Hello Again, Mr. Sandbox!

With the incredibly high temps this summer, we have spent much of our time indoors - not much fun for any of us.  Thank goodness, we've had some beautiful weather for the last few days! We were reintroduced to one of our favorite items - the sandbox!
James enjoyed digging/covering things, Madison enjoyed patting sand to make hand prints, and Morgan sat on the side to blow some bubbles (she's not a fan of getting dirty).

Here are just a few pics from this morning...

Yea, Sandbox time!!! 

Morgan blowing bubbles!

Madison making hand prints

My sweet boy and his dump truck!

Shelby watching over her crew

And the race is ON!

Madison

Morgan playing peek-a-boo

James got a head start on his sisters!



A boy after my own heart - feet on the dashboard, letting someone else drive :)

Back to School?

Hard to believe it is time for school already --- back-to-school sales, teachers decorating classrooms, team meetings are well underway.  AND ... for the first time in 21 years, I will not be a part of it.

Will I miss the teachers.  No doubt.  I love the friendships formed, the way we always were "there" to listen, the great ideas shared, and the professional growth.
Will I miss OKE? ABSOLUTELY!  I can never thank Malynn enough for my support while we established our new little family.
Janet - how will I ever be able to survive without your humor and subtlety? (especially your "special" b-day treats during planning time) 
Taylor - Will I be suffering from ADM withdrawal and creating my own "football fields" in my sleep? (hmmm...let me think about that one)
4th grade team - will I miss your lunch conversations - and catching up with boyfriends, weddings, & babies?  You bet! Guess I'll just have to come back to visit sometime and catch up on all the good gossip!

Will I miss the paperwork.  Nope - sorry! That's an easy one to dismiss!

Will I regret staying home and being a teacher to these 3 little guys?  NEVER!  Seems like the Lord gave me 21 years in the field of education so I can apply what I have learned to my new small group.

Here's a little bit of our latest lessons at home:


Anatomy - we often sit together on the floor and have "surgery". Everyone giggles as I reach into their tummies and pull out trains, Veggie Tales, dirty diapers, and anything else they suggest.  I ABSOLUTELY LOVE having everyone looking up at me and laughing --- wish I could record the giggles and play at the same time... you'll just have to use your imagination!

 

Rest time! After a busy day with our new coloring books and a snack of Cheerios, we all settle down for a quick rest while watching Bubble Guppies!!! It also gives me a chance to change diapers while everyone is still (quiet moments are few and far between!).

Make believe - we were all hiding under the table when Daddy got home! Everyone was so excited to see him that we couldn't stay under the table for long, but once in a while, we had everyone together for one picture. Notice how Morgan has already managed to get Daddy's cell phone - good thing Dad can lock the keypad!

Hide-and-Seek - Lately we have discovered fun uses for laundry baskets. They can be used as boats, as "private spaces", as platforms from which we can jump (yes, I know, not the safest choice)... and in this case, the basket was used as a place for 5 people to hide! Uncle Scott and Cousin Rebecca joined in the fun, too!

Community Pets - I guess many elementary classrooms have pets.  We have 2 frogs (thanks, Becca) and our beloved Golden Retriever, Shelby. For those who are wondering if she gets along with the babies, YES! I had to take QUICK pictures as the entire crew decided to sit on the dog! After a BIG lick across the face, Shelby decided to stand and leave the fun. She sleeps really well at night and gets as many power naps as possible.

I have to leave you with a video clip. I was in the kitchen trying to recover from a dinner when I heard giggles and belly laughs coming from the front room.  I had to grab the camera, and thank goodness, caught some of it on film.  James has recently discovered that his sisters are very good at playing and interacting!  Words can't replace the sound of laughter... ( for 1 1/2 minutes).  I don't think I've posted a video for a while, so if you haven't seen us in action lately, enjoy the show!

Summer Happenings!

