Last year, Columbus Day weekend was the start of my one on one trips to NY with the kids and, once again, Amaya and I were off to NY together!

I was able to sneak into the nursery on Friday morning at 5:30am and wake Amaya without waking the boys. During her diaper change she kept saying, “Bubba. Bobo.” They’re definitely at an age where they’re aware of each other. It’s adorable.

And off we went!

Amaya did great. She convinced me to buy her a little stuffed tiger for the flight and reminded me to give her Benadryl so she wouldn’t puke everywhere. Some elements of the travel are more difficult (no one sleeps on the airplane) but most of it is much easier than it used to be. Amaya held my hand while we walked through the x-ray at security. We sat on the floor together and ate breakfast. Just the fact that she walks means that she can get out of her car seat in the airport. Plus, for me, the first trip traveling with one after a trip with three always feels relatively easy.

Feeding her tiger.

Two colleagues were on this same flight for business so they helped me get the car seat on the airplane which was great. The biggest challenge was trying to prevent Amaya from kicking the seat in front of her. She thought it was hysterical. I spent most of the flight doing anything I could to distract her. She also had some issues on the descent and cried for the last 20 minutes of the flight but we made it! Early, even!

Meanwhile, back in the Land of Cheltenham, Steven and Sammy (here, Sammy and Steven) might have been missing their sister (Sis Sis, as Sammy says), but they were going to soon find that they had a big treat waiting for them – Grandpa Homey and Grandma Betsy!

Amaya got right into the swing of things at Nana’s house. We’ve been watching videos of Chase and Charlie every day so she was very comfortable with them. Lots and lots of hugs and kisses for everyone!

Back in the Land of Cheltenham, perhaps in honor of their traveling sister, Steven and Sammy (here, Sammy and Steven) ate the PAPAYA that Amaya picked out last weekend. I hear it was a hit!

Then it was time for a walk with Megan and Grandma Betsy.

The boys wrapped up their day playing with their kinetic sand. I think we’re going to have hours and hours of fun with this stuff!

We also took advantage of the nice weather and went for a walk.

This morning, Amaya was excited to wear bracelets that had been Charlie’s. She looooooves her bracelets. More than breakfast, even!

More bracelets!

Mommy and Amaya. <3

Exactly one year ago today, Amaya and I were on the way to NY for our first girls weekend.

And with my best big guy, Chase.

Back in the Land of Cheltenham, the boys had fun times of their own! It was the fire station open house and Steven and Sammy got to check out the fire truck!! So, so cute.

It’s cool here, but we all also got outside.

After nap, we packed up and headed to Long Beach for their fall festival.

So lucky that Uncle Dave and Chase were able to meet us. We saw farm animals, pumpkins and wandered around for about an hour.

Amaya even pet a bearded dragon lizard. She loved it!! No fear at all. Even when it was crawling on her, she was totally captivated.

And that was our day!! A great family day in NY.

Back in the Land of Cheltenham, Jason was also having a great family day, first at home with Grandpa Homey and Grandma Betsy and then out with his dad to watch the Sparty game.

Saturday it was Lions for the boys. Sunday was the Giants. And I am about to be 3-2 in my first ever fantasy football league!

By 10am, we packed up, said our goodbyes, and made the trip back to MI.

I told some friends that traveling with kids is like childbirth. Once it’s over you forget the pain which is the only reason you do it again. 🙂 It’s doable, it’s just hard. Today’s flight was during nap time and I was hopeful that Amaya would nap but it’s seeming, more and more, that my kids are no longer going to sleep on airplanes. She did great, though, all things considered. My little frequent flier.

And, next thing we knew, we were back home and Amaya was feeding papaya to her daddy. I couldn’t have asked for more from our girls’ weekend. I love my Amaya. The best part of coming home, of course, was seeing all my boys!

Earlier in the week, the kids went to their early intervention class. The theme this week as “sensory” so there was a lot around to feel and touch.

Back at home, we got silly with our wacky headband!

Bobo and Megan had snuggles.

And we had coloring time.

Wednesday was music, where everyone is getting braver and venturing out on their own more and more.

This is the EXTREME roller coaster. What a trip! We’ll have to look into it for next summer.

Music class was so much fun that the kids napped HARD. What Amaya didn’t realize, though, was that she was about to have even more fun with a sleepover at Grandma Sunshine’s house! Like last time we did a grandma sleepover, she slept for about an hour at home before making the trip with Grandma.

Just as with Sammy, her Daddy’s Big Head was there waiting for her.

I always find myself eager to get home during one of the kids’ sleepovers because it’s so special to have time with just 2 of the kids. Three is the best, but two is some rest. Hahaha. It’s true, though!

This week, we tried out our new kinetic sand! I think it’s going to be a great activity during the long Michigan winter. Both boys liked it, but Sammy is a little more hesitant to touch the sand and prefers to use the tools.

Amaya settled in easily at Grandma Sunshine’s house and slept well.

Everyone had a relaxing morning, too!

The morning adventure for Amaya was a trip to Potter Park Zoo! There were lots of animals out and she had a blast.

The boys missed their sister but found ways to entertain themselves until she returned.

Next thing they knew, their sister was home safe and sound and happy after a great time with her grandmother.

We’re still taking advantage of every nice day and spending as much time outside as possible. It’s my long, sad countdown to winter. Fortunately, the kids don’t know what’s coming. They’re just having fun outside.

I think she’s ready for the runway.

Finally for the week, here’s a fun PJ photo shoot. We love our PJ’s and we love our cow Moo.

Have a great week!

When Nana came to visit last week, she brought videos for me to keep on my phone so the kids can always see Nana & Papa, even when FaceTime isn’t available. We got bonus Chase and Charlie videos, too. Particularly Sammy. He wants to watch the videos all the time. Every time he sees my phone he says, “Chase. Chase.” It’s really cute.

Here we are watching the videos after work on Friday.

Steven, Sammy and Amaya were particularly cute this week in their Elmo shirts. We were lucky enough to have three hand-me-down shirts from Chase, all in a 2T. We aren’t watching TV yet, but Sammy still knows who Elmo is. Elmo is everywhere!! Though, to be fair, he has a random monster on his shirt today and he looked at it and said, “Elmo.”

Apparently Amaya likes her Elmo shirt more than her pants! Seriously, though, I need these kids to KEEP THEIR CLOTHING ON IN THEIR CRIBS. First come the pants. Then comes the diaper. You know what comes next and this mom isn’t having that.

Back to the beginning of the week… My mom was still here with SSA until Tuesday morning.

