In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lion

Okay so this post is mostly just to complain about the fact that Winter is not ending for us. Typically the saying is that March will come in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. However, since it has been snowing for almost 24 hours now and we have a fresh foot or more of snow on the ground, March is going out like a lion!

YIKES....is winter EVER going to end? I sure hope so. The girls do too because every day they want to put their shorts and t-shirts on and they are so disappointed when I tell them that it is still too cold outside to be dressed in shorts. BUMMER.

I gotta get to bed....I am freezing as the furnace just turned down!

Typical Sunday

I decided it was time to talk about what we typically do on Sundays. We belong to the same church as my parents and my brother. My parents like to go to 7:30 AM mass. I know you will all think I am crazy when I tell you that we meet my parents at church for 7:30 AM mass. However, I should tell you that the only way that this can happen is for one, two, or all three of the kids sleeping at Grandma and Grandpa's house the night before. If Jon happens to be out town then I will sleep at Grandma and Grandpa's house too.
If you can believe it, there are some advantages to going to church so early. First, early mass is a shorter service so instead of the kids sitting through an hour or more of church, it is about a half hour. Second, since we go so early, they are very good about snacking on their cheerios and juice during church and this keeps they quiet and still. Third, since we go to church so early, when we head out to one of our favorite breakfast spots, there is never a wait for us.
Usually after church they have refreshments in the back which includes doughnuts, juice, and coffee. If the kids are good in church then after they get to pick out a doughnut to have. Also, when Grandma and Grandpa are in charge of the refreshments, they love to help get the room all set up. Grandpa has been taking them one at a time to the bakery before church to help pick up the doughnuts. They LOVE to do this with Grandpa. After they eat their doughnuts we then get the broom and dust pan and sweep up our mess. The picture above shows the kids at work cleaning up their mess. Usually there is a big fight over the broom. After church we head out for breakfast at one of the local restaurants. We all really enjoy this.
After we are done with all of our morning activities, we usually head over to our friends Sue and Denny's house. They like to take the kids for us on Sundays. The kids love to be at their house and Sue does so many fun things with kids. It is a blessing to have them in our lives to give us all a break once in awhile. The kids love to go because Sue usually has something fun planned to do with the kids.
While Sue and Denny have the kids this is usually when I get the grocery shopping, laundry, and errands run with out three little people with me. Having that time really helps all of us out a lot. I usually pick the kids up around dinner time and then we head over to Grandpa and Grandma's house for Sunday night dinner. Grandma Mary is an awesome cook so we all enjoy her dinners. Usually Uncle Tony and our good friend Jane are there too.
Sunday's are great days. We all enjoy them and we have been getting to church a lot this year. I love that as the homily usually gives good reminders for life and how to live.

