Life moves pretty fast

Griffin cleaning up the mess

Julia taking a break from dancing. Look how long her hair is!

Braddock driving his car!

Here we are less than a month away from turning two, and it's more and more evident every day that we don't have anything even close to babies anymore. Some of these pictures are of them eating with their forks-- one of their very favorite words. Forkie, forkie, forkie is what we commonly hear during mealtime-- by themselves. I hesitated way too long to start this because the thought of the mess three toddlers can make in seconds with food overwhelmed me. But it was time. I won't show up at high school with the forkies and feed them. I suppose that would embarrass them. This week, I gave them their food, their forks, held my breath, and let the eggs and spinach fall where they may. Amazingly, they did beautifully. I suppose they'd been begging me to do it themselves for awhile now. So sue me... I drag my feet because I don't want my kids to grow up quiet so fast. I may use this strategy for potty training, too. They'll be six and I'll just take their diapers off and it will be done in a day because I waited. I think this is a perfect solution to what will otherwise be a tough time in our house.

Words are flying out of their mouths fast and furious. Every single day, there's a couple new words they add to their vocabulary, and they use little sentences now which is a constant source of laughter. I took them shopping on Tuesday morning, and as we left the store it was pouring. Luckily it wasn't cold because it wasn't as if I could leave them and pull the car up. I just said, "Oh no, it's raining. Sorry guys, we're going to get a little wet." Well, as I'm pushing Julia in the shopping cart and pulling the boys in their stroller, all three are screeching, Oh no, raining. oh no, raining. Oh no, wet! By the time we got to the car, they were so excited they just couldn't stop telling me what they knew. They told me the entire way home and for a good portion of the day. I was laughing so hard my sides hurt.

Yesterday, Griffin unsnapped his diaper-- unbeknownst to me-- as I was getting Braddock dressed. I heard a sound of rushing water and as I turned to see what I was hearing, there he was peeing on the floor. Hands up in the air, just peeing and smiling. He'd asked me to take his diaper off earlier. I explained that I couldn't do that for him, he needed it and I was sorry. He showed me!

We send a lot of time at the beach which is a place they love. At the Wyckoff Y there's a spring-fed, chlorinated lake and it's really a great place for kids. It's exhausting for the adults who bring them. They have absolutely no fear of the water so we do a lot of cringing as they take off towards the bouncer/float in the middle of the lake. This is a really cool float with a climbing wall and it's for kids much older, but they don't seem to get it. They all wear life jackets and Julia enjoys floating on her back, letting the life jacket do its work. She just floats with a giant smile on her face. She also thinks she can swim which is somewhat alarming as she sticks her face in the water and wildly kicks her feet and moves her hands as if she has no control of them. She stops, screams-- and I mean really uses her lungs-- to tell us she's Sweeemming, sweeemming. She delights in this. And other than the fact that my heart jumps in my throat because it appears she's drowning herself, as I grab the strap on her life jacket, I can't help but smile. She also does this in the tub and that's funnier because she has less fear and becomes more wild.

Griffin is a complete rocker. He loves music-- loves it-- and can't help but dance when he hears a good song. We went to a first birthday party last weekend and he spotted the iPod in its dock, so he made his way to it, stood with his ear as close as I'd let him get to it and showed off his moves. You just can't hide that kind of rhythm, folks! I say all the time that it's just in his bones. He also loves words and letters. Any word I ask him to say, he's on it, repeating it, enjoying its sound. I hear him often throughout the day calling out the alphabet the best way he knows how: A, O, D, D, D, O, I, E....

Braddock loves climbing up on everything and if he can knocking it over. They all climb but he's the leader. He climbed up on the bench in the basement yesterday and jumped off before I could stop him. He had that sparkle in his eye that tells me that won't be the last time he jumps that way. He's very physical, likes kicking ball, opening and closing things, building the castle of blocks and smashing it!