Monday morning, I was home with everyone because I had a 3:30pm flight to Vegas for an overnight business trip. That meant I was able to attend the EI session for Steven and Amaya. The teachers this fall are so, so good. They’re smart and knowledgeable about what they’re doing and laser focused on each kid.

Sammy’s sensory eval was completed and he would technically qualify for OT (occupational therapy) but you need to be in the special ed program for that and he will not qualify for special ed (which is a good thing in it’s own right). That means that he’ll still have just monthly sessions with his teacher but Amaya’s teacher is also going to bring activities to our house that will be good for Sammy. Just simple things like toys that vibrate.

Steven’s teacher worked with him on some balance and core exercises and, interestingly, Amaya’s teacher noticed that she forgets to swallow when she’s concentrating on a task. I’d never think to notice that! It’s totally normal, but we can touch her jaw as a reminder if we do see it at home.

One bonus of EI time is that the kids get bubbles in the house!

By the time the kids were up from naps I was already on my way to Vegas but I was treated to photos of kids happy with their peas. It’s always a good idea to start with the veggies. If the noodles or potatoes come first, it will be aaaaaaaall noodles and potatoes. Especially for Bobo.

In the morning, Nana was sure to take some first-of-the-day good morning photos for me, first in their cribs and then at breakfast. That’s what I like to wake up to, if it can’t be with Steven, Sammy and Amaya in person. <3

We had pumpkins last weekend and Tuesday was the EI “school” trip to an apple orchard. Summer is over! It was so much fun for the kids, especially Steven who loves the animals. Sammy and Amaya prefer them from a distance. And everyone knows the goat says, “Maaaaaa.” That’s a fairly new one.

Donuts!!

Mmmmmm.

I love this little series of photos. At the end of nap time on Tuesday, only Steven was awake. He got a little one on one Megan time while Amaya and Sammy got a few more minutes of sleep. Sleeping kids are the best. I just love the sprawl.

Here’s one more random cute photo of Sammy’s sleeping sprawl.

Wednesday was another big day. We had morning play time where you can see that Amaya and Steven were playing very nicely with their mega blocks.

Everyone was ready for Stephanie to arrive so they could all go to music class.

More fun at music this week!

Wednesday afternoon, midway through naps, Sammy headed off with Grandma Sunshine for an overnight adventure. When he arrived, Big Head Daddy was there waiting to welcome him.

While Sammy was off having fun, Amaya and Steven had some fun of their own. Amaya took off her shirt and (mostly) put it back on – inside out and backwards – but back on!

Steven started his winter prep.

On Thursday morning they had cuddles and playtime.

Sammy was lucky to have lots of toys to play with and then a trip to the Lansing local Potter Park zoo! Such a fun adventure with Grandma Sunshine!

Then, before we knew it, Sammy was home. “Bubba home,” he said.

There was more than enough time for playtime outside. We’re taking advantage of it while we can.

Big kids

Next thing we knew, it was Friday! Weekend!! How do we celebrate?!? With socks on our ears! The perfect place for socks, of course.

We had a very lazy weekend at home. Our big adventure was brunch out on Sunday. Amaya went to the grocery store with Daddy and was excited to finally see a real PAPAYA! It came home with us.

We had some coloring time.

Rides on Fudgie the Whale!

Playtime with Daddy.

And story time with Daddy!

I didn’t get the blog out yesterday because I was at an emergency vet appointment with Sally. She’s okay, but my best big girl needed her momma last night.

As a result, there are bonus Monday photos! Sammy and Amaya’s teachers came for EI today and, in the afternoon, it was beautiful out so we made the most of the nice weather.

When I come home from work, Sammy greets me at the gate and immediately says, “Shoes! Shoes!” All he wants are my shoes. Or boots. Today it was “Boots!” I’m a sucker and I always give in so off came the boots I was wearing and out came my snow boots.

Steven got the first shot at the snow boots.

Sammy wanted his turn, too.

We have a fairly regular bedtime routine. We go upstairs around 6:30pm for quiet playtime. We play and read books for about half an hour and, shortly after 7pm, we brush teeth. By 7:15pm, it’s time for cribs. Here was a bit of story time tonight!

Before I wrap up, I’ll share some photos from last week, matched up with Chase when he first wore the shirts. We’re so lucky to have all of these great hand me downs from our big cousins!

It was another big week! I can’t believe how much these kids pack into 7 days.

I want to start this week’s blog by sharing these photos from yesterday at the zoo. Steven, Sammy and Amaya are holding hands!! The boys started in and Amaya wanted in. It turns out the really do like each other! My cup runeth over.

We also had fun with pumpkins at the Kensington Farm Center!

What a difference a year makes!

Earlier in the week I was home for Yom Kippur so I took the opportunity to go to music class with the kids! They loved it, but I think I loved it even more. I think I mentioned that the class is about 1/2 free play and 1/2 music. The music portion involves singing songs in a circle with a variety of instruments. It’s adorable. The free play is time to check out a TON of toys. The kitchen seems to be a favorite and, this week, everyone tried the Step 2 coaster.

Amaya was wandering and ended up sitting on the class leader’s lap for a song.

Music class selfies!

On Wednesday night, Jason’s long time friend Mark, and his wife Mary Beth, came by for dinner! I’m not sure if I’ve seen them since our wedding and it was definitely the first time they met SSA. The kids loved meeting them and wish Mark and MB lived closer!

On Tuesday there was more play time at our early intervention group. This week, the group is meeting at the apple orchard! It’s so hard to miss out on those opportunities but Megan always keeps me in the loop with photos.

Even at our advanced age of 20 months, Steven, Sammy and Amaya still love a laundry basket!

We haven’t used our bath seats for months and I’m planning to sell them but the kids wanted one more chance to see if they still fit. It’s a tight fit – even for Moo.

The boys were rockin’ their ponytails again!

My college friend, Rachel (Hi Rach!), got the kids these GW shirts that we are now big enough to wear, and model! Raise High!!

This week was an overnight visit from Grandma Sunshine. Sammy can say “Sunshine” now! We always have so much fun when Grandma Sunshine visits.

Working on flash cards.

Grandma Sunshine visited from Thursday to Friday and then, Friday evening, Nana came to visit from NY! We took advantage of the beautiful weather and went to the zoo on Saturday morning.

Today, we went to the Farm Center at Kensington Metropark where we took the pumpkin photo I shared earlier in the blog. It’s a great spot for Steven, Sammy and Amaya to roam free and visit the farm animals that are in our books.

