Lingering Fall at Frank Liske

After some cold nights, it was refreshing to spend the afternoon outside in the warm sunshine. I took the kids to Frank Liske park after preschool today. They played on a small playground for a half hour before wandering the fields. Maddie cracked me up by insisting I take a picture of her while she yelled, "cheeeeese".

James looked like such a big boy. He's now wearing the shirts that Jackson outgrew just a few months ago. James' favorite playground activity was holding onto the pole while running in circles, crashing down with laughter, then getting up and doing it again.

I wasn't going to take the kids for a walk, but Amelia specifically requested to walk to the water. It's hard going for walks at this park with a stroller or wagon because the wheels get stuck in the deep gravel. To my surprise, the kids didn't choose to sit in the wagon. (I still brought it because I knew they'd be exhausted on the way back and there's no way I could carry three toddlers on the long return walk.)

The kids were more content climbing the rocks than they were on the playground. I love that they take such simple pleasure in being outside.

I've started to notice an increase in confidence and strength in Jackson. I think daily gymnastics at his school is a big contributor to this. Just a few months ago, Jackson was timid and cautious while climbing these same rocks. Today, he effortlessly climbed and balanced himself without any hesitation.

Amelia's working on her balance, too. She likes to walk on raised platforms and put one foot in front of the other. I've also observed her regularly climb up and down stairs without holding on to a railing or wall.

The trio no longer nap, so I was in no rush to get home. We leisurely strolled, selecting treasured rocks and leaves along the way. It really was a gorgeous day. With winter quickly approaching, it was so nice to feel and see a little bit of the lingering fall.

Of course, all good things come to an end. I knew I was pushing my luck after two hours, so I led the kids back towards the van. Jackson actually cried, whining that he wanted to continue playing. I realized then that I had waited too long. Jack, Amelia, and James sat in the wagon, fighting over sticks, while I pulled them up a steep hill. Maddie was happy to walk, as long as I didn't try and take her rocks away.

Once home, I put the trio in their cribs for quiet time. They neither napped nor played quietly. Oh well, at least we had our peaceful time of sunshine at the park.

What's For Dinner?

I always find it interesting to see what other families eat. I've written lots of posts about our meals when we followed Wheat Belly and Whole 30 diets. Here are the most common meals we eat. I prepare the first ten meals much more frequently than the rest of the meals.

1. Chicken Tetrazzini with salad or green beans
2. Shepherd's Pie (loosely based on this recipe)
3. Chili (2 cans of chili beans, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 can of rotel, 1 diced onion, 1 lb ground beef), with tortilla chips or cornbread muffins, sour cream, shredded cheese
4. Tacos (beef with taco seasoning, lettuce, grated cheese, salsa, sour cream, refried beans, Mexican rice)
5. Turkey meatloaf (1/2 the recipe) with mashed potatoes and veggie (green beans, cooked spinach, peas)
6. Lasagna w/ salad
7. Taco Soup
8. Cube steak (cooked in crock pot with cream of mushroom and lipton onion), rice or mashed potatoes, veggie
9. Enchiladas with black beans and Mexican rice
10. Pork chops (fried, grilled, crock-pot, or baked--any flavor), stewed apples, slaw, mac-n-cheese or baked beans
11. Chicken pot pie
12. Chicken and gravy (chicken breasts cooked in crock pot with cream of mushroom and lipton onion) served over egg noodles, veggie
13. Baked BBQ chicken, potatoes (either baked sweet potatoes or lipton onion potatoes), cooked veggie or salad
14. Fajitas (top round steak in crock pot all day, add strips of peppers and onions) with cheese, sour cream
15. Chicken stir-fry (frozen stir-fry veggie mix, cut up chicken breasts, teriyaki sauce), served with either Asian noodles, fried rice, or egg rolls (The kids won't eat this meal so I fix PB&J or frozen pizza.)
16. Sloppy joes (ground beef, can of manwich sauce, hamburger bun) with homemade sweet potato fries
17. BBQ sandwiches (pork roast cooked in crock pot, shredded, put on bun), sweet potato fries
18. Beef stew with rice
19. Baked fish (tilapia or salmon) with steamed broccoli and packaged cheddar broccoli rice
20. Spaghetti and salad
21. Quesadillas (chicken or plain cheese), black beans
22. Breakfast Night (scrambled eggs, bacon, biscuits, hashbrowns, fruit, yogurt)
23. Pigs-in-a-blanket (hot dogs and crescent rolls), mac-n-cheese, veggie
24. Pizza (frozen or from a chain restaurant)

We used to have a bit more variety (stuffed peppers, soups and sandwiches, pecan crusted fish, chicken ceasar salad, butternut squash, etc) and we also ate out more. That was before kids, when finances were more flexible and we didn't have to worry about kids refusing to eat. I still like to try new recipes every once in a while. I have an unopened box of stuffing mix from Thanksgiving that I plan to use in this casserole. I just have to be more conscientious about whether I think the kids will like it or not. (Of course, nowadays the toddlers refuse food they loved the week before!)