Julia calls Braddock Brackie still but she's changed Kiki for Feeky for Griffin, not sure why but that's his name to her. Braddock says Griffin and Griffin does too. Julia just likes Feeky. She can say her own name now, that was the last one she learn. Braddock calls her Juda and Griff says Ju-ya. They do a lot of hugging and kissing. For a mother, there's no happier sight.

All in all, our house is a place of controlled chaos -- most of the time controlled, sometimes just outright chaos. A day in the life of triplet toddlers flies by and is exhausting, but they are growing beautifully, learning rapidly, and keeping a smile on our faces. We'll talk about the tantrums another time....

Happy Memorial Day 2010

If I wait to finish writing this post, I'll never get it out there. So forgive any spelling or grammatical errors. My little swimmers have been frolicking in the warmth of June! They've enjoyed their new outdoor space (four play yards put together to keep them safe while they play)! There's a little whale pool/sprinkler that is providing hours of entertainment for them. We are just biding our time until the lake we joined opens for the season (June 13) They love the WAH-DUR!

From this picture, you would think that Griffin (on the left) was sitting well and posing and that Braddock and Julia weren't that happy. As always, pictures are deceiving. Griff got up every time I turned around, trying to run in the yard to play. It was Sammy's 3rd birthday and we went to their house in New York to visit. The kids had a ball in the fenced-in yard filled with a bouncy castle, awesome swing set, water table, play kitchen and so much more. Julia learned to saying Seanie and she was in awe of her big cousin. This was the 25th and still daily she's asking about Seanie at least ten times a day!

I'm completely blown away by everything they are learning, all the words they say, the skills they acquire. It's incredible. Julia started calling Griffin Kiki -- not sure why-- and Braddock Bracky. She can say Griffin now and it's usually Griffy. Griffin said Julia recently which much be the most difficult to say because we've been waiting on that one. The three of them played catch with the ball Friday. It couldn't have been cuter to watch. We had to reign them back in as the whole concept of sharing isn't innate at this age. One would catch the ball and before they'd throw it to the next, they'd be on their way to the corner to hide the treasure.

Every day we see moments of the chaos that is rapidly becoming the norm. There are pushing incidents and tug-o-war matches for coveted item du jour. We could 25 of the same toy and they'd still want the one that the other is playing with. There are tantrums (which can be very funny) daily. With three toddlers, our lives are flying by and we're just trying to hold on for the ride. They are once-a-day nappers now. I'm crying inside as I state that fact. Coloring is the favorite activity right now. They all say CUDER and if they see a crayon or paper it's as if the world stops and they start yelling, "CUDER, CUDER" and there's a mad scramble to get the paper taped to the table, the crayons out and the kids in their chairs to start the creative process! And another big thing now is flowers or as they call them FLOWDER. They like to smell them even if its just a picture of one. We were playing with chalk on the driveway and I drew a flower. Had I know that all three would smash their noses right into the concrete to smell it, I'd have thought twice! The best was after the sniff Braddock looks up at me and says, "MMM Good." Amazing.

I'm happy to report that the biting is getting much less frequent. It still happens but nothing like it was. Other than Griffin's short stay at the hospital for mono and then the cold we all got -- probably picked that up at the hospital thank you very much germs-- things have been going just fine for us. Exhausting all the time but just fine. I didn't really understand why when I was carrying triplets or when they were babies why people always said, "God Bless You" immediately. Now I get it. Babies are so easy compared to curious toddlers.

Happy Easter

Please don't ask me why she's playing with the tire pump for the mountain buggy!?!

Do you know who's who?

So I had the idea it was time to take the kids to church for Easter. Let me just acknowledge that wasn't so brilliant. I think we were lucky we didn't get asked to leave; we left voluntarily. But not until the kids had to leave the church and go the room that is good for kids -- so good there was a lamp in a cabinet that wasn't childproofed. I apologize to the church because that lamp won't be working when it's next needed. I paid for it in the offering so I should be forgiven-- at least that's what I'm telling myself. Otherwise, I'd say Easter was a success. The bunny came, the food was quite good. (thank you Market Basket of Franklin Lakes -- you are our new best friend) That's not a joke. Bill and I and Gram and Poppy really haven't cooked at all since we've moved. Market Basket -- which is nothing like the grocery store in Mass -- is this lovely little gourmet market with great prepared food. we've had no reason to make a meal since we moved. it rules. okay, enough about that.

