As my kids approach two, I let out a huge sigh.  The first two years with multiples are the hardest I hear.  So far, I whole-heartedly agree.  I know the terrible two’s and atrocious three’s are still to come but an era has obviously passed.  The dozens of bottles lined up on the counter are a distant memory.  Late night feedings seemed like eons ago and the oodles of attention we attract whenever we go anywhere is thankfully sizzling out.  In other words, life seems so much more normal now than it did this time last year.   I have the time and the mental stamina to really enjoy the present.  And lately, I’ve captured some beautiful “everyday” moments to share.

Max is working summer hours so he is able to take off some Friday afternoons.  We reserve these as our “family time” and either go the mall, our favorite Mexican restaurant, or stroll around downtown.  Here we are strolling at the mall.

The kids love the mall.  We often go before it opens during the week.

Stopping in at the local fire station

Spending time at Lake Crabtree for Father’s Day

Around the house…

Taking our strollers on a walk

Last Saturday I sat in my bikini with a beer in one hand, my sunglasses on and my feet dangling in the water.  Besides the awful beer choice (I tried Budweiser’s Select 55 cal..in the future I’ll pass on the ice-cream and stick to my full calorie wheat beer), the evening was glorious.  Just me, the pool, my husband and…..THE KIDS!   I know, after my last post your probably surprised.  Well, there is one place on earth; although it feels like heaven to me, that I can actually kick my feet back and carry on a conversation with my kids around.  Thank you God for concrete holes in the ground!

I love the pool.  I always have.  Luckily, my kids are just as enchanted.  I hate to admit I moved to our current house because of the pool but it is true.  The baby pool is gated and spacious.  The “big” pool is massive for neighborhood pool standards, has a swim-team and is guarded.  The shallow end of the big pool has a step expanding the entire side of the pool, and entertains my children for hours.

As of now, I can take my kids to the pool by myself and they do great. They stay right by my side and do not wander the pool deck.  We go about 3-4x/week.   I believe in letting kids learn how the water works through experience.  The first few times to the pool, they went under several times and drank a good amount of water.  Now, they go under occasionally but usually are able to get themselves back up quickly.  I don’t use any sort of flotes b/c I want them to learn to swim appropriately.   I’m a swimmer and a former swim-coach so I’m saving tons of money and teaching my kids how to swim myself.  So far, Mia is really close.  Marcus and Josie aren’t too far behind.

Our trips to the pool keep my sane.  All hell can break lose at home but as soon as we pull up to the pool, all is right with the world.  The kids look so cute in their bathing suits, they are deceivingly angelic and we all have a blast for a few peaceful hours.  Plus, almost every time I go someone tells me how amazed they are with how well my kids listen.  The pool is so much cheaper than therapy, has less side effects than anti-depressants and works just as well!

Now, I know some people aren’t fond of drinking on playdates.  They’d probably be appaled to read this post…drinking, swimming and no life-jackets!!  I assure you, I’ve never had more than a beer or two, my kids are always within reach and if one goes under, the beer is sacrificed.  Luckily, the plastic cups float.

Here are a few pics from a recent trip.  I think these pics capture their personalities well.

Waiting on their kick-boards before I let them in.

Josie showing her usual sweet side.

Mia has a very colorful temperament.  You never know what you’ll get.

What a surprise, Marcus wants the toys his next door neighbor and cousin have!

Two posts in two weeks!  I must have free time on my hands!  Of course I don’t.  I do miss blogging though and am trying to get back into it.

I think I started this blog post 5 times over the past few months.  Truth be told, I have been having a hard time keeping up with this blog lately.  And it’s not just a time issue, it is a life issue.  All the posts I wrote were overwhelming.  They talked about how crazy my life was with three toddlers and no matter how tame I tried to keep them, I ended up sounding like I was complaining about being a mom to triplets.   I couldn’t publish them.  Truth be told, I’ve been struggling through this toddler stage.  Truth be told, it is HARD work raising a single toddler, let alone three.  I know…I hear this ALL THE TIME from EVERYONE I run into.  Truth be told, they are all right, it is DAMN HARD but I wouldn’t trade it for the world.  I am so lucky to have been blessed with the angels that are my children yet sometimes I can’t help but wonder…

What would it be like to have only one child?  There are moments, like Mother’s Day, where all three of my children were clinging to me in desperation and just wouldn’t give me a moment to sit and eat, that I envied the mom at the table next to me, whose single toddler was sitting through a peaceful lunch.  The mom had the time to take in the precious moment and marvel at her creation.  I rarely have those moments, and I think I deserve them.

