Florida Memories Day Two

It's about time that I get back to posting on our vacation to Florida. Everyone slept great the first night and everyone got to sleep in until about 8 AM so that was nice. Once everyone was up we decided that it would be fun to head to Tampa and go to the Florida Aquarium.This place was very cool. Their were birds all over along with tons of different kids of fish, sharks, sea lions, and there was even little stations where you could touch Sting Rays and some star fish. The kids loved it and Mike was an awesome Tour guide through out the aquarium so he had all the kids very interested in the exhibits. They LOVED it. There was a pink bird ( I can't remember the name of it as it is not a Flamingo) and it was just sitting on the rail looking at us. It then decided to take off and it just started walking down the path so KJ was chasing it to get it back in its "Cage". It was cute.
After lunch we went to check out the sharks and then we were going to stay and watch them feed the sharks but the kids all got restless so we decided it was time to let them get their swim suits on and go in the water park at the aquarium. It was the coolest water park we have been to yet with a big old ship, water that shot out of the ground, a covered sandbox and an area where you can shoot water back and forth at each other. It was HOT day so the adults ran around in the water too. After about 2 hours at the water park we told the kids that it was time to get Ice Cream so you can imagine that we did not have any problems when it was time to get dressed and leave the Aquarium.
All the kids got an ice cream treat which they enjoyed. We then decided to take a trolley ride. This was a huge highlight too and you can imagine the kids delight when the Trolley driver let all of them blow the horn. Lucky for us the Trolley Car was Air Conditioned as it did break down on us for about 30 minutes. Nonetheless, the kids had a great time riding the trolley after the trolley ride we headed back to M and E' s house. When we got there we were surprised with a Birthday party for all of the kids. It was the day after the trio's Birthday and it was E's birthday. The kids were thrilled as they got to have cake and balloons again. We then ended the night in the pool doing some swimming. It is safe to say that everyone was pooped out that night. What a fun day we all had.

Daddy is our King!

Today is Father's Day so I thought it would be appropriate to honor "daddy" on this blog. Lucky daddy has been on a four day fishing trip so he has had the ultimate treat of a little R & R for himself. We are all anxiously awaiting his arrival so we can honor him on this day for dads.

Jon is such and incredible father. He is so dedicated to A, E, & K even when he is bogged down with work or projects. He knows just how to speak their language and can entertain them for hours with his fun ideas like this and this. Jon is blessed with many things but one of his biggest blessings is his ability to connect with children. It has always amazed me, even before we had our own children, how Jon can relate to kids. He knows how to play and have a good time. Since I don't have this quality, I feel that this is such an awesome blessing. It really makes my heart swell to see him interacting with our kids. He teaches them so many things and they all adore him for this.

When we were headed home from Florida, we were getting on one of the airplanes to head home. The flight attendant asked us "who is in charge of this group?" In which KJ replied "Daddy is cause he is the KING" You can imagine how this had the entire first class section and all three flight attendants laughing.When Jon has to be away from all of us due to his work, it amazes me how these kids miss him so much. Out of the blue they will come up to me and say "I miss daddy" and I reply "so do I" and give them a big hug. Some nights KJ has a hard time sleeping because he misses daddy so much. This breaks my heart but I always reassure him that daddy will be home soon. I always love the mornings when Daddy has come home the night before but the kids were already in bed so they did not get to see him. They usually come into our room and expect to get me up and then Daddy is there. THEY ARE ALWAYS THRILLED! Those are such AWESOME moments.

We are all so blessed to have Jon as our "Daddy" and "Husband"! He is such an incredible Father to the kids and best friend to me. So on this day to Honor Dads, Jon I hope you know how much we love and appreciate you and all you do for us! Happy Father's Day Babe!

Florida Memories Day One

It is time now to post about our vacation to Florida. I have decided that I am going to do posts on our vacation in parts. This is Part one. I have discovered that going on vacation causes me a lot of anxiety but once we are there it is so worth it. Besides, as Jon always tells me, "If we forget something, they have stores in Florida"!

