Goodbye July

Daphne and Evan

It has been a great July, but we are definitely ready for August!

Everybody Loves Triplets

I felt a deep sense of camaraderie today watching the opening scene of 'Everybody Loves Raymond.' Managing children, food flying, waiting for the proverbial (sometimes the literal) cookie to silence the room.

We have a set of keywords that are only to be used in emergencies. These words maintain much of the power and influence of our household. "Park", "outside", and "car" make the top of the list. As you may imagine we are not the most portable group. We require a number of devices for the conveyance of our little gob of children. We have a triplet stroller, two double strollers, one single, two baby wraps, and lots of hand holding. After the first three kids, when you can divide up into a double and single stroller, our single stroller is just a dust collector now. Very few places are triplet stroller accessible and just because you can take it somewhere doesn't mean you should.

Shortly after having our girls we were determined to go back to the same walking trails we had enjoyed before. This sounds reasonable enough and we estimated the trail not only big enough for a side-by-side triplet stroller, but passing room for others as well. This lovely walk wove back and forth over a small river and no sooner had we walked the two miles to the start of our walk proper than we found ourselves devising a strategy of carrying our triple length jogging stroller sideways across a bridge dragging our dog behind us. (Best part is we got to cross back on the way home too.)

With triplets sometimes the inaccessibilities sneak up on you when you are least prepared. Four blocks away from our home we had a park with sidewalks so luxurious that other parks could only dream. It became our most frequent walk after the triplets came. For just four blocks of low traffic road we could have four miles of stroller luxury.

With triplets sometimes physical barriers are the least of your worries. We don't mind the occasional question: 'yes, they are triplets. Yes, we did invitro. No, triplets were definitely a surprise.' We learned very quickly about mob mentality when we passed by a family reunion on our walk one day. Even the luxurious sidewalks couldn't save us from being trapped in a swarm of baby admirers. The elderly matriarch of the family was forced through the crowd to get the best look at our main attraction. It was not until she gave her approval of our girls that a path was cleared and we were released from their family. It was all we could do in our time of incarceration to keep the women of that family from lavishing our little ones in kisses. This is not really an isolated incident.

People on the street are often one of our chief sources of entertainment. A person can tell a lot about the values and demographics of an area by walking down the street with five kids under the age of three. We have gotten spontaneous reactions that range from "God must love you"  to "I am so very sorry for you." Obviously one makes you feel like a content mother while the other makes you feel like a mother bear facing a rude school of salmon. We usually smile, wave, and pretend we didn't hear them.

Whether we are accosted on the street or caught between the clothing racks at the store, every outing is an adventure.

The Tale of Ava and the Broken Banana

Once upon a time in the land of screamsalot a young maiden desired above all else the fruit of the beloved banana tree. It was an arduous journey for a maiden of such limited experience and stature. Her courage was great as she embarked on the journey to the top of mount cabinet and to the dread bowl of fruit where the banana could be found.

Many times the young maiden almost lost her footing climbing the sheer cliffs of mount cabinet, but she never considered turning back. As she climbed it was as if she heard a voice calling her back from her quest. That only steadied her in her resolve. As she reached the top of mount cabinet, she sat to rest. She gathered her strength and dug into the fruit bowl. She was successful. She pulled back the golden casing to reveal her precious prize, but she  knew she still must face the return journey.

As she began her descent she lost her balance and her banana tumbled free down to the flat valley below. Without the protection of the golden casing, the banana shattered and took with it the joy of the young maiden. She felt the desperation of the crushed hopes of youth. As a last resort she opened her mouth and out came a magical cry that instantly summoned the young maiden's fairy godmother.

The fairy godmother knew the desires of the young maiden. Magically Lady Ava was restored to her proper place in the kingdom and found herself in possession of the thing that she most desired, an untainted
fruit of the beloved banana tree. And so our tale is at an end and our young heroine is rewarded with the desires of her heart for her bravery and cunning.

Apple Crisp

Apple crisp is not a dessert, it's a way of life. It's a necessary evil of multiple toddlers. There is really nothing you can do about it except committing to take one for the team and eat up. At the end of a good apple day we have a variety of pre-chewed dessert fodder. I've never been one to be squeamish about eating after my children especially when their leftovers are baked in sugar. (Don't worry, I've never served pre-chewed apple crisp to company.)