Ever since becoming a stay at home mom, I've been responsible for all grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking. Almost all of our groceries come from Aldi. When I shop on the weekends, I have a general idea of what meals I'll cook for the week. I no longer make a list, but I cook the same rotation of meals and keep certain things on hand at all times, so I've become a more efficient shopper and meal planner. The average monthly grocery budget for our family of six is $400 (strictly food, not including toiletries, cat food, or other household items). I can spend less when absolutely necessary, but $400 gives us a good variety of options for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

As I unload groceries each weekend, I write our meals for the week on the dry erase board in the kitchen. There's a place for meals beside the calendar, which allows me to reference any scheduled events when meal planning. It helps me keep track of what meat to thaw, when to put the crock pot out, and how much time I need for meal prep. 

Feel free to share your favorite kid-approved recipes or meal planning strategies!

McAdenville

One of my favorite childhood traditions was going to McAdenville, aka Christmas Town USA, to go see the lights. When I went with my family, we always drove through the town. In high school, I went with my youth group. We parked across the entrance and walked throughout the town. I much prefer walking because you can

1. Go at your own pace.

2.Turn around at any time, unlike being stuck in hours of traffic.

3. Walk down side streets that cars aren't allowed to go.

4. Take better pictures.

5. Stop at the church or fire station for hot cocoa and cookies.

The only year I can remember not going to McAdenville was when the triplets were infants. I took all four kids by myself last year, and would have taken them again if Jesse wasn't willing to go. He was not at all excited when I proposed the idea of going last night, but he accompanied us anyway. I was relieved to have his help! The weather was in the mid-40's, so not terribly cold. The kids all wore winter jackets, hats, and each had a blanket. Jesse and I alternated pulling the 100+ lb wagon and wearing nearly 30 lb Maddie. Both were challenging!

Here are some of my favorite decorations. The kids randomly yelled out, "Look, elf! See Santa! Pretty lights! Bows! Baby!" etc.

I always walk until we reach the church that serves free hot chocolate and cookies, then turn around. It's so nice to sit down inside a warm building after walking in the cold.

I requested a family picture. Jackson selected this area as the back drop.

Before returning to the van, we got the kids out of the wagon again to let them play on the wooden train cutout. James was excited to be the conductor.

There was another section of the train that had four holes for windows. I unsuccessfully tried to get all four kids to look out at the same time. Eh, at least Jackson and Amelia were cute.

Jesse and I had the foresight to bring the trio's pajamas. We changed them in the van before driving home, which made for an easy transition to the cribs. I absolutely love being able to continue this family tradition with my own kids!

Fun Filled Friday

Friday was an especially busy day, filled with back-to-back, last-minute events. I made plans the night before to meet up with another triplet mom friend at Superior Play. I hadn't seen her since our Nashville trip in August, so it was fun to reconnect while our kids jumped on the trampoline and played on the playgrounds.

It was slightly disheartening to compare both sets of triplets. Though only two months older, her girls seemed so much more advanced than James, Amelia, or Maddie. I don't know if it's because they attend preschool, or if the trio's delays are more significant than I thought, but it was a little discouraging. Either way, all six toddlers enjoyed the free fun.

I didn't know how long we would play so I packed a lunch. I stopped at the Airport Overlook to enjoy lunch with a view. It was pretty cold so I let the trio sit up front and eat.

It was basically twenty minutes of all three of them screaming, "Plane!" every five seconds.

My brother and his fiancee welcomed their son into the world last week. I was unable to visit them in the hospital, due to a series of unfortunate events that ended with me not being allowed in because of strictly enforced "quiet hours". I cooked dinner and dessert for them on Thursday, and was able to deliver it after picking Jackson up from preschool on Friday. They live an hour away. The only advantage to such a long drive is that James, Amelia, and Maddie all took a nap for the first time in over a week.

