Making Cinnamon Toast

We let the kids help make their own cinnamon toast for breakfast. This is one of those mornings. The silly hats are optional.

Eggs

In the past, we've blogged about the allergies the kids have. Yesterday Squeaky had her egg challenge test. She passed. That means we can now have eggs in the house, cook with them and eat them. We celebrated last night by fixing some (peanut/tree nut free) brownies with egss and eating them.

We Love VeggieTales

I'm The Baby

The kids play this game where someone pretends to be the baby and the other two are the mommy and daddy. Sometimes there are two babies and then sometimes three. They crawl around and pretend to talk like a baby. It was cute the first few times. We're over that now.

Battles in the Yard

The kids love playing in the yard. Until recently, we never thought anything about it. We would play out there with them and have a good time. This changed recently with the father's discovery of a yellow jacket nest. Actually he's just found nest number 5. One of the nests was accidentally found while mowing. After that episode and the 5 stings, we're now reluctant to let the kids out in the yard.

The father is spraying the nests, but when each nest is sprayed, they seem to move to another location in the yard. We're now very reluctant to let the kids in the yard to play. At least it's easier to stay inside because it's so hot. We only hope we get rid of these nasty things soon.

Won't You Be His Neighbor?

In June 2008, Public Broadcasting Service announced that it intends to soon change the way Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, the beloved children’s television program, is distributed to member stations.

PBS will cease transmitting the program as part of their daily syndicated lineup beginning in September. Instead, PBS will provide member stations with a single Neighborhood episode on weekends. This unfortunate decision essentially silences the special nurturing voice of Mister Rogers in the daily lives of today’s children.

Please help today by contacting PBS.

Check this site for more information.

Goodbye High Chairs

This week we said goodbye to the high chairs. Actually just 2 of them. We replaced our small round table for 4 and 3 high chairs with a piece of furniture called a "breakfast nook". It's similar to this. The kids now sit in booster seats at the table.

The first morning we made the mistake of having all 3 sit beside each other. They were messing with other. That didn't last long. We now have just one on each side of the table. The biggest problem we have now is deciding where each one will sit. We usually have to rotate locations at each meal.

We left one high chair as a deterrent to acting up while eating. It seems to be a powerful motivator when we remind them that if they act up they have to sit in the "baby chair". Now that they have booster seats, the think they're too old for high chairs.

Prayer Time

Every night before the kids go to bed, we pray with them. We always ask them what they want to thank God for and let them help us pray. Last night, during the prayer, when we asked Little Man what he wanted to thank God for, his response was totally unexpected. It was all we could do to keep praying. His response - "I want to thank God for picking boogers and eating them". Now how can you not laugh at that?

Potty Training

About 2 weeks ago, Squeaky decided she wanted to wear underwear. She got up that morning and told us. Up until then, we hadn't been officially potty training. We had just been taking them to the potty when they asked to go. Once Blondie found out Squeaky was wearing underwear, she wanted to wear them too. Except for the rare accident, things are going great.

Little Man also knows about the underwear, but he doesn't care anything about wearing any or potty training. He likes to sit on the potty and think he's doing something, but that's about it.

Why? - Part 2

The kids still don't have a good grasp on the use of "Why?". When we ask the question, it seems like we get into an endless loop. It's a lot like Abbott and Costello.

"Y"

We're not sure why, but the kids have been adding "y" to a lot of words. Booky, wormy, shoey, etc. It was cute the first few times, but we're tired of it now"y".

So it starts this early?

It seems that females going to the bathroom together is a natural thing that starts early in life. When Squeaky or Blondie decide to use the toilet, they usually want the other sister in the bathroom too so they can talk or read a book together. Who knew that started at such an early age?

Why?

This is one of the questions the kids haven't mastered yet. When you ask them "why" or "why not", they just look at you and respond back with the same thing. Too bad. We would love to have some explanantions for the things they do.