At the farm, Steven was as adventurous as always. He walked from animal to animal, checking everything out. We got close to a goat who scared Steven when he bleated but Steven recovered well enough to eventually pet his new friend on the back. It’s interesting to me, though, that all of the kids are wary of the animal’s faces. They’ve never been bitten but they have an instinct to stay away from those animal teeth. Sammy and Amaya had a lot more trepidation about the animals but were comfortable walking around when the animals were out of sight, or if they didn’t get too close.

Dinner tonight included a special visit from Auntie Ames! We’ve been so lucky to have three visits over the past few months!

Just a bit more this week!

We continued to have fun on our new slide and with our construction hats. We looooooove our construction hats.

It’s starting to cool down (BOOOOOOO!) but we are still able to spend time outside on our deck. Sammy and Amaya can climb up on the deck chairs themselves and, even though Steven needs help getting up, he also loves sitting in the grown up chairs.

Sammy has learned to wipe his runny nose on his shirt.

Amaya was so happy to wear big cousin Chase’s monster truck PJ’s this week!

Mommy time!

Whenever Sammy sees my phone he says “nana” in anticipation of FaceTime. This was taken just before we dialed. These kids were ready!

Have a great week!

Steven, Sammy and Amaya are 20 months old today! And I’m not really counting months anymore except for how I obviously am.

I need to start this week’s blog with this series of photos because I love them so much. The kids wanted to wear hats, and they’ve also discovered the joy of smushing your face up against glass.

These kids.

I was home from work on Monday for Rosh Hashanah which was perfect timing because it was the first early intervention appointment of the season.

When we left off, Steven and Amaya were receiving weekly speech therapy, Steven was receiving bi-weekly physical therapy and Sammy was receiving general monthly services. All of that technically continues into the fall but it’s always helpful to level set. We also have new teachers for Steven and Amaya so they need to take stock of where the kids are. Amaya’s teacher was off for the holiday but Steven’s new teacher, Robin, was there along with Steven’s PT, Jeanette, and Sammy’s teacher, Dawn.

Steven: Great news is that Steven is performing on the low end of average for gross motor! If he was evaluated today, he wouldn’t even receive services! Jeanette is going to come out monthly for the next few months just to be sure he’s progressing properly but Bobo is catching up! He’ll still need to wear the SMO ankle braces for a few more months, but that’s separate from how he stacks up with regards to muscle tone and overall gross motor development.

On the speech side, Robin said he wouldn’t qualify for weekly services if measured today! I was surprised to hear that because he’s noticeably behind Sammy and Amaya but, to qualify, you have to be scored at 1/2 your age and he’s definitely ahead of where you’d expect to find a typical 10 month old. Robin thinks it’s great that he uses his few words correctly, in context, and continues to add new words. He, and his siblings, also did really well with receptive communication. When asked to go into the playroom and bring back a ball, they were all able to complete the task.

Sammy: Sammy will continue with his monthly services. We’re going to focus on sensory issues. Though I use the word “issues” very lightly. We’re trying to determine if he’s simply exceptionally cautious, or if there are sensory sensitivities there, too. He doesn’t like his feet on grass or in sand. He won’t touch an electric toothbrush (which was recommended for sensory issues.) He doesn’t like slides or swings. Little things, but we want to make sure we understand it so he can experience his world as comfortably as possible.

Amaya: Amaya’s teacher wasn’t there but we did talk about the food hoarding in her left cheek. We’re going to bring some french toast to group on Tuesday so the occupational therapist can see if it’s just a game or an actual issue with tongue movement/chewing. When she meets her new teacher on Monday, I suspect Fern will say that Amaya no longer qualifies for weekly services. But it’s okay if that’s not the case!

There they are during the session checking out Robin’s Poke-a-Dot book. We now own 3 of them. 🙂

During nap on Monday, Megan and I spent time putting up this awesome alphabet in the nursery. I love how it looks!

Months and months ago, I bought some safety harnesses for the kids. It’s not comfortable to think about using them, but there are situations where it just might not be safe to go without them. Imagine walking down the street with 3 toddlers who are too young to know not to run in the street. If you only have 2 hands, you can’t possibly contain all 3. And if one child runs off, what do you do with the other 2 while you’re in pursuit? So we have them in the house and I decided it was a good day to try them out because Megan and I were heading to a local park.

In theory, they liked them just fine. In practice, it’s really, really difficult. First of all, if one person is holding all 3 harnesses, they get tangled in seconds. Second of all, see the picture above? When 2 kids go in different directions you’re stuck. And twice Sammy fell backwards because he went to move forward and couldn’t. We’ll keep trying. But if it doesn’t work, we can also make a decision to require the wagon or stroller in solo situations where it’s not safe for the kids to walk freely.

This is how we ended up walking into the park. Steven and Sammy in our arms and Amaya holding Megan’s hands.

They liked their little friends, though!

It was a gorgeous day in the park. Lots of fun for everyone!

When we got home, we wrapped up dinner with apples & honey for a sweet new year, a Rosh Hashanah tradition. It was the first time SSA had raw honey, outside of a recipe. They liked it. But it’s a mess. A big, big MESS. So they’ll probably wait until next Rosh Hashanah to have it again. 🙂

Our schedule is busy this fall. On Tuesdays we go to our group with the Early Intervention program. We tried our first ball pit!

Wednesday was our first music class! The EI program on Tuesdays has a ton of teachers there so Megan is able to take Steven, Sammy and Amaya on her own. The music class doesn’t include that luxury so I hired a “nanny’s helper” to go to the classes with Megan. My luck, is that Megan’s helper is her younger sister! Perfect!

The class is in an indoor sports field near our house. It starts with about 20 minutes of free play, then 25 minutes of music and songs, ending with another 10 minutes of play time and a goodbye song. I’m really excited to see it for myself next week!

Today we had the great fun and pleasure of going to our friend Parker’s 2nd birthday party. It was at the Funtastic Party Center and it’s definitely Funtastic! Amaya is getting over a cold so I took the boys and Amaya stayed home with Jason for some Daddy time.

It’s so interesting to watch them play. Both boys were drawn to the balls. They know balls. They’re comfortable with balls. Once they understood they could climb, though, they were all for it. We need to practice our skills getting down!

It was a construction themed party, with pizza for lunch. I was amazed that Steven and Sammy just sat in their chairs and ate their pizza for a good half hour. Most of the other kids were done and they were still sitting there eating, eating, eating. I can’t get enough of these hats!

We brought home a hat for Amaya, too, which was perfect for Take 2 on our toddler slide. They’re definitely better with it than they were 2.5 months ago. Now Steven and Amaya can both climb up and slide down on their own. We just have to figure out where we’re keeping it because it does still require some supervision. Fun times in the Land of Cheltenham!