GG DEL Was In The House

We were blessed to have GG Del here for a visit. She was able to come for 10 days and I think we all really enjoyed her company. When it was time for GG Del to go home, the kids asked why she had to leave and wanted to know if she could just stay. I melts my heart to know my kids love her so much. GG Del is very special to not only me but to all of us.
GG Del stands for Great Grandma Adele. She is my Dad's mother although my kids don't get that as they asked GG Del when she was here if she had any kids. I tried to explain it all to them but I am not sure they truly understood.
I love my Grandma Adele for so many reasons but the biggest reason is that she is a strong but simple woman. My Grandfather passed away in 14 years ago. At the time they had been married for 52 years. I still cannot imagine what that must have felt like for my Grandma. To have your life partner for all of those years and then having to move on with out that person. I think we were all worried about how my Grandma would do since she did not have a drivers license and she depended a lot on my Grandpa to driver her where ever she needed to go. I am happy to report that she survived and thrived. She is an amazing woman and at the age of 86 she still goes to exercise class (she walks to class) 4 times a week. She also volunteers her time at the high school as a hall monitor, sings in the church choir, plays cards about 5 days a week, and loves to watch reality TV. Survivor and Big Brother are her latest favorites.
Growing up, we lived about 5 hours away from my Grandma and Grandpa so we did not see them very often. I don't remember being very close to them but all of that changed when I went to college. I selected a school that was only an hour away from my Grandma. This ended up being great for both of us. My grand father passed away the fall of my Freshmen year at college. I am disappointed that I did not get to know him even better than I did before he passed away but I think that event helped my Grandma and I become close.
I would go to visit her a lot when I was in school. Especially when I was feeling homesick. We would play cards, make dinner, and sometimes even go to church or out to eat together. It was during these visits that I learned so much about her and her life. That is when we got close and I realized that we both thought a lot alike. We would always solve the worlds problems over many games of cards.
After I moved home from college, I did not get to see her all that much but we would still keep in touch. Jon and I got married and she was the only Grandparent on either side that was able to attend the wedding. Jon and I were so grateful that she was there. She loved Jon from the first time she met him and I remember her telling me that he was "just like us". She always felt comfortable around Jon and I am always so grateful that they really enjoy each other.
Grandma Adele was in town visiting when we got the big news that we were expecting triplets. I am glad that she is part of that memory. She did not say much for the first few days after we announced the news but I think she needed some time to process it. I know she was very nervous for us, the babies, and my health.
Now that the kids are here and they are all doing well, she is a proud Great Grandma to them. We gave her the nickname of GG Del as it was easier for the kids to say. She loves to come and visit and we love to go and visit her. I am so grateful that my kids have had a chance to get to know their great grandma. It is so much fun to watch the bond that they have formed with her. I love how proud she is of the kids and she really gets involved with them when she is here. I have pictures of her dancing with them and reading books.
Grandma Adele is doing very well. She has her mind, her health, and lots of family and friends. However, it is always hard for me to say goodbye to her after our visits. I love her so much and I just wish she was closer so we could see her more often than we do. It was amazing to me to see how hard it was for my kids to say goodbye to GG Del this time too. Just today I was talking to GG Del on the phone and all the kids wanted to talk to her too.
We are all so lucky and blessed to have Grandma Adele (AKA GG Del) in our lives. I have learned and I am still learning so much from her.

Happy Easter 2008

I know this is a few days late but Happy Belated Easter everyone! We had a great day despite all of the snow on the ground.
The kids were so excited when they woke up and found that the Easter bunny had come and hid the eggs and left baskets full of treats. They were thrilled when Daddy pointed out that the bunny had left it's tracks on our patio. We spent a good hour having fun and then it was time to get ready for church.
I have to say that these kids were adorable in church. My dad described the girls as "strutting "to the pew as they knew they were looking good in their Easter best! Church was awesome and we all got a good chuckle out of KJ as he put on his sister's Easter hat. I think everyone got a good laugh at that one.After church we headed over to Grandma Mary's house for brunch and when we got there the kids were surprised to see that the Easter Bunny had been to her house too. They spent the next 45 minutes trying to find all of the eggs. KJ took a header into the fireplace when searching for eggs to that was a big bummer but at least he was OK and did not need stitches. At first, Grandpa Al thought he would for sure need to go to ER. It was a bad fall.
The kids blessed us with a long nap on Easter too so we were all able to get some rest and then of course play some cards. Oh and not to brag but the women kicked the guys butts that day in cards!It is a bummer that this Easter was so snowy for us but we are all so blessed to have each other.
Happy Easter 2008!

Tales from the Hot Tub

This morning we were all over at Grandma Mary's house. It was a beautiful morning as it was snowing and all of the trees were white. Uncle Tony called and said he wanted to come over for a hot tub.

When he got there I agreed that I would go out with him. Then all of the kids wanted to go too. They needed a bath this morning anyway so I carried each of them out to the hot tub. My parents keep their hot tub cooler than most so it is safe for the kids to be in for a short period of time. Heck, when I was pregnant with them I sat in there daily due to my doctors orders.

