New Routines, More Adventures

Jesse unofficially started back to work this week with workshops, benefits enrollment, and moving into his new classroom. He resigned from his former position teaching Civics and AP Government at a high school over thirty minutes away. He accepted a position as an 8th grade ELA (English Language Arts) teacher at a middle school less than fifteen minutes away. He is embracing new curriculum, new content, and a new age of students. 

Jesse is not the only one who is facing changes. The triplets are now only taking one nap a day. For several months they have been napping from 10-11:30 and again from 3-4:30. A few weeks ago they reduced their naps to 45 minutes each. We made the switch to one afternoon nap a day. We're still adjusting the times, but it is somewhere between 1-2 pm until 3-4 pm. Mornings are now brutally long if we don't keep the trio entertained. 

Jackson's new routine will begin in two weeks. Our big boy will be attending preschool three days a week (Tue/Wed/Thu) from 9-1. Jack is so school-oriented; I fully expect him to thrive with the additional day of school.

All of these changes impact me. It was a lot easier when I could toss tiny, sleeping babies into a double stroller and go about our day. Fast forward a year. I now have active, busy climbers and cruisers, who will soon be even busier walkers. I need to be able to give James, Amelia, and Maddie all of my attention while Jackson is at preschool.  This means I need to provide safe, engaging places and activities for the trio to explore. Of course, I'll also have to give Jackson individual attention while the trio nap. Somewhere in between I'll need to cook, clean, monitor all four together, and find downtime.

This week we have been easing into our new routines. I had gotten a bit lazy over the past several weeks, overly relying on Jesse to take care of diaper changes and loading the kids in their carseats. My personal goal for this week was to feel confident on my own with all four kids. I felt confident before the babies were mobile, but now they are surprisingly fast and move in all different directions. I am happy to report that we have had a lot of fun attending play dates and outings over the past few days.    

DPK with Friends

We met my former teammate, Lucy, and her granddaughter at our favorite museum. James, Amelia, and Maddie are each able to escape the infant area. James proudly discovered how to pull up to the water table. Amelia cruised up and down the small stairs and ramp. Maddie made friends with everyone she saw.

Lucy has a background in early childhood education, so she naturally filled the role of grandmother and preschool teacher extraordinaire.

We went upstairs to play with the blocks. It's so fun for me to see the triplets doing the same activities that Jackson does. Obviously they aren't building lego towers on the wall yet, but they are becoming little people with individual personalities.

Fire Station Tour
We left the museum early to meet our playgroup at the local fire station. It's taken all summer, but Jackson finally gets excited to go places with his friends. Truly, we go because I'm friends with the other moms, not because he's friends with the kids. He's still incredibly timid, but he regularly asks me "Will my friends be there?" One of my friend's nine year old daughter asked if she could push the double stroller. She even said, "I'd like to be a mother's helper."

Our tour began inside with the kitchen, beds, weights, and lounge areas. The firefighters led us outside to show us their gear.

Just as the men began to put on their suits, the station received two calls. Our tour was abruptly ended as we watched both firetrucks and an ambulance drive away.

Feeding Ducks at the Lake
I used to frequent this particular park a lot, though I've only taken the kids twice in the past few months. James, Amelia, and Maddie immediately scurried around the walled pier and pulled up to stand. I love when they stand like that without me having to pose anybody!

Once Jackson ran out of bread, the girls climbed up and down the wide stairs.  James cruised around the perimeter. They boys were so precious!

We had a snack at a large picnic area.

I know the novelty of shoes will wear off eventually, but for now, I think three little sets of baby legs and shoes piled in a wagon is one of the most adorable sightings ever.

Library

The park is beside the library, so we stopped by to pick up some requested books. I let the kids explore in the children's area. 

Jackson and James took turns flipping through the pages of an awesome Batman board book.

Can you tell they were getting tired?

I'm relieved to reaffirm my enjoyment for being out and about with the kids by myself. Going out is definitely harder than it was last year, but it's also a lot more enjoyable watching each of the kids make new discoveries. I'm already working on a list of adventures to go on this fall.

Sleepover and Movies

Jackson had two firsts today: a sleepover with his cousin and going to a movie theater. Jack has been asking to have his cousin, Levi, over for weeks now.  While brainstorming things we wanted to do this summer, Levi spending the night was on the top of his list. Levi's parents dropped him off at our house after dinner last night. The boys were completely wound up. We let them make cookies after we put the babies down for bed. 

Jesse tried to maintain Jack's regular bedtime routine as close as possible. He read stories to them and sang. Jackson was out pretty quickly. Levi eventually fell asleep on the twin mattress. The boys awoke to cinnamon roll waffles and strawberries.

Another thing on our summer to do list was to take Jackson to the movie theater. Our local theater offers $1 movies on Tuesday mornings. Arthur Christmas was playing today. We had never even heard of the movie before but Jackson loves all Christmas related things so we figured that was a good sign. Jesse took the boys to the movies while I stayed with the babies. They split a popcorn and fruit snacks. According to Jesse: "Jackson concentrated on the movie until the fruit snacks ran out. Levi was engrossed the whole time."

