Pumpkin Patch

We took a trip to the pumpkin patch last week.

Goodness... seems like such an easy statement --- but what an undertaking.  We were equipped with 2 grandmothers, Andrea, myself, 3 cameras, and the babies. 

We arrived at Memorial Drive Methodist Church fairly early Friday morning.  They had many great pumpkins available, and the sweet lady monitoring the pumpkins was very nice... and patient.

As our crew was released into the sea of pumpkins, we could hear Morgan "OOH"ing, Madison racing to find the perfect one, and James wandering to check out the wheels on the closest car in the parking lot.  I grabbed my huge Nikon to snap a few shots, and to my dismay, found the camera wasn't working! It seemed to have a problem with the monster lens that was attached. Oh, well.  We relied on the cameras of Maw-maw and Grams, and I must admit, I was very pleased with the shots.

After about 15 minutes in the patch, as well as TRYING to get a decent "group shot" (and I stress the word TRYING), we all piled into a little red wagon.  The girls enjoyed the ride & James enjoyed throwing out the pumpkins that we placed inside.

After the ride, we found Morgan wandering off to make friends a cute wooden horse, James trying to roll pumpkins twice his size, and Madison throwing a fit because she didn't to get out of the wagon.

(I have to admit, I DID take a photo of my sweet drama queen before I convinced her that she would be able to ride in a wagon at another time).

A fun time was had by all... and I think that we left MOST of the pumpkins in good condition :)

I just hope the sweet lady volunteer from the church has recovered from our visit...

Happy 18-month birthday!!!

We've made it... we hit 18 months without any major bumps in our road! Yes, there have been hard times, but watching them play today --- and reflecting on where we were last year at this time --- we all have reason to celebrate.
The babies enjoyed the day playing inside, taking a trip to the grocery store, and discovering the new pumpkins placed in their backyard. 

Here are the pics from our lunchtime cupcakes.  Trying to avoid a major sugar rush, everyone was given only 1/2 of a cupcake after their lunch.



Morgan wasn't sure what to do at first. She looked at it, poked at the crumbs, studied James and Madison.  Once we handed her a fork - her FAVORITE new item -  it was all over... she ate the first few bites with her fork (we think to avoid the mess), then quickly finished the rest with her hands.



James eagerly at the CAKE part of dessert but was hesitant to eat the icing. We're not quite sure why - maybe it was a texture thing. Maybe it was due to the fact that our son likes a VERY limited number of foods.  BUT... Once he discovered the icing, it was gone in two very big bites!

Madison loved her cupcake! Unafraid of a mess of any kind, she grabbed it in one hand and started eating!  The only thing she found almost as interesting was the camera. The girls have discovered the view finder on the back - they enjoy helping mommy take photos! 





We had a very successful 1 1/2 year birthday today! 
In spite of the large dose of icing, the babies did manage to enjoy an afternoon nap!



Summer shots

No great news today --- just that we're surviving the newest teeth!

It is 2:44 in the afternoon, and the babes should be asleep for at least another hour.  This means I have time to clear some items off our digital camera! Here are just a few of the latest shots --- no wonderful words of wisdom -- just adorable babies (but then, again, I am a little biased :)

Madison showing off her fancy new Dora sunglasses - she and Morgan LOVE them!

James' latest sport - finding the toy basket, sitting in it, THEN throwing out the toys. What an adorable smile!!!

Morgan finds a quiet place to sit and read :)

Our 3 musicians! 

The best family photo we could get at swim lessons.

Cold beverages for the trip home.

A beautiful wedding!!!

We survived!

We all made it through our first wedding as a family!

Tyler and Kelsey were united in marriage last Saturday -- what a beautiful bride and groom!!! Our babies were the flower girls and ring bearer! We survived being away from our baby-proofed home, away from our schedules, and away from our regular routines... barely!

Although the children were absolutely precious, they were carried down the aisle... Madison with her swollen lip (casualty of a fall in a parking lot), Morgan with her black eye (reminder that you shouldn't run down the hall, trip, and fall eye-first into the window sill), and James (boo-boo-free!).  James lasted about 1 minute into the ceremony, and the girls lasted until the wedding vows.  I'm just really glad we had some quick feet to get the babies out before they caused too much noise - thanks to milk and Cheerios!!!
We haven't received photos from the wedding photographer yet. Although I am usually a shutter-bug, my hands were busy keeping up with the kiddos! Here are just a few shots of our little ones! I'll post more when the better photos arrive :)

After the ceremony, Morgan enjoyed animal crackers with Maw-Maw!
(thanks for the beautiful sashes, Sandy!! They were PERFECT!)