A few other fun adventures from the week.

Megan took the kids to the doctor this week to get Sammy’s cough checked out. (Croup. Allegedly.) There’s a fish tank in the waiting room and Megan sent me this text.

These are orchids that Steven got for me.

Sammy can take off his clothes.

Which may be a distraction so no one notices that Amaya is trying to climb out of her crib.

Dear Amaya – No, no, no, please DON’T! Bad things happen if you do. Things like TODDLER BEDS. Put that foot down, please. Give us a another year. Love, Your Mother

We are a house full of readers.

Now that’s it’s fall, we can collect leaves on our walks!

Cooking this morning, Steven, Sammy and Amaya wanted to cook potatoes, too.

Daddy holding court.

Rocking our fall jackets, courtesy of our big cousins Chase and Charlie.

One cute extra photo of Steven!

Sammy is waving hello. Allegedly. I think he’s really channeling his inner puppy.

Sad Sammy is Sad. He wants to play with our car keys desperately.

We got electric toothbrushes for Sammy because they are supposed to help with some sensory seeking behaviors. He won’t touch them while they’re on but Amaya can sit there with the toothbrush for a good 20 minutes.

Amaya, gearing up for winter.

My little girl is badass.

I will leave you with this photo of the Golden Girls. These ladies are all Gold with Grace.

Caroline, Hadley, Amaya, Charlotte, Zoe, Abby, Elizabeth and Grace.

It’s football season and Steven, Sammy and Amaya are ready!

It’s getting more and more difficult to take pictures of all 3 kids together. Clearly, Amaya wasn’t having it. It’s possible she’s a Lions fan.

I tried to get a picture with all of my kids and that’s proving even more difficult than getting a photo of just the 3 of them.

At least my boys were cooperating!

We also did our due for the Lions!

We had a really nice weekend at home together. It’s been four weeks since we were all home and it was about as relaxing as a weekend can be when you have 3 toddlers in your house.

After a lazy morning on Saturday, I went to the mall with Sammy and Amaya while Steven and Jason went to Home Depot.

For the first time, we tried out the little play area at the mall. It only has one entrance/exit so I was able to do it on my own. I think it’s even possible with one adult and 3 kids.

It’s so interesting to watch them. Sammy was ready off the bat to run inside and explore. That kid loves to be free! Amaya was more hesitant and hung back for a while. Sammy, however, was very nervous about the slide. We went down twice together but he was not at all interested in trying it on his own. Amaya couldn’t get enough of climbing the stairs and sliding down. I held her hand since she’s still getting the hang of things, but she loved it.

We had some time to try on hats. “Hat. Hat,” Sammy says.

Meanwhile, Steven was living it up at Home Depot! Jason sent a text with this photo that said, “Stevie nearly apoplectic in the lighting section!!!” I just love Steven’s enthusiasm for everything.

The trip to Home Depot was to buy supplies to mount our TV. The kids were enthralled watching Daddy work.

I am NOT a Pinterest mom but I decided to do a craft with SSA for Rosh Hashanah. I “drew” these apples and taped them to construction paper for coloring time. I put “draw” in quotes because they’re really, really terrible. But the kids don’t know that! Coloring is new for us so it was a lot of fun to watch them go for it.

Of course what happens is Amaya starts eating a crayon and I say, “Don’t eat the crayon” so then Steven and Sammy start eating their crayons. Or I say to Amaya, “Don’t put the crayon up your nose” and Steven and Sammy start putting crayons up their noses.

The final projects. Amaya is still working on the concept of drawing lines, rather than dots, on her page. I think they liked it, though!

This weekend we also wore our Team Grace t-shirts. We’re thinking of Grace always, even when we’re not in our gold. Here the kids were baking Cookies for Kids Cancer. Without any ingredients, of course. But who needs anything besides an imagination?

Here in the Land of Cheltenham we love some of our stuffed friends. Moo and Whammy Puppy are particular favorites. When it’s hard to part with them for meals, we invite them to join us at the table.

Or we get to sit with a real live friend, “May may,” as Sammy now calls Megan.

This fall we’re starting some weekly activities and the first was last week. Our early intervention program has a weekly baby class the kids can go to. They’re on the older end of the class but I’m really excited about anything that gets them out and interacting with other people, and this is run by their EI teachers which is a bonus. Megan took them to their first class and, by all reports, it went well! This week we start a music class!

Saturday afternoon was cold and rainy but we ventured out for a family dinner. It was cold enough for sweatshirts and, luckily, I found some of the perfect size in a box from Chase and Charlie. I am not, not, not ready for winter. Not. Ready.

When we were out for dinner, Amaya took one of our to-go boxes and packed up her meal. It was really cute.

Some more shenanigans from the week…

The boys discovered it’s fun to press your face up against glass!

This is from last week but I forgot to share it. In this installment of “why is my toddler crying,” Amaya is first crying because she wants the y-bike that Steven is sitting on. Then Amaya is crying because she has the y-bike that Steven was sitting on. We fight over a lot these days.

Steven!

Steven has a few new words. He says “ball” and “baby” and he even told me “no”. He remains curious about everything. Steven is a tough guy. Right now, while everyone pushes and shoves at times, he’s probably the most aggressive. He also laughs so easily and is still my little mush ball. Steven is so cute that it’s very difficult for me to be upset with him for his aggression but that’s not fair to his brother or sister, so we’re working with him as best we can.

I mean, look at this face!

Sammy!

Sammy is in the middle of a word explosion. Waffle, medicine, cream, lotion, tush, poop, neck, chin, elbow, meat, fruit, NO. I put a hair tie on my wrist and he said “bracelet”. He knows the word “piece” and uses it in context whether it’s a piece of food or a piece of paper that he ripped up. He has new words every day. It’s so much fun to listen to him!

Amaya!

Amaya is as sassy and willful as ever. She has an incredible knack for getting what she wants whether it’s “up” or sitting in my lap or the toy she wants. When she takes something she knows she shouldn’t have, likely because she stole it from one of her brothers, she runs and hides with it. Amaya loves to say “no,” mostly on principle, I think. She’s a great helper. Amaya has a wonderful soft side. If I let her spend all weekend in my arms or in my lap, I think she probably would.

Chimpmuking her food in her cheek.

Have a great week and, to those celebrating the Jewish New Year, Shana Tova!

This weekend, Team Cline had our first family vacation! We can do it!!

