Hello! Happy Monday! Amaya and I were in TEXAS yesterday so here I am with another Monday blog update.

SSA are still loving school. I hope they’re as into activities in the drop off room as they are in their own room at 9am start time. They just dive right in. A current favorite activity is journaling. I actually learned at work that journaling like this is very helpful for emergent writing and literacy so it’s awesome to see it in action with my own kids.

Everyone’s a team at Steven’s PT appointments!

Amaya drew this picture of me at school on Monday. Even beyond the fabulous hair, I’m amazed to see eyes, a mouth, legs and arms. She even pointed out that she forgot to add a nose. I love it!

On Tuesday I just wasn’t feeling breakfast at home so, when Anna arrived, we loaded up the kids and went to Starbucks for breakfast. I love spontaneous mid-week adventures. Everyone was so excited to go to Starbucks and eat muffins for breakfast. (Notice Steven’s smile? I don’t know what happened but the deranged toddler smile is back!)

Tuesday our elbow pads and knee pads arrived so it was time to try some driveway adventuring! So much fun!! I can’t believe these are my timid kids. They loved flying down the driveway, especially Amaya and Sammy.

On Wednesday, Meredith took Steven outside for PT. What a fun idea! Just one or two sessions left and he’s done for the year. I know everyone will be happy to get back to regularly scheduled naps on Mondays and Wednesdays.

On Thursday I had visitors for lunch! We decided it was easier for me to grab take-out than for us to all meet at a restaurant. The bonus is that it creates memories of SSA in my office which is pretty awesome.

Sammy loves salad!

Checking out their artwork on my wall.

We had a late night Thursday with a stop at the JCC’s back to school picnic. That’s the boys in shadow with me and Amaya up ahead.

Friday!!

Journaling and fancy hair for Amaya. (Hey Daddy! Take some photos every now and then at drop off once we transition, okay?)

Friday night Nana came to town!

Saturday was a busy, busy day. After a little bit of play time at home, we headed to Toledo to meet up with 8 other 2014 triplet families at the Toledo Zoo.

This is just 7 of the 9 families, looking like an ad for the Radio Flyer Triple Play wagon.

First time seeing elephants!

Also the first time seeing a hippo!

Steven was Mr. Map. He was very interested in finding the path to the giraffes.

Showing Holly & Jennifer the path to the giraffes. 🙂

The Toledo Zoo has a touch tank! We’ll definitely have to venture back to this zoo again next year.

We wrapped up our day at the zoo with lunch at the playground.

Amaya and Hadley. <3 (This gorgeous photo and the one above were taken by Hadley’s mom, Heather.)

After a quick Saturday nap, Amaya and I headed off to DTW to fly to Texas to celebrate Grace’s End of Treatment! YAY!!!!

We’ve been talking about Texas for what seems like forever and Amaya and I were both so excited.

This girl swaggered onto the airplane like a boss.

It was a late flight and we landed around 11pm ET. From there we had to rent a car and drive 45 minutes to our hotel. (Plus a car seat install!) Amaya was a champ. Amazingly she stayed awake all the way up until our drive to the hotel. She was very surprised by the rental car bus. “Where are the seat belts?”

Finally, finally tucked in bed!

This kid. I’m seriously going to burst into tears writing about our weekend together. It was so special. I travel to NY for one on one time but this was totally different. It was just US. Amaya was amazing. She had her 3 year old moments but, really, I couldn’t have asked for more from her.

We woke up way too early on Sunday morning after such a late night and headed down for breakfast by 7am.

By 8am we were on our way to see Carrie and family at their house for a bit. It’s always so wild to see my kids with some of these other triplets that I’ve “known” since before they were born.

Back at home, Daddy and Nana had a great time with Sammy and Steven.

(I have no idea who this neighbor is, lol.)

Ironing leaves between sheets of wax paper.

Amaya and I left Carrie’s house by 9:30am because one activity Amaya had been talking about for weeks was swimming in the pool at the hotel. We were literally sitting there when the hotel employee came to unlock the gate at 10am.

I think it was everything she hoped. 🙂  After swimming I got what I’d been hoping for – time for a nice long nap for us both.

And then it was time to head out to Grace’s End of Treatment party! What an amazing, amazing milestone to get to share. There were more than a few tears shed watching a video put together by Grace’s dad, Chris, and especially when she took that final dose of chemo.

Throughout the weekend, Amaya mastered her elevator button pushing skills.

The party had bowling, snacks and lots of friends to visit with. Amaya insisted on just watching the blowing but was thrilled to eat some cake. She also ate about 3/4 cup of scallions – half of those plain and half dipped in queso. Oddest thing ever to watch! (Well, she also dips kiwis in ketchup and grapes in peanut butter so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. But we’ll need more recipes for Amaya that include scallions!)

The hit of the party (from a child’s perspective) was the visit from Elsa and Tinkerbelle. Amaya has always been scared of characters in costume but she saw Elsa and her face lit up like I’ve never seen. She hovered around Elsa and Tinkerbelle for the entire rest of the party and even got up the nerve to get a glittery butterfly on her hand. Before bed one of the last things she said was, “Elsa loves me.”

HEART BURSTING

Amaya was so careful with the butterfly because she didn’t want it come off before she had a chance to show it to The Brothers.

Me: Amaya, I love you forever.
Amaya: Elsa loves me forever, too.

There were 4 other 2014 triplet families who were able to make the drive to the party. <3

Before we wrapped, Amaya and I hit up a fun photo booth. She was so cute with her poses.

And that was it for the party adventure! Amaya made an executive decision to head back to the hotel to rest before dinner and then another executive decision that we should get takeout. You got it, little mama!

Hanging out at the bar waiting for our order. Wine for mommy and a shirley temple for Amaya. She thought the fizz was too spicy so we traded down to water but she loved those maraschino cherries! (Jason saw this picture and immediately noticed the rocks on the bar, collected on the walk to the restaurant. He sure knows his sweetie girl.)

“Can I eat on that high chair? It will be so awesome.”

And next thing I new it was Monday and time to head home! We had the BEST time. I’m so grateful we were able to make this trip and share such a special day with the Byrds.

Dropping off our rental car. “Take me out of my seat! Don’t return me!”

Amaya was a rock star on the flight. We actually had to move her seat to the window. I guess the rule is that a car seat can only be in a middle or aisle seat if all three people in the row are family. The woman at the window switched without issue and we could tell that the flight attendants were glad it all happened so easily. We’re no-drama mamas!

And I’m back at home to all my men! Everyone wants a piece of Mommy which works out perfectly because I want a piece of them, too.

Have a great week!

On Tuesday, Steven, Sammy and Amaya returned to school! This year the’re in the 4’s class (whaaaaat!?!?) with Miss Eugenia. Miss Bree is their assistant teacher until she has a baby in November. (One of the kids asked me how teachers have babies and how teachers go to the doctor. 🙂 )

The big change this year is school 5 mornings/week. There were tears the first day when I helped with drop-off but, every day since, the kids ran into the room to get started playing.

Steven wants to be a police officer when he grows up!

Sammy wants to be a ghost when he grows up!

Amaya wants to be an ear infection doctor when she grows up!

I can’t believe the difference a year makes. They were babies last year!

