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!

Pajama Party!!!

Yes, I know it HAS been a while since I have posted! Don't get me wrong - I love to TRY to keep my friends/family current on photos... but 3 little people keep us very busy!

Here is a pic from our very first "Pajama Party" !  I am  hoping this is a tradition we keep in the family.  Well, it may be a tradition we keep until the kids are old enough to speak their minds :)  Amazing how we can get everyone in the same photo, right? Well, we had Maw-maw behind the camera and Paw-paw as our entertainment. Over 50 pictures were taken, and most weren't this calm!  It thought I would throw in a few extras to give you a look "behind the scenes"!



Just when we THOUGHT everyone was under control!!!  We soon realized that Madison wouldn't be happy until she had her pacifier - not the most glamorous prop for a photo, but it made her stand still - for a brief moment!!!



Pacifier solved problem for Madison, but now James is on the run - with my hair FIRMLY in his hands!  (to be honest, I think this is one of my very favorite photos of all time - this is our "normal".

Madison is calm, James has released my hair, and now Morgan made her escape!!!  Notice how the pants that are WAY too long keep getting longer and longer each time the hem is stepped upon? :)



Madison is dancing - not sure if you can tell by the movement in the hair, but she is DEFINITELY dancing.



SOOO... we move to the couch.  Madison is  happy and exchanges her pacifier for a puppy, but Morgan isn't thrilled about the situation. James tries to make the escape, but isn't successful.  I couldn't help but laugh.



Morgan - probably tickled with the fact that her brother is trying to escape OVER the arm of the chair (I tried to crop the evidence out of the picture!).



James - my boy!  The more he climbed and played, the lower his pants got and the more diaper he showed!

What a precious crew, and what fun we have together!  I still find it hard to believe that we're gearing up for a second birthday in April!  Can't help but wonder where the time has gone...

Climbing, Pet Smart, sock monkeys, and small reading groups

Been a while since I've posted - and I honestly have no idea where the time has gone!
The kiddos have been growing like weeds and running in 3 different directions. They have also added a new skill to their list - that of CLIMBING - climbing on couches, climbing on boxes, climbing on dad, turning drawers over to climb on  those as well!  Not sure how effective it is for me to take a photo, THEN correct the situation, but sometimes, I just can't pass it up!
We have several different cameras floating around the house (that will be no surprise to friends who know me well). These are just a few pics off ONE camera we keep handy --- enjoy.




The girls playing with their "amals" - a word they have both mastered! They carry them to corners and room, categorize them and like to try to make them all stand up!

Climbing on boxes - I try to keep the toys as organized as possible - I think that is more for MY sanity than anything else!  They often empty out the drawers, turn them upside down, and use them as chairs, stepping stones, or platforms :)

Morgan gets a hug from Sofia... one of her very favorite friends in the world!

Need a fun outing, and the zoo is too far away?  Head for a PetSmart that has Doggie Daycare! The kids were entertained watching the canine antics - and I think the dogs were pretty amused by their audience as well!

Dad and James check out the rats. James was most mesmerized by visiting the fish - especially the tank that has a million goldfish to watch!

The girls enjoyed seeing the guinea pigs and rats, too! Their favorite was the cats - they would giggle and meow right back!

On our first birthday, we received SOCK MONKEY house shoes from Syd - one of our playmates (who we are missing terribly)! The kids LOVE them!

I really had visions of the monkeys  being ripped off their feet! No complaints at all!  I think some of the monkeys even received some kisses!!

I like the way they look on the cabinets once everyone is in bed!

The kids love books - so we have them all over the house! The girls have recently discovered magazines, usually finding the pictures of socks and pointing to their feet, pictures of noses and pointing to their own, or ripping out the little cardboard cards and giving them to me as trash!  Here, James is reading one of his favorite dog books!

Magazine time again!  James finished his  reading, so he discovered a toy to play with while his sisters finished the latest articles. I'm SURE if we had a car magazine (or anything with wheels), he would have been much more interested!



Shelby gets a much needed break after a day of trying to keep up with the clan!



Happy Halloween!!

Yes, I know... Halloween is over and Thanksgiving is right around the corner, but I just HAD to post about our weekend!

This year, we had 2 princesses and a pirate. No real theme - just the costumes.  This year, NOBODY wanted anything on their heads! No crowns, no hats, no caps... so the costumes were as simple as possible!
On Friday, we enjoyed a Halloween party with some friends from KAPOM (Katy Area Parents of Multiples).  Here we met about six other moms who had twins. There were toddlers EVERYWHERE! Muppets, Dolls, even deviled eggs! The kids had a great time playing with the new toys and exploring a big back yard!  There was a small pool filled with water so the "older toddlers" could grab some little plastic floating pumpkins... my crew tried to jump in to get them! Thankfully Andrea was there as well, so we only had a few shoes take the plunge!
This is a group photo from the party. James was MUCH more interested in the toys that were on the floor... and getting hungry, too! He wasn't as interested in the photo as the girls, but I take what I can get :)
The ride home was quiet, and great naps were had in the afternoon!

On Saturday, we put on our costumes once again and headed to Andrea's house.  Her daughter, Sofia, was having a birthday party  complete with Halloween costumes and dancing in the garage. We decided to let the babies enjoy the party, but have them home before darkness and dinner.  Here is a video that was taken in Andrea's backyard - a place PERFECT for the babies to play... and a perfect sized dog who loved to be scratched!

Sunday was interesting.  I guess the crew decided they had enough of the costumes and partying! We had a laid-back morning and a great nap!  After a snack, we dressed them in costume for the final time. We took them in the backyard to play before we went around our neighborhood.  While playing, a princess took the pirate's favorite toy & the fussing started!  We got everyone settled in our Choo-choo wagon for trick or treating, and the fussing continued.  We saw Grams & Pops on the road and tried to pause for a quick pic or two.  Then headed to Maw-Maw & Paw-Paws for a quick visit, but the pirate continued to fuss!  We made ONE Halloween stop at Ashley's house, but it was a quick one - yes, you guessed it, my pirate was still unhappy!  I handed  him my cell phone and it seemed to pacify him for the ride home. Once back in the house, I changed the pirate into more comfortable clothing and found the reason for his discontent --- a pine cone leaf was wedged under the elastic in his diaper! No wonder he was fussy!!!  His mood IMMEDIATELY improved once the object was removed and he ended the night running, playing, and laughing with his sisters.

Someone asked how Dad and I dressed.  Simple answer. We went as parents of triplets preparing for the terrible two's !!!

... and then there's James...

My friends at school have been asking about the babies.  Hard to believe that we are 1 1/2 years old!
A typical conversation is as follows:
"So, Pam, how are the babies?"
"Healthy and happy!"
"Are they walking?"
"Running - and in 3 different directions!"
"Oh, gosh... I can't even imagine!"

I guess since my sweet hubby and I have never experienced any other way, our life with triplets feels pretty normal... and we can't imagine life without them!!!

Here's a peek at our bedtime tonight - 7:25 - time for PJ's, relaxation, and just a little milk before bed.
... and twirling... and giggles... and twirling... and giggles... and then there's James... my sweet boy!

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.