We started our travel day on the kids 4th Birthday. Grandma Mary made the kids special Mickey Mouse pancakes and put candles in them. This was a hit and it ensured that the kids had a good breakfast before we headed to the Airport. Although, I think it is the getting there and back that makes me the most anxious. As I have mentioned before, I hate to fly. Here is what I have to report on the flying. The kids LOVED it. One way to get over your fear on flying is to take three 4 year olds on an airplane. Tell them that seat recliner button is the turbo button and that they have to push it so the plane will take off. All three of the kids got so into it that they were shrieking with delight. It was very funny. Everyone around us was laughing right along with us. Especially after Aimee yelled out "Mommy, it tickles my tummy" and then proceeded to belly laugh very loudly. The girls shared the window for the trip out and KJ sat next to Daddy (his best buddy) and learned all about airplanes. I do feel sorry for the man that was sitting in between Jon and I as I kept passing things past him and talking over him but he did not seem to mind. I think he got a kick out of the kids and their excitement. I am convinced that the way to get over your fear of flying is to take three very excited 4 year olds with you and to watch their innocence and delight on the airplane. I know this helped me relax.
Once we got to Florida we then proceeded to the baggage claim where Jon left me and KJ to fetch all 6 bags. He then proceeded to the rental car place to get our van. A very kind man with a cart came over and loaded all our bags up and told me he would bring us to the Car Rental and wait until we got our van and then bring all of our bags to the van. This guy was awesome as he not only waited for us, he entertained the kids, and then proceeded to follow us to the van where he unbagged all of our car seats and prepared them so Jon could install. I proceeded to keep the kids by me and load some of the bags in the back. Overall the whole process took about 15 minutes and then we were out of there and on our way.
We arrived at our friends house about an hour later. They have a little boy E who is exactly one year and one day younger than our kids. He was very excited for us to arrive. The kids were very excited to meet him and get to his house.
All of the kids had a great time getting to know each other and Jon and I were able to relax and have a cocktail. The friends we went to visit are some good friends of ours that we do not get to see very often. We always have a great time together and we wished we lived closer so we could see them more often.
After an evening of swimming in the pool and playing with all the toys it was time to go to bed. The kids were thrilled that they all got to have a sleep over together. It really worked out well. Jon and I were thrilled that we actually made it to Florida and we had three days ahead of us to make some memories with the kids.

Funnies

Today while we were at Vocation Bible School the kids were having a snack. I asked KJ if he was done eating and he replied "Yeah, I am done eating but I am not done thirsting so don't throw my Lemonade away"

Tonight as I was tucking Aimee into bed we said prayers. When she finished I asked her if she wanted to pray for anybody and she said "I want to pray for everybody" then after a pause she said "except for monsters and dinosaurs".

We're Back!

Gasp....It has been well over a week since I have posted anything here! I have a good excuse but I feel way behind with the blog. We returned home from vacation a few days ago and I am happy to report that we all had a great time. I don't have time to post now about it but it was so much fun to get on an airplane, fly to Florida, go to the beach and out on a boat, eat fish, see fish and other ocean life, IT WAS A BLAST! I will post about the trip soon. Here is a picture of all five of us on the trolley ride!

Today we are off to Vacation Bible School and then I am off to work! Yikes...the vacation is over!

Tribute To Ms. A

Yesterday was the kids last day of Gymnastics before the summer break. We have been in Gymnastics all year long and they just love their coach, Ms. A. She is such an awesome coach to 3-4 year olds.

Every week she always had some fun "theme" planned for the week and the kids really got into it. They never argued about going to Gymnastics. Honestly, I think KJ has a little crush on Ms. A. He is always first in line when it is time to line up and he always wants to show Ms. A his shirts, shorts, etc.. It is really funny to watch. The girls really enjoyed Ms. A too.

I am amazed at how much they improved over the year. They went from being afraid of being upside down to doing somersaults on the bars, hanging upside down like monkeys, walking the high beam, and jumping like stars on the trampolines. At first I was reluctant about spending the money on Gymnastics because I was not sure how it would go over but now I am so glad that we did. It has really helped to improve our kids coordination.