We were all amazed to see that the kids grew so much they are now tall enough to stand in the hot tub. It is also really apparent that they have been in swimming lessons all winter long because they were loving the hot tub and there was no fear at all. At one point Ella went under the water and when she came up I asked her if she was OK. Then she said to me with a touch of sarcasm, "I just went under the water mommy"!

It was a fun morning and we were all grateful that we did not have to be going to work. The commute to work on a day like today is HORRIBLE!


Happy Friday!

Future Singing Careers

Here is a special treat of Ella (and Aimee) singing in the bath tub.




This might be more of a Christmas Song but in the spirit of Easter this week I just wanted to share.

Today Ella asked me why it makes God mad when people litter? I explained that it is not nice to be a "litter bug" because God made this earth beautiful and when people litter then it makes the world less beautiful. She then asked if on Saturday we could go down to the freeway and pick up all of the garbage. I told her that the freeway was probably not a great idea but we could walk around our neighborhood and pick up all the litter we could find. Heck if nothing else it will be good practice for finding the Easter eggs on Sunday.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day is always a big deal to us. My mother is half Irish so that means we are all Irish. The kids really got into "Green Day" this year. Grandma Mary of course went crazy with all the St. Patrick's Day shirts, hats, and other unique "green" items.
On Saturday night I was out for a Bachelorette Party for one of my friends and I was even drinking some green beer. It is always so much fun to celebrate this Holiday. I know it means a lot to Grandma Mary as she is so proud of her heritage. Her parents built and ran an Irish restaurant for many years. It still is standing today and it still one of the towns best places to eat.

Rain Boots Are Our Friend!

Today's weather was very nice so I insisted that we all get outside to enjoy the somewhat warm weather. The kids were so excited and not only found their rain boots but put them on instantly. Then they insisted that they wear their rain coats. I love the rain coats so I was cool with them wearing them even though the sun was out and shining brightly.

Once we got outside they LOVED running through and stomping in the puddles. We took a long walk and found some really big puddles for them to run through. They were all soaking wet by the time we got back home but they sure had a great time.We stopped and visited one of our neighbors and they were so polite and good. He had some gifts for them and they were thrilled. Especially KJ because it was a "Boy" necklace with a scorpion on it. So boyish and just what he needed.I love days like this. Spring is in the air and that is so exciting.

Home Safe... but cold

Aimee and I returned from our trip safe and sound. We had a nice time but it always amazes me how much I miss the other two kids when I am away with just one. For that reason it makes it emotionally hard for me to be away but I we still had fun. I have lots of fun pictures to post but I am too darn tired after the day that I have had today.

I returned to a very cold house. Then I quickly realized that the furnace in our house was not working. Therefore we spend the day in a 50 degree home trying to stay warm. We are trying to decide if we replace or repair our 15 year old furnace right now. We are not sure what to do but we hope to have an answer by tomorrow so we can warm up!

A Little Adventure

Tomorrow morning Aimee and I are off to visit a very good friend of mine. I have not seen this friend in over a year so I am really looking forward to the visit.
Last year Ella came with me on this exact same trip. As a mom of triplets, it is always nice for me to get this one on one time with my kids. It is actually a vacation to only travel with one of the kids. I also think that it is a vacation for the kids too.
I am sure I will have lots to update on when I get back.

Ella's Skating Debut

Today was Ella's turn to have a date with daddy. She decided that she wanted to go ice skating. Big thank you to Grandma Mary for taking Aimee and Kendrick and awarding Jon this date with Ella.
Jon said that Ella did a fantastic job at ice skating and from the video clips it looks like they both had a great time on the ice. Jon did not realize when he was recording the clips that you can not rotate the movie so you will need to tilt your head to the side to be able to watch these clips.

Even though they are not straight I still thought there were great and I wanted to share. I love how encouraging Jon is with Ella. Telling her that she is doing a great job and being so patient. Another good reason why he is such a great daddy.

