Jesse Unedited: Viewer Discretion is Advised

For those of you who don't have the privilege of seeing Jesse's silly side, enjoy.

Another Park Post

I have a few posts that are more serious in nature sitting in draft mode.  Quite frankly, I don't want to share them yet, so I'm going to stay in my perfect bubble and publish yet another park post.  This morning we headed to Dan Nicholas Park.  It's a longer drive, but we wanted to visit our favorite MiMi at her nearby work. 

We were still off schedule as a result of the time change.  It's amazing how little I care about the time changing when I don't have to drive to work in the morning.  Jackson and I made waffles while the babies slept late.  As soon as they were dressed and fed, I loaded everyone in the van.  Forty-five minutes later we were ready to play.  The girls were quite content to leisurely stroll in the shade.  

James did not have the same luxury as the girls, since the canopy on the quad stroller doesn't extend far enough to block the sun in the front seats.  He was content playing with the giant abacus, nevertheless.

This park was perfect for our timid Jackson.  It has dozens of separate playgrounds all in one large area.  Not surprisingly, Jackson only chose to play on the playgrounds where no one else was playing.  There were the typical slides and swings, but there was also an enormous web you could climb and a variety of ladders. 

The only thing the babies can do is swing, so we spent a fair amount of time swinging.  These particular swings had a raised back, which meant my usual tactic of doubling up wouldn't work.  All three did a great job swinging solo.  Maddie grinned and alternated watching me and her feet.

Amelia held on for dear life, despite being incredibly stable.  I guess she was startled at the range of motion she had because she gripped the sides and didn't smile as much. 

James, per usual, had the best reaction and smiled and laughed constantly.

Jackson took the initiative to push Amelia in the swing.  He was so very sweet and kept saying, "I be gentle.  Good girl.  That's it."

This park has campgrounds with lots of trails and a wildlife center.  We saw bald eagles, snakes, fish, ducks, and more.  I forgot to bring bread, but Jack was still happy to talk to the ducks. He walked the entire time, never once choosing to sit in the stroller.



 The turtles were a better received than the snakes.

Seventy degrees is my ideal temperature.  Being able to spend the day outside in such gorgeous weather is always refreshing.  It would have been even more relaxing if we weren't crunched for time.  I had to set my phone alarm to keep me on schedule.  We rushed through WalMart to show off the beautiful babes and just barely made it home in time to greet Maddie's Early Intervention team. Whew!

Season of Lent: I'm Not Strong Enough

The first day of Lent left me feeling utterly defeated with entirely too much to process.  I've listened to this song at least a dozen times today.

After a bit of self reflection, my goal during this season of Lent is to admit that I cannot do it all and surrender my weaknesses to God.  I'm not entirely sure what that is going to look like, but that's where I'm going to start.

Rainy Day Fun: Open Gym

I've posted before about taking the kids to the local rec center for indoor play.  (It happened to be the first outing using the quad stroller when I accidentally folded all four kids up inside.)  If the weather prohibits us from going to the park, we head to the playroom to burn off some energy.  They have a floor to ceiling indoor jungle gym that is always open to the public for free. 

Today was the perfect day for the rec center because...

1. The weather was cold and rainy.
2. I was meeting Charlotte Mommies friends for a play date from 1:30-3.
3. Monday afternoon is "open gym" for children ages five and under. 

I've never gone before during open gym because I assumed it was literally just a gymnasium open for kids to run around.  On the contrary, there were little trikes, huge balls, dress up clothes/helmets, hula hoops, and bean bags available for young children to play with.  Even with all the equipment, some of the kids had more fun running up and down the bleachers.

Jackson spent the most time on various trikes, though he used them as walkers rather than using his feet to pedal.

There were even toys appropriate for the babies such as padded equipment and tunnels to crawl through. 

Of course, we don't have crawlers yet so I laid them on our blanket and let them play with our toys from home.  I enjoyed talking to my mommy friends while the big kids wore themselves out.

Jackson was so hyper and comical on the ride to the library that I took video of his nonsense.  He was making up songs and laughing at the silliest things.

Looks like we have a new free resource to take advantage of on Monday afternoons!

Superhero Party

Saturday was the long awaited birthday party for one of Jackson's favorite cousins/friends.  The party was a superhero theme, and we were encouraged to dress as our favorite superhero.  I desperately wanted a family picture of our cuteness but Jackson would NOT cooperate.  My sister-in-law unintentionally captured this video of Jackson's outburst while trying to take a picture of the six of us.  How will I ever survive three toddlers?  Sigh...

At least we captured a decent shot with the babies.

Despite Jack's ridiculous tantrums, he had a blast.  It was hard to get any pictures of him as he was constantly running around the church gymnasium.

The kids were able to decorate their own capes, roll around on scooters, and eat pizza.  The best entertainment came from a gigantic Spiderman balloon.  There were several children of various ages that chased, wrestled, and bounced Spiderman until they were all on the floor giggling.  Then they got back up and played again. And again and again....

Jackson was equally excited about the awesome cake.



My mother-in-law bought matching shirts (on clearance) for my sister-in-law and I.  I can't tell you how many posts and messages I've read from other women venting about their in-laws.  I certainly lucked out in this department and am so blessed to have gained a sister and mom by marrying Jesse.  We are all superwomen and supermoms, indeed!

It was a great party with great family!

Joy To the World: Christmas Collage



Christmas morning was everything it should be for a kid: sense of wonder, anticipation, and appreciation.  On December 23, Jesse assembled bicycles and the babies' toy while I wrapped all the gifts.  We knew Christmas Eve would be a busy evening spent with family and stuffing our faces.  We got home after 9 PM, put the kids to bed, then displayed all the presents.