Sometimes I stop reading blog posts of some moms of singletons because I just can’t relate.  Yes, I’m sure it is frustrating when your toddler turns sour and has to cut your party short.  But, imagine three toddlers turning sour and having to cut the one conversation of the week you try to strike up with another mother and her toddler, completely off.  Forget parties, a simple conversation with a beginning and an end would be nice.

It is fabulous that I have help sometimes with my children.  But, sometimes I think it would be even more fabulous if I didn’t need it.  A nice vacation with just the hubby, me and our children is probably a few years away.  A trip to Europe, I can’t even fathom it although it sure would be glorious.

I know I’m lucky to have the family I do.  There are other mother’s out there who deserve trophies much larger than mine for struggling through the obstacles that come with special needs children or the pain of having loved and lost.

But, at the same time, I will admit defeat.  I am sometimes resentful that I was handed such a crazy/difficult “motherhood”.  Our family won’t be hopping on a plane to vacation in the Caribbean.  Simply spending the afternoon at the pool requires enough planning, prep and drama.

Perhaps I would find it boring to be a mom to singletons.  I was obviously meant to have these three children and most likely, if I didn’t have them all at once, Amelia might be an only child.

So sometimes I do resent other moms.  But, sometimes I also am exceedingly proud to be the mom I am.  I admittedly suppressed a chuckle today as I heard a group of mom’s whisper “OH MY GOD, she just told those ADORABLE triplets to sit on their bottoms and wait, and they did it.  Does anyone have a camera?  My one toddler would never listen to me like that.”  My children are amazing.  The diligent work I’ve put into maintaining order and a routine has payed off.  Overall my kids listen well and stay out of trouble.  But they are toddlers…and the whining and fighting x 3 is downright exhausting at times.

I definitely have a different sort-of life than many moms.  It is a common topic between  moms of high order multiples, sometimes we mourn the loss of a normal pregnancy and infant toddler mothering.  But, the rewards are also unlike anything a singleton mother will experience.  My children have an incredible bond that is obvious in their daily interaction.  They are also miracles that very few people are given a shot at.

As my children approach two, I don’t often wonder “where has the time gone” like many moms do.  The past two years have felt like two years…at least.  But truth be told, I am very happy to have had 3 children in one go.  My dream career is starting to blossom and I will be able to focus on it more and more over the years.  And, my children will not be toddlers forever.  Every stage will have its own challenges but from everything I’ve heard, being a “triplet” mom eventually turns into just being a mom in another few years.

Until then, I’m relishing the ups and trying to brush off the downs.  Being a mom is tough, but admittedly some of us have it tougher than others.  I think the key is taking the time to see the big picture.  And my big picture is pretty darn fabulous!

Well, I’ve done it.  I’ve become a sporadic blogger.  And I expect it will continue for quite some time.   Honestly, I simply don’t have the time to blog regularly anymore.  I miss it though so I’ll try to update at least a few times/month.

I’m working part-time now and LOVING IT!  I’m teaching some online certification classes, doing a touch of personal training and teaching fitness bootcamps several times/week.  It is fabulous, flexible and fun.  I have to say, working again has been amazing for me. I didn’t want to work when my kids were infants but now it just feels right.   I love my children and am proud of my family but I always wanted a career other than being a mom. I guess I’ve always been selfish like that.  Staying at home full time with my kids was the hardest thing I’ve ever done (besides being pregnant with them).  I think some people are cut out for it but I’ve found it a real struggle.  Grammy and Max watch the kids (the BEST mommy alternative by far)  while I work.  And now, coming home to them is the best thing ever.  It is tough to squeeze it all in and switch gears but I enjoy the bustle of life and I enjoy the time I have with them SO much more since I started working again.  Honestly, I would love to go back full time but paying for daycare with 3 kids…ouch!  So, to all you stay at home moms out there… kudos!  BIG KUDOS!  I have the utmost respect for you!