I am not sure what our schedule will be for the fall but I really hope that we will be able to join another class with Ms. A. After all, she is a superhero as it was not just my triplets in her class but two other sets. Yes, that is right, she had 9 3 year olds that she coached gymnastics too week after week. God Bless Ms. A!

Vacation Preperations

We are going on a family vacation soon. WOW! It is a lot of work to prepare for vacations. I am so excited to get out of town and have some fun. I did some research on the areas that we will be visiting and it looks like their is a lot of fun "Family" stuff to do. We are going to take all three kids to the beach for the first time. I am thrilled about this as it will be fun to watch all of their reactions.

The kids are excited to go on a big airplane. I just wish I loved to fly. I intend on being very brave in front of the kids but I can honestly say that I am not a big fan of flying. Jon doesn't get that at all but at least he will be with all of us and that will help to settle my fears. After all, there is nothing to be nervous about Right?!?

Thank God I have my mom to help me wash clothes and get everyone packed. Grandma Mary not only did my laundry for me yesterday she also had the kids all day while I was busy at work. One of the Women I work with asked me the other day if I knew how lucky I was to have my mom and all her help. I replied that I did know how lucky I was and that I am very very very grateful for my mom and all she does. She has made our triplet journey so much easier. Just last night she took all the kids out to eat with my brother and our friend Jane. She said that everyone sitting around them was so surprised that "they were triplets" and then they could not believe that my mom was brave enough to take them out. Honestly, it is all we know around here.

Also, I would like to mention our good friend "Auntie" Jane. She also helps with the kids a lot. She loves to come over and hang out, she loves to have them to her house, she even took them out to dinner just a few weeks ago all by herself. The kids LOVE it. She is probably on her way over right now as I have to run Aimee to the Dentist and she is going to play with the other two. Jane has saved the day many times for us.

I also learned yesterday that our friend Sue can come to the airport with me on Saturday and help me get the kids through security and to the gate. Jon is meeting me at the airport as he will just be returning to town that afternoon. This took some of the pressure off of me so I have a little support. Jon was thrilled when he heard this too.

Bottom line...going on vacation is a lot of work but so worth it. We are so blessed to have so much support around here. THANK YOU!

A Bouncy Birthday Blast!!!

Yesterday, was the big 4th Birthday celebration! I am happy to report that everyone had a great time and we the weather was AWESOME!
We were lucky enough to have both sets of Grand parents, Aunt, uncle and cousins here to help us enjoy the day. We also have many friends come over too. We had a great turn out and the kids really enjoyed spending the afternoon with so many family and friends.
We had a bouncy house again this year but in addition to the bouncy part there was also a slide off the side so that was a bonus feature. The kids (and sometimes the mommies too) bounced and bounced and bounced. We also had horse races and treasure hunts.
This year the kids each got their own cake and they thought that was really cool. Princesses for the girls and Spiderman for K.
They had a blast opening up their Birthday gifts. K was so thrilled with the gift that Grandma C and Grandpa R gave him that he exclaimed to everyone "This is just what I needed"!!! We all had a great laugh about that one.
Overall it was such a wonderful day. The kids had a blast with all of their friends. I was worried that we would get some bad weather but the sun shined throughout the whole party. What a thrill.

Last night as Jon and I reminisced on the day and their birthday party, we had many laughs and much discussion about how much they have changed these past 4 years. We both commented on how we can't believe it has been 4 years now and how much our lives have changed. Just 4 years ago we were racing to bed after the 8:30 feeding just so we could get a few hours of sleep until the midnight feeding. At that time I could not have imagined how much these kids would grow and how much joy they would bring to us.
As I have said many times before, my heart is full and it feels great to have my "family". I feel so blessed and humbled to have been given such awesome children. They told me just the other day that they are going to be 4 years old and 4 year olds are never naughty. I smiled and said "that sounds great"! Now if I catch them being naughty, then I get to remind them that 4 year olds are "never naughty". I am at peace and I feel full of love and happiness. Life is great and I look forward to all of the memories we are going to make this year with 3 - 4 year olds! Yahoooo! After all, I was told that the age between 1-101 that laughs the most is 4 years old. Here's to a year full of belly laughs and giggles.