The kids are talking up a storm. Julia loves saying "applesauce" and "monkey." Griffin loves all words. If I say it, he tries to repeat it. Braddock has used a couple two-word phrases. His favorite is "I stuck." He thinks he's stuck every time I pick him up. I have to explain he isn't stuck, that he's just being held. He also said, "Hi, Mommy" tonight. I told Griffin I loved him when they were going to sleep and he quickly fired off "Love you." Now I said it to all three, he just repeated me. I don't want any confusion over playing favorites. That's a common question I get asked: "Do you have a favorite?" Seriously, people think that's a normal question. What kind of mother would I be if I quickly said yes and named a child? and just for the record I do not have a favorite.

We joined the Wyckoff Y last week so we're exited about that for the kids. It's the most incredible Y I've ever been to as far as programs they offer. Swimming lessons are a must-do for this spring/summer because these kids LOVE the water. Julia loves going under water to give us all a scare. She's goes under and we yank her out and it's the strangest thing because instead of being afraid, she's laughing. The minute she goes back in the water, she goes back under. It's a great game, really. We are also going to the library for little kids reading hour on Thursdays and/or Fridays. I can't wait to see how that goes. The children's room assures me it's a success. They haven't met these hurricanes yet.

Okay, this is a decent update. Good for me. I'd love to promise another very soon. That's always the goal. Life with triplet toddlers gets in the way and as the saying goes, "The best-laid plans of mice and men go oft awry." The point is: I'll keep working on it.

Happy Easter to you all.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Photo now, detailed post to follow. Hope everyone enjoyed a pint of green beer to celebrate. These kids LOVED it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day!

We are very busy packing for our big move closer to Bill's work. It's exciting that he'll be able to be with us two extra hours a day now. Packing, not so exciting. Those who know me know how much I LOVE to move. And having moved many times, I was getting pretty good at it. Add three toddlers into the mix....not so much fun this time around. Bill's been boxing and boxing and boxing and the garage is filled so we're getting somewhere. We're really excited that the kids will have a big yard to play in come spring, and we'll have a lot more space which is going to be awesome! I am sure I'll be much more organized with more space. (stop laughing-- if i tell myself this enough, it will be true)

The kids are playing together a lot now. They have inside jokes and games they play over and over again. I see the bond of multiples now as they are growing, and it's truly amazing to watch. I'm jealous that I am not a multiple. I'm sure they'll be jealous they weren't singletons -- the grass is always greener. But it's such a joy to hear them laughing together.

On a negative note, they are still biting each other and biting us. It really hurts and I have the bruises to show for it. I'm hoping this stage ends soon. We try not to react but when one of them sneaks in a bite, man oh man is it hard to control my tone of voice. I have yelled and then they cry and I feel terrible. Or worse then crying, they see the reaction and try to bite again and again.

Bath time is by far the greatest part of the day. These kids LOVE the water, especially Julia. She's like a seal laying down and twisting all around. I think she thinks she can swim. One of their games is to take turns putting their face in the water and blowing bubbles . After they take their turn, the other two howl with laughter. Then the next one dunks and blows bubbles, more howling. The smile this brings me....it's too cute.

Okay, I am wasting valuable packing time.

Enjoy your Valentine's Day,

New toys are so much fun

They've been sick. It's winter so we can't go outside. What to do? Get a Monster Tent! They were so, so happy. Why didn't we think of this sooner?

New Shoes

Braddock's new Skidders from Uncle Jack & Aunt Pat!

Griffin's new Skidders

Julia's new Skidders -- Mary Janes no less. So cute.

Bath time = the happiest kids in America!