Jesse used a free Kringl app that overlay Santa on a recording of our living room.  We showed it to Jackson as soon as he awoke on Christmas morning.  I would have LOVED this as a kid!

We chose to let the babies continue sleeping and give Jackson our undivided attention while he opened his presents.  Jackson didn't quite know what to do with himself once downstairs.  He immediately looked at the gifts, walked to the pantry, and requested something to eat.  After a few minutes he began digging into his gifts. 

He loved his new drill,

as well as his stocking stuffers.

The babies started fussing shortly after Jackson had finished opening his gifts.  They were much more interested in eating than opening their present.  (FYI, the ball toy was recommended by fellow triplet moms because it has enough space for each baby and accommodates babies that can sit, crawl, pull up, and walk.  The best part was that we purchased it for 66% off.)

Jesse's parents, aka the world's best MiMi and PaPa, came over with breakfast. Before we knew it, it was already time to load everyone up and head to my sister's house.  I am so proud of how mature my nieces and nephews are becoming.  This was the first year we drew names for the kids.  Even though my siblings and I agreed not to do it again, the kids had lots of fun.  My heart was nearly bursting witnessing some of their reactions.  There was such a genuine appreciation and contentment, which is something I rarely exhibited as a child. 

After lunch and presents with my side of the family, we drove an hour to spend Christmas evening with Jesse's family.  This was the first year (at least since I've been around) that Jesse's aunt and uncle also celebrated with us.  The more the merrier!   Our kids are so blessed to have so many people that love them.  There is never a dull moment with a big family.

Thanksgiving Feast: Mean Girls Edition

Jack's preschool had a Thanksgiving Feast scheduled for last Tuesday, but their power was out and school was cancelled.  I was so excited about it because Jesse was going to go with us.  It was rescheduled for today and proved to be a rather bizarre experience. 

For starters, I should mention that if a teacher is unavailable to escort Jackson into the building each morning, I ask a mom to hang out by the van for a few minutes while I walk Jackson to his class.  This past Tuesday, I left the van doors open and asked a random mom to stay by the van while I ran Jack into the school.  When I got back two minutes later, she was sitting in my van crying.  She just kept saying what beautiful children I had and how blessed I was.  The same mom approached me today to see if I needed any help.  I said no.  She then said, "I bet you always say no just to be polite.  I'll help anyway."  Clearly she does not know me in the slightest.  I hate help and if I say no, I mean no!  She proceeded to watch me take James and Amelia out and put their carseats in the double-snap-n-go.  She then asked if she could carry Maddie's carseat for me.  I told her I always wear Maddie when I'm by myself.  She watched me put the Ergo on and place Maddie inside.  Then she said, "I guess you really didn't need my help after all."  Of course I wasn't angry at her genuinely kind gesture, but it was unusual.

Once inside the gymnasium, I somehow became a part of real world Mean Girls.  I strolled by a table and asked the ladies if the seats were taken.  They deliberately looked up at me, ignored me, then returned to their conversation.  I said, "I guess so" and walked around to another table.  As I passed by, one of the ladies said, "That's the triplet mom.  Can you imagine?  I would just die."

I didn't bother asking and just sat down at the next table that had two available seats.  (Mind you, I'm maneuvering the double stroller around a crowded gym.  I clearly don't blend in with other moms.) The ladies nodded at me but did not include me in their conversation.  No big deal.  I wasn't there to make small talk.  All of a sudden one of the moms said, "Oh you know what?  We forgot to save seats for our kids.  I guess the last person who sat down is going to have to move." Then they all turned and looked at me.  Seriously, when did I become a leper?

The table I ended up at was with this strange woman who didn't speak and brought her own lunchbox to the Thanksgiving Feast.  I'm pretty sure it was the outcast table.  The classes started walking in and the children lined up in front of the tables to sing two songs.  The pastor introduced them and the music began playing.  I quickly asked a teacher, "Where are the two's?"  She realized the two year old class was missing, whispered to the pastor, and stalled the performance.  It's a pretty small preschool; how do you not notice an entire class is missing? 

Jackson was adorable.  He was one of the only kids in his class that followed along and actually did the motions with the songs.  Here's a snippet of their performance: 

As soon as the kids finished, they all chaotically ran to their parents.  It was so disorganized and Jackson looked a bit flustered because he didn't immediately see me.  The meal itself was confusing because some tables were served by teachers but at other tables, people had to get their own food and drinks.  Our "feast" included chicken nuggets, applesauce, canned carrots, and stuffing.  (FYI, the parents were required to bring the items.  We brought 100 chicken nuggets.) 

Again, there was no structure or program.  Once kids finished eating, many of them just ran around the gymnasium.  As in literally, ran, collided, wrestled, etc.  Of course, Jackson was only interested in getting a cookie.  I was only interested in calming an overly-tired Amelia.  I don't know if there was anything else planned or not, but we left soon after eating.

Despite the catty women and disorganization, the smile on Jackson's face was beyond worth seeing. 

Chatterbox

This is what I heard when I came out of the shower:

Love my Maddie Moo!

Keepin' It Real

This post is dedicated to those who think I live in a world of rainbows and sunshine.

This is a very typical scene that happens multiple times a day at our house: 

Thankfully, it only takes a few minutes to get everything under control again.  But those few minutes sometimes feel like eternity.

Just keepin' it real, friends!

James, Strong and Silly

Apparently, James requires more space nowadays.  He has just started to consistently roll over, though he has a bit of a roadblock sometimes. 

 

While I didn't post this video on Facebook because he spits up a bit, I am secretly humored by the fact that Maddie's finally getting some payback for the many times she has thrown up on James!