Madison enjoyed playing Peek-A-Boo with her dress... VERY typical! (refer to 6-month photos!)

James enjoyed a few bottles of COLD apple juice - since he and Dad had to make a quick exit, he spent much of his time playing in the heat --- see his red cheeks? :)

Morgan enjoys pancakes on Sunday morning--- and shows us her black eye !!

Madison perfects her forward roll (under CLOSE supervision of Maw-maw)

James' new toy - he discovered that a strainer CAN roll... and make noise.

Hide & Seek!

A weekend away from home.

We started packing some items last night,  the car tonight, and will be on our way to a wedding in the morning!  As we were preparing our video camera to capture the weekend's big events, we found this clip from the weekend.  Our 3 amigos are all RUNNING, and now they have discovered playing chase as well as hide & seek.  Here are our "quiet" ones after dinner...

James seems to be the one who likes to "hide" while the girls have a good time trying to find him.

Enjoy, and we'll keep you posted on the wedding!!!

First trip to the lake!

WE DID IT!!!!

We took the babies to the lake house in Crockett to help James' folks celebrate their 49th wedding anniversary!  We couldn't think of a better reason to leave town and "relax".

I use the word "relax" very lightly... nothing relaxing about taking your baby away from home for their first overnight trip --- ANY mother can relate to that :)  We just had to use our van as well as the Stone's to pack everything - we should have rented a U-Haul!  Our items included:
3 pack-n-plays with sheets and mattresses
3 booster seats
3 bathing suits, cover-ups, and 9 swim diapers
7 night diapers (we brought an extra "just in case")
about 40 day diapers + carton of wipes
sound machine and monitors for the night
6 life jackets for little ones (we wanted to see which typed worked best)
little bitty water shoes
food, toys, and the items needed for a normal day

I thought the best idea would be to do the majority of our driving during the babies' nap time.  After making it half-way to the lake, we realized that I forgot to notify the babies - they had a 30-minute nap in mind.  Our day naps were very short, but they all slept like LOGS at night!

Grams and Pops had a great time with the babies as well, although they didn't have a chance to relax much during the weekend.  They helped prepare meals (for kids and adults) as well as help with clean-up.  Pops also managed to have something with wheels handy for little James. 

The kiddos enjoyed swimming in the lake, waving at the boats, going on a trip to the Wal-Mart in Crockett, and their very first boat ride.  Poor James and Morgan both had new molars come through which made the trip a little more difficult for them, but all in all, our first outing was a HUGE success!!!  I told Grams after our first successful night that I was the one that had the hardest time adjusting,.. the babies did just fine :)  Good to know that they will all be ready for a trip to a wedding in September!!!!
Here are a few highlights as well as video clips from our trip:

Madison proudly wearing her new floating suit and matching hat.

James and dad after a swim.

Morgan and her boat shoes. She actually brought them to me to wear... she loves them :)

Grams, the music teacher, has the kiddos playing already! How talented they are !!!!

Pops finds wheels!!!

Dinner Time

Grams took a video of our very first boat ride.  Good thing she did, because the babies probably won't remember a thing!  Morgan and James passed out in the beginning of the ride, and Madison joined them after driving the boat with Dad.

Tired babies on the ride home :)
Mom and dad were tired, too, but very happy that the weekend was a success!!!!

All 3 are walking? How cute!

I went to a school workshop today. I must admit, I loved it. I'm just not sure how I can remember all of the good information and apply it one month from now.  I also found myself sitting in the workshop, wondering how I can apply the skills of number bonding to my 15-month old children :)

While at the workshop, I saw many co-workers who all asked about the triplets.

"Is everyone walking yet? How cute!"

Cute, yes.  Unpredictable, definitely!  Our home has turned into a fluid maze, directing the flow of baby traffic.  Gates at the base of the stairs, at the entrance of the kitchen, and guarding the Baldwin Parlor Grand Piano.  Since everyone is walking, they are chasing or following each other and finding endless opportunities to entertain one another (as well as the adults watching).  While in the kitchen cutting fruit for a meal, I enjoyed listening to the giggles of the trio... until the giggles became quiet. I immediately rounded the corner and realized that someone (not sure who) discovered how to open the bathroom door!  The toilet had now become a source of entertainment.  My sweet hubby spent Sunday putting additional door locks on downstairs doors as well as toilet locks on the commodes.