Here’s their room. It’s a 1:8 ratio and, right now, there are 13 kids in the class.

Last week and this week Anna is taking the kids to school for 9am drop-off but, starting 9/25, Jason and I will be taking them for drop-off shortly after 8am. They’ll get to play in an all-purpose room until their class starts at 9am. We’ll have to get moving earlier once that transition happens so this has been a good few weeks getting used to the 5 day/week routine before we have to adjust to the earlier, faster morning routine.

On Tuesday Steven got his new orthotics. He said that he wears them so he can run FAST! The transition back to this kind of braces was a non-event, fortunately. Hopefully he likes the support like his PT suggested he might.

The first day of school wrapped up with a make-your-own pizza night!

In the mornings, the classroom is set up with different stations to help immediately engage the kids. Mission accomplished!

Steven says this is a fish.

For the next few weeks, Mondays and Wednesdays will be busy.  Steven is rounding out this cycle of physical therapy and it’s scheduled for 1:45pm on M/W. Megan is going to bring lunch to pick up SSA at school and then try to nap them briefly in the car between lunch and PT. It’s only 5 more PT sessions so they’ll all make it work.

This week, Tuesday was even busier because Megan and the kids went shoe shopping after PT! Steven’s orthotics didn’t fit with the shoes he had so we had to get to the store as soon as possible.

Steven loves the camouflage on the bottom of his sneakers.

I remember when I did things like decide what shoes they’d wear, lol. I love their choices, tough!

I’m getting better at doing hair! I’ve always relied on Megan but I won’t be able to do that anymore. See that even part? 🙂

Hands on hips. ♥ Still a work in progress.

Randomly, Steven had a fever on Tuesday night (gone by Wednesday morning) so he had to stay home from school on Wednesday. Jason and Steven got in some special Daddy/Bobes time while Anna took Sammy and Amaya to school.

Amaya and Sammy were right at it!

At home, Steven completed an arduous 3 year pregnancy and gave birth to a bouncing baby bear. He gave Anna very elaborate instructions on how to remove the bear from his belly. I love this so much!

On Thursday morning, Amaya didn’t want to pee before school because she said it hurt. By naptime she still hadn’t gone despite drinking  a LOT so off we all went to the doctor.

Poor girl was so uncomfortable and so scared to go. We were there for well over an hour and only the really threat of catheterization got her to finally go, after lots and lots of tears. It was awful.

BIG, BIG SMILES once her ordeal was over. All of the nurses and medical assistants got high fives. (No UTI by the way. Not sure what the issue was but she was totally fine after she peed that one time.)

After the appointment Megan took the kids out for frozen yogurt.

By Friday morning everyone knew the routine – wash hands and then PLAY.

The busy, busy week ended with lunch at Olgas with May May.

Worn out from the week!

Here’s a sample of first week school drawings. Jason and I can absolutely see Steven and Sammy reflected in these statements about their art. (Sammy loves to look at “paths” on google maps.)

Saturday morning we met up with 5 other triplet families at Kensington Farm Center. For the first time, Steven, Sammy and Amaya all pet an animal.

Amaya said the sheep felt like cotton candy.

After the farm we went out for lunch with Ashley!

The rest of the weekend was spent at home, a good part of that outside. I feel like we’ve really turned a corner and the kids can play so nicely in front of the house. Sammy had the idea of riding their scooters down the driveway! We ordered elbow and knee pads for everyone because they pick up some real speed! The cones have been great markers for everyone whether it’s how far they can wander/ride their bikes or a reminder not to go into the street. (Megan – they elbow/knee pads will be here Tuesday. Hang out at the bottom of the driveway in case they have any trouble stopping. Everyone is so excited to get outside and try again.)

In sequins, as you do.

And that’s it for the week! Have a great one! Next week’s blog will probably be delayed because Amaya and I will be in Texas to celebrate Grace’s end of Leukemia treatment. ♥ ♥ ♥

This was the last break week before school starts again tomorrow! We missed the Meet the Teachers ice cream social when we were in NY so, on Friday, I popped over to the JCC to meet Miss Eugenia and Miss Bree, their teachers for the year. Miss Bree is expecting a baby in November so she’s only with us for a short time but I think Miss Eugenia will be a wonderful teacher for Steven, Sammy and Amaya this year. She’s warm and kind with a lot of experience with this age group.

Monday morning, everyone got cozy waiting for Steven’s appointment. 🙂 He gets his new orthotics tomorrow afternoon. So fast! We moved to a new company  and their service is much, much better than where we’d been prior. Far less aggravation for this mom!

Everyone took time to paint “rock” frogs that Ashley got for the kids.

The transition to beds has gone really, really well. They’re definitely ready and it helps that we have three rule followers. No one gets out of bed at night and, in the morning, when their “Ok To Wake” clocks turn green, instead of getting up they all just yell for me to tell me that the light is green, lol. We’ll work on that. Ideally, they’ll get out of bed and start getting ready for school in the morning.

Well, they mostly stay in bed. One morning I approached the boys’ room and heard Sammy saying, “Steven! You belong in your own bed!” I was able to snap this picture before Steven scrambled away.

Steven loves reading books to everyone. His delivery is so cute. “Show me where you see someone playing in the water.” Just like mommy, he asks questions during the narrative.

Friday was a trip to Tiny Town!

The excitement for the week was our family trip to Holland, MI! We went two years ago with the kids and I was really excited for the 5 of us to get away together again.

Steven and Amaya – when they weren’t fighting.

Our room! The hotel was great and our room was modern but, when I booked it, I expected we’d have three kids in travel cribs. No joy! That left us with one king size bed and a tile floor. Ooops! Fortunately I thought to pack two sleeping bags and some mats.

I’m seriously shocked that we made it through the weekend without stitches. That bathtub ledge is a toddler accident waiting to happen, especially when they’re running across the room to dive into a pile of sleeping bags.

Amaya and I were sleeping bag buddies for the weekend. <3

Everyone was up eeeeeearly on Saturday morning. Our hotel was right off the main street in downtown Holland so we were able to walk to breakfast. But, first, a little photo shoot with my fashionista.

Sammy needs longer pants! (It was cold, btw! Under 50 degrees when we left the hotel. What!?!?)

We walked over the farmers’ market after breakfast.

Try keeping 6 little hands off everything…

Jason went back to the hotel to grab our strollers and we hung out by some plants and flowers. Steven declared himself “Flower Guard” and made a point to tell all of the shoppers about his important position. It was hysterical.

That gentleman got an earful.

The Clines!!

(Side note – Amaya is only looking up because I promised her a treat if she cooperated.)

Her treat! Believe it or not, these were the kids’ first lollipops.

At naptime we tried to make it work with Amaya and Steven in the sleeping bags but those two couldn’t manage to settle down.

Next we tried all 5 of us in the bed! It made for great cuddling but, again, Steven and Amaya were all over each other.

Third time’s the charm. Amaya and I made it back to the sleeping bags and the boys settled in.

I love this photo. Fast asleep, wrapped up in each other, lit by the afternoon sunlight.

Our afternoon was spent at Holland State Park. The difference between Lake Michigan and the ocean is striking. Aside from the calmer water, it’s so clear in comparison.