I had lunch ready when the boys came home. Jesse ran errands while I tried my best to keep the afternoon low key for the kids. They ate and played outside. Levi is expecting a baby brother in the fall. Throughout the day there were times when Levi was more interested in playing with the babies than Jackson. That changed quickly when James knocked over his plate and started eating his pretzels. An aggravated Levi exclaimed, "I can't hear!" when the babies were louder than the TV.  It made me laugh since I frequently wish the babies had volume control. Jackson was unfazed, which goes to show how much he has adapted to the chaos of living with the triplets.

Once Jesse returned home I took Jack and Levi to the museum. We would have gone together as a family but the seven of us couldn't fit in the van and the babies needed an afternoon nap anyway. The museum is always one of Jack's favorite places. And Levi is one of Jack's favorite people. The combination of the two was almost too much for Jack to handle. The boys were so animated and curious in each area.

I was very intentional about making sure the boys had down time and I didn't over plan. Still, the excitement of it all proved to be too much for Jack. I endured over 30 minutes of wailing from one very over-tired Jackson on the way to Levi's house. Thankfully, Levi fell asleep. I guess he'll adapt to the craziness of having a baby in the house after all. ;)

I'm already making a list of things we can do next time.

DPK: Fun for All

We go to the kid's museum every week.  Last month I lost Jackson when he wandered off while the babies were feeding themselves on a blanket. I've been struggling ever since to find a way for the babies and Jackson to both have time to play. When we joined in December, the babies slept in the stroller most of the time and the focus was always on Jackson. Now that they are mobile (rolling, sliding, army crawling) and so interactive, I want to provide safe play for the babies. This is hard to do when Jackson is eager to walk around. 

Our compromise is to give Jackson limited freedom in designated areas. We've agreed on certain places where he can play while the trio and I stay in an isolated area. Jack has to stay within eyesight. (I know this will be next to impossible to maintain when James, Amelia, and Maddie are walking.) 

There is an exceptional infant/toddler area that is gated, but open enough to see around the museum. Thankfully, the firetruck is directly across from this area. While the trio have tummy time on the mats,

Jackson gets to drive the firetruck.

I don't know how long he would willingly spend in the firetruck because I have to nearly bribe him to get out after 20 minutes.

This table was just added to the enclosed baby area.. I'm so in love with it that I asked an employee where they purchased the table. The museum had it custom made. I suspect their budget is higher than mine.

Jackson can also play dress up and go on the stage,

while the babies play in the construction area. Jackson likes this area so he joins us and entertains his siblings.

The only challenge I still face is if Jackson has to use the bathroom while the babies are playing. I feel so rushed trying to load everyone back so we can race to the potty. We always go to the bathroom as soon as we arrive, but he inevitably has to go again while we are there. I've been making him try to go again before we go upstairs to try and eliminate the urgency.

There's another elaborate construction area upstairs that is much less crowded. Since Jackson isn't a fan of strangers and loud people, he likes to retreat to a quiet corner and build.

Once again, there are baby-friendly building blocks and toys for the trio to play with in the same space. 

I am still constantly taking the babies in and out of the stroller, but they are able to move around and manipulate objects while Jackson has fun, too. If the trio exhaust themselves before Jackson is ready to leave, I can easily walk around with them in the stroller while Jackson continues to explore.

I'm so relieved to have found a balance for each child to learn and grow at their own level. 

Birthday Duck in Collages

Last Thursday we celebrated the fifth birthday of my favorite duck, aka niece, Lucy. Since ducks are her passion, it was to be expected that she requested a birthday cake with ducks in water. We picked out a design and flavors the week before. I baked the cake Thursday morning and let Lucy et al decorate the cake. I love watching my sous-chefs in action!

Lucy requested to continue her birthday celebrations on Sunday with a trip to our favorite kid's museum.  This was especially fun because it was the first time Jesse was able to join us. The trio were able to explore textured boards, drive tractors and cars, get shots from Dr. Jack, dress up, look in the mirror, and more.

James, Amelia, and Madeline entertained themselves at the water table while Jesse supervised Jackson and his cousins in the other areas. The girls were so much more interactive than they have been in the past.  It's been fascinating to watch their development over the past few months as their sense of surroundings has broadened.

I loved having two excuses to play with nieces and nephews and to celebrate birthdays!

The Benefits of Taking the Kids Out

It's no secret I like to go out and stay busy. One of the most frequent comments I receive from triplet mom friends, strangers in public, and family is centered around how much we go out.  Sometimes the comments are really positive like, "Good for you.  I can't believe you're out with all of them." Some comments are rude, such as, "You need to keep those babies home.  They're going to get sick." Either way, we go on our merry little way, exploring the world around us.