My recipe is a culmination of months of crisping apples in a balance of speed and taste. Enjoy!

     Using a 2-quart glass casserole dish that has been generously sprayed, add:
          cut and peeled apples until just over half full
          2 small handfuls flour
          1-2 handfuls sugar (depending of desired sweetness)
          drizzling of lemon juice
          1 small pile of cinnamon
          optional sprinkling of ground cloves, allspice, and nutmeg
     Mix until apples are thoroughly coated and ingredients combined.
     In a separate bowl, combine:
          roughly half a stick of partially melted margarine
          2 handfuls brown sugar
          4-5 handfuls quick oats
     Sprinkle over apple layer. Bake between 350-400 degrees, depending on hunger levels, until your house smells like Christmas.

Product Review: Packing Tape

Product review: packing tape
Parent 1 star
Kids 3 stars
Packing tape is a popular item in our house. Its rolls are wide enough to make an excellent toddler bracelet or to stuff full of random things when left on a flat surface. It also has various uses when peeled off in sticky layers.

It loses points from its parental rating about the thirtieth or fortieth time the cry of "fix it, fix it" is heard in a single day. It's not a problem just to be asked, but the repercussions when the object in question cannot be saved with the application of another layer of tape can be severe. The girls see tape as a way to not only resurrect old toys and books, but as a medium of sticker production. Anything can and should be a sticker in the mind of a two year old. As a parent this means that once the tape is introduced as 'in use' for the day there's no stopping it... it will take over your day for the next few hours at minimum. If you chose to proceed with daily tape use, good luck! It will control your life, but your toddler will appreciate the sacrifice.

Dwarves

As we come out of our second bout of the year with pneumonia, I am reminded of Snow White... not only because I could use a few hours of poison apple sleep, but because our home is reminiscent of sleeping dwarves.

Little Ava taking a rest break

Our five little ones would be the envy of any sound effects team. Snores, whistles, and squeaks of sleep each a unique rhythm adding to the chorus of our nighttime. You may think it's an astounding thing that they sleep through their own noise, much less each others. The trick is they usually don't. Little Bella sleeps through anything... She also contributes at least half a cast of sleeping dwarf sounds to wake her sisters up. Ava, our sick-time sleep whistler,  only gets up once a night. Once she's up she stays up... for hours... and hours... running in small circles until she falls over on her face sound asleep around the time her daddy leaves for work. It's our little Cami that wakes up frequently. Every sound she makes when she's sick, every sound her sisters make when they're sick, or excessively long spells of quiet all end in our grumpiest dwarf being up in the middle of the night. Last night was particularly fun. After an hour of crying for us to find her favorite purple blanket, that she was wrapped in at that moment, we finally turned on the lights so she could  tell it was still purple. "Oh, purple, thank you Mommy."

Cami napping midmeal

The lingering cough will still keep us sleepless for a few more weeks I'm sure, but at least we can enjoy the fanciful moments that come from living in a house full of dwarves.

Negotiation

The trick to having triplets is negotiation. Verbally negotiating with toddlers, mentally negotiating with yourself, and physically negotiating everything.

Verbal negotiations: Not only do you need the skill to outwit a toddler, but you need the skill to outwit three very different and distinct toddlers. They have different motivations, interests, and concerns. Our little Ava is motivated by humor. No amount or pleading will bring her rushing to obey, but she's more than willing to come running for a chance to make you crack up with laughter. The sounds of joy call out like a beacon to her heart. Our Cami is motivated by rewards. Sometimes these are as simple as verbal praise, but she never turns down candy in a pinch. Beautiful Bella on the other hand is motivated by familiarity. A favorite book, character, even shirt grabs her attention and cooperation. Now the trouble is finding a way to explain to a two-year-old that you have what they want.

Mental negotiations: These range from, "I will stay awake long enough to..." or "no really, it's hilarious that my clothing can even absorb that much..." to "If I can just make it three more days I get a nap" and "If I chase them around the house twice more I will burn more than enough calories to have another cookie." Just keep in mind that triplets get significantly easier around nine months old and around two years old.