We rounded out the day with dinner in the hotel restaurant. SSA got a kick out of the fake candle.

Sunday morning we went out for breakfast again and then hit up a local book store. Everyone got to pick out new books!

Our final stop of the weekend trip was this playground in a park right on the water. SSA are getting more and more adventurous.

Amaya looks like she’s having so much fun here but, according to Jason, she was actually screaming in terror.

Last second Steven decided the slide might be a little high.

And home we went! When we finally slip these car seats forward I’m really going to miss seeing Sammy’s feet up on the back of his seat. He really can get comfortable wherever he is.

The rest of the weekend was super lazy. Saturday afternoon Steven, Amaya and I went to Michael’s and came home with a craft project.

Painting small storage boxes! Heart for Amaya, rectangle for Sammy and circle for Steven.

Today was fabulously lazy all around. The boys did get back to school haircuts and Amaya got another round of blue.

While Sammy was getting his hair cut and Amaya’s dye was setting, Steven and Amaya played “baby tiger”. They took turns covering one another with the blanket and went through an elaborate bedtime routine. Then the mommy or daddy tiger would come back in and say it’s wake up time and they’d switch places. Watching them made me think of playing a game called Jack & Rudy with a long, long time childhood friend. It’s so neat that they have each other as playmates.

Last up for the week – daddy grilling in the rain!

Sammy stood at the door yelling, “BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET HURT DADDYYYYYYY!”

Amaya looked at Steven, lifted her leg and said, “These are tights.” lol She had her priorities!

And that’s it! Have a great week!

We’re back from NY but what an amazing week we had. It went by so FAST! Our April trip was harder than this one. The kids were younger, moodier and less likely to follow directions, I think. This time I felt like we could have stayed another week. But we’re definitely also happy to be back to our normal routine.

On Tuesday, we spent the morning at Savta’s house. Everyone got to use an old fashioned push mower! It’s one my grandmother still uses, btw. They loved getting to mow the grass.

Aunt Sara didn’t think playing at a glass table with glass trinkets was a good idea. Smart lady.

Savta, holding court at lunchtime.

In the afternoon we went to Aunt Sara’s house. Steven didn’t  nap and he fell and scraped his knee so he wasn’t up for much fun.

Amaya and Sammy, on the other hand, looooooved the slip and slide. Amaya cracks me up with the goggles.

At dinner we loved that Amaya and Sammy love drumsticks. Go figure!

Wednesday was another beach day. After time on the playground, Sammy and Amaya wanted to go down to the ocean. (Such a long walk for little legs.) Steven wanted to go to the RV park. (The beach has an area set up for RVs & Campers.)

Charlie and Nana joined Steven.

Savta, Chase, Sara and I joined Amaya and Sammy.

They were both nervous about going in the ocean. Eventually Amaya tried as long as I was holding two hands. Sammy never quite got comfortable but he still loved being down there.

I’m really impressed with Amaya in the pool. She kept directing me to hold her the way her swim teacher does. It turns out she’s even able stand in the most shallow part of the big pool! She and I went in the big pool together every day we were at the beach.

Auntie & Dod Shuki came back to join us again. (Or were these photos from Monday, eclipse day? I’m not sure!)

More fun in the pool!

I had to leave earlier on Wednesday to go home for a work call but Steven, Sammy and Amaya took care of everything while I was gone.

Big helper Sammy, pulling a cooler.

These cousins love each other so much.

Bath time at Nana’s! Until now, we’ve tried to mostly do baths at Sara & Dave’s house because of the sliding glass door at Nana and Papa’s house but we’ve crossed that hurdle  (probably did a while back, actually), and baths work great here! Just one at a time. Longer process for me but SSA love it.

Brothers sharing a pillow. ♥

Thursday morning was a fairly lazy morning at Nana & Papa’s house. That left time for everyone to stay in PJ’s for a while which I think we needed.

Chase, reading story books to Amaya and Steven.

Aunt Dale & Uncle Arnie generously hosted the Goldsteins on Thursday afternoon & evening. SSA were shy to being with but were giving hugs all around by the time we left!

With Uncle Arnie

With Spencer, Cooper and the newest Goldstein, Jordan.

This girl loves babies!

Visiting a “castle” with Chase, Charlie and Sailor.

Golf cart rides! Only the boys were interested but they each went twice.

When Steven wasn’t a lion, roaring to scare everyone, he was Door Mouse manning the door to the deck.

Someone was VERY excited for dessert. (Steven, as usual, just ate fruit. In fact, he’s asked for a “fruit cupcake” for his 4th birthday.

Amaya, in a post-cookie coma.

Friday morning the kids requested time to play at home before we headed back to the beach.

On the way, Sammy tried to nap and Amaya sang him a lullabye. 🙂

On Wednesday night I had dinner with my triplet mom friend, Ashley. She also happens to have a cabana at Nickerson. on Friday, she and her nanny and kids joined us for the morning! Her BBG triplets are 5 months younger than SSA and she also has 7mo old twin girls.

We celebrated Nana’s birthday a few days early with cake and family photos. It’s not so easy these days!

Nana and Steven discovered a sand hole. He was initially nervous to get in and out but eventually found his groove.

Everyone joined in eventually! Steven was trying to get Sammy to sit down in the sand. “Come on, Sammy! I’ll show you how!”

Burying Amaya.

This boy. ♥ ♥ ♥

More pictures of toddlers sleeping. I love how Steven always holds Morminer while he sleeps.

Saturday was our last day in NY! Boo!!

We started off with a quick trip to see Chase play soccer (he’s a beast). It was gorgeous out and Charlie did an excellent job entertaining her little cousins.

Sammy knows how to relax.

To keep things mellow, we stuck close to home on Saturday afternoon & evening. We went through clothing from Charlie which everyone immediately had to wear, especially the dress up clothes.

Little fashionista.

Auntie came to visit, too, and got in her steps pushing Sammy. Steven was busy directing traffic.

Amaya and Charlie, checking out bugs.

I was trying to get packed and I came outside to check on the kids. Amaya asked me to push her in the car. I told her I couldn’t right then but she said, “But I waited patiently.” So off we went together! 🙂

After dinner, Amaya and Steven were playing some game together. I’m not sure what it was but Steven really wanted Amaya to play it with him and it was so cute watching them work it out together. I’m seeing so much more collaborative play lately!

And then it was time for goodbyes. Sad, sad, sad. 🙁

One last night at Nana and Papa’s house and Sammy made his way to Steven’s mattress.

We were up bright and early for our trip back to MI. Amaya was ready!

Bye bye!!

These kids of mine are expert travelers. I was so proud of them today. They helped get everything through security and were, overall, exceptional listeners on our trip. Look at them managing the bags at the TSA checkpoint!

As a side note, Steven fell in love with this “princess” dress and wanted to wear it today. I said yes without hesitation because there was no reasonable reason to say no and I’m so glad I did. I was initially very nervous about external reactions but he was happy & confident and no one in the airport batted an eye. No one! In fact, a mom of a young girl told me how great she thought it was that I let him wear what he wanted.

They’re three years old. It’s totally age appropriate and denying him felt wrong. Though, truthfully, if either of the boys grew up and still wanted to wear dresses that would be just fine, too. You hear that kids? You all just be you. That’s all you ever need to be.

