It’s fun to watch movies on overcast days.

And since it’s raining over here, I thought I’d share a few videos with you.

I thought this phase has passed. Lucky for all of us, Ruby’s still got her scoot on. The boys joined her at one point, but I didn’t capture it on film. I miss her early scooting days.

The blocks have are still a hit, and have been helping with shapes. Ruby is the stacker around here. She makes the towers, and the boys knock them down most of the time. Doesn’t seems all that fair, but she usually doesn’t mind.

When the babies are playing, it’s pretty common to find that they’ve shut themselves in the playroom. The prefer it that way, and hey, I’m not complaining. It safe in there, and they always sound like they are having a blast. But if I try to join in the fun. . .well you’ll see.

I introduced the babies to the wonderful world of feature length films. I’ve tried in the past, but their attention span just couldn’t take it. Well, the time has come, and I gotta say, I’m loving those great Disney movies with my little ones. I even found that one day they all left to go to the play room, and I was on the couch still completely captivated by Ariel, Sebastian, and all their friends singing “Under the Sea.” On this day, Toy Story 3 caught Ruby’s attention.

These boys, and Ruby when she occasionally feels like it, cannot get enough of letters and numbers. Anytime they spot letters wherever we go, it triggers a full reciting of the alphabet. I guess there could be worse things to be obsessed with.

Enjoy, even if you aren’t having a gray day like we are.

Reminded

I took the babies to the grocery store today. I was just picking up a few things, which is good because it all had to fit in the basket underneath my stroller (Penny and Elise are in Utah partying with the fam, so we don’t have the luxury of using the cart she is pushing). I was mostly out to kill time anyway. I was having one of those days. You know what I’m talking about. The nap was shorter than I had hoped, my eyes were having a hard time staying open, the babies seemed a bit more whiny than usual, and as I was picking the macaroni and cheese off the floor during lunch, more food was thrown on or around me. I was feeling a bit cabin fever-ish, so I thought, as tired as I felt, I better get out of the house before I lost my temper. . .again.

So as we were leisurely strolling around, we got the usual smiles, and comments (“Triplets?!”, “You have got your hands full!”, “Now, I need one those!” (referring to the stroller) ,”What a blessing.” and the like.), when a was tall, nice looking, middle aged man saw us from down the aisle, and walked toward us. He commented on my “great contraption” (again, the stroller), and I gave my usual, “Yes, it’s very handy” type response, and was about to just keep strolling along. Then he asked if they were triplets, to which I, of course, said yes. He just looked at the babies and got quiet, and feeling like it was getting a little awkward I was about to say my usual “well, thank you. Have a good day.” when something told me to just wait and listen.  A moment later he told me that 18 years ago, he and his wife also had triplets. I knew right then there was more to the story, or else he would have been much more enthusiastic and excited as he spoke to fellow parent of triplets. We went onto say that they were born premature, and one had passed away shortly after she was born, and the two that lived both have Cerebral palsy. He told me a a lot of details about what had happened, and that they decided to deliver at 28 weeks because of complications. He then paused, and just looked at my babies as his eyes became teary, (and I must admit, so did mine). He perked back up a little and told about something he and a friend had come up with to transport all three around, and how cool it was. We talked a bit more about our kids, everyone’s names, and ages, and then I thanked him for sharing his story with me. I told him I was having a bit of a rough day managing the three, and hearing about what his family has gone through was what I needed in that moment to remember how I got to this point and all there is to be grateful for. I do remember this multiple times a day as I watch these sweet babies of mine , but sometimes my brain gets a little foggy amidst my frustration and little conversations with a stranger like this one can turn me right around.  He shook mind hand, said he was glad to meet me, and to tell my husband he was also happy for him. I wish we could’ve talked longer. I pray for that kind man and his strong family.

That was definitely one of those moments for me, when I realized I came to this place at this time for a reason. I needed perspective, and I got it at Wegmans, of all places. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Now, I’m off to get my refusing-to-sleep babies out of bed. I can’t wait to kiss their faces for the ten millionth time. It never gets old.

Bowled Over by Love

Another game I played as a child, that has also been passed onto my kids is “Darling!” Anytime the moment strikes me during the day, I hold out my arms and say “Darling!” to one of the babies and usually they come running from wherever they are, and give me a big hug, sometimes followed by a kiss. They have really taken to this game, and now initiate it themselves, except when they say it, it’s more like” Daw-eeee!” Sometimes they want to play it over and over. We’ll hug, they’ll take a few steps back, and run to me again. It a great game.

This morning, I walked into the living room where they were all playing happily. I crouched to their level, and to no one in particular, said the magic word. Alex and Ruby both started charging. Ruby made it first, with her arms wrapping tightly around my neck. Alex stalled a little, kind of looking like he lost his chance, until I put my arm out to show him there was room for him too, which he accepted, and hugged me too. Then seconds later, before I really even knew what was happening, Bennett barreled into the middle of the cluster of babies with a huge smile on his face. He was not going to miss out on the Darling action this morning. My teetering tiptoes gave way, and we were all laughing, jumbled up on the floor as if Bennett was a bowling ball and we were the pins. Sometimes it really feels like there isn’t enough of me to go around, but we make it work in our own way, even if it means I get beat up a little bit. A very small sacrifice, in my opinion.

