the Gravitt’s for letting us stay at their awesome condo at the MGM signature. I highly recommend this hotel!