Moving on…

Hugs in the bathroom!

We met our pilots and everyone got airplane wings.

Boarding the plane like champs.

I had been SO nervous about someone having to sit across the aisle from me on the plane. It turns out the worry was for nothing. I put Sammy in his seat and he just rolled with it. I was so proud of him!

Before we knew it, we were back in MI! We did it!

SSA got right back into their routine. Here, they’re playing together with presents that arrived from Grandpa Homey and Grandma Betsy. It doesn’t necessarily last long but watching the kids play together is amazing.

Riding the momentum from beds in NY, Jason and I decided to scrap the plans for Beds at Four and make the transition to beds today. Ack! I feel like I’ve been thinking about this for years. I have been thinking about this for years. It’s amazing that we made it to 3 years 7 months. They’re definitely ready but it’s such a big step for all of us. We really, really don’t have babies anymore!

Amaya and Steven discussing princesses.

The boys’ room. Next up, bed frames and, I hope, window treatments.

And that’s it!  It was an amazing trip to NY. I can’t believe it’s over and I can’t wait for next time.

This blog post comes to you from New York where I’m visiting for the week with Steven, Sammy and Amaya. We were lucky enough to have Daddy join us for a few days, too! I’m going to try to catch up a bit so it’s not too overwhelming for me at the end of our trip. <3

First of all, the kids are talking about the most amazing stuff. They’ve decided what they want to be when they grow up.

For anyone who didn’t watch the video (though I encourage you to because this mom thinks it’s adorable), it’s a policeman for Steven, an ear infection doctor for Amaya and a bad dragon that eats people for Sammy. ♥ ♥ ♥

Early last week, the kids met up with Mikey and Baby Taco at the mall before heading to Steven’s “appointment”. Later that night, Steven let me know that babies don’t listen. They tried to tell Taco not to crawl away but she wouldn’t do what they said. We had a long talk about why babies “don’t listen”.

Sammy explained that the oars on this boat don’t actually move. He loves the word “actually”.

Big girls!

I love when these kids hug.

We were meeting with a new orthotist for Steven at his PT appointment so I joined Megan and the kids. Steven saw me and his “I need Mommy” switch was triggered. Even his PT, Meredith, said he was like a different kid while I was there.

This is in the lobby before his appointment. Just not feeling it.

Still not feeling it.

Eventually Meredith worked her magic!

It was a good appointment and I liked the new guy we’re working with. I think, last week, I mentioned that Steven has cuts on his feet. We had just noticed them and it was good timing because his appointment was already scheduled for the next day. Meredith suspected that his orthotic inserts weren’t giving him enough support and the orthotist said these cuts support that because he’s pronating his ankles into the edges of the orthotics. It’s back to the SMOs that come up higher above his ankles. Steven picked a monkey patter with blue straps. Fortunately, the orthotist was able to make an immediate modification with padding so the inserts won’t continue to irritate Steven’s feet while we wait for the new braces.

For Ashley’s last week, the kids presented the art project the made as a goodbye/thank you/we love you gift.

Amaya wanted pink and blue in her hair before New York so, on Wednesday, I ran home at lunch to die her hair. What a treat to get to do this during my work day. She is so patient with me during the process and so, so pleased with the results. The boys were really cute, trying to help me with supplies.

Love my girl.

Friday was Ashley’s last day with Team Cline. We were so fortunate to have her join us for the summer!

Ashley shared this on her Facebook page which I want to put here, as well, so SSA can read it themselves someday:

“This summer I had the opportunity to nanny for some really amazing kids. Monday-Friday I got to play with these fun, rambunctious, happy triplet kids. They taught me how to have patience like no other (like, a lot), some vocabulary terms that I would never have known (colander and ottoman lol), meal prep (yes I gained some cooking skills finally), to make every day a fun one, and ultimately gave me a life lesson on my future and family. My favorite part of everyday was getting to see them. I appreciate the young life they carry within them and spending my whole summer building a relationship with them. Summer is ending and I am sad about that but I am even more sad about not being able to see these happy smiling faces every day, but I know I will be back every chance I get! Thankful for a great great summer.”

We love you, Ashley!

On Friday, we wrapped up the week with our trip to New York! Yay!! Jason was joining us on the flight but meeting us at the airport so Ashley dropped us off and I got the kids going.

Absolutely mesmerized by the fountain at DTW. Look at Steven’s face!

I had the double stroller with me but everyone wanted to walk. It’s actually easier for me that way because I can dump my heavy bags in the stroller. They’re pretty good at staying together and adorable when they need to run to catch up.

I got the kids through security, got them dinner, to the gate, we all ate, took a potty break and boarded the plane. It’s tiring but definitely doable.

Sammy brought airplane wings with him to give to our pilot, which we did. The pilot wasn’t used to getting wings from kids, lol. Amaya introduced herself, as well. Steven was too busy watching the planes on the runway.

My expert fliers boarding the plane.

Sammy, ready to go and waiting for Daddy to arrive! Jason made it with more than enough time to spare.

Tired Mommy.

We made it! The plane was a little late but we were back at Nana’s by 11pm.

Saturday was a beach day. This is a photo of Amaya just to show the bruise she had on her forehead from an accident earlier in the week. Amaya – 0, Doorknob – 1. (That’s what happens when you walk around the house with a sheet over your head.)

Amaya and Sammy are forward facing in the their car seats for this trip because they outgrew the RF limits for the seats we have at Nana’s house. Good to know it’s still easy to nap. 🙂

Beach day! Chase and Charlie were ready to look out for their cousins from the get-go.

Daddy at the beach!

We had a great day. SSA got time in the sand, all looooooooved the kiddie pool (and Amaya went into the big pool) and they had pizza delivery for dinner. Sammy and Amaya even took their first showers!

A highlight was getting to go out for dinner on Saturday night with Aunt Sara and Uncle Dave while Nana and Papa held down the fort with all 5 kids.

We realized, late Saturday night, that Sammy has outgrown the travel crib. Uh oh!! First up on the list for Sunday would be a new game plan for nap time.

Early Sunday morning Jason was off to the airport to head back to MI. We miss you, Daddy!!

It was a lazy morning before heading to Westchester for cousin Dalia’s 5th birthday party.

Everyone was ready to party!

Sammy, petting a bunny.

Steven had this balloon animal who wanted to say hi to everyone.

After the party we went to Aunt Sara & Uncle Dave’s house for dinner. SSA love the backyard “playground”.

As I mentioned earlier, the travel cribs weren’t going to cut it anymore. If Sammy was too big that meant Amaya was, too. Our solution was mattresses on the floor. Had to happen sometime! But hopefully we’ll still hold out for a few more months back in MI. Every day we gain in cribs is another day of development that will help them understand they need to say in bed. (Oh, please stay in bed!)

While Amaya and Sammy were enjoying the new set-up, Steven was in distress over a splinter in his hand. I could see the top peeking out of his skin but he wouldn’t let me anywhere near it. After an hour, the best I could do was get him to let me put neosporin on it along with a blue band-aid. (We didn’t have a blue band-aid, by the way. Nana colored one for him. The things you do when you have a hysterical three year old with a splinter, insisting on a dark blue band-aid… ) I was super nervous about how we’d eventually get it out but (spoiler alert!), it came out while he was swimming at the beach the next day.