The kids are doing fantastic.  They spend a majority of their time at home fighting over very specific toys but when we are out and about, they are great.  Most days, we can knock out a shopping trip to Target without a big fuss.  I recently braved having lunch with a friend and her baby at the Science Museum all by myself with the three kids. Oh and I forgot the stroller that day.  They actually did really well on their backpack leashes despite a few odd looks.

Josie is starting to talk in 2-3 word sentences.  She like to tell me “Marcus babies no-no” when Marcus takes here stuffed animals or does something else he shouldn’t.   Mia and Marcus also have lots to say.  Things are pretty noisy around our house.  They are learning “please”, “thank-you” and their colors right now.  And of course our brainiac Mia recently learned to count to 5.  So cute!

We are super excited about the pool opening.  We already pulled out the splash pool from last year.  It is crazy comparing the pictures from last year to this year.  The kids still enjoy it.

Be sure to check back in another month.  Maybe I’ll come up with a good story or two for you!

It has been way too long since I’ve updated the blog.   Work has been picking up so Max and Grammy have been watching the kids more.  When I’m with the kids, I feel like we’ve been doing a lot of running around.  Oh, and my kids are approaching two which I guess means they need me ALL THE TIME!  The only reason I’m sitting down and writing at this moment is because the kids spent the night at Grammy’s last night.  So let’s talk about it…

“Things don’t necessarily get harder or easier with triplets, they are just different”.  Once again, the ladies from the triplet connection, my sanity forum, were correct.  Although, I think things got dramatically easier from around 12-18 months.  So much so that I went around telling people my life was probably easier than people who had 3 kids of different ages.  I’m eating my words!  The past few months have really picked up.  Things have gotten challenging again and lately I’ve once again found myself taking lots of deep breaths and counting to ten.  Mostly it is the fighting.  If I thought we had to have 3 of everything before, I was wrong.  Now we really do have to have 3 of everything.  And I’m talking 3 of the EXACT SAME everything because if Josie has the purple duck, noone else wants the blue duck.  Never again will I make the mistake of forgetting to run the dishwasher when we were short on our cups.  The day I pulled out the one “Go Diego Go” cup and handed it to Marcus was the day I threw that cup in the trash.  A travesty unfolded before me.  Did I mention the temper-tantrums?  Well, Mia can throw back some amazing ones and Josie is picking up on it.  ”No!  AHHH!  No!”

So yes, things have become a bit “different”.  But, there are so many positive changes too.  For example, Marcus is starting to finally talk.  When little words escape his mouth, it is darling.  When Mia walks around the house shrugging her shoulders and repeatedly asking “Jo-Jo?  Jo-Jo?” my heart melts.  And when Josie was laying in bed with us the other morning and repeated “dada’s girl” to Max, he almost started crying.  Another favorite of mine…thinking I could move my kids to toddler beds at the age of 21 months.  9 PM - The girls are both in Mia’s bed with every single book from the bookcase, jumping up and down.  10 PM - Mia and Josie are in the middle of the floor with every stuffed animal pulled down playing “kitty”.  10:30 PM - the girl’s cribs are reconstructed and they finally go to sleep.  Oh, and sweet Marcus on the other hand has taken to his toddler bed just fine.  In fact, you wouldn’t even know he is in a toddler bed since he stands up in bed every morning and calls “mama” as soon as he wakes up.  He could just get down from his bed, walk out of his room and walk into ours but he opts to stay in bed and call for his “mama” instead.   I could go on and on about the darlingness of this age.  Let’s just say people aren’t kidding when they talk about the rewards only getting better.   Truth is,  the whining and temper-tantrums are actually worth it.

So here are a few pictures to share from Easter.  We had lots of family come to visit and a small neighborhood egg hunt.  It was a fantastic day!