Lucky Little Man

Little Man had his allergy test yesterday. They tested for a lot of things and he was allergic to none of them. The only thing they didn't test for is shellfish. They said he couldn't be tested for it until he had eaten some. We'll have to get up the nerve to work a small amount into a meal. After the reactions we have seen Squeaky and Blondie have to nuts, we're not looking forward to another reaction of any kind.

Early To Rise

Blondie is an early bird. The other 2 sleep until 7AM, but not Blondie. It doesn't matter what time she gets in the bed, she usually wakes up between 6 and 630AM. This is a problem because all 3 still sleep in the same room and when she wakes up, she starts crying until somone comes to get her. Until she stops doing that, we'll get no mornings to sleep late.

More Allergies

After the latex patch test, we found out Squeaky is not allergic to latex. She is just extremely sensitive to it and it can cause dermatitis. She is still allergic to peanuts. In addition, we think it's safe to assume she is allergic to tree nuts too. This is based on the discovery that Blondie is allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. This was discovered after she was given a banana nut muffin and we ended up at the Emergency Room. When Blondie had her allergy prick test, she was tested for tree nuts. When Squeaky had her prick test, she was not tested for tree nuts. She'll probably be getting that test at the next annual follow-up.

6 Months Later - A New Beginning

So it's been over 6 months since our last entry. We're really going to try and do better this year. Until we get moving along, enjoy this photo.

Allergy Update

After talking more with the allergist, we have some updated information on Squeaky. She has an appointment in September for a latex allergy patch test. We have to keep her off eggs and peanuts for one year and then she goes back for a challenge test. I'm not looking forward to either. Especially the challenges.

Allergies

We recently found out that Squeaky has some interesting allergies - egg whites, peanut and possibly latex. It all started at a dentist appointment. The day after the appointment, Squeaky's face was covered in a horrible rash. The rash was in the smae place where the dental hygenist had her gloves. Because of this, we talked to our pediatrician and made an appointment with an allergist.

While she was at the allergist for the possible latex allergy, they decided to test for other allergies. The ones that came back positive were egg whites and peanuts. We have to keep both of those from her for one year. We decided just to remove both from the home.

Caging The Animals

Initially we had some reservations about it, but we've finally fenced in the back yard. We've had some problems with Blondie because she's a runner. She dashed for the street two times and that's all it took. We were on the phone with the fence builders. It's nice now to know that we can give more freedom to the kids and not worry about them getting out of the fence.

Photos

As you can see below, we've added some photos. We had to replace our camera with a new one. The old one had been dropped so many times the battery cover was having a hard time staying closed. The one we purchased uses a new memory card. It stores lots of images. It seems that we always have 2 months of images on the card before we take it out of the camera. That's the reason the images are old once we get them added here.

Time Slips Away

Over one month since we posted anything. How has time slipped away that fast? You would think as the kids get older that we would have more time, but that doesn't seem to be the case. At the end of the day when we might have some time to update the blog, we usually spend our time cleaning up after the kids. You just can't imagine how fast three can make a mess.

Photos Added

A Vacation

Last week, the father took some time away from work and we took some day trips for a vacation. It's the first time in almost 2 years that we've had anything close to a vacation. We visited a zoo, local parks and the mountains. It was relaxing to do something different even if it was just day trips.

Email Notifications When We Update The Blog

We don't update the blog as frequently now. Because of that, we've added a feature to let you know when we do add a new post. You'll get an email when we add a new post.

On the right side of the page under the changing photos, there is a box to enter your email address. Just do that, click "Subscribe Me" and you'll get an email when we add something new.

Photos Added

Angus and the Triplets

We can't recommend the videos here enough. They are great.

The Streaker

Last night after we put the kids to bed, things were okay for a while. There was the normal talking, but nothing unusual. Suddenly Squeaky started yelling for Daddy. He checked on the kids and called me to their room. Squeaky was standing in the middle of her bed with nothing on but her diaper. She had figured out how to remove her pajamas and had thrown everything from the crib. The other 2 were standing there watching and laughing

An All-Encompassing Update

Here is a huge update. Little Man and Squeaky are successfully climbing on everything. Blondie is doing her best. She's just too short to get up on anything.