Monday was another beach day! We spent a good 6 hours there and got in playground time, sand time and pool time. I’d been nervous about the eclipse but it was bright enough at the beach that the kids didn’t notice anything was happening so it was pretty much a non-event for them. We had our eclipse glasses, though, and got to enjoy the view. We had extra glasses, in fact, which Chase and Charlie were able to sell on the beach throughout the morning.

Amaya was awesome in the big pool! She kept telling me how to hold her, I assume the same way her swim teacher does.

Auntie & Dod Shukey joined us at the beach, too!

It was a great day! And a tiring one. Sammy, our man who can sleep anywhere, took a late afternoon cat nap.

Bedtime brought new configurations. Steven wasn’t happy that Sammy and Amaya got to sleep on mattresses and also really wanted a big one like Sammy. Now we have the boys back together in one room and Amaya asleep on the crib mattress in the room where I’m sleeping. Hopefully this is it with the moves for the rest of the trip but we’ll see!

That’s it through yesterday (Monday)! Can’t wait for the rest of a great week in NY!

Steven, Sammy and Amaya are obsessed with finding rocks (and bringing them in the house). They told Ashley, “We found some beautiful rocks that we love!” Of course they did.

Tuesday morning was a camp field trip! I was nervous about the kids on a bus at such a young age but their bus has some harness seats so away they went! We have these cool camp t-shirts to wear so the campers are all easily identifiable.

This picture is so reflective of the kids right now. They always have to have stuff with them. So much stuff!

I had to bribe the kids for their field trip photo by telling them they could see the wasp nest that was coming down later in the day.

Taco had a dr appointment so I took the kids to camp and picked them up. It was the first time I got to drop them off myself and I loved meeting their favorite counselor. Most of all, I loved hearing their first reaction to going on the bus. “We went on a BUS!”

Their counselor, Jodi, sat next to Amaya who cried a little on the way there but was excited for the ride home. The boys were also nervous in the beginning but loved the ride home. Everyone keeps asking when they get to go on another field trip.

After camp & lunch, Steven was off for his overnight adventure with Grandma Sunshine!

At home, our wasp nest was removed. It was huge, but empty. While they were there, the pest guys did find an active yellow jacket nest buried in the landscaping next to the garage! Ack!

They were so nice and brought a small, empty wasp nest from their truck for Sammy and Amaya to touch.

Wednesday morning we sent some good morning pictures to Steven and Grandma.

Good morning, Steven!

Megan took Sammy and Amaya to story time at the farm and I was lucky enough to be able to meet up with them for lunch. It was perfect. Gorgeous weather and happy kids. All that was missing was Steven.

This picture is crazy. SUCH BIG KIDS.

Steven had his own fun at the playground with Grandma. “She pushed me so fast!”

And then this little face was home to us! <3 <3 <3

Just in time for another dinner picnic.

Thursday morning, Sammy was the first one awake so he got some alone time with me while i got ready for work.

Soon enough, Amaya and Steven joined me. Amaya got her own makeup so she could put hers on while I did mine.

Steven took it easy.

SSA were outside most afternoons this week. It’s been so nice! I need to remember to stay in the moment and avoid counting down to winter. 🙁

Sammy’s on the phone with Daddy.

My hair was straight on Friday and I promised the kids the could brush it with water to make it curly again. It is pure chaos when three 3 year olds are running back and forth from the bathroom with wet brushes to style my hair. And cold. But also adorable.

They got into the fun with Jason, too. Here Jason has a towel over his face to keep from getting wet while Sammy brushed his hair. At the same time, Steven was throwing basketballs at Jason’s face, lol.

Amaya was slow to get moving on Saturday. When she and I were ready to come downstairs, I found Steven and Sammy in the chair together reading books and counting together. It was adorable.

We made Saturday a family zoo day! Steven wanted to see foxes. Sammy wanted to see squirrels. Amaya wanted to see elephants. (Sorry Amaya.)

The zoo is so big that we can’t reasonably go without a stroller or the wagon yet. It’s just way too much walking. In fact, families with kids much older still seem to take wagons to the Detroit Zoo. I can’t pull them in the wagon anymore but, fortunately, Jason can.

And Sammy can.

And Steven can!

Zoo selfies!

The line for food was too long at the zoo so we made a pit stop for hot dogs on the way home. Amaya decided to eat hers in the high chair. Goofball.  (It’s out from when Taco visited and now the kids love feeding their stuffed animals in it.)

This morning everyone woke up in a great mood. Sammy and Amaya built projects for Ashley. This is Ashley’s last week with us before she goes back to college and we’re going to miss her so much! She’s been amazing with the kids this summer and they love her.

Sammy made Ashley a “sprayer”.

Amaya made Ashley a person.

Steven made a hula hoop and it’s for him only. 😉

Stickers are huge around the house. I picked up some new stickers at Meijer this week and I think SSA spent nearly an hour playing quietly just sticking stickers on paper. I’m going to bring some on the airplane for them to play with. It might be a great way for them to pass time.

We had family brunch a Deadwood. Hands down this was our easiest time out at a restaurant as a family. Almost relaxing. We’ve been coming to Deadwood since they were still in infant carriers so this place feels like a great barometer for passing time.

Steven was the Coaster Keeper.

Sammy and Amaya holding hands when we left the restaurant. <3

Today was Steven’s day to go to the grocery store with Jason. Boy was he ready!!

While they were off shopping, Amaya and Sammy got in some bike riding and some time with the water table. Yes, that’s Amaya sitting in a stroller. I really can’t explain it.

I was trying to get Sammy to ride down the grass. He’s so close to getting the concept of balancing while he rides. I thought, if he could get some speed on the hill on the grass, it would help it click for him. He wasn’t so into it though. He much prefers the hill on our driveway.

Water table up front so Sammy could also ride his bike.

It turns out Amaya hasn’t been riding her bike because she was afraid her helmet buckle would pinch her neck when we close it. I’m so glad she told me so I could get her more comfortable.

We wrapped up the day with Daddy dinner fresh off the grill. It was SSA’s first corn on the cob!

At that’s it for the week! I’ll wrap up with my men posing as a big butterfly. (Really. That’s what they told me they were. Anything to keep their daddy as close as possible.)

Have a great week!

On Monday we were riding the high from our adventures at the “new” playground so Megan took the kids back there before Steven’s PT appointment. This kid’s smile kills me.

I really, really hate sandboxes.

Steven is a champ at PT. He was given some daily exercises to do at home for 3 months and we’re committed to seeing them though so he can grow up big & strong like daddy.

Jason was home from work on Monday coming off his week away so he got in some extra time with SSA.

I’ve been looking for a vanity for Amaya’s room and Megan found one on a Facebook sale page that I was able to pick up on Monday. We put it together Monday night and it was in Amaya’s room when she woke up on Tuesday. Like the boys’ basketball hoops, sharing is required and it’s definitely a hit. It’s not a vanity, by the way. According to Amaya it’s a make-up table, lol.