These two pictures are from “Pop-Pop”.  He caught my girl’s being movie stars.  I have to say, Mia has always had the movie star/diva potential.

Josie

Mia

Dada and his babies

Josie and cousin Nathan

Here are a few of our “staged” pictures that we took at a local garden before Easter

We are entering the whirlwind of spring and summer.  Max and I took another last minute weekend away to Charleston, SC last weekend before things get really busy.  Grammy and Grandpa watched the kids for us again.  I don’t say this enough but we are really lucky to have them around.   I’m never nervous leaving the kids because I know they are in the best of hands.  I cannot stress how wonderful and important it is to continue to have fun with just you and your spouse after children…especially after multiple children.  When we take these weekends away, I do miss my babies but I relish my freedom.  For example, I get to eat sitting down, I can workout whenever I want, and I can drink a cup of coffee without Sesame Street on in the background.  Most importantly, no one demands anything of me and that feels pretty spectacular.  So after a weekend of delicious food, beautiful scenery, relaxing drinks, running without strollers, and trip to the spa; it is back to reality…sick kids included.

It is really astounding how often my kids are sick.  This past year their noses have been runny more days than not.  I think if I wasn’t self-employed, I’d have to leave my job.  You would think we have no hygiene whatsoever in this house…oh wait. Seriously, we do wash hands and we even use hand sanitizer from time to time.  Doc, you better be right, my kids better miss far fewer days in kindergarten than the average Joe!

Other than the hacking coughs and constant whining that come along with feeling crappy, the kids have been doing well.  We spend most of our days outdoors.  The kids love to inspect the yard for any new flowers that might pop up.  Since Max and I know nothing about plants, their seem to be fewer and fewer flowers to hunt down every year.  We do have several rose bushes that somehow continue to thrive and the kids love to point out the “thorns” that are “ouch”.  Marcus also loves to point out the same hole in the tree several times a day.  Silly kids.  My favorite phrases to hear right now are “oh no” and the very dramatic “wow”.   We heard a big “wow” the other day when Mia fell 6 ft. from the top of our swingset.  She was ok.

Here are a few a fun videos of the girls showing off the letters and the kids playing outside.

We’re going to attempt Spring pictures tomorrow.   Keep you eyes out for some sappy sweetness!

We love the outdoors!  We spend as much time outside as we can.  But, I’m a wimp when it comes to the cold so I don’t spend long periods of time out with the kids unless I’m running them in the jogging stroller or it’s above 50 degrees. But on beautiful weekends like this past weekend, we spend the majority of our time outside, park hopping and playing in the backyard.  The kids seem so happy outdoors.  There is very little fighting, very little whining, and very few demands.  Since fighting, whining, and demanding are a new common theme around our house, spring couldn’t have come at a better time!

This weekend we had a first, we took the kids hiking at a nearby lake.  Uncle Nick came with us and threw his kayak in the lake while we hiked.  Everyone had a fabulous time.  Mostly, the kids  just wanted to explore by checking out the trees, playing in the pine needles, and sitting on all the logs.  It was darling watching their fascination with the new environment and freedom to roam.  I’m sure this is just the first of many family hikes.

Marcus was fascinated with Uncle Nick’s boat

Josie opted to ride in the backpack for part of the hike

Everyone stuck pretty close at the beginning of the hike

It didn’t take long for everyone to start exploring on their own

Marcus finds a feather!

Josie claims a stump

And of course, we couldn’t miss the opportunity for triplet photo ops!

Something happened.  My kids have been infected.  I don’t think there’s a cure.  If there is, I think it is a few years away.

About a month ago I was complaining to Max that my days were boring.  I know, that sounds crazy.  I have triplets and work part time.  But honestly, the kids were angels.  They would sit and play independently for almost 20 min. at a time.  There were no fights to break up, no boo-boos to sooth, no demands.  I wanted something to do besides check facebook during these calm times.