We booked 2 nights at a hotel in Holland, MI. It was enough time to get the feel for being away together but not too much time that it was overwhelming for our first try in a hotel with 3 toddlers. With a long weekend, Jason and I both got home from work early on Friday night and we hit the road around 6:30pm. By 9:30pm, Steven, Sammy and Amaya were tucked into their travel cribs. We were lucky there was enough room for all 3 in the hotel bedroom!

To make things easier, we got a hotel suite rather than one room for the 5 of us. It was a good call. The kids liked exploring the room and we had enough space to move freely, plus a kitchen with a fridge where we were able to store milk and prep snacks.

Saturday morning started with the breakfast buffet in the hotel bar/restaurant. Our travel highchairs really come in handy. I got the kids changed and dressed while Jason got our table set up. Everything was ready when we walked in!

After breakfast, Jason and I took some time to get ready for the day. The kids were so fascinated by my make up application. I realized it’s something they don’t see very often. Normally, I’m getting ready for work before they’re awake or while they’re eating breakfast with Megan.

Our morning adventure was a trip to downtown Holland. It’s so nice! And I hear the sidewalks are heated so the snow doesn’t accumulate in the winter. We visited a farmer’s market and wandered around the cute downtown. We also visited a park on the water where they had a perfect SSA sized playground!

As always, Steven loooooooved to swing. Loved it. His smile is the best. For the first time, Amaya gave it a real shot, too, while Sammy had fun swinging on his daddy’s lap!

Steven saw a fountain and pretty much insisted we stop by. Everyone was able to get up close when we held them on the ledge. Here, you can see how captivated Steven was.

After the park, we wandered downtown to grab some lunch. It’s getting both easier and more difficult. Steven struggles with his indoor voice, right now. He can be loud. It’s fine at home or outside but, in a restaurant, it can also be disruptive. We’ll keep working on it. I think it will help when he’s more verbal and can better express what he wants. Or maybe then he’ll just be loud and verbal!

(Steven – if you ever read this… you be YOU, okay? Being loud is awesome. Just remember there are times and places.)

We were all tired after lunch so we went back to the hotel for a nap. It was like wack-a-mole. Little heads kept popping up! But eventually everyone fell asleep, including mommy & daddy.

Saturday, late afternoon, we headed to the beach at Holland State Park. Michigan has more coastline than any other state. It’s practically surrounded by the Great Lakes on 3 sides. Holland is on Lake Michigan, on the west coast of the state. When you’re there it’s like being at the ocean from the perspective of expansiveness, but it’s much calmer & it’s fresh water.

When we arrived Steven plopped right down in the sand. Sammy wasn’t having it.

Rather than sit on the edge of the sand all afternoon, we decided to walk around the beach area instead. It’s so pretty. I can’t wait until the kids are older and we can spend long weekends at the beach.

Dinner was convenient at a snack shop right off the sand! Pizza, french fries and mozzarella sticks. Apparently SSA have stomachs of steel.

Sunday morning we packed up and headed out to Dutch Village. It was cute and kitchy. The draw for us was the petting farm. We know many animals (neigh! moo! meow!) but we’ve never seen most of them up close.

Steven was pretty much game for anything. Amaya liked the animals as long as they kept quiet. Sammy liked the animals if they were brought directly to him in a basket. 🙂

We also had our first carousel ride. Sammy and Amaya rode with daddy and Steven rode on a horse. He loved every second of it and spent most of the time holding on with one hand so he could wave and say hi to everyone we passed.

Our final stop of the trip was lunch in Dutch Village. We were messy so we got mohawks. Once the hair is greasy, might as well have fun with it!

It was a fantastic getaway, and it felt like the start of lots of family adventures.

Here we are, settled back at home.

We had more than enough time for baths and bedtime shenanigans.

Today, was also a busy day. The morning was spent outside before it got hotter than hot. SSA has fun with the water table, when they weren’t busy watching their daddy work out in the backyard.

The big adventure of the day, though, was the State Fair! It was around the corner from our house so we popped by for about an hour after naps.

Steven was in hog heaven. Literally. We spent most of our time following him around from animal to animal. Sammy did get in on the action, though, and pet a sheep!

The sheep said “baa” and Amaya lost her mind. Lost. Her. Mind.

The fair is another adventure that will be fun in new ways as Steven, Sammy and Amaya get older.

Here are just a few more pictures from the week.

Megan, with Amaya and Steven.

The boys playing in their daddy’s shirts.

On Thursday, we all wore blue & teal to remember a sweet 7 month old triplet, Hailey, who was laid to rest that day. My thoughts are still with her family. I can’t imagine how they’re suffering. It was special, and heartbreaking, to see photo after photo of triplets in blue. I’m part of an amazing community. #loveforhailey

This week we wore our awesome Newport shirts from Aunt Dale and Uncle Arnie. They were a huge hit!

We support Team Grace every day, but we wore our shirts this week in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness month. If you’d like to support Grace, you can make a donation to Cookies for Kids Cancer here. Only 4% of federal cancer research dollars go to children’s cancer research so every dollar counts.

To wrap up this week’s blog post, Amaya and Chase clearly share DNA. 4 years apart, here they both are doing The Magnum.

Have a great week!

Last Sunday’s blog post feels like a lifetime ago. I suppose that’s what happens when you’re busy having fun in NY!

When we’re visiting, Steven, Sammy and Amaya sleep in my childhood bedroom which still looks the same as when I lived at home. As a treat to myself, on Monday and Thursday nights I slept in the room with the kids in my old twin bed. It’s the first time I’ve ever slept in the same room with them and I loved it. As a treat. Absolutely not to do all the time. 🙂

Steven, Amaya, Sammy.

On Monday morning we went to the little park. I’m sure it has a name other than “the little park” but that’s what we’ve been calling it since I was a kid so that’s the name that’s stuck. Everyone was able to join us, including Auntie, Uncle Josh and Eli.

Steven is our little adventurer. Sammy and Amaya don’t really want much to do with the swings but Steven laughed and laughed and laughed. In fact, the higher he went, the happier he was!

Amaya and I did work on it a bit. That lasted about 20 seconds.

But she fun going down the slide with Nana and a ton of fun exploring the park.

Hi Auntie!

Mr. Sam Man looooooves to be free. And he looooooves to take off running.

We loved our time at the at the park!

Here’s a Monday meal that was a typical scene for the week.

It was a beautiful afternoon and we wanted something a bit more low key than the beach so we headed down to Long Beach to walk along the boardwalk for a bit.

We went to Pops on the water for dinner which was successful up until the point Amaya had a meltdown. I don’t know if it was teething or exhaustion or just being a toddler but the food was served and she lost her mind. Poor girl was not a happy camper.