This one is for Eric...

This was something I promised Eric I would post. However, I must apologize to Eric because I forgot that I cannot turn a movie so please turn your head to the side and enjoy the show.

Eric below is your 21 seconds of fame!

I have bikers!!!

This past weekend we decided it was time to get the bikes out of the rafters of the garage. I bought the kids bikes last year but then realized they were a little small for them since they did not know how to peddle a trike much less a bike. I got the bikes for a great deal from another triplet mom. She sold them to me for $18 for all three! What a deal.The kids LOVE them. Jon got them all fixed up with air in the tires and training wheels put on. We went down on the street last night and the kids spent about 2 hours riding their bikes around and around. We had a few accidents and the first time KJ fell off his bike both Jon and I were holding our breath until he jumped up and screamed "I no hurt Daddy, I okay" then he proceeded to get back on his bike and start riding it again.It was so much fun to watch the kids go around and around with their new bikes. By the end of the night they were cruising around so fast and every time they would pass me they would have these great big grins on their faces. It truly melted my heart!I stood out there and it was one of those moments that I am sure every mother experiences when you think to yourself...how did we get to this point. They are now bikers! I can still remember just 4 years ago and how uncomfortable I was. How much anticipation both Jon and I had for our babies to arrive. I had no idea at that point in time how much those babies would change our life! WOW, what a ride it has been so far and I am so excited for all the new adventures we still have ahead of us. We are quickly approaching the age of 4 and as I always reminisces at this time of year. I start to think about where we have been and where we are going. I love being Aimee, Ella, and Kendrick's mother, I love sharing this family with my best friend and soul mate, I love how blessed I am with all that God has given me.

Soccer Stars

We have started soccer. I was not sure what to expect when we showed up at the soccer fields the other day but much to my delight, all three of the kids had a blast playing. It was really fun to watch too. Their jersey's are huge on them but the good news is that they will fit for many years to come.
We start T-Ball in a month so I hope that goes over as well as soccer has. Ella told Grandpa Al on Sunday "we started soccer and we are really good at it"! She was right about starting soccer but they have some practice to do! I had to laugh when their first game was about to start and Aimee volunteered to be the goalie. She is usually shy and timid in new situations so I was amazed that she wanted to be the goalie. They all had a blast so I am really happy that we signed them up to start playing soccer.

Happy Mother's Day 2008

What a delightful day we had yesterday. I felt very blessed and it was so much fun to celebrate being a mom. We started the day with breakfast out and the kids did well until the end. Then they all feel apart at the grocery store after we got done with breakfast. We knew then that they would for sure need a nap. So Grandma Mary offered to have them over at her house so Jon and I could get some stuff done at our house. Thank you to Grandma Mary!!!
Jon and I spent the day getting the kids bed rooms reorganized. The girls both wanted their own bed (they have been sharing a queen) so we decided it was time. Aimee kicked Ella the other night while they were in bed so after that happened we really knew it was time. My only reservation with it was that I had already bought them all new bedding less than a year ago and now we had to go buy all new bedding for all three of them as KJ got the queen bed and the girls now each have a twin bed. Everyone is happy now so that is the good news.

The guys cooked my mom and I a wonderful meal last night. We had such a great time and the kids had fun too. The kids gave me a really cute card that had a rooster on the front of it and the inside said "you rule the roost" and it played chicken dance music. Sooo cute.

Today we were able to have a family day too as Jon has been home with us. We packed up a lunch and went to a park. It is cool here today but the sun is shining so it was fun.

I love being a mom. It is the hardest, most emotional job I have ever had but by far the most rewarding Job on earth. To all the moms out there...God Bless you all and keep up the good work!!!

Mother's Day Tea

Today the kids had a Mother Day Tea at their school. I took some time off of work so I could attend. I took the camera with me and I was able to capture them singing some of their songs on tape. Below are two different videos of them singing. As you will see KJ and Ella loved to sing to the crowd but Aimee was very shy about it. This surprises me as Aimee is always the one who is singing in the car and when she is playing.