Cuddling with a week old baby is nice enough, but I am not one of those women that get baby fever. At all. No quivering uterus here. I'm much more interested in postpartum care and seeing how the mom is doing. (She's doing well, by the way.)

Jackson asked, "Does he play? What does he do?" He was a bit disappointed that his newest cousin spent the whole time sleeping.

The girls were so excited to have a living baby doll.

They walked around trying to give their sleeping, younger cousin bottles, pacifiers, and toys.

James was much more interested in my brother's model car collection than the baby. Like most houses, their house is not triplet-toddler proof. Not wanting to overextend my welcome, we left after an hour. I changed diapers in the van and passed out snacks.

Ever since my teenage years, I've had a rule that I'll drive anywhere, but the amount of time I spend at the place has to be at least as long as my total drive time. For example, if it takes me 30 minutes to get to a park, I have to spend at least an hour there. When we decided to go to the beach for the day, I would only go if we could spend at least eight hours at the beach, since it took eight hours to drive there and back. I've made very few exceptions over the last decade, but in general, I'm quite obsessive about drive time vs activity time.

The point of that rant was to give background as to why I couldn't just drive home after visiting my brother. I needed to find at least another hour worth of fun for the kids. I made an impromptu decision to take the kids to the Schiele Museum. Located only fifteen minutes from my childhood home, I grew up going to this museum. It's permanent exhibits feature North American wildlife, minerals, North Carolina habitats, prehistoric era, and American Indians. There's also a planetarium, travelling exhibits, and an impressive nature trail. It's much cheaper than any of the Discovery Place branches and kids 3 and under get in free.

I forgot how much I enjoyed the museum! It was so fun to experience it through the kids' eyes. The temporary exhibit was about the solar system. Most of the exhibit had a black ceiling with lights to resemble stars. There were enormous models of each planet. Jackson's favorite part was at the end when he could dress as an astronaut and look at different rovers.

All four kids were equally enthusiastic and shocked to see the enormous stuffed wildlife. I explained that everything was real, but no longer alive.

There were so many amazing animals on display. I would love to include all of the photos, but this post is already picture heavy and I took over 50 pictures just at the museum.

Jackson was taught about "pilgrims and Indians" a few weeks ago. Like many preschoolers, he has this belief that all "Indians" live in tepees and wear feathers on their heads. I've been trying to expound upon his current beliefs the last two weeks. The museum provided the best possible way to do so, with exhibits on each of the American Indian groups. We talked about how the climate and geography determined what kind of shelter, clothing, and food they had. It was fantastic!

Night at the Museum, anyone?

James loved the American Indian exhibit because he kept picking up the "phone" and listening to the songs and chants in different languages.

We explored a lot more than is pictured. Each gallery provoked new vocabulary for the toddlers and pretty challenging dialogue with Jackson. One particular exhibit was on evolution of humans. There were models of how humans progressed. I feel confident that this was the first time Jackson has questioned evolution. He was most concerned about why we "used to have fur".

I tried to take a picture of all four kids under the dinosaur. James was so distracted by the many exciting sights around him.

I led the kids to the "18th Century Backcountry Farm" so they could explore how early settlers lived. There were sheep, pigs, chickens, gardens, etc. I wanted to stay longer to visit the other outdoor exhibits, but I feared it was too cold for the girls. (They had been wearing pants but I took them off after both of their diapers leaked.)

After the excitement from the museum, we headed home for the first time since 9 a.m. Jesse was waiting for us with pizza. Our family devoured 2 whole pizzas before layering up and going to our final event of the day, the Harrisburg tree lighting.

I don't have any photos, but the first thing we did was ride the free horse and carriage ride. Santa arrived on a firetruck while we were waiting. Jackson was thrilled by Santa's arrival; James was elated over the firetrucks. Amelia didn't care for the sirens, and Maddie burrowed her head in Jesse's chest.

The tree lighting was a non event. I never even heard any countdown, perhaps because of technical difficulties. The lights just suddenly turned on. Still, it was a merry sight.

Before leaving, we waited in another long line for a visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Jesse and I agreed that we wouldn't force any of the kids to sit on Santa's lap, but we wanted everyone in the picture. The toddlers wanted nothing to do with Santa, so we began to move behind Santa. Mrs. Claus insisted Jesse and I sit on their laps. Strange, but sweet.

It was a very long day, filled with so many fun activities. We were all worn out and required a long night of sleep.

All About James, age 2

It's been a while since I've given detailed, individual kid updates. I've taken a lot of pictures of James lately, so I'll start with him.