Never again will I utter the word “boring” in reference to my life.   Within a few weeks of making that bold statement, my kids got infected.  The disease is marked by high pitched squealing and constant whining.  It is a result of having 1 rather than 3 of every single toy in this house.  The kids have been infected with the “mine” virus and it stinks!  I am now a referee to 20-month old triplets.  And supposedly, it only gets worse…

I used to silently beam as other triplet moms complained about their biting, fighting 1 year olds.  Mine don’t bite and they get along really well I thought.  Things have changed.  Take these two scenarios:

Two months ago:  Josie brings her kitty downstairs, like she does every morning.   After eating, Mia gets down from her seat, grabs Josie’s kitty and says “Jo-Jo’s!”  Josie gets down from her seat and reaches for kitty saying “kitty”.  Mia smiles big and hands kitty to Josie who proceeds to give kitty a huge hug.  Mia laughs, everyone is happy, my kids are darling!

This morning:  Josie brings kitty downstairs, like she does every morning.  After eating, Mia gets down from her seat, grabs Josie’s kitty saying “kitty”.  Josie gets down from her seat and reaches for kitty saying “kitty.”  Mia smiles big and bolts with kitty.  Josie begins to scream at the top of her lungs and bursts into tears.  Marcus begins to fake cry for attention and grabs Josie’s panda as Mia continues to run through the house yelling “kitty, kitty”.  I frantically search the playroom for “dog” and “bear” to exchange for Josie’s “kitty” and “panda”.  I calmly explain to Mia and Marcus that “kitty” and “panda” are Jo-Jo’s and sharing does not apply in this particular scenario.  Everyone bursts into tears.  My kids are a wreck.

If it isn’t stuffed animals, it’s a gaba-gaba character, or a book, or a puzzle.  And when it comes to food, forget about it!  Josie wants everyone’s cheese and Marcus wants everyone’s carrots…every meal.  Snacking is a constant “cracker, cracker, cracker” or “more, more, more”.

This sudden change in behavior is not a big surprise.  Many multiple moms rave about months 12-18 and warn about ages 18 months-3 years.   They even debate about whether the newborn stage or the terrible two’s is harder. I agree, things are getting a little “interesting” again.  However, the difference is the rewards that come along with the good times.  Newborns were cute when all was calm (aka, when they were sleeping).  Toddlers are darling, silly, loving, unique and just plain awesome most of the time.  They love playing outside, crafts, trips to the science museum and being goofy.  I’ll take being a referee over rocking any day!

Josie and Mia sharing giggles after a ride down the slide

Josie and kitty (as usual)

Trucks!

Marcus loves to wrestle.  Luckily his sisters are game!

There is a very safe .25 mile section of the trail leading from the park that I let the kids run free on before loading them back in the stroller to complete our run.  They sometimes stay together, sometimes not.  But, they never wander off the trail and are always within my line of sight.  They love to run, especially Mia.   Here she is, that tiny pink spec way out in front.

And here are her brother and sister, pulling in the rear.

As long as the good times don’t go away completely, I’ll suck it up and embrace my new role as a referee.  Since i have a few years until my kids turn 4, I’ve got plenty of time to learn the ropes.  Bring it on Amelia, Marcus, and Jocelyn, I can take it!

I usually don’t read any of the traditional parenting magazines.  First, I think they are a little too obsessed with parenting and can make parents too obsessed about details that don’t need to be explored in depth.  Truly, do we need a review of 10 different bibs?  And who in God’s name has time to read those magazines?  I do occasionally flip through a “multiples” publication which are a little more practical for parents juggling multiple children and multiple activities.  Rather than running across an article on taking your toddler to an art museum to nurture their inherent “artfullness”; a multiples magazine is more likely to feature an article on “how to keep your cool after your toddlers tear a piece of artwork off your local museum’s wall.”  You see, they tend to be a little more realistic, at least in my world.