I hit a new low. I admit it. I'll even tell you what happened. It's lunch time -- or breakfast -- or dinner for that matter-- who could know which meal? They all run together after awhile. Point is: The kids are eating and as I put the spoon into Julia's mouth, she instantly spit it out as fast as it went in. Not sure the reason for the rejection. But that's when it happened. Without even thinking about it, I grabbed the morsel as it was being spit out, and I ate it. A second later, I realized what I had done. Like a ton of bricks it hit me: I've sunk and there's no going back. You can't undo that kind of thing. I looked around to make sure the kids weren't staring at me in horror because you just never know how the sight of their mother behaving like an animal could scar a child. Nobody seemed to notice. So we'll just move forward and pretend that didn't happen.

Anyway, we have to get the kids' one year blood work done. It should already be done but I've avoided it out of compassion. In fact, I avoided it so long, I lost the lab paperwork. So I schlepped into the pediatrician's office to ask them to fill it all out again, admitting what a disaster I am. They are really kind at the office and willingly gave me new slips assuring me I wasn't the only one. So that's first on my list for next week. I hope they'll forgive me by next Friday. I hate doing it myself, so I can't imagine how three little ones will react to a needle being stuck in their arm that has to remain steady long enough to draw a vial for testing. They wiggle in protest when I try to change their diaper. I'll let you know how it turns out.

These are the most recent pictures. I swear to you they grow overnight and they look a little more big kid-ish every minute. They got the cutest new shoes in the mail this week and they LOVE wearing them. We have all hardwood and tile so the grips on the soles are so awesome. Thanks so much to Aunt Pat and Uncle Jack. I'll be whipping up some of the fancy cupcakes from the book they sent soon, too. It looks complicated but the book says it's so easy even a monkey can do it. Gram's birthday is rapidly approaching so I'll post pictures of my first attempt.

Off and running on this Friday morning. Hot Yoga starts tonight for me and I'm looking forward to it like I'm heading to the Caribbean for a week. Oh how life changes....

Enjoy the winter weekend!

Christmas pictures

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and everything else we've missed!

OK, I'm back! I know it's been awhile,but I can explain. If you could watch our three moving around-- nearly running everywhere, telling us baby-talk story after story, singing, dancing, sometimes rockin' out, you'd see why I haven't updated. It's like the funny farm here and although it is enjoyable, it's tiring, too, and there isn't much free time. Not that that's a great excuse. There's Octomom out there and I've seen her in photos out shopping, so okay, I admit it, I'm just really lazy.

Christmas was really nice and the kids seemed to enjoy it. Granny was here and Gram and Poppy, too, and then the day after we celebrated again with Uncle Brian, Aunt Colleen, and Sean and Sammy! Santa even arrived before we went out to dinner on Christmas Eve. (I hear the gasp when I said went out to dinner, and we learned we won't be doing that again) The kids tried really hard but restaurants just aren't for triplets age 1 1/2. As an aside, an anonymous patron at the restaurant paid $120 of the total tab because they were admiring our family. On second thought, triplets do belong in restaurants, and shopping malls and other places that cost money!

I asked Griffin what Santa said and he looked at me and quietly said, "Ho, Ho, Ho." Sounded a bit like, "Who, Who, Who." I guess all the Christmas books we'd been reading got the point across. They LOVE their books right now. They bring us the books over and over again and we read them over and over again. Most I can recite now -- which is really helpful if I'm holding them because I don't have to turn the pages. Board books are the only kind we can read because they eat or rip regular books. I'm looking forward to the day when everything doesn't go into the mouth! What I'm learning about toddlers: They are DESTRUCTIVE! If we just let them loose in the house -- which is NOT advisable (or often) at all -- within minutes they find the one cabinet that was left unlock; they open any doors they can; they are attempting to swim in the toilet, dumping laundry soap, throwing chairs on the ground, trying to get into the fireplace. I can only describe it as complete insanity. Needless to say, we don't let them out of their playroom or play yard unless we've lost our minds. They are like three crazy people, mumbling to themselves, drooling and stumbling into walls all while smiling.