The kids definitely have favorite camp counselors and one of them is Miss Jodi. She’d been out and when Sammy saw that she was back he ran to get Steven and took his hand to show him she was there. ♥

Happy, silly, sassy kids after camp.

Ashley had the great idea to have a dinner picnic on the deck since it was so nice outside. Perfect!

There are mornings when I sometimes don’t shower until after Megan arrives. On Wednesday, I got a text from Megan that Steven was waiting for me to get dressed. He stayed out in the hall for more than 20 minutes, waiting for me to get him dressed. Amaya and Sammy ate breakfast while he waited patiently. Sweet boy.

It was a mall Wednesday and the kids made friends! Amaya walked right up to some girls and told them her name and age. I love that.

Lunchtime was music in the park where more friends were made!

Below is the sweetest story from Megan. I love how brave Amaya is becoming. I want her to keep this confidence, always.

Some random pictures from the week…

Sammy building.

Steven putting on his makeup.

Amaya looking adorable in pigtails.

Trying on Ashley’s flip flops.

Watching Ashley run to the car in the rain. Yes, that’s a tutu skirt on over Amaya’s PJs and, yes, she slept in it.

Climbing and balancing.

The couple that sits outside their kids’ bedroom  door together stays together, lol.

Practicing golf skills.

Saturday morning was a rough one for Amaya. She didn’t eat much dinner on Friday night so I think she was hangry.

Solved! With kiwi dipped in ketchup. As one does.

I was so lucky to have three of my triplet mom friends come visit this weekend – Heather, Dianna and Karie. They’re also January 2014 moms and we’ve known each other since pregnancy. I was so sad when they went home today. (Side note: this little beach is in Novi! It’s a tiny public beach with free access for Novi residents. I can’t believe I didn’t know about it! There were a ton of families and there’s a swimming area manned by a lifeguard. I can’t wait to take SSA.)

Anna babysat while Jason was out and I went out for dinner with my friends. Here the kids are watching us leave in our Lyft. (Another side note: there’s a HUGE hornet or wasp’s nest outside their window. And we saw an insect flying into the attic space in our garage. Horrible!! That’s my first call tomorrow morning.)

We had a lazy night and a lazy morning, with breakfast compliments of Jason. I had so much fun. Saying goodbye was so sad. I’m so lucky to have made these amazing friends, all who had triplets within weeks of each other.

Rosie came to get the kids up so we could sleep in. She’s a fun master!

After nap, Steven and Amaya were being so sweet. You’d never guess that just hours later they’d be practically beating each other up. Or maybe you would guess that. “Don’t touch me! Mommy! Steven is touching me!”

TV time for the little men, nap time for the big man.

Sammy joined Jason at the grocery store (which is when Amaya and Steven decided to beat each other up). Shenanigans! 🙂

Finally, here’s a video of Steven playing and then tuning his guitar. I’ve probably watched it thirty times.

Have a great week!

So how’s it going? Here in the Land of Cheltenham we’re still working through bedtime & sleep routines. For sure, the kids are falling asleep earlier. It’s 8:15ish at the latest rather than 9:15pm. I’m not sure if they’re getting more sleep in total, though, but part of that is also because I’m never quite sure when they wake up unless they’re asleep when I go in at 7:15am. Sammy woke me up 2 of the last 4 nights which is it’s on persistent issue. He gets so upset when he wakes up and is really hard to settle. It’s not ideal, but sleeping on the floor outside his room seems to help and at least I get some sleep, too. (I know. It sounds crazy. One of my colleagues was like, “you really need to stop doing that.” But he needs sleep and I need sleep and this has been the fastest way to make that happen for both of us. And I don’t see her offering to spend the night at our house so…)

Anyway, the week started off with Savta and Nana still visiting. They stayed home with Sammy and Amaya while Megan took Steven to PT. She kindly stopped by my office to drop something off (deodorant, ok?) and this quick visit with Steven was a highlight of my day!

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Out and about with Savta and Nana!

She’s so much cooler than the rest of us.

You can see how Sammy feels about shorter naps. I do love this photo of him, though.

Normally Nana and Savta stay until Tuesday but my mom needed to get back so off they went, with a waving fan gallery, on Monday night. Steven told me that a black taxi came to take them to the airport.

Jason was on overnight duty on Monday and, when I came in the boys’ room on Tuesday, Steven was covered in blood! He told me that daddy came in his room at night so I was sure Jason knew about the bloody nose but I couldn’t figure out why his stuff in his crib was such a mess. Turns out Steven tried to put his arm over the blood so Jason wouldn’t see it. “It’s my blood, not Daddy’s blood.”

We took this pictures so he could see what his face looked like.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we had the pleasure of Baby Taco with us. She’s standing! I really don’t know where time is going. It’s so much fun to see SSA with her.

Jason was away Tuesday through Sunday evening so, Wednesday morning, Sammy and I sent him this good morning photo. <3

I see a little Sammy/Taco love affair brewing.

I was surprised to find that the kids have figured out how Lincoln Logs work. It’s so neat to see toys click that they previously struggled with. I mean, they could build with them, but now they really understand how the pieces interlock to form structures.

It was a Sammy Sleepover day so Grandma Sunshine came to collect him. When he woke up he asked me if Grandma was already there to take him to her house and, all morning, he wanted it to be lunch time so they could leave together.

See you soon, Sammy!

Dinner at a restaurant has become a fun Grandma Sunshine sleepover staple.

Amaya’s fever from last week never came back but she had a brutal cough that kept her home from camp on Tuesday. On Wednesday night she woke up crying that her ear hurt. I gave her some meds and took her to my bed until 3am when she seemed to have enough relief to sleep in her own bed. Ear aches are brutal. I’m so, so glad SSA are at an age where they can actually communicate what hurts.

It was off to the doctor first thing Monday morning. I was going to ask Megan to take Amaya but she really wanted me to go with her so Megan and Steven just met us there to take Amaya home so I could go straight to work. Amaya wanted to bring Baby Jenna to the doctor, too, because she thought something was wrong with Baby Jenna’s eye. The NP was kind enough to check out Amaya’s ear and Baby Jenna’s eye. The eye is fine but Amaya has an ear infection. Only her second and I’d never have taken her in if she hadn’t said her ear hurt so hooray for teamwork! Also, I learned that Amaya is 31.2lbs and 40.25″. She’s 87th percentile for height. Tall girl!

Steven playing with the lego table while I was in with Amaya, lol.

The student who’s been working with Steven at PT was saying goodbye on Thursday so Steven picked out these “flowers” for her while they picked up Amaya’s meds. He really liked Tatiana and it was super cute to hear him say her name.

Amaya seemed to perk up pretty quickly. She got down to the hard work of taking care of her baby. First washing blueberries for her and then feeding her lunch. Doctor’s orders. (The high chair came upstairs for Baby Taco but Steven, Sammy and Amaya absolutely love playing with it.)

Meanwhile, Sammy was having a blast at the playground with Grandma!

Friday was gorgeous. All three kids went to camp. I wasn’t sure if we’d be able to convince Amaya but she was happy to go and just sit out of swim. Though she’s since told me that she can go in the pool if she doesn’t get her head wet. Smart kid.

Chasing bubbles.

I had three helpers bringing the trash in. It’s good practice for a few years from now when they can do it allllllllllll the time.