The kids and I “doing art” for V-Day

However, I picked up a clearance toy at Target the other day and it came with a free magazine subscription to Parents.  So, I went ahead and filled out the card and dropped it in the mail.   My first issue arrived the other day and after browsing through it, I decided I’m not reading future issues.   Here is why:

In one of the “ask the experts” section a parent asked the question “My friend recently changed her poopy baby on my couch with no changing pad…I was horrified! What do I do?”  Umm…wow.  I don’t think I’ve used a changing pad with my kids since they were 3 months old.  That’s right folks, I throw them down on the floor and do the diaper switch on my bare carpet!  How disgusting! I wish I could say I’m such an expert that no poop has EVER touched my floor but that would be lying.  In fact, after bathing my kids the other night, Marcus pooped on the bare tile floor!  Why he didn’t grab the changing pad first is beyond me!

Then, another article talked about how hard it is becoming a parent for the first time.  A mother complained that although her infant was sleeping through the night, she still had to get up at 7:30 AM EVERY morning.  ”No more sleeping in, it was a devastating reality”.  WHAT!!!  You get to sleep in till 7:30 AM every morning?  I know many moms who would LOVE their children to sleep till 7:30 every morning.  Now if she was complaining about a 5:30 AM wake-up time I may be a little more sympathetic.  7:30 AM is no travesty, it’s HEAVEN!

Josie and her love of hoarding and stuffed animals

So after those few nauseous moments, I saw a reminder that the APA recommends waiting till the age of 2 before letting your child watch any TV.  The magazine immediately went into my trashcan and I turned on Blue’s Clues for my 1.5 year olds (who have been watching TV since 6 months old).

Marcus and Josie

So, how are my little bugger’s doing?  Fantastic overall.  I am noticing some changes since we hit 19 months.  There seems to be a shift happening.  Marcus is becoming really laid back with life while my girls are becoming a little bipolar.  They will be giggling and smiling from ear to ear one minute and then in tears the next.   It is not surprising to watch Mia struggle to fit a complicated puzzle piece in its spot and then proceed to become so frustrated she runs around the house screaming and throws herself down on the floor kicking.  Where she got her short fuse from is beyond me….really…

Mia being a charmer, typical

On the developmental front, the kids are amazing me.  Mia went to put  the toothbrushes back in the drawer the other day but she could only find two.  She shrugged her shoulders and asked “Jo-Jo’s?”  Sure enough, Josie’s Dora’s toothbrush was the one missing.  The girl’s vocabulary is exploding.  Car rides and meal times are now chants of several words being repeated over and over and over and over and over again.  Marcus still doesn’t have quite so much to say but he is talking more and more every day.  I am amazed how much the kids have grown up these past few months.

We haven’t had a lot going on recently besides our regular activities.  We go to Gymboree play and learn classes on Mon mornings, library time Tues AM and music class Friday AM.  Despite the cold weather, I still get out and run the kids to the park a few times a week.  They don’t seem to mind the cold as much as I do.

We recently had our good friends from Richmond visit with their adorable newborn, Liam.   The kids were great.  They warmed right up to Shannon and Topher and had a blast.  They were so good, they almost made me a fool, making my facebook complaints about my rough days seem like bold lies.  I assure you, the kids were on their best behavior that particular day!  I don’t think Mia threw one temper-tantrum.

Mia and Marcus checking out baby Liam.  Yes, he’s adorable but NO, I do not want another one!

Mia and Liam

One of the really cool things about having triplets is seeing their individual “spirits” and “iniquity” develop.  At the same time, I notice similarities also developing.  Take a look at this video….

Disclaimer - I know the plastic packaging is “not a toy” and should be “kept away from small children” .  I was supervising.

Without a doubt, my girls seem to be a little more into “pretend” and “learning” play whereas my boy tends to be more into “rough” play and figuring out the mechanics of the world.  I know I touch on this boy versus girl topic often but it is compelling to me, perhaps because I didn’t believe there was a major difference prior to having kids (your kids are wild…sure, blame it on them being boys).   What does this mean?  Men are better at changing the lightbulbs and women are better at keeping the house tidy…maybe.   Honestly, it just makes me ponder on the impact of our evolutionary biology, our individual spirits, and our environment.

Alright, let’s be honest…I’m probably overthinking my son’s desire to repeatedly throw matchbox cars over the balcony.   Any other mixed gender multiples out there?  Do you notice any differences in play?