Physical negotiations: It is amazing how many things can be done one handed, one handed with a baby strapped to your chest, or a baby strapped to your chest and one on each arm using two to three fingers off each hand in cooperation. Just yesterday I figured out that by placing the knob of the pot lid on the edge of the sink, with the lid pressing against the sink wall I can easily drain noodles one-handed without the risk of burns. I can now adequately write with my left hand to make coherent shopping lists and balance the check book. I can make a decent chicken parmesan with two babies without injury. I admit, these plans have their drawbacks. The extra weight kills your back and knees. My doctor gave me at home rehab sort of exercises that are really simple and take care of physical repercussions from being covered in babies. I perhaps overly enjoy the moments when I'm only carrying around one baby. The relative ease provides a sense of freedom for accomplishment. Maybe now the laundry will get swapped or the dishes will get done. I can't begin to count how many days I spent pacing, holding two or often three kids to keep everyone quiet and happy.



I have heard lots of people notice the phenomenon of not realizing how much free time they had or how much time they wasted before they had kids. Having kids forces your time to somehow be better organized. Having twins after triplets has that effect in a big way. We didn't realize how easy it could have been if we'd done everything right, how much free time we still had after our first three, and how smoothly we could have functioned... But now with two more we have to figure that out all over again.

July 4th

 

Happy Independence Day!!!

 

We are spending the day at home with our family... sick as can be, but happy.

Armando

Armando this. Armando that. Armando always seems to be associated with whatever fun thing they wish they could do right now. Cami, our curly headed ball of energy, asked for an elephant the other day. As I squeaked out a 'no,' amid sputtering giggles, she decided my response for me. 'Armando, armando. Elephant for me armando.'  Luckily I understand Cami-speak, 'Tomorrow we are not in fact getting you an elephant.' 'Nice try,' I thought, ' very nice try.'

Kitchen Bench

Most things in the toddler world fit into three categories: bench, table, or stool. Laundry basket, stool or table. Packaged diapers, stool. Boardgames, bench. Shape sorting block, bench, stool or table (that's why it's such a popular toy). Clean folded laundry stacks, bench. I am always surprised anew at the versatility of household items that I have been apparently taking for granted. The refrigerator for example is a fun-filled playground of potential hazards, but it has become a sort of rest stop in my girls' busy day. Our kitchen bench is the most beloved and fought for seat in the house. It offers a nice cool spot on a hot summer's day. It offers concurrent seating for all three girls, accessibility to snacks and, most importantly, a way to hold mommy and daddy's attention.

It's rather difficult to drag three toddlers from anything with only two hands. By the time you pull the last one away the first one has just settled back down. It's a cycle that can go on indefinitely. The fridge makes it particularly easy to get caught in the snare of simply rotating toddlers. There are so many hand holds inherent in a wire shelving system. The extra few seconds spent uncurling tiny fingers from the shelf of precariously balanced leftovers leaves an average of two kids in the refrigerator at all times. It's a sort of brain teaser puzzle. Unfortunately it's the kind that seems to be missing a piece because you're not sure that it's solvable. It's sometimes a matter of shear luck rather than clever ingenuity.

Product Review: Shark

Product review: shark vacuum sweeper
Parent 3 stars
Kids 3 stars
I consider the shark an essential in our household. Quiet enough on carpet to not wake a sleeping toddler. Some toddlers wake up to use on hard flooring. I have, I'll admit, let my girls fall asleep with a pillow and blanket on the floor... And then sharked around them leaving a little crumb outline under them.
The shark is particularly good at getting crumbs. It can suck up whole animal crackers or polish off the sticky remains of a mac and cheese lunch (though you may want to clean the tray afterwards). It will pick up crumbs, ants and all, if your children, like mine, intentionally leave 'ant nacks' out for them.
The kids love the shark and will vacuum up their own messes. Sometimes even making messes to create opportunity. We did lose our first shark to a scuffle that snapped the handle off, but it was pretty durable to child use overall.
There are quite a few versions now and a shark steam cleaners (which I am anxious to try), but we have always gotten the basic model. About $30 in stores.