We've been trying to get rid of pacifiers. We started last Friday night. We're trimming just over 1mm off every other night. Those are bath nights. They seem to sleep better then so they don't seem to notice the trimming as much.

Everyone loves getting outside and playing. We have a Little Tikes playset and they just crawl all over it.

Should We Stop Or Continue?

It's been so long since we added anything to the blog. Every day we forget to add anything new. Lots of days we're just too tired to bother with adding anything. We're at the point now we're wondering if we should continue the blog or just stop adding anything. Any thought?

Scaling New Heights

It didn't take long. Now Squeaky is able to pull herself onto the couch and chairs in the living room.

More Challenges (For Us)

It seems like it's almost happened overnight. Squeaky is now able to pull herself up into the kitchen chairs. She's almost able to get on the couch without any help also. It won't be long before the other 2 are doing the same.

Pacifiers

It's time to get rid of them. We've let the kids have them long enough and we're working on a plan to get rid of them. For a long time, they've only had them at nap time and bed time. It's time for them to go away. Maybe it will be easy. Maybe not. Any suggestions?

More To Do In Less Time

Lately it seems like we have more to do and less time in which to do it. We're usually running all the time. It keeps getting harder and harder to find time to keep this site updated. We'll do our best, but I doubt we'll have something added every day.

Same Toys, Different Age

We have 2 different lots of toys that we rotate for the kids. We'll let them play with one lot while we clean the other lot. Some of the toys they're playing with now are ones they played with at an earlier age. It's interesting to see how they have developed mentally and how they play with the toys now versus at an earlier age.

Photos Added

The Kissing Bandit

Little Man has learned how to pucker his lips and kiss. He runs around and kisses everything now. Me, Daddy, his sisters, toys...

Catching Up

It's been a really long time since we added anything new. We've gone through a couple weeks of all 3 having ear infections and it just hasn't been fun. We head back to the doctor tomrrow to get their ears checked again to see if they are clear.

Thanks For Telling Us

This past Sunday we received a huge compliment about the kids. The Sunday School teachers told us that all 3 were so well behaved, listened to the lesson and were really good about sharing. I'm sure the sharing comes from being a multiple. They don't have a choice.

Little Helpers

What a great bunch of helpers the kids are becoming. We've been letting them help with small tasks they can handle. Things like picking up their toys, putting small clothes items in the dryer, helping carry dirty dishes and silverware from one parent to another after a meal as we load the dishwasher, etc. They seem to really enjoy it and we don't mind the extra help.

4D Images Of Multiples In The Womb

Here's an interesting article on how 4D ultrasound is revealing more about multiples in the womb.

A Long Time Of Illness

It seems like it's been a while since we've all been this sick. Little Man started off, followed by Blondie, me and then Squeaky and the father. Squeaky and the father are just about over their colds now. It's rough when everyone gets sick and you're trying to look after each other.

A Few Days Off

We're taking a few days off as we all recover from colds.

18 Month Appointment

Today is the 18 month appointment with the pediatrician. It's probably going to be a wild time. They're supposed to get more immunizations. What will make the visit more difficult is the fact that all are sick and haven't had much sleep for the past week.

I Can't Wait To See This

The National Geographic channel is doing on show on multiples in the womb.

Here's a short description of the show - "On January 14 at 8pm, National Geographic will return to the womb with In the Womb: Multiples. The special will use 4d imagery to and CGI effects to show how twins and other multiple birth siblings develop bonds while in utero, and how those bonds continue after they're born."

I can't wait to see this when it comes on.

Triplets? That's Nothing.

How about twins, triplets and a singleton?

We Needed Some Of These

I ran across these and it's just too funny to not post. We needed some with Little Man. The Peepee Teepee .

Photos Added

Parental Lessons?

On New Years Day, a television station aired 24 hours of The Andy Griffith Show. We were able to watch some of the episodes. It was fun to watch how Andy dealt with the situations involving his son, Opie. We tried to glean some tips that might be helpful for us down the road with the kids. Who knows, some of the wisdom from a simpler time just might be appropriate for parents today.