The picture below is of all three kids when they were waiting to start singing. This picture really capture my heart because if you look closely they are all holding hands. This proves that they really count on each other when they are in situations that make them feel a little uncomfortable. They were uncomfortable because there was a handful of mothers that were waiting for their kids to come out and sing to them. It was a sweet program and it made me feel very loved as a mother. Grandma Mary came with me too and I know she really enjoyed it. They all made me a very special gift and I was very touched. What an awesome afternoon. Being the mother of these three special little souls is the best gift I have ever been given!!!

Changes to blog...

Due to some things that have been on my mind lately, I am thinking about password protecting my blog so that I have some control over who is looking at it. So if you are a faithful reader and you want to have access, please send me an email to babyblues900@yahoo.com and let me know who you are, if you have a blog page, and what your email is so I can include you.

THANKS!

MS Walk 2008

It was the PERFECT day for the walk. We had so much fun today and the best part about it was that I was able to raise $2555 for the MS Society. The even better part about it was that my team the Walkin Maniacs was able to raise over $5000. I am THRILLED to say the least. We always have so much fun on this day.My parents and my good friend Jane help out with watching kids, driving us to the walk, and feeding all of us after the walk. They go above and beyond to keep all of us walker happy. My team is Awesome too. It means so much to me to have so many of my family and friends get together to raise money to help find a cure to a disease that I suffer from. They do this walk for ME! That feels great.Just tonight as I was typing up an email to all of my contributors, I started to tear up. It feels great to have the support with this cause. I have no doubt that there will be a cure for MS in my lifetime. My doctor told me this the day he diagnosed me. With the money that myself and my team raised, we are that much closer to finding a cure. It is a small step for such a large cause but at least we helped!Next year we have decided it is time to bring the kids on this walk. I am sure they will not walk the whole walk but at least they can come to the park and be apart of the excitement of the day. I am going to bed tonight exhausted from such a busy day but my heart is full and I feel loved...very very loved! Oh and a big thanks to my awesome hubby for taking such awesome action filled pictures today.

Little Mechanics

Today Jon was in charge and he decided it was time to get the kids "jeep's" out for them to drive around. They had a blast and all night long they have been begging to go out and drive their jeep's again. He snapped these great pictures of the kids "working" on their jeep's and Jon said he took them for our friend Denny! It was nice to see that the kids are finally getting the hang of driving these jeep's. Last year when we got them out they had no idea how to steer so they kept banging into the curb and each other. Needless to say we put them away until this year. I am really looking forward to summer (if it ever gets here). These kids are getting so much bigger everyday. We laugh a lot around here and that is good for the soul.

Oh and tonight as we were walking into the house I said "phew, why does it stink in here" to which KJ replied "because you have the toots mommy". Jon spent a good 2-3 minutes laughing so hard he could not talk. The things he teaches them when I am at work!!!!

A is telling it on the mountain

Here is a video clip from a few weeks back that Sue took of A singing. Since I am so slow at posting these days I thought this would be a great treat for all of our fans at The Erickson Five!

Enjoy!

Grandma's and Nightgowns!

Edited to add these photos from Grandma Carol: Here are my superheros Batman Kendrick and Spiderwoman Ella! Too cute. Check below for a vacuuming Batman!!!

I can't believe it has been over a week since I have updated this blog. Life has been busy like usual but in this past weeks time I have accomplished a lot. We headed up north so I could attend my annual Mothers of Multiples Convention and Grandma and Grandpa Erickson volunteered to watch the kids. One of my good friends (a fellow Triplet Mom) volunteered to ride up with me so I did not have to be alone in the car with the kids for 4 hours. It was such a blessing as she was able to crawl in back and help the kids out whenever they needed something. Grandma Erickson rode back home with me and we just dropped her at the airport tonight so she could go back home.

There have been a few silly things said these past few weeks that I wanted to document and share with all of you.