Before it all went downhill…

Giving her cow a drink of water.

Steven saw Amaya so he gave his train car a drink of water!

The meltdown begins.

The boys were tired on the way home, and fussy, so I gladly contorted myself in the car so they could hold my fingers.

Tuesday was a quiet morning at home. Amaya found a hat she liked and wore it as much as possible. She’s developing quite the sense of style!

We had helium balloons from CVS which are always a bit hit. Sammy call them “boon”s. Steven loves to bang them and has the cutest little sound effect when he does it.

We all had a big french toast lunch together!

Tuesday afternoon we went to the mall. The big stops were Build a Bear and the food court. This food court is pretty awesome. The food options are incredible and they have OXO high chairs for kids. We’d eat at the mall a lot if it was like this.

Sammy is exploring guacamole.

After a little bit of playtime on Wednesday, it was another beach day!

Bobo in cool kicks.

Amaya in her cool hat.

Sammy in the spot he spent most of the week. His mommy’s arms & lap.

It was a beautiful day for the beach!

Steven is such an adventurer. He just wandered off to see what there was to see.

We were fortunate to hijack someone’s picnic table for lunch! Those lobster chairs were one of our best investments!

Sammy even explored the sand a little bit. Just a little bit, but it’s a start. If he was around it more often, I think he’d continue to get more comfortable.

Meanwhile, Amaya and Chase shared some special cousin time.

Wednesday was also our first trip down to the ocean. No surprise, Steven loved it. Looooooved it. Amaya also had some fun in the water and wasn’t at all afraid of the waves coming up the shore. Sammy wanted nothing to do with it. 🙂 It was a really cool experience to take them down and see their reactions.

Sammy may not be master of the ocean but he is master of the spoon! Since we did Baby Led Weaning, my kids don’t have any experience being spoon fed. We gave Sammy some apple sauce and a spoon and he did an incredible job figuring it out.

On Thursday, we had some time at home before we had to head out. Steven got in some snuggles, Amaya read a bit of the morning paper, and everyone enjoyed story time with Savta! (Sammy called Savta “fa fa” all week. It was the cutest thing.)

The big adventure for the morning was baby yoga at my mom’s gym! Our family was the entire class, along with the instructor and her daughter. It was a really neat experience.

Steven working on tree pose.

Sensory/coordination exercises with fuzzy balls and our toes!

Quiet time at the end of class.

The whole gang!

On Thursday afternoon, my Aunt Dale and Uncle Arnie were kind enough to host my dad’s family for an afternoon bbq. The weather was absolutely perfect and we had so much fun seeing everyone!

I got to meet Cooper, the newest addition to the Goldstein clan! And the first baby Goldstein in the family!

Steven loved the flowers. He even picked some for Aunt Dale and Jamie to wear in their hair.

Amaya saw the flower in their hair and tried to get the same look. With a flower in her ear. I could not love her more.

Fortunately she got some help!

Amaya flirting with cousin Alex.

Amaya moved on from Alex to Sebastien. So much love!

It was such a great evening. I can’t wait to see everyone at Thanksgiving!

Friday was our last full day in NY and another beach day. Steven helped Nana get ready to go.

At the beach, we took some great photos to celebrate Nana’s BIRTHDAY!

The rest of the day was more time down at the ocean and more time playing in the sand. Amaya loves to play in the sand. She has such concentration when she’s working on her “project”. Steven still thinks the ocean is the best. Sammy was captivated by some seaweed that he found.

And that was our special, wonderful, fantastic trip to NY!! All I could have asked for was more time.

The flight back to MI was mostly uneventful except for Amaya throwing up in the car on the way to the airport. We had some rush clean up to do right there at the terminal. Here Papa is taking care of Amaya during clean up.

We had some VERY messy pb&j sandwiches while we waited to board. Never again as an on the go snack. Never. Again.

And there we were on the plane. The good news is that the benadryl worked! No puking! The bad news is that Steven, Sammy and Amaya cried and screamed for a good portion of the flight. At least now I know I can survive a flight with hysterical children.

I can’t say enough about the flight attendants and pilots for Delta. On both flights, they were a tremendous help getting everything off the plane. It made a huge difference for us!

The biggest part of the trip home was actually the end logistics. Jason and I had a wedding up north in Charlevoix, MI at 7pm on Saturday night. Originally we were going to drive the 4 hours there and back leaving shortly after I got home from the airport on Saturday, returning early Sunday. However, my boss was taking a private jet up there and offered us 2 seats on the plane. Scary, scary, scary. But it’s a 35 minute flight vs. a 4 hour drive so it was impossible to turn down. Very generously, he was willing to change the flight time from 11am to 1:30pm so we could make it. To make that happen, our sitter Anna came to the airport and picked up Steven, Sammy and Amaya and took them home. Megan drove my car back to our house. Jason picked me up at the airport and we drove straight to the private airport in Pontiac to make our flight.

The night before I was stressed out of my mind about these logistics but it all came together and we had a safe and easy trip to Charlevoix! I’ll tell you, this is the way to travel. No TSA. No security stops. Just park your car and get on the plane.

The wedding was beautiful and it was a really nice opportunity for Jason and me to spend some time together after a week apart.

As always, Anna sent us photo updates of Steven, Sammy and Amaya and, by about 1pm today, we were back home to, as Jason would say, our boogs.

I couldn’t have asked for a better week. My thanks and my love to everyone who was part of it and to everyone who helped make it happen. Team Cline loves you!

We’re in New York for the week! Not exactly concrete jungles here on Long Island but the sentiment is the same. And it’s home. Not nearly the Land of Cheltenham, but still home in ways that matter.

Jason has to work this week so Megan joined me for the week long trip to New York. We left on Friday morning and, for the first time, I had all 3 kids in my car, not the van. I knew those extra seats were worth it!

Getting to and through security was an adventure because all 5 of us had seats which meant we were traveling with 3 suitcases, 2 strollers, 3 car seats and 3 toddlers. To help with the process, Megan’s husband Mike kindly drove to the airport with us so we could actually get all of our stuff to the airport. We pulled up at the terminal and I jumped out to curbside check our luggage. Mike left, and then Megan and I parked the car and made our way into the airport.

Security wasn’t bad at all. We brought a single stroller and stacked 2 car seats on it. Megan pushed that and pulled Steven while I pushed Sammy and Amaya in their double umbrella stroller. We stopped for lunch in the airport and ended up in a Japanese restaurant. Not the most options ever but we were able to get some panko crusted white fish and steamed veggie dumplings. I also shared some of my noodles with the kids. SSA did great but, next time, we should probably make our way to a more traditional American restaurant. At least for now, while it’s hard for them to eat noodle bowls!