Cousin Itt

Remember Cousin Itt from the Addams Family show? When Blondie starts talking gibberish fast, that's exactly who she sounds like. It's funny to listen to.

Vacation With No Illness

What a nice time we had with the father here on Christmas vacation. It's the first time he's taken vacation this year and hasn't gotten sick because one of the kids has been sick. Let's hope being well continues for a while.

Time For A New Ride

It seems that the kids are growing out of their triple stroller. We have one by Baby Trend, but Blondie is getting so tall, she's running out of room in the middle seat. We're thinking about getting one of the Runabout strollers. They are more expensive, but it should be the last stroller we buy. Do any parents of multiples have one of those? Is anyone familiar with them? If so, please let us know.

Merry Christmas!!!

What A Bunch Of Monkeys

See No Evil

Hear No Evil

Speak No Evil

Photos Added

Clean To Filthy In No Time

It's amazing to see how fast everyone and everything gets dirty at meal times. Since all 3 have been working on their feeding skills using a fork and spoon, they can get themselves, their highchairs, the floor and sometimes the wall, dirty in less than 5 minutes. Sometimes it would be nice if we could just use a garden hose to clean them and everything off after eating.

When They're Good, They're Great - When They're Bad...

Last night was an unusual one with the kids. All 3 were misbehaving. No one wanted to eat. They were hitting each other. All wanted to be held at the same time. It was almost too much to handle. It was unusual because all 3 aren't usually like that at the same time. Most of the time they are very well behaved. When they are, we sometimes realize just how easy we have it with triplets.

"Baby Jeez"

Yesterday, Aunt J stopped by and brought some Christmas books for the kids. Squeaky's favorite is "The First Christmas". She loves to open it and exclaim "Baby Jeez" as she points to Baby Jesus laying in the manger.

Photos Added

Sick of Being Sick

We're nearing the three week mark of at least someone having the sniffles. Everyone had a cold. They were starting to get better and now they are sick again with another cold. It must be a different virus that hit the second time.

Scared Of Santa?

Are your kids scared of Santa? Take heart - so are these.

Baby

According to what our kids say, everyone and everything is a baby. That's the new word and they use it for everything. It's funny how when they start using a new word. They use it over and over.

Applesauce

When it comes to introducing new foods, we've found that applesauce is the best for masking the flavor. We can usually get all 3 to eat new food when we add some applesauce. It sure is nice when you find tricks like that.

Cooking For 5

Since the kids are eating regular food, it's taken some adjustment for us to cook for 5 instead of 2. We have to make larger portions. Sometimes it's difficult to know how much to make so everyone has the amount they want. If we find it difficult now, I hope we get better at judging amounts to fix before they reach their full eating potential.

They Have Names

Have I blogged about this before? I can't remember. I've just recently become upset again when people refer to the kids as "the triplets". Even though they are triplets, they are individuals. They have different names and personalities. It just bothers me when people refer to them as one entity and strip them of all individuality.

More Climbing

The father was sitting in the floor Saturday morning with the kids when he noticed Blondie doing the following - She moved the push car to a tote we have in front of an end table. He watched to see what she was going to do. Within a few seconds, she had climbed to the top of tote from the push car and was headed for the top of the end table before the father picked her up and stopped her climbing adventure.

Photos Added

New Challenges For Us

This morning, Little Man used a push car as a ladder. We had just walked out of the living room and returned to see him standing on the couch. At the same time, Blondie was starting to climb on the car and get up there too. Squeaky was just watching. I guess she was waiting for her turn to climb up.

This brings new challenges for us. We'll now need to remove items from end tables because they'll be able to reach them. We had babyproofed to a certain height and now we'll need to go higher. It also brings the new problem of them climbing and then falling. I guess that means we'll have to be very careful about leaving them alone in the living room.

A Few New Photos

Patience Deficit

With triplets, it takes all the patience you can muster. It seems that I use all I have with them, which means I have little to none for others. It's really sad, but that's the way it is. There doesn't seem to be any at all when it comes to idle chit-chat. I guess this also comes from the streamlining of life that is a necessity with multiples.