What does a mommy say?

My mom has made up a lot of adorable little kid songs to sing with us when we were young. That is a talent I don’t possess, so I just borrow hers. The babies start lighting up and doing actions the moment they hear the first words of any of the songs. There is one where I ask them question, and they answer. It goes a little like this:

What does a duck say?
Quack, quack, quack!

What does a horse say?
Neigh, neigh, neigh!

What does a cow say?
Moo, moo, moo!

What does a mommy say?
I love you!

The kids absolutely love participating. There are other verses during which they’ve learned a lot more animal, and vehicle sounds, but the second to last sound (Train: choo choo, Rooster: cock-a-doodle-doo, Owl: whoo whoo) always rhymes with “I love you”. How I’ve LOVED hearing my little ones say that all-important phrase in their sweet voices. They might think it is all part of a game we’re playing, but I’m just glad that those three words are always echoing through our home as we sing the song each day. Bennett was the first to say it, and now it’s a regular part of his vocabulary. (If you listen carefully, you hear him say “What does a mommy day?” after he says it.)

We say that more times than we can count everyday. This Mother’s Day, I felt more grateful than ever to have that title. I’m sure the gratitude will just grow throughout the years. I can say with every ounce of honesty that there is nothing in the world I’d rather be doing with my life.

Now, the day wasn’t perfect. Ha! In fact, it was one of those days where I needed to take few time-outs in my room. The house was definitely in need of some TLC, the laundry was piled up, the kids woke up too early, and the naps were a joke.

Of course it wasn’t all bad. We did make it to church, and they did go to nursery. Without me! (And I’m just going to take a second and apologize for what I said about the nursery a couple posts back. The leaders were there, and wonderful. They deserve a medal for what they do each week.) I got a lovely rose from the ward, and was able to enjoy a lesson in Sunday school as I sat by KC for the first time in years. As the third hour was coming to an end, my tired babies had had enough, and we left with Alex doing the ugly cry a few minutes before church let out. Just what I had suspected when I was nervous about skipping naps, but maybe they’ll get used to it. (I was still checking on them periodically, knowing they were very tired, knowing we might have to leave early, so we made it longer than I thought.) When the babies were finally all napping at home (No babies, a 10 minute nap on the way home DOES NOT count as a real nap! When will you learn?), I got a little nap myself.

We had a lovely dinner with the Ribeiras. Jeff made some melt-in-your-mouth roast and potatoes, and KC helped with our portion of the meal, artisan bread, and corn on the cob. I made a Carrot Cheesecake Trifle for dessert, an idea I’ve been concocting in my head for a while. Since I love to make dessert, I considered it a gift that I got a little time to myself to play in the kitchen.

I know that a lot of people believe that this is supposed to be a mom’s day off or something, but that just doesn’t fly around here. If I’m here, I’m helping. I don’t expect KC to do all the work, but he does help out a lot every day, and that’s what matters to me. He did give me the most gorgeous vase of flowers that just brightens up the room. And I may have bought myself a new robe and said it was from him. So, even with all the ups and downs, the day fulfilled it’s purpose by making me feel appreciated, and more importantly, me appreciating what I have even more.

I did get to talk to my mom, and KC his, when we had a moment to spare. How we love them. Especially now that we have children, and truly know what they went through and how much they love us. Since the kids were born, this is the longest amount of time that I’ve gone without seeing my mom, and I get homesick for her. I still need her in my life. Probably as much as my kids need me, just in a different way. I’m sure I started out the same way my kids are, learning to say “ I love you” because my mom said it to me over and over every day. And just like my mom always made it known to me, I hope my kids always know how much I love them.

Since this is about as successful as we get when taking a group picture lately. . .

. . .we gave up tried some individual shots.

It’s good to be a mom.

Why?

Why is it, that when the kids are in bed, and the day is finally quiet, that I can’t stop thinking about the mistakes I’ve made. Not life-altering mistakes or anything, just a lost-temper here, or a bad judgment there. Things I would change if I could. I just dwell. Why didn’t I learn from the past when I felt like this before? I suppose it’s because I’m human.

I have a short temper, it’s true, and having triplet toddlers can be very fueling at times. It’s just difficult to maintain a ladylike composure when food that I’ve lovingly prepared is thrown on the floor, or at me, without them even taking a taste. When someone with a very dirty diaper decides they want to wrestle with all their strength (and they are getting strong, let me tell you) mid-wipe, when I feel like I don’t have an ounce of energy left. Or when there is a chorus of constant whining for no apparent reason, causing my brain to start rattling. These things, and others, don’t always get to me, but when they do, it’s incredibly frustrating. I do believe that these are opportunities to learn, and grow, and pray, and forgive myself when I do, um, lose it. I can see this is something I really have to work on, since I’m most definitely going to keep making mistakes.  I just really wish I was born with a tad more patience so I wouldn't feel so bad when my babies are silently sleeping away like little angels.