At 28.5 months old, James is the sweetest, most lovable little boy. He often has a serious, contemplative expression. I think this is because he spends most of his time putting things together and taking them apart.

Speech
James is still delayed, though he can clearly vocalize his wants and needs. He doesn't describe much or use adjectives. He mostly uses 2-3 word phrases.

Sleep
Nap time is a bit of a joke. Most days James can be heard jumping in his crib or laughing during nap time. James is by far the best sleeper at night. While Amelia and Maddie often end up in our bed, James never stirs, even when his sisters are screaming. He sleeps soundly for 11-12 hours each night and wakes up very happy.

Eating
James is the absolute best eater of the family. He eats everything we put on his plate, and often everything on his sisters' plates. He is stubbornly independent and likes to serve himself. While these are great characteristics, his demands for food never cease. It's frustrating to hear him bang on the pantry door or beg for food. He eats so much already!

Clothes
His wardrobe is in between 2T and 3T for pants. The 3T pants fit around the waist but are too long. It's no problem to roll up his jeans, but it's not so easy with soft pants. Many of the 2T pants don't fit around his waist. Most of his shirts are 3T. He currently wears a size 6 shoe.

Challenges

James loves putting things in his mouth, especially in public places. I used to encourage him to use his pacifier, but we've recently eliminated pacis. Our EI service coordinator gave us a chewy tube to use as an alternative for when James freaks out and needs that oral stimulation. I haven't introduced it yet and I'm not certain I will.

James is stubborn and does not respond well to "no". Granted, no 2 year old that likes to be told no, but James automatically rolls on the floor, wailing. Simple redirection is ineffective.

Potty-Training
James has absolutely zero interest in potty-training. He doesn't seem bothered if he's sitting in poop or if he's soaked through his diaper (which happens frequently). At least James is compliant during diaper changes.

Hobbies
James' three favorite things are:

Playing Outside

Trains 

 Anything to do with water

Relationship with Family

James is a mama's boy, though I suspect that's simply because we're together all day. He's very affectionate and will randomly give kisses, hugs, and sit in my lap all day long.

He plays well with his siblings, though he often prefers to play trains by himself.

I love you to the moon and back, James Presley!

DPK: Gingerbread Edition

It's been two years since I bought a family membership to Discovery Place museum. The first time I ever took the kids to the museum was for the Gingerbread workshop. I really wanted to explore uptown today, but it was raining. I was relieved to see the gingerbread activities listed on the event page of the museum website. I'm so glad we didn't miss it. The kids were able to decorate cookies, drink hot chocolate, color chefs hats, and roll/cut out gingerbread man ornaments. 

Taking his icing role seriously

 

Tiny sprinkles

5 seconds before she spilled her cup of hot chocolate

The only one to dip his cookie in his hot chocolate

Handsome Jack

I caught Amelia by surprise

After all that fun, we still played in the museum for another hour.

Our membership is up for renewal in a few weeks. Even though I'm going back to work next year, it would be a long winter without being able to frequent the museums. 

Goodness and Kindness

Jesse asked if I could pick up a lamp at Ikea yesterday. We love Ikea, so I didn't mind hauling all four kids in the rain. I had no problem purchasing the lamp. The food at Ikea is so cheap; I typically let the kids get a snack. My original plan was to get 3 individual cinnamon rolls for us to split, but it only cost a $1 more to get a pack of six. For whatever reason, the transaction was not approved. The cashier kept trying to use the chip instead of sliding it, then I maxed out on the number of times entering my pin number. I was very frustrated and embarrassed about the growing line behind me. I told the cashier to just forget about it, apologized to the kids, and walked away. As I was navigating the kids towards the exit, the lady behind me rushed after us and handed me our cinnamon rolls that she apparently purchased.

Later that afternoon Jackson and I were peeling potatoes for dinner. One of the potatoes had a brown spot inside. Jackson said, "Yuck! I am not eating that!". He started to throw the potato away, but I grabbed it from him and explained that we didn't have to waste the whole potato. I peeled away the brown. Jackson stopped and stared. Then he said, "That's the beauty of it. You can get rid of the little bit of bad and there's so much good left."

Now I don't think he was necessarily being philosophical or understood how that statement could be applied to so many things in life, but it still seemed like a profound thing for a four year old to say. I also don't think a $4 pack of cinnamon rolls was a burden for the stranger to spend. However, I am extremely grateful for random acts of kindness and reminders that there is so much beauty and good in the world.


"Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life. And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." -Psalm 23:6