The kids have been really into doing puzzles so last week when we were running errands, we picked up a couple of puzzles for the kids at Target. When we got home we had to get them opened up right away so they could start working on them. A little while later, KJ came into the kitchen and wanted to let me know that he only had one piece left and asked me to come in the living room. When I walked in there I realized that the puzzle was complete but there must have been an extra piece in the box. I explained that they sent an extra piece and that it did not fit into the puzzle because it was extra. KJ shouts out "Silly Targets, they gave us an extra piece"!

A few weekends ago the kids stayed over night at Sue's house because we had a wedding to go to. Here is what Sue sent to me in an email: After dinner, the kids are usually anxious to take turns with dishrags and brooms to help clean up. However this time Ella as was casually sauntering away, Kristin stopped her and asked if she was going to help clean up. Ella informed her "I am NOT the cleaning lady" and left.

Last night, Aimee put on her nightgown when it was time to get ready for bed. To give all of you a little history, Aimee loves to wear nightgowns (just like Dora's Grandma does) and Ella HATES nightgowns. So Aimee decided to ask Grandma Carol if she wears nightgowns and Grandma responded "yes". Aimee then asked "do you have Dora on your nightgown to, Grandma?" Grandma replied "No" so then Aimee asked "So do you have Grown Ups on your nightgown then Grandma?"

Ella was going to have a sleep over with Grandma Carol last night so when they were getting ready for bed she said "and whatever you do Grandma don't let your nightgown touch me in the night because I don't like nightgowns"!

Here is a quote that Grandma Carol sent over last night:

I forgot to tell you another KJ quote - the second time when he put on the batman costume he was asking where the "wings" were, if his cape was the wings. I told him "no, he didn't have any wings." He then asked "if you push me, will I fly?"

Good Ole Furnace...

Last week our furnace decided it was time to die. We knew that the furnace was on it's way out but we thought we could to summer and replace when there was not a dire need for it. We were wrong. We spend last Tuesday through Friday with out any heat in our house. This was not good since it has been an unusually cold April around here.The temperature in our house was between 58-61 Degrees. Yikes it was COLD!

Thank goodness we have a fireplace that kept us somewhat warm. The kids seemed to do okay with it. Jon said on Thursday that Ella and him were putting together a puzzle and she got up, went to the closet and put on a pair of mittens. Of course, don't feel too bad for her as when I got home she was running around the house without socks on!

Here are some pictures of us all by the fireplace trying to keep warm. As you can see even the cats were cold!
The good news is that we have a new furnace and A/C unit so we are set for this summer and the heat! Our old A/C was almost 40 years old and the A/C guy could not believe that it was still running. Let's hope for those kind of results with this new Furnace and A/C!

Dancing Cooks

My Friend Sue captured these videos at her house this weekend when the kids were helping her cook! Sooo cute!



I love the way that KJ twists in this next video. Sooo cute!

Oh and Aimee (my curly hair girl) insisted that Sue put curlers in her hair. That is why she is wearing them. Too funny!

Little Bakers

As I have mentioned before, our good friends Sue and Denny like to have play dates with the triplets. This past Sunday was one of those play dates. This is such a blessing for all of us as Sue and Denny have the patients to do things with the triplets such as baking. They are always making cookies, bars, their own lunch, dinner, and lots of fun stuff.

When I went to pick the kids up on Sunday they had baked some bread. Sue said they all did a great job and when she turned around after they were done and it was time to clean up, Aimee was licking all of her fingers. She has learned that dough tastes soooo good. Hopefully she won't get any worms! With the influence of Sue with her baking and Grandma Mary with her cooking maybe I will have some chefs some day. I need to spend some more time in the kitchen doing some cooking. Although, from the looks of it these kids will be able to make Jon and I dinner in no time!
Both Jon and I are happy that these guys get the exposure to these kinds of things. I know the kids really enjoy it as just tonight Ella came up to look at these pictures and she told me all about her bread making experience. She said it was fun and that her fingers got all sticky! Oh and Sue, if you are reading this, we ate the bread with dinner the other night and it was yummy! Thanks a bunch!