Yes, it HAS been a while since I've posted anything! We've had a very busy summer so far! Fun, but very busy!
Since school has been out, we have let Andrea -- our day helper, friend, angel, and sanity -- move on to help anther triplet family.  WE MISS HER!!!! Gone are the times when I could run errands while she watched the kids for me!  We decided it would be a good time for them to start a toddler school. We found a toddler program that we absolutely LOVE at our church.  The kiddos attend twice a week, giving me time to clean house, go grocery shopping, and run various errands.  They seem to enjoy school - and they are given opportunities for crafts (painting, using glue, etc.) as well as socializing with other kiddos.  The teachers said they couldn't believe that our crew had never been in daycare before because they adjusted so quickly.  I reminded her that we practically LIVE in a daycare - always other students around as well as constant supervision by an adult :)

I thought this post would be a good time to add some photos and give you a glimpse of our summer so far.
Enjoy!

This was our family photo from April. Folks have asked if I still did photography for other families - nope - no time. I hardly have time to take pics of my OWN family!  For our bluebonnet pics, we called on the help of Claire Hill - a mom with twins who does a fantastic job!

Here is the gang visiting Grams and Pops. They LOVE to watch the koi in the pond -- and I love their outfits!  The outfits were bought in support of a triplet friend, Linus, who is dealing with major health issues. The clothes remind me every time I see them just how very blessed we are!



The girls enjoy some time together - I love watching them swing their feet in unison!



James discovered a Girl Scout CLASSIC - THIN MINTS! Believe it or not, this mess was created by just ONE cookie!  I also love the stick that was brought in the house from an outside adventure :)



The group LOVES the family piano! This was the piano that Grams used when growing up!  How sweet it is to hear these 3 "playing" away! (and I'm glad they don't mind all sharing the same bench!)



Summertime means POPSICLES! Here James enjoys his very first one! Of COURSE he liked the stick best :)  After a few minutes, he discovered the tasty treat on the other end!



Madison enjoys her Popsicle as well as the sprinkler!! 





Morgan enjoys her Popsicle... and her water bottle... and her watermelon... (and a bath later!)





James building a "tall tower" in the kitchen during a rainy day!



Morgan entertains her with a pair of socks! They were originally a gift for me - but they look much cuter on the kids!





Madison and Shelby both watch the rain outside. She was gently feeling Shelby's ear - very sweet...

The BIGGEST news of the summer is the transition for James from his crib to his Big Boy Bed! This photo was taken on a day that he was wiped out from a virus... and the same day the bed was delivered! He was so tired, we didn't have time  to put on the sheets!  It is a trundle bed, so we pull out the mattress for his "step".  We started the transition 5 days ago, and we think he is doing a great job! Last night, it only took 10 minutes to get him settled and ready for bed!
Side note - Our trio has shared the same room since the day they were first brought home from the hospital.  They are used to the sounds made by each other, and never had a problem sleeping trough each other's cries.  Well, on the night that James slept in a DIFFERENT room for the first time, he wasn't a happy camper.  We did the "tuck him in, leave and let him cry, tuck him back in bed, leave and let him cry, tuck him back in bed" routine for at least 45 minutes.  During this routine, Morgan was heard crying in the other room. I went in to check on her, and the first thing she said to me was, "James?" I reassured her that he was fine, just sad he had to leave his sisters -- I gave her a kiss and tucked her back in the blanket.  From that point on, she was fine :) I do love the way they will always have each other!

We'll keep you posted on the rest of the summer when we can!

The 3 are 2!!

On April 2nd, we reached it... two years old!  Seems like it took forever for us to get to this point, and then again, it feels like time just flew by!

To celebrate our birthday, we had a few family and fiends come over for fun & games in the back yard.  The weather was perfect, the pizza was warm (and plentiful), and the toys kept everyone  very busy!!!

Madison loved blowing bubbles - and eventually figure out she did much better when she did NOT lick the wand!



James LOVED the Play-doh!  He and Jonovan made a great team!



And Morgan loved wearing as many necklaces as her little body could support!!!



We had lots of kiddos come play - including some of  our favorite triplet friends!!

One tired little girl - notice her new Tu-Tu, her heavy necklaces, and her blanky...