Amaya recently earned a prize and picked a blue elephant. She waited so patiently for him to come. His name is Mac.

Ashley’s been awesome while Jason was away. She stayed a little later all week just to help and it was so appreciated. Here the kids are on Friday night watching her drive away. All those little legs!

That night, before Ashley left, Sammy was running around the house naked as a jaybird. Steven was in their bedroom closet which, at the time, was the “bumblebee store” and he was the proprietor. Sammy tried to go in the closet and Steven told him, “no nakey boys allowed” lol.

Saturday started so slowly. Everyone was up at the usual time but it was 9am before we were downstairs eating breakfast. Sammy’s kitty needed to eat, too.

It was a beautiful day so we headed to a new playground in downtown Northville. We had the whole place to ourselves! It was really cool for me to see Steven and Amaya on the slides. All 3 kids have always been so tentative on slides but they seem to have cracked the code! Sammy isn’t there yet but he’ll get there on his own time. (Steven was afraid to walk on the bridge, though, which Sammy loved.)

Dead bird!! There was a tunnel slide that went down to a lower level. I didn’t notice the bird until one of the kids mentioned they were going to feed it, lol. (Don’t worry. No one touched the dead bird.)

Walking to lunch! It wasn’t a long walk but it still feels like a milestone to be able to do stuff like this.

We tried for an outside table but it was a little breezy and Steven got upset. We were quite the parade behind our waitress walking to our 2nd table.

Here’s some of today’s conversation.

Me: When you turn four will we have to get you big kids beds?
Sammy: Yes. Because we will be even bigger after our [birthday] cupcakes.

Me: The name of this song is “don’t get around much anymore”.
Amaya:  But we have to walk around.

Steven: If it has one while, it’s a unicycle bicycle.

Sammy: Can I see Poppy’s stamp? When we turn 4, you will need to get a new stamp for us.

I was hoping we’d have some late sleepers today but Sammy was up at 6:30am crying for me. I should have just waited to go in but I thought I could convince him that it wasn’t wake up time yet. “But mommy, it’s light outside.” These kids are getting harder and harder to trick! I was able to convince them to give me a little more time with the promise that they could watch TV in bed with me once it was wake up time. Promise delivered! And just what I needed this morning.

Eventually Amaya got in on the fun, too. I loved this lazy morning cuddling with the kids. Sometimes a break from routine is just what we all need.

Look at how Sammy is lying on the bed. He looks huge! And so old. I know I’ve said this before but Sammy is really comfortable with his body. He takes up space so naturally and with such ease.

We wrapped up the morning with another playground visit. It was hot out! And I had to practically pry a fleece sweatshirt off Amaya. Such a stubborn kid.

I got another look into how they’re all evolving with play. Steven was very hesitant to climb on the play structure but was the one willing to have me push him (higher! higher!) on the big kid swings. Amaya was even more adventurous with her climbing today. They’re also playing together, which is so cute to watch. “Come spin me Amaya!” “Who wants to get on my train? I will stop it so you can get on board!”

We had a lazy afternoon before Jason came home to us.

Magnatile structures are getting more and more complex. We actually used them all up at one point.

A science experiment! We put water and oil in this milk jug to see how it separates. They loved shaking it up and watching the oil float to the top. (We did not cover density in detail. Maybe at 4 yo. :p )

We wrapped up the week with mommy with a post-dinner walk. Steven got hot so he sat down in the shade under a tree. If you look really closely, you can see him there. I found a fire hydrant that Sammy and Amaya could walk to without me and split the difference.

And now Jason is home to us! It was a great week and a loooooong week. Not sure there will be a blog next Sunday because I have three triplet mom friends coming to visit!

The bedtime sagas continued at the beginning of the week. Sammy woke up crying in the middle of the night. Crying, crying, crying for daddy. I was so tired and it was so easy to just take him in bed with me. Even in the moment I knew it probably wasn’t the best choice but I couldn’t bear the thought of staying awake and working him through it.

Here he is in the morning, fast asleep hogging the bed.

I was right about it not being a great idea. Here’s Jason, the next night, eating his dinner outside the boys’ cracked door because they kept insisting they needed to sleep with us.

I’ve started calling Monday “Miss You Monday” because I always really miss the kids at work on Monday mornings. To cheer me up, I got this photo of the kids and a video, too! (Amaya really wanted to wear The Brothers’ cargo shorts on Monday.)

A little light reading before Steven’s PT appointment. As you do.

About this photo Ashley said, “Sammy didn’t think he could make the first step and was very worried. Once he did it he had the cutest look on his face but I couldn’t take the photo fast enough.” I love their looks of accomplishment.

Hug fest!

Amaya has gotten very creative with her pajamas lately. She’s either wearing clothes over them or begging to wear her leggings and tank tops instead. This was the smile on her face when Megan told her she could wear this outfit since her blue cammo pjs were dirty.

We went through a big K’Nex phase this week. Amaya had two in her room and ran back to Steven and Sammy’s room to get a third so she could make this “A”. Such pride!

Amaya had been asking to see Baby Taco so, on Wednesday morning, Megan took SSA to a park near her mom’s house and then to see Baby Taco for some play time and lunch.

Taco kept trying to kiss Sammy!

They loved being in the baby jail. This was actually theirs once upon a time.

That night I had this conversation with Steven:

Steven: I was in the baby gate at May May’s Mommy’s Friend’s house. If they didn’t open the gate I would still be at May May’s Mommy’s Friend’s houses.
Me: If you were still in the gate I’d come and get you.
Steven: Then we’d have a mommy at May May’s Mommy’s Friend’s house instead of at our house!
[It was May May’s Mommy’s house. I don’t know where the friend came into the picture.]

Picnic lunch!

Steven also told me, “Baby Taco kept taking my toys. We don’t take toys!” lol From what I’ve seen, in general Steven has the hardest time sharing his toys with other kids so I’m not surprised to hear that.

The afternoon was nice enough for a walk with Ashley. We can’t quite take all 3 out on bikes with 1 adult but it’s so nice that walks with all three are totally doable. It feels like such a long time since we needed the wagon for walks in the neighborhood.

Steven continues to work on alternates to “w” sitting and he’s starting to get the hang of “criss cross applesauce”!

Favorite part of accompanying Steven to PT? The big chairs!

Thursday night I had my colleagues & their families over for a pizza party. This included our Chief Academic Officer, Susan, who was a magnet for Steven and Amaya. They loved her! They kept pretending to be animals who’d get her. And Steven wanted Susan to pretend her fingers were a spider. “Do it again!” “Don’t do that!” “Do it again!” He was laughing and laughing and laughing.

Friday, no one went to camp. Sammy woke up with a lingering cough and Amaya woke up with a fever. I asked Steven what he wanted to do and, not surprisingly, he said he wanted to say home with his brother and sister. Amaya was able to rally enough to go to the airport to pick up Nana and Savta for their weekend visit!

Amaya still had a high fever on Saturday and generally felt awful. Poor thing.

While she was recuperating at home with mommy & daddy (and watching lots of Team Umizoomi), Steven and Sammy hit up the mall with Nana and Savta.

“Cheese!”