Remember Growing Up?

Remember when you were growing up and how you played outside all day? We do. Things are different now though. Are kids safe to play outside untethered like we did? Here's an interesting article on MSN that the father ran across.

Sleep

Last night, we were up a lot with the kids. No real reason that we know of. They were just awake a lot. It sure makes it difficult to make it through the next day when you lose sleep. It also makes you realize how you get used to getting a full night of sleep when you don't get one. It reminded us of those sleepless nights that we used to have with round the clock feedings. Whew, I'm glad those are behind us.

That's Not Funny

Squeaky was feeling poorly yesterday. With all the symptoms, I called the nurse-on-call at the pediatrician's office to ask a couple of questions. As the conversation was ending, the nurse mentioned that we should clean all the toys so she wouldn't get the illness again. I mentioned that we had triplets. When I did, the nurse laughed and said, "Well, all 3 will probably be sick soon". That really isn't funny to me.

Go Blondie Go

Blondie started walking more yesterday. She was the last to do so. She took about 6 steps before deciding to crawl. Until now, she had only taken 2 or 3 steps at a time.

You Should Write A Book

Lots of people have told us we should write a book about our experience as parents of triplets. We're not sure that's something we want to tackle. We're not even sure how we would start the process. And how would we find the time to write the story? It sounds like an interesting idea, but we're just not sure it's for us. Has anyone reading this written and published a book? If we took the time to write a book, would you read it? Let us know what you think.

Strings and Fuzz

What is going on with Little Man? He's eating strings from everything. He'll even lay on his belly and try to eat the fuzz from the carpet. He's not happy just chewing on teethers and toys. He seems to prefer strings and fuzz.

Subculture

The father was talking with a coworker about triplets. They were discussing Mothers of Multiples meetings, special conventions for multiples, special strollers for multiples, things like that. The coworker pointed out that being a family with multiples is like being part of a subculture. We had never thought about that before, but it's true. What a unique and rewarding experience it is to be a part of something like that.

Some Halloween / Fall Photos Added

Toys In The Attic

The father has been saving toys from his childhood in the attic. He has started bringing some down for the kids to play with. It's fun to see the old stuff he saved. Weeble Wobbles, Tonka trucks and other items. They are still in good condition. It's like reliving a childhood again to see them.

Elmo

We allow the kids to watch 30 minutes of television each day and that's usually the last half of Sesame Street. That's because Elmo is on during that part of the show. They love watching, especially Blondie. She squeals and giggles when he comes on the screen.

I Think I'll Walk Today

Little Man surprised us today. This morning, he stood and walked halfway across the living room. Much further than the few steps he had been taking. We now know he walks as fast as he crawls too.

Back to the Dentist

We took the kids back to the dentist for another checkup. This was their second visit. We've started taking them every 6 months. Yes, we know, they have started going earlier than most other children do.

They didn't do much. Just a quick check to look for any cavities and a check on progress. The girls have their first year molars. Little Man's haven't started coming in yet.

Walking

Everyone has started walking some. Actually they have been for almost a month or more. Squeaky takes about 9 steps in a row at the most. Blondie takes 1 or 2. Little Man seems less interested in walking. He moves faster by crawling. We'll occasionally catch him taking 2 or 3 steps, but that's about it from him.

Photos Added

What Happened?

We've been so busy we haven't had time to update the blog. Sorry about that. We'll try to catch you up.

Kitchen Helpers

Recently we decided to surrender one of the drawers in our kitchen to the kids. They love being in there while we're cooking. The drawer is filled with measuring cups, plastic cookie cutters and other plastic kitchen items. They love pulling everything out and playing with the items on the floor.

I've Never Heard Of That

Last week, Little Man was stricken was a case of Roseola. We had never heard of it before. I'm sure we'll run into more illnesses that are unfamiliar to us as the kids get sick at different times.

We Survived A Movie

Last night was Family Night at church. They were having pizza and showing a movie. We decided to take the kids and see how things would go. We were a bit surprised. Everyone was gathered in the gym area to eat and watch the movie. That made it easy for us to put the kids in booster seats on the floor and feed them. They seemed to enjoy watching the people. Little Man enjoyed it a bit too much. He wouldn't eat because of all the activity so we had to feed him on the way home.