James and Madison enjoy cupcakes with Andrea



The men help put together new toys delivered by Uncle Jon - a rugged JEEP for off-roading, and a pink Barbie Jeep for shopping!



The cupcakes!!! We took basic frosted cupcakes from HEB and added a few decorations!  We had instant rabbits, owls, cows, and pigs!  I think the adults had more fun making them than the guests had eating them :)

The next morning, family members came by for MORE cake before they left town... Aunt Jeanna helps Morgan TRY to blow more bubbles.

Aunt Suzy made everyone their very own birthday cakes - they looked and tasted better than anything from a bakery!

Daddy helps Morgan make a wish and blow out the candles

Mommy helps Madison do the same

Then James made a wish...

then dove right in and enjoyed his cake...


 And Madison's cake...

And Morgan's cake, too!!!

A good time was definitely had by all!



New outside toy!

With such beautiful weather on the way, we knew we would be spending MUCH more time outside! We decided to get our trio an early birthday present - an outside toy!  THE KIDS LOVE IT!  Although I was a little nervous once they started walking up the 5-foot high ramp, they are catching on quickly! Here are a few pics of the crew in action!!



Madison LOVES the slide.  She can go up the ramp with little assistance, but loves staying in the "fort' on top. She especially loves it when we toss he the ball, and she can roll it back down again! 
She also loves to go "high, high" in the swing! 

 

This is Morgan walking up the ramp ON HER OWN.  We always have a "spotter" to her right side, ready to assist if needed... but right now, she is pretty stubborn and insistent that she climbs by herself. (she must get her stubbornness from her father: )




Morgan proud of her climb is ready to slide down. She always starts of on her bottom, but makes a flip to her tummy right before landing on her feet!!!

James on his way up the ramp. Although he is the least sturdy on his way up, we always him a hand. Our problem is finding an EMPTY hand! He usually is toting chalk, a leaf, a stick, or a small "toy of choice" - today the toy was a small plastic fish (see photo below).



James headed down the slide with his fish!  Yes, I know it is MUCH safer  to slide feet-first! While the crew is figuring out how to walk the ramp, we prefer that the adults stay  on the ground to help them up the ramp -- and slow down the sliders! When dad is home and in the fort, little James practices feet-first. 

 

James on the swing with Andrea!  He isn't a big fan of the swing - he prefers to be running around the yard with a stick or chalk - but as long as he is in loving arms, he likes the swing!!!




It isn't often we get a picture with all 3!  In this shot, Madison is ready to throw the ball down the slide, James is ready to follow (with his favorite plastic fish), and Morgan is painting the fort with her favorite colors of chalk!



Madison - mouth open and screaming :)  What a  hoot!  She was excited about the ball rolling down the slide (and the adult who was chasing it!)





Andrea with the crew - James in her lap, Morgan to the left, Maddie on the right!  Morgan is usually more interested in climbing the ramp - that is until she sees Madison swinging, then everything changes! James -- well, he isn't a fan of swinging UNLESS he is sitting in either Andrea's or Paw-Paw's lap!



We have an extra swing - next to Morgan - saved just for YOU :)



Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!! What better time to decorate cookies??

Today was the crew's first time to "play" in the kitchen! With the aid of a small table made by Pops, they did a great job!  While they were napping earlier in the day, the cookies were baked and cooled. After nap we were ready to decorate!!!  With a few extra pairs of hands, the adults quickly iced the cookies, then turned the kids loose with the sprinkles.

Morgan discovered pink, and quickly covered her cookie! James discovered Madison's cookie and swiped it. He quickly started eating hers, so we iced her a second one to decorate.

The crew was very busy at work! Morgan still using pink, Madison using her colored sprinkles, and James finding out that the red doesn't come out very easily after he licks the top of the sprinkle container.

Morgan pouring mountains of pink...

James - proof that he probably ate more than he put on the cookies...

Madison - tasting the cookie - without using her hands!

These are the reasons why we can't pass out these cookies to anyone other than family.

BRING ON THE EASTER COOKIES!