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!

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!