Sure, things are insanely easier now that the kids are 3 but I’m not going to lie, life is still very hectic.  For example

- I still eat standing up

- My meals are often my kids leftovers

- When I’m home by myself, making dinner is impossible without the TV.

- There are still no open cups allowed in our house

- Some days, I still drink my coffee cold

- I need at least 3 cups of coffee during the course of a day

- I go to the bathroom with the door open

- I sometimes don’t wash my hands

- Once the kids are buckled into their car seats, I go back inside for at least 5 more minutes to get my stuff ready to go.

- I bought my kids “winter crocs” and fleece lined jackets for them to wear ONLY to and from school.  The crocs are a breeze for the kids to put on themselves and I refuse to mess with coats and carseats every morning. Even in a blizzard,  my kids will walk the 10 feet from the car to school  in  fleece lined jackets and warm crocs.  No bulky coats, no gloves, no hats, no scarves, no fuss!  (Don’t worry, I have actual snow clothes for them to play outside in).

- I buy children’s ibuprofen in bulk.  The largest size and the double package!

- All three of my kids still take a bath together

-I’m going to write my own book titled “everyone calm the “f” down!”

-When a grandparent asks “Do you guys want a break?” I still laugh in their face “uh…duh….hell yes!”

- I sometimes don’t let my children drink water when we’re out and about to avoid spending hours in the bathroom (because of course, “I don’t need to go potty right now”..when we are in the freaking’ bathroom!

- A full night’s rest, without a single waking, is still pretty rare.

-7:30 AM is still considered “sleeping in”

- 7:30-10:00 PM is still my favorite time of the day

- When someone nostalgically states “They grown up so fast, before you know it they’ll be in kindergarten”, I’m secretly jumping up and down with joy!

- TV is still a lifesaver!  Honestly, I feel like I should write the creators of Dora and Diego a personal thank you note!

Although life is much more manageable, having triplets still has its quirks.  I imagine one day we will eat family dinners, I may get a full night’s rest and I won’t spend half my day in the bathroom.  Until then, yeah, life is still pretty hectic.

Some funny things have come out of my 3-year-old’s mouths recently

- “Let’s super-glue the computer back together” – Marcus

- “My doggie’s name is princess dragon bunny bop-bop” – Mia

- “Excuse me, that was a burp that came out of my bottom.”  - Josie

I’m going to start writing these things down because honestly, I have heard some really wild things lately.  Also, out of the blue Josie has decided to start calling me “mom” rather than “mommy”.  I thought that was a teenage thing?  Luckily I’m still “mommy” to the other two.  ”Mom” feels a  little old to me….

On another note entirely, we are having a blast with all of our new friends!   I’ve always stayed away from “mom’s” playgroups in the past.  They simply didn’t work out for me.  My young kids were way too demanding for me to enjoy more than two seconds of conversation.  And, I was insanely jealous of the moms who could not only hold a conversation but could also enjoy a freakin’ cup of coffee.  So, I made fun of them in the past.

I have no shame.  Now that I can drink my latte while talking about what winter sport I’m thinking of taking up, I’m all about playdates!   In fact, I make plans with other moms almost every day.   I know one of the kid’s favorite playdates involve their new friends Luna and Zuma, twin 3-year olds that live down the road from us.  I notice a difference in the way my kids play with either young children who have  several siblings very close in age or other multiples.   They just “get each other”.  Truthfully, my kids can be intimidating to other 3-year olds.   They are very “cliquish” and play elaborate make-believe games with each other for hours that seem to continue on from earlier in the day.  They rarely play independently; and they travel around the house and playgrounds in a herd.  However, some children have no problems jumping right in with them and being excepted as part of the story right away.  That is the case with Luna and Zuma. These 5 seemed to mesh upon meeting.  The most amazing thing is the girls are identical, I am just starting to be able to tell them apart, but the kids already will call them by the correct name.  I think it’s amazing!

Why do we always underestimate the power of “therapy”?  My friend Cara, recently described her humorous take on her experience with her life coach on her blog.  I’ve spent some time on a therapist couch myself, and it was extremely helpful.  However, I’ve recently discovered a whole new type of therapy, hot tub therapy!

The house we are currently renting has a sauna on the back porch.  At first, I didn’t think much of it.  I’ve never been one to spend time soaking in a bath and I truly didn’t think I’d actually use the hot-tub very often. As summer wraps up, we decided to fill it up… I was so wrong!  The night-time temperatures are starting to drop  here in the mountain states.  Not only does soaking in the hot-tub warm me up enormously, but it also serves as my life coach, marriage counselor, and spiritual teacher.  I’m not kidding.

Max and I have gotten into the habit of jumping into the hot-tub together after the kids go to bed each night.  Normally, we would immediately hop onto our separate couches and flip on the tv.  Now, we spend a good 15-20 minutes together with a glass of wine reflecting on the day, talking about our future goals, and discussing the happiness and stresses of daily life.   We all know how important this is in a marriage  (the wine and the talking) but actually taking the time every day to fit it in is a lot harder than it should be.

I assure you, I am not reading bible quotes or chanting buddhist incantations in the hot-tub each night.  But, my 15 minutes of soaking contributes to my spiritual health. I’ve always loved the outdoors and felt happy admiring the beauty of nature.  Our back porch happens to overlook a nature preserve.  It is common to see deer, fox and even a moose or two wondering around the “backyard”.  We live in Utah and even though Park City is a modern resort town, the entire state it is still pretty rural.  Almost everyone has beautiful views and wildlife out their windows.  For me, there is nothing as spiritually soothing as being present in the moment, perfectly content in life and admiring earth’s beauty.  I know, I’m sounding a little granola; so be it.  It is amazing to watch a blue heron fly right past you while you are in your hot-tub on your back porch.  It would turn anyone into a little bit of a tree hugger!

Now after our 15-20 minutes of hot-tub therapy, Max and I happily resume our normal evening routine of ice-cream, beer and tv.  Heaven forbid I miss a Survivor or Max miss Sunday night football.  But, taking the time out of our day to revel in the “now” and appreciate where we are in life has been good.