Unexpected Hiatus

After an unexpected hiatus, we're back.

Eating Time

We've been struggling with eating time and trying to come up with items for the kids to eat. For us, it's difficult to keep coming up with difference trpes of finger food for them. I was searching the internet for some menu items and came across this site - Wholesome Toddler Food. The site provides nutritional information as well as menu items and recipes. And a lot of the items can be frozen and reheated later. That's a great time saver for multiples.

2 Are Easier Than 3

Yesterday the father and I took the girls to the doctor and left Little Man with his aunt and cousin. He didn't need to go, so there was no need to take him. No offense to parents of twins, but two kids are easier than three. We were amazed at how easy we could get around. One parent for each child. It was a breeze. I'm sure this is a common discovery among parents of multiples though. When you have 1 or 2 less than the normal amount of children, it would naturally seem easier.

Standup Comedian

Little Man is turning into the standup comedian in the bedroom. He gets in his crib, stands at the railing and greets everyone when they come in. In addition, he stands there and "talks" and seems to tell jokes to his sisters. They just stand at their crib railings and laugh at him.

MMO and MOPs

This year, in addition to taking the kids to a weekly Bible Study, I'm taking the kids to a MOPs program and a Mothers Morning Out. Two weeks ago, we started the Mothers Morning Out. Wouldn't you know it? Just after we started that, the kids got colds. We haven't been able to go the the MOPs program yet, we've missed one Mothers Morning Out and Bible Study and have been out of church for two weeks. Everyone seems to be almost well by now, so hopefully we'll get things rolling again this week.

Marathon Training

When someone starts training for a marathon, they always start small. Maybe a half mile run, then a mile, a mile and a half and on and on. They keep working until they build up their strength and endurance. I think the same applies to being a parent of multiples. You start out thinking I can't handle this. Eventually you develop your strength and endurance. Before you know it, you're doing more than you thought possible. It isn't easy at that point, but you're marveled at what you can do.

I thought of this because of what I've seen when people come to visit and help with the kids. They might only be there for an hour or more, but in that amount of time, you can tell they aren't used to "running the race". It shows when they get ready to leave. They seem exhausted and overwhelmed at everything that has happened during the time they were there. And to you, it's just something you're used to doing every day.

New Toys = New Fights

We introduced a new walk behind toy this weekend that I bought at the Moms of Multiples consignment sale. We already had two and needed one more so everyone could walk with them at the same time. As soon as we put it out, everyone had to play with it right then. No sharing. They just swarmed around it like bees to a flower. They started fussing at each other and biting each other to try and get each other away from the toy. It was a nightmare.

Now that the newness of the toy is gone, they aren't as bad playing with it. This makes me think of another problem that hasn't occurred yet. If they are like this now with one toy, what will they be like at Christmas this year with more than one new toy?

No More Bottles

This weekend, we switched to sippy cups all the time. So far it hasn't been a problem. We hope they just forget about the bottles.

Five Years Ago Today - 9-11

Has it really been five years? It seems like only yesterday. The world is a different place now. What will it be like when our children are grown?

Finished With The Sale

The consignment sale was this past weekend. I brought more back home that didn't sell then I wanted to, but I'm pleased with what did sale. I can't really look at it as any kind of extra cash though. The money made from the sale just rolls over into new clothes for the coming seasons.

Remember When...

The hardest thing about getting items ready for the consignment sale is remembering when the kids wore the tiny clothes we're selling. It seems like only yesterday when they were that small. Almost every item we've put on a hanger brings back some memory. And they're just over 1 year old. What will this be like in a few more years?

Consignment Sales

It's time to buy clothing for the next seasons. I'm trying to keep up with local consignment sales so I can get some good buys. This year I'm also going to try to seel some items at the Mothers of Multiples sale. It's difficult finding time to sort and price items to sale. We'll see how that goes and how the items sale when I have them ready.