Now, I'm not complaining. I find the whole scene comical but it boggles the mind how quickly three little people can scatter and the things they can get into. Braddock has figured out the child-proof locks in the playroom. He just opens the doors and drawers at will and looks over his shoulder, smirking as he does it. They are all so smart. I'm stunned by how much they understand and defeated when I realized how much they chose to ignore my repeated pleas of, "Stop that," "Don't touch that," etc.

Julia is the TV police. If it's on, she shuts it off. I guess she's read the studies that TV isn't exactly great for baby development. She also has joined the boys in their dancing. They all love music, and dancing to "All the Single Ladies" is a new favorite thing to do. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard watching the three of them stop in their tracks as the song starts and just start breaking it down. It's as cute as anything in the world. Among his many skills, Griffin is really into pretend cooking. For Christmas, they got a little cooking set from Santa and he is whisking up things like you cannot believe. And if the whisk is hidden in a toy basket, he'll us a big comb instead. They also got a stove and kitchen set, but Santa never put it together so that will be a surprise gift to help the mid-winter fly by!

We've been relatively healthy, too. Griffin got another cold in early December and was still coughing a little bit at Christmas. He ended up with his nebulizer and steroids but that worked well and he's back to normal. It was the first illness that didn't run its course through all three kids so it made nursing him back to health much easier.

Overall, we're so blessed, and especially at the holidays, we looked at each other and just smiled at how lucky we've been. Three healthy, truly happy babies is more than we could have ever imagined. As a new decade starts, we are looking forward to what 2010 has in store for us. I'm still perplexed about how it's possible that in 2010, Griffin, Braddock and Julia will be two years old. Seriously, time, please, please slow down. Let us keep them little as long as we can.

I'll have holiday pictures as soon as I can. I'm having trouble uploading them this morning and if I wait to post, it may not happen for a while!
Happy New Year,

Happy Thanksgiving

Griff giving me either a wink or the evil eye. I prefer to think it was a wink.

Griffin laughing at my attempts to get him to smile at me.

Julia's beautiful silk bloomers. I can't tell you how cute she looked. Her dress was corduroy with the most delicate embroidery. Dressing her is like playing paper dolls all over again. I am never upset if she spits up because there's another outfit ready! Dressing boys is so cute, too, but little girl clothes are just soooo fun.

Braddock being very serious

Thanksgiving greetings to all our friends and family! It's been one of the busier months we've to date. Between chasing three toddlers all over the place and feeding them three healthy meals a day, the days go by so fast! I swear the eating and preparing of meals is most of every day. It's amazing without the formula how much these three eat! The amount of learning and growing boggles my mind, and I'd give anything to slow this time down. Bill and I are thankful for our children, probably three of the happiest little ones around, who bring us more joy in one day than we ever could have imagined. Griffin joined the land of the walking officially this week and is so proud to be there! The first walk half way across the carpet had him clapping for himself completely thrilled. I put video -- not very clear since I just used the camera and not our video camera but it's video! -- of Braddock and Julia walking and then one of Griffin walking, too. I couldn't get them to all walk at once to keep it to one video. We've been trying to take a Christmas picture which has been completely laughable. I don't know why I thought I could just sit them down and ask them to say cheese. I'll post the failed attempts some time soon.

Our Thanksgiving was really nice. It was quiet but most of the food was made yesterday so today was really easy. We are stuffed to the gills now and the kids are fast asleep. Bill already has the tree up, and we're ready to start with the Christmas tunes and treats! No Black Friday shopping for us unless it's online. In fact, a good portion of our shopping is already done. There's no longer time to spend hours at the mall trying to find the perfect gifts. Thank God for the Internet. I just don't know how busy parents survived without it.

Hoping everyone had a great day feasting and enjoying family. I know we did. More one of these days ( I will no longer lie and say soon that way if it is, you're shocked)