Here I am with the kids waiting for our table.

Sadly, our flight was delayed about 2 hours. Sad, sad, sad. But we made the best of it and passed the time pretty well. Steven, Sammy and Amaya really loved it when we let them run free in the airport. I know some people think it’s harder with walkers but I think it’s easier because, as long as there are 2 adults, we can let them go, go, go.

See the man in the photo above? Against the window? Amaya loooooooved him. She went over to him and started playing with his shoe and his work stuff and he was really sweet about it. He totally engaged with her.

Finally we boarded. That was another adventure. Megan waited on the jet bridge with all 3 kids, which included Steven in his car seat. I got on board and attempted to install 2 seats (which I didn’t do well because I was rushing). Then I got off the plane and collected Steven while Megan carried Sammy and Amaya onto the plane.

The setup for the flight was planned with the boys in one row with me and Megan in the row behind with Amaya. We got on board and entertained ourselves with snacks and magna doodles.

Sadly, sadly, sadly, Amaya got horrible motion sickness on the airplane the minute we pulled away from the gate. Megan and I had to quickly switch seats so I could take care of my poor little girl. She got sick 6 times on the plane. It was awful. And I forgot a change of clothes in the diaper bag. Our luck was that I was wearing layers so Amaya was able to fly in my t-shirt. And the good news is that she was much, much better the minute we landed. I’ll be calling her pediatrician first thing tomorrow to talk through our options for the flight home.

Mommy in the airport covered in puke! Whooooo!

Amaya, somehow looking fashionable in nothing but my t-shirt and her sneakers.

Yesterday morning, the Goldbergs came over bright and early to have breakfast with us. Everyone was so excited to see cousins Chase and Charlie! Charlie even enjoyed breakfast with the kids.

After breakfast we were SO EXCITED to go to Garden City to visit a fellow triplet mom and her trio – Jack, Ryan and Allison. They’re about a month younger than Steven, Sammy and Amaya and their mom, Liz, and I have gotten to know each other well over the past year or so. Aside from the fact that both Steven and Amaya got car sick on the way over and I had to borrow clothes when we arrived, we had a great, great time! (I know… from now on I need to leave the house with back up clothing.)

Steven, Sammy and Amaya jumped right into playing at the house and it was so much fun to see our kids together. Thanks again, Liz, for a great morning!

Steven has the least trepidation with dogs. As long as their heads are secure, he loves to pet and make nice!

The whole gang!

In the afternoon we all headed to the beach. This time, we found some sea bands for Amaya. I’ve had luck with the pressure points on cruises so we’re trying it with her and so far, so good. Plus, she loves her bracelets!

Papa was ready to drive the boys!

At the beach, everyone dove in and had lots of fun in the sand. We also went to the big pool for the first time! I have little fish who love the water. Steven and Amaya are perfectly comfortable in the sand but Sammy isn’t totally at ease yet. We’ll keep working on it. He had fun playing at the water table and my mom planned ahead and brought a sheet for him to stand on.

Here are a ton of beach fun photos!

Charlie, the fashionista.

After the beach we went back to the Goldbergs’ house because it’s easier to bathe SSA over there. While my kids were eating dinner, Chase and I played some darts up in his room. I’m a lucky aunt!

Steven, Sammy and Amaya got to eat outside on the porch!

Amaya LOVES Charlie. At dinner, Amaya couldn’t stop hugging and kissing her big cousin. It was adorable.

Today, Sunday, our big plans were a visit to Westchester for cousin Dalia’s birthday party. First we visited Mike, Rachel, Jake and Naomi, and then we all headed over to Dalia’s house.

Every new place is an adventure.

Amaya always needs to know what’s happening around her.

Sammy got quality time with Uncle Dave.

Party time outside with the birthday girl, Dalia, and cousin Mike!

Amaya in a gorgeous hat crocheted by Great Great Aunt Edith.

It was a great afternoon spent with family we don’t get to see often. It was also another day with not quite enough nap time but Steven, Sammy and Amaya were troopers. And apparently they slept just enough to have time to destroy Nana and Papa’s house. We’re all so excited for the rest of the week here in NY!

Besides our trip to NY we still had a ton of adventures this week.

This is what it looks like when Daddy has fun stuff on his phone. The children flock!

The boys are enjoying their playroom mirror.

Sammy performed Shakespeare.

Amaya and Steven shared their car.

Everyone enjoyed the water table.

We turned 19 months this week, and with our 19 month milestone, we’re all finally getting the hang of Fudgie, our whale! I think Fudgie will be tons of fun long into the future.

The sweatshirts from Charlie are still coming in handy. We had a cool day, and the sweatshirts saved the day.

Midweek, I came home to a bunch of kids with shorts on their heads. Amaya was the fearless ringleader of these shenanigans, and very proud of herself.

Finally, pictures of each of the kids from the week.

Steven!

Someone got his first shiner and split lip when he tripped on the deck and fell into a toy basket.

Sammy!

Peek-a-boo!

Amaya!

Someone banged up her head when she ran into the corner of a wall as she tried to steal a toy from one of her brothers.

That’s all she wrote! Have a great week!

On Saturday something happened that hasn’t happened in nearly nineteen months. Since January 17th, 2014, to be exact. I WAS ALONE IN MY HOUSE. Alone. No one else there. ALOOOOOOOONE. My family fills me up in these huge, overwhelming ways that I can’t even put into words but sometimes a girl needs her space.

Jason, being the wonderful husband and father that he is, didn’t hesitate when I asked. He made plans to take Steven, Sammy and Amaya for a morning with Grandma Sunshine. They left at 8:45am and got home shortly after 2pm. For about 5 1/2 hours, Sally and I had the entire house to ourselves. The best part is that, for the most part, I did absolutely nothing. I watched an episode of Astronaut Wives, two episodes of Major Crimes and the season finale of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D from May. I drank a beer at 10am and ate chicken fingers. I was lazy, alone, and happy to see everyone when they came home to me.

Here are some photos of the time with Grandma Sunshine. So cute.

No joke, right after everyone left, I came inside and found Sally sitting like this in the living room. Just sitting there. Sitting! I swear she knew what was up.

In the afternoon, Anna came over to spend the rest of the day with us. If it was going to be my lazy day, I decided to go all in. After naps, she and I took the kids to downtown Plymouth to wander around the fountain in Kellogg Park. It’s so rare that SSA are outside and free to roam . In part, because it requires at least 2 adults and in part because it’s fairly new that we have 3 walkers. They love it. And I love watching them go, go, go.