What I should be doing in my precious quiet time is turning my thoughts to the good parts of the day. Like Alex kissing me on the lips 10 times in a row saying “kith” with a huge grin in between each one. Bennett crawling into my lap and pulling the blanket onto both of us and staying for a while. Ruby looking out the window while we’re driving, and with her giant smile exclaiming, “Wee, wee!”  over and over, as if the parkway is an awesome roller coaster ride. Of course I could go on about the things they do that really do make me feel like I’m the happiest and luckiest person alive. I don’t want to waste this time beating myself up with negative thoughts while I should be enjoying every minute. Seems like a much better use of my time, don’t you think?

I better learn how to deal with all this now, before things get really tough. They’re not even two yet. Yikes! The learning opportunities will be endless! It’s gonna be fun.

Now it’s time to say goodbye to all our company.

We had the pleasure of having KC’s dad and sister Michelle come play with us for a week. They left on Tuesday. The time really flew by. The weather was great most of the time, so we were able to get out with the babies a lot. It was nice to expand our options a little with more adults to help me out, instead of just sticking to our regular daytime activities. And thanks to the kind downstairs neighbors, we were also able to get out without the babies a few times too. I had a blast shopping with Michelle, and trying a few new restaurants with everyone. Anyway, I’ll let the pictures do most of the talking.

They LOVED the blocks Grandpa gave them. Especially Ruby.

The Arboretum was a hit again. They felt so free in their little leashes instead of the stroller. Alex felt a little too free without a leash (Clyde wanted to give hand-holding a try), so Ruby loaned him hers to give Grandpa a break.

You’d think with four adults in the living room, things like this wouldn’t happen. She was munching away on pita chips while we were all oblivious to what was going on behind us. Most of the time there are bungee cords around the table (a genius idea from another triplet mom) to prevent things like this from happening.

Watkins Park again. The Peacocks were especially showy that day.We even played on the playground. It’s no surprise they had a blast. The energy these kids have!

We broke out the bubble machine they got for Easter.

Michelle helped me paint Ruby’s toenails. My girl was so still and patient as I worked quickly and carefully. I think she even enjoyed being pampered. And she couldn’t stop looking at them afterward. This is something I wouldn’t have even tried a month or two ago. I can already tell she and I are going to have a lot of fun together.

We tried the nursery again, and not ONE of the THREE nursery leaders showed up. And all the toys were stashed away in the closet, so we had to set up the whole place. I’m starting to question this supposedly wonderful nursery system. I mean, it was hard enough to convince myself to start going, and now I wonder if it’s worth it. We might as well have just stayed at home where I only have to take care of three kids. Okay, I’ll stop complaining. I’m sure it was just a fluke. At least we got out of the house.

Another fun day at a local park.

Thanks for coming you guys! You were so helpful with all the baby toting, and were such great company. The babies were spoiled by all the attention, and I can tell they miss you too.

In case you wanted to see more pictures of our eventful week, here ya go.

*Side note: Our dishwasher was out for an entire week, right when they were here. This has made me very grateful for a few things:

-disposable dishes

-a second dishwasher in the house (I took a couple loads down in laundry baskets throughout the week)

-renting (the landlord took care of everything)

-a WORKing dishwasher

Seriously, no dishwasher, one year old triplets, and houseguests makes for quite a frustrating scenario. It’s so freeing having a magical machine to wash the dishes again.

Little Individuals

It’s plain to see that all three of my kiddos have very different personalities. Some traits overlap, of course, but for the most part, they are all known for very different things. Bennett is the snuggly one, Ruby is the hyper one, and Alex is the entertainer. At least, that is how they come across most of the time. The way they play on their own, the way they react when other babies are involved, and how they are in public, are all instances that their individual behaviors really come out.

But one thing that really highlights their differences is when they eat. Probably because they are all side by side, and that they are doing most of their eating by themselves now, rather than being fed by me (though I do still help out a lot to avoid food on the walls everyday). It just cracks me up to see how each of them has their own way of eating. For instance, when I give them a whole strawberry (I found out they just throw the pieces on the floor if I cut it up), Alex likes to squish and play with his (not sure why he looks so grumpy here, he was having a great time),Bennett likes to enjoy his more slowly, taking small bites,and Ruby likes to jam it on her finger, and eat it like a popsicle.

This probably isn’t the circumstance every time I give them a strawberry, but it does happen more often than not. It’s just fascinating to me.

Another instance that displayed their uniqueness, was when I gave them each their own bowl of Spaghettios (I know, it sounds scary, but they were having a very independent spell and decided that they WOULD NOT let me feed them for a few days a while back, and so I had to take some risks). Ruby tried the cleaner, more sophisticated way at first, with a spoon, and then resorted to the drinking method,

Bennett dove right in. He prefers the shoveling approach.

And Alex, though messy at first, decided he likes to eat his O’s one at a time. He’d slip one around his finger, and eat it proudly.

I get such joy out of seeing how unique they are becoming. I hope they continue to want to be themselves, despite that they will always be clumped together.