260

This is the number of posts that I have done on this blog. I cannot believe that I am already at 260!!! I was amazed when I noticed that number today.

I get such mixed emotions about this blog. Some people think I am crazy for doing it, some people love it and talk to me about it all the time. I get nervous about who is reading it and exposing my family to harm because of it but then I remind myself that I am careful about what I put on my blog. I use this blog as a way to look back and show my kids what activities we did when they were small. To give them a glimpse of how we raised triplets and stayed sane. I really wish my mom would have had a "blog" when I was growing up. It would be great to look back and see all the activities and have a glimpse of "our" world through her eyes. I guess I don't necessarily need to make all of this "public" but knowing I have an audience makes me stay devoted to posting on this blog. It is kind of like when you are on a diet and you have to get on a scale for someone else to see.

This blog has become an outlet for me. It helps me to reflect on what is going on in my life and in my family's life. I have thought about changing the blog name and making it even more private which I might do one of these days but for now I am going to keep plugging away at this one. If nothing else just to remind me of where we have been and reflect on what we have going on now.

The other day Jon said he ran into one of our neighbors at the Gym. She told him that she really enjoyed the blog and that he must be a great husband and father because I write so highly of him. So for that neighbor...you are right. Jon is an awesome husband and father and even though he did not say much about it, I am sure it made him feel great that you took notice.

To my fellow blog readers! Please comment one of these days so I know my audience!!! How about if I say Pretty Please with sugar on top!!!! I would love to beat my old comment record of 7 comments!

So 260 and I am still plugging away. Who would have thunk it that night long ago when I started this blog journey. My only regret is not starting it earlier!

Friendship

On Monday nights we have our Gymnastic class with the our friends the B Triplets. Today it was their Birthday so we were invited out to dinner with them to celebrate. We headed over to Friday's for dinner. It was an amazingly fun night aside from the six trips to the bathroom during the meal.
It was amazing to sit back and watch all of the kids interact with each other. They all picked a buddy and they were telling each other jokes, telling secrets, and talking about their interests. They even helped each other eat. K (mommy to the B Triplets) and I have been hanging out together with our kids since they were about 1 year old. She too has GGB triplets so it is a perfect set up. My kids always enjoy their company and K and I always talk about them being best friends. These are my kids "oldest" friends and here is to many more years of friendships and celebrations together.
Tonight both K and I sat back in amazement to watch our kids interact. I asked her were the time had gone. I remember clearly when her kids turned 2 and she was in disbelief. Time is just flying by.
I had another realization tonight about having three-four year olds. I am really looking forward to this summer and how much fun it is going to be. It has been a long winter and I think we are all ready to be outside in the warm weather and swimming and playing. Every season of every year it just keeps getting "easier" around here. This summer will be no exception to that rule. We already have a camping trip planned and a week of vacation with just the "five" of us. We are all looking forward to it.

Birthday Parties

We are now reaching the age where we are invited to Birthday parties for our friends. It is so much fun to take the kids to these parties and watch them interact with the other kids. It is sweet to watch them sing Happy Birthday to their friends too.
This weekend we went to J, E, & M Birthday party. They are triplets that we hang out with a lot. They are three months older than my trio Their Mommy and I have been friends for a long time and we knew each other long before our triplets were here. She used to be my Youth Group leader when I was in High School (another post someday). As you can see from the pictures, it was a Gymnastics Birthday Party. The kids all had a great time and best of all was that Ms. Anne was there to help entertain the kids. It really was a lot of fun and if you ask Kendrick, the best part of all of it was eating the Birthday cake!

Sweetness

When your three 3 Year Olds...

Giggle
Play Together
Pray,
Say "I love you"
Say "Please, Thank You, and Your Welcome
Say "I'm Sorry"
Cuddle
Bear Hugs
Kisses
Show their emotions
Talk on the Phone
Listen very well (especially when others are watching)
Ask to talk to God
Pray
Love Each Other
Bear hugs in the morning
Watching them sleep
Holding hands