To round out the weekend, Jason, the kids and I went out for brunch this morning. I have kids who can now be entertained with crayons at the table. Such big kids! I can’t believe it!

On Wednesday, I was fortunate to have a lunchtime visit from Steven, Sammy and Amaya. Campus Martius park is around the corner from my office and it’s a great spot to eat outdoors, complete with a little sand beach. We chowed on schwarma and fried zucchini, had a visit from our good friend Ginny and (sort of) played in the sand. Amaya liked sitting on her big girl chair. Steven was interested in the sand. Sammy wanted nothing to do with any of it. He’s not yet much of a fan of sand or grass.

This week, we formally transitioned our table and chairs (courtesy of Grandma Sunshine!) into our living room. SSA are finally old enough to use it mostly responsibly.

Amaya has a strong preference for the pink chair. This is her face right before she forcibly removed Steven from her seat.

All better!

Fortunately, Steven seems happy with the blue bench.

Easy going Sammy is great with green.

This is Sammy mid tantrum. Sammy is a toddler. So Sammy is not always rational. This tantrum is because I would not let him have my beer. I could actually see his face falling apart, almost in slow motion. Honest to goodness, the only thing that worked to calm him down was FaceTiming with Nana. Thank you, Nana!

Jason is an talented piano player and now, thanks to this gift from their daddy, Steven, Sammy and Amaya can get started early on their skills. It’s so cute to watch them play. We’re working on teaching them that we play with fingers only. Not feet or water bottles or spoons.

Another big change this week is that we officially transitioned from two naps to one. Steven, Sammy and Amaya were barely napping in the morning and, when they did, it meant a shorter afternoon nap. So we made the move! Lunch was moved up 45 minutes to 11:30am so they can nap by 12:15pm and, despite some lunch time fading, so far, so good. I think the biggest transition is for the grown ups who lose that mid-morning break. But every time we’ve cut back on naps I’ve been nervous and, every time, I’ve adjusted.

As per usual, there was a lot of time outdoors this week. This week’s theme was donuts! The donuts are back and we wear them in style.

Steven!

Sammy!

Amaya!

Corner competition

A morning walk with Megan!

Have a great week! On Friday, Steven, Sammy, Amaya and I are heading to New York with Megan for a week. We’ll miss Jason but can’t wait to see everyone in NY!!

Jason and I had an opportunity to take Steven, Sammy and Amaya to the splash pad this weekend! They did GREAT. They were even more adventurous than the first time we went (which very well may have been last weekend but time is a blur). Steven walked right into the mix of things. He is small and mighty. Sammy and Amaya took their time but eventually dove in. Sammy loooooooves his freedom. At one point he just ran around the perimeter laughing and laughing and laughing. They even got sprayed by the water cannons and (mostly) didn’t skip a beat.

See Amaya way off there in the distance? So independent!

That is, until she’s not! Amaya did not like the water canon and spent the rest of the trip in my arms.

This week it was Steven’s turn to sleep at Grandma Sunshine’s house! He put on his “I <3 My Grandma” shirt and geared up for his big adventure!

Heading off with Grandma Sunshine!

It didn’t take long for Steven to dive in and start to play.

Back at home, Sammy and Amaya took advantage of the extra attention. Plus, less sharing!

With Steven away, Amaya and Sammy decided they should match. I love these photos. They’re so cute and so BIG, I can’t take it!

Steven played, played, played and then crashed.

Just like his brother and sister.

In the morning it was a yummy breakfast for Bobo while Sammy and Amaya held down the fort at home.

It was gorgeous on Thursday so Megan took Sammy and Amaya to the zoo. We go around 9am so, on zoo days, we don’t have a morning nap. Steven and Amaya tend to do fine with that but Sammy almost always finds some time to sleep. I wish he didn’t always look so stressed in his sleep. My Sammy Brows.

What does the horse say? Neigh!

And then, soon enough, Steven was home with his brother and sister!

This is what you wear when you poop everywhere.

Happy Bobo.

Back home sleeping where his mommy can check on him. <3

This weekend I had the chance to go for lots of walks with the kids. Friday night after work, Saturday morning and Sunday morning. Steven is a little chatter box. He points at everything. “Ooh! Ooh! Ooh!” And he loves to say hi. To cars. To fire hydrants. To trees. It’s pretty cute.

On Saturday afternoon I needed to get a pair of pants hemmed so we took the opportunity to pack everyone up and get an early dinner with the kids. I don’t know what I was thinking when I packed up. I grabbed some diapers and wipes and tossed them in my pocketbook and that was it. No bibs. No hand wipes. I did remember to bring their water cups! Going out as a family definitely isn’t the same as going out as a couple but we’ve definitely got the hang of it by now.

Steven was picking his keno numbers.

Everyone is very good at the dip, dip, dip.

New in the Land of Cheltenham, Amaya and Sammy are getting more comfortable with Fudgie. Steven is still not excited at the idea of riding him but Amaya and Sammy are learning to rock themselves. They just also need to learn to hold on and, eventually, get on and off themselves. Then someday, all 3 of them can ride together.

This week we had fun playing in the laundry basket.

Steven had the opportunity to grocery shopping with Daddy. He was a great helper, taking all of the food and putting it in the cart.

While he was out, Amaya and Sammy were busy making sure Big Teddy had enough to drink. I love to see the beginnings of imaginary play.

We also had a very special guest at breakfast one day!

Not Daddy!! Whammy Puppy joined Steven, Sammy and Amaya for breakfast. His table manners were impeccable.

There was a TON of outdoor time this week. I’m trying to enjoy the rest of summer and not dread winter but, man, Michigan sucks for half the year. I’m trying to start planning some fall/winter activities so the kids aren’t cooped up all winter.

Watching the lawn work next door. Very interesting!

I don’t know what it is about sleeping babies but I can’t help taking photos. In order in both series, it’s Steven, Sammy & Amaya.

I also got some video of Steven, Sammy and Amaya waking up in the morning.

We were excited to have a quick visit from Megan’s husband, Mike, this week! What a treat! It’s possible we haven’t seen Mike since SSA’s 1st birthday party!

Just two photos of Steven.

Steven found a leaf at the splash pad and insisted on bringing it home. He got very distracted during dinner when he saw his leaf on the counter.

Sammy

I asked Sammy to smile for the camera in this selfie. That FACE!

Amaya

This is how Megan found Amaya after an afternoon nap.

Jason taught the kids how to play tee ball and Amaya took to it like a natural.

And that’s all she wrote! Have a great week!