After my workshop - and an afternoon of missing the babies - I walked in on the non-stop party once again.  Here is a small sample of what our babies are up to. Please ignore the silly laughs from the mom behind the camera!

Attention Wal-Mart shoppers

As the temperatures continue to be scorching, we have found other ways to occupy our summer time! The babies are making the switch from 2 naps a day to just one nap a day. (many moms think it is CRAZY to encourage this, but the babies sleep better at night now :)
SO - during the day, we make sure to take the babies OUT somewhere - sometimes it's the YMCA to play in the pool. Other times we may visit a shopping mall and invade the play area. This trip happens to be our trip to Wal-Mart.


I jokingly tell my friends that we found the babies on the clearance aisle :)










Morgan found a cool pair of shades to protect her eyes.









Madison was unimpressed with the selection in the store.




And James was busy picking out colors for his new room. We haven't had the heart to tell him that he will be sharing his current room with his sisters for quite a while.



While shopping we bought the kiddos some shoes. Since I am the WORST about wearing shoes, I never have really pushed it with the babies... that is until we realized our 3 darlings will need to wear them in a September wedding! On this shopping trip, we bought everyone sandals (James is proudly wearing his in the photo) and have "shoe time" every day.

Our latest tooth count is 31. We should've bought stock in Orajel....

15 Months

Now that all 3 kiddos are walking, and usually in different directions, I really felt the need to have someone else take their photos --- see the little ones through someone else's eyes.
SO... we packed the van on a rainy Thursday morning and headed off for photos! Once we arrived, we had 3 kiddos and 8 adults in our party. We also had every intention of getting a family photo as well as some grandparent photos taken, but it just didn't work out for us today.

James, our little man who isn't fond of loud noises or lots of commotion, showed us that he really wasn't in the mood --- even bribing him with Goldfish and milk just wouldn't do the trick. We did manage to dry the tears when we offered him a bar stool. He was very content to sit on the floor and spin the top of the stool. He was also when we brought out the fire truck so he could roll it back and forth.
Meanwhile, Morgan was wanting to be held by anyone with open arms. Someone usually had to pick her up, place her in front of the camera, then run away quick enough for the photo to be taken.
Madison, on the other hand, was quite the ham! She loved playing on the fire truck, loved climbing down the stairs, was enchanted with stuffed animals given to her... probably the easiest of the 3 to manage!!! While she was waiting on her brother and sister, she occupied herself by trying to use the computer mouse as a cell phone.
Words can't really explain the day --- all 3 babies headed in 3 different directions with 3 very different goals in mind. I really have no idea how, but the photographer did manage to capture our wild ones on film. Now that they are taking an afternoon nap and I'm allowed to sit and relax, I can honestly smile and shake my head a little. Some day I'll miss this...

14 months and 24 teeth...

"Is it my imagination, or are they having a really hard time sharing lately?"

I love it.

My sweet hubby witnessed Madison having a major tantrum after she realized that her brother was trying to share a toy with her... the first of his many attempts. I tried explaining that Madison was not only dealing with the joy of cutting her first molar (at 14 months), but trying to learn a new skill that many don't have to face for a while. James, dealing with the same tooth-issue, returned the screams, thrashing, and "love-bite". I think eventually the bruise will fade, but that is no consolation to Madison now.
Morgan, who witnessed the entire ordeal, quickly crawled out of reach, knowing that she could possibly be a casualty of the war, and started crying just at the thought.

We distracted everyone with a different toy, and the sibling quarrel soon ended. We also grabbed several other favorite toys, placed them strategically around the room, trying to avoid another disaster.

You see... at 14 months, we already have 24 teeth in our family - or maybe I should say the BABIES have 24 teeth... There are a few more trying to make their way into the world, and those are the ones that are causing us grief.

For the most part, we have AMAZING babies --- well-tempered, easily amused & amused by each other, no major illnesses, good eaters, and sleepers from 8:15 PM to 6:30 AM. Every now and then, we do have to take a deep breath, deal with some big tears and brother/sister issues, and laugh when it's over. (We've been doing a LOT of that lately)

SO what better time to reflect on the good times than now? I have to admit, I started blogging AFTER the arrival of our little ones, and never had time to do anything but updates about once a month. I missed so many photos that were my favorites! I've put a few together in one place - consider it a Cliff Notes' version of our lives (Scott, I thought you would appreciate this).
ENJOY!