Last week I was complaining about the quad stroller and what a pain in the ass it is to load and unload the kids into.  Jesse said, "You know you don't have to take them everywhere. What's the point? Do you remember anything from when you were two?"

His comment made me angry and caused me to second-guess my motives behind our outings. I vented with other moms and brainstormed reasons why it's so important to me that I take the kids out.  Here's what we came up with:

Benefits for Children

• stimulates their minds
• provides different sensory experiences
• creates interest in things outside the home
• develops curiosity
• strengthens their immune systems
• shapes their behavior in public places
• builds an understanding of their community
• builds their vocabulary and language development
• keeps them physically active
• reduces social anxiety (hopefully)
• creates opportunities for social interaction
• expends energy

Benefits for Mothers

• increases independence
• provides variation/prevents monotony
• creates valuable memories with children
• creates opportunities to take pictures that can be shared with children later
• increases confidence level
• provides opportunities for social interaction

So...while my children may not have any recollection of what they are doing right now, I think it's important to expose them to books, music, people, exercise, different languages, etc. as early as possible. Going to the park, museum, library, rec center, aquarium, and so on, fills our days with a sense of adventure and makes our time together so much more enjoyable than if we stayed home and watched TV. 

I'll conclude with pictures of us out and about at the museum today.

Life is so much easier with self-feeders and a double umbrella stroller!

Jack and Maddie taking turns driving the tractor.



Maddie, James, and Amelia admiring themselves,

before it turned into a wrestling match.

Exploring colors, shapes, and textures

Jackson discovering his new car seat has a cup holder.

“Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
― Walt Disney

DPK: Jackson the Runner

After a very low key day at home yesterday, I was ready to get out of the house today.  Once I picked Jack up from preschool, I let him choose our indoor adventure (mall, library, rec center, museum, or baking at home).  He quickly requested the museum.

The kids are pretty easy to manage when the babies are in the stroller.  Clearly the triplets can't go anywhere and Jackson is pretty good at following directions. I generally let Jackson take the lead in the museum and the babies and I follow him.  Now that the babies are becoming more interactive, I want them to have opportunities to play as well.  It's unfair to keep them confined in the stroller for hours when there are so many appropriate places for them to play.

Unfortunately, Jackson is in the habit of coming and going as he pleases.  He can no longer do that if I have all three babies on the floor.  I'm pretty fast, but it still takes a few minutes to pick up and buckle three babies in the mammoth stroller.  Jackson walked away three times today.  In his defense, the museum has an extremely open floor plan and he is used to wandering throughout the areas.  He wasn't being mischievous; he simply wasn't paying attention.  The final time resulted in another mom volunteering to "keep an eye on the babies" when I couldn't find him and had to literally search for him.  Yes, I embarrassingly became that mom who loses her kid in public.  Ugh!  I also became that mom who pulled her kid into a quiet corner and promised to leave immediately if he left my sight again.  He held onto the stroller the rest of the afternoon.

In spite of Jackson walking away, we all managed to have an enjoyable afternoon at the museum.  We spent a fair amount of time in the play restaurant where Jackson served us pizza and salad.  He accurately named every fruit and vegetable.

He insisted that all five of us eat some salad.  Amelia obliged.



I was really proud of Jackson's math skills.  I'm not sure if math just comes naturally to him or if he has learned that much from UmiZoomi.  Jackson was able to correctly answer 80% of my questions:

• How many slices of pizza do you have?
• How many slices of pizza do I have?
• How many slices do we have altogether?
• Does Jackson or Mommy have more pizza?
• How many more slices do you have? (He missed this one. Subtraction is a hard concept.)

Moving on...James became Jackson's patient in the doctor's office while the girls ate in the stroller.  James didn't care what Jackson did to him as long as his lunch was free from disruption.

Because James is our only sitter, he was able to do more things than the girls.  He drove the tractor and the fire truck.  And by "drove", I mean he licked the steering wheel.  Oops.

All three babies had a chance to play in the fitness center.  This area has a rock climbing wall, balance beams, and various equipment.  I was happy to find a completely secure and entertaining place for the babies to have tummy time. (Notice that I have to hold Maddie's hip and lower back to prevent her from automatically rolling over.)

Hopefully, Jackson will learn patience and give his siblings more opportunities to play so they can all have fun at the museum.

Trying to Be Big

My babies are trying to grow up on me.  I'm not sure if I like it.

Maddie sunbathing

James driving the tractor at Discovery Place Kids

Amelia going down her first slide

Maddie taking everything in at the water table

James still figuring out the sippy cup

Amelia jumping

Maddie riding the snail

James nibbling on a banana

Amelia relaxing in the wagon



All three eating dinner at the table

Feeding themselves.  Free at last!

I know it's cliché, but I seriously need time to slow down.  Look at these kids!

FYI, if you're wondering why James looks startled in most of the pictures, it's because I took them with my phone rather than my camera.  The flash on my phone startles everyone!