Mommy & Daddy in our matching shirts! ♥

To help the kids with their awful sleep schedule (staying up until at least 9pm), we’re changing their schedule and cutting back nap time from 2 hrs to 1 hr. We’re also getting them in cribs at 7pm which is a touch earlier than it used to be. We’d like SSA to have at least 11 hrs of sleep per day, including naps, and we’re hoping this does the trick. The key will be seeing what happens with that hour nap. Amaya falls asleep right away most days so I think she’ll sleep the hour but the boys are going to be a crap shoot. I’m guessing some days they’ll get in 45 solid minutes and other days they won’t nap at all.

With the change, we’re also moving snack & tv time from 6pm to 2pm. Here are the boys eating watermelon & zoned out on some show.

Saturday afternoon fun on the deck, while Amaya napped off her fever. Fun, fun, fun with Savta! First there was hopscotch. Then Savta set up a service station for their little cars.

Later in the afternoon Amaya felt well enough to join us outside. She still had a high fever but her 3 hour nap seemed to help a bit.

Sammy was having a blast squirting water at everyone from a little rubber fish that’s part of their water table. I think his favorite part was soaking his grandmother and great grandmother. 🙂

Don’t worry, though! Savta was happy to return the favor!

Shortly after dinner, Steven took a turn and ended up with a low grade fever of his own. Poor kid just wilted.

With Amaya and Steven recovering, Sammy was up on his own this morning! When we got downstairs, Sammy looked almost overcome by the realization he had all of the space and toys to himself. It was really cute.

Amaya was still a little off this morning so she sat and colored while Steven and Sammy helped Nana prep dinner.

Savta, the boys and I also got outside for a walk. For the 2nd time, a neighbor (different one!) let us check out their RV.

We wrapped up the day painting, first rocks and then pictures.

Cleaning his rock.

Cleaning up!

And that’s our week! Everyone was asleep early, early, early today. Amaya napped for an hour, Sammy for about 5 minutes and Steven didn’t nap at all today. I’m not sure what time Amaya fell asleep but the boys were both asleep by 7:45pm which never, ever happens. Fingers crossed we’re on to something!

Have a great week!

It was back to normal after our holiday week and trip to Cleveland. Steven is still in 2x/week PT. One big change I notice is that, even though he still favors W sitting, he’s much more comfortable and willing to sit on his heels when we remind him.

I’m impressed with how well Sammy and Amaya do when they accompany Steven. They’re so well behaved and patient. Interestingly, no one has really questioned why only Steven has “appointments” with Meredith and Tatiana. They seen to just take it at face value.

Steven had such a good time in Cleveland last weekend and is making great connections. He brought the globe and asked me to show him where my friend Hannah lives. 🙂

Bedtime cuddle time with Mommy. Yes, Amaya is wearing a bathing suit over her pajamas.

Tuesday afternoon, Amaya got two braids after her bath and used them to make pizza. I’m curious to learn more about that, too!

Steven has gotten into a routine of climbing into their stuffed animal basket. It is purely a bedtime stall tactic but it’s still cute.

I’ll file this under “weird, but cute.”

Wednesday was dentist appointment number 3 for SSA and Megan took them for a quick trip to the mall. When I called to let Megan know I was on my way, Sammy told me, “Mommy. You have to go the mall and then go to the dentist.” It’s true! You do turn into the mall to go to the dentist!

The appointment was ok. Next time I think I need to go back with one at a time. Sammy got nervous off the bat and I think that set the stage for everyone else. Of course Sammy calmed down very quickly and it was Steven and Amaya who cried and cried and cried. Poor kiddos. Hopefully they are less distressed at their next appointment.

Kids teeth are fine. Sammy is in great shape with lots of space for his big teeth. Amaya is a wait and see patient. Steven, as we know, has a ton of crowding. He also has 2 two year molars that haven’t come in yet.

Wednesday night, Amaya had a sleepover with Grandma Sunshine!

While Amaya’s away, the boys will play. 😉

Amaya was excited about her trip to the restaurant and, if she’s reporting correctly, ice cream. That girl looooooooves ice cream.

We have Steven back in his basket.

Showing Daddy where he is!

We’ve been having a lot of trouble with bedtime with the boys since the 4th of July. There was night after night of thunderstorms which resulted in Steven waking up crying and us sleeping on their floor. Jason and I took turns on overnight duty. It sucked. But I do understand the fear of thunder when you’re three years old. Anyway, Thursday morning I woke up and went to Amaya’s room but she wasn’t in her crib. I assumed she was in bed with Jason but when I went into the boys’ room I found Jason on their floor. I had a momentary panic, thinking Amaya was missing, until I remembered that she was at Grandma Sunshine’s house.

Sure enough, moments later we got a good morning picture form our girl.

The boys sent one right back.

When I get ready for work in the morning, if it’s not a school day the kids like to watch me get ready. I don’t mind, entirely, but it slows me down and sometimes I try to say no. “Try” is the key word because it rarely works. There’s always some excuse like the one Steven used here – “I’m still really sleepy so I need to sleep outside your bathroom door.” Lame excuse but I bite every time.

The play kitchen, food and grocery cart are still a huge hit. It’s been well over 18 months and SSA still love to prepare food for everyone. In fact, tonight the toy they each have “watching them sleep” is a colander full of their food.

Fruit Salad ala Steven

Ashley and the kids built this fort. Amazing how forts will be a staple of childhood until the end of time.

Saturday morning Jason was sick in bed but it was gorgeous out so I took the kid to the Kensington Park Farm Center. This age is such a mix of highs and lows – for them and me! Overall, they were awesome. I couldn’t really have asked for more from three 3 year olds. They were patient and listened well with only a few near meltdowns. It’s so, so nice to be able to go places like this without the wagon.

The “farmers” brought horses in to prep for hay rides and Steven was enthralled. Sammy and Amaya spent a little time watching but Steven didn’t move from his spot until they took the horses away. The rest of us actually stepped back a bit to wait at a picnic table and he was 100% fine on his own just watching and watching and watching. In general, Steven was most interested in the animals. He was disappointed that none of the goats came close enough to pet.

See the little guy in the center of the fence? That’s our Steven.

Everyone else has moved on but he’s still busy watching.

There’s a little amphitheater area that the kids loved playing on. Amaya told me, “You need to go away mommy. This is for kids. Grown ups could get hurt.” At one point, Steven was nervous about climbing down the hill behind them and he asked Sammy to come hold his hand. (Sammy didn’t. 🙁 )

Lunch at the farm! Amaya is smiling so nicely because she’s angling for ice cream, lol.

Steven deconstructed his burger and ate his patty in his hand like that. Toddlers are so weird.

Very focused on ketchup.

Smiles for ice cream! Steven had 2 bites of his strawberry scoop. Sammy had 2 bites of his vanilla. Amaya ate all of her chocolate and 1 bite of everyone else’s.

In my effort to counter the ice cream with vegetables, I offered Amaya green beans as a post-nap snack. This is the face of one very disappointed little girl. It wasn’t quite the crunchy food she was hoping for.

Daddy got the kids a “kaprise” gift of little golf clubs and they spent a good part of the morning learning & practicing their swings. We had plans to go to a JCC pool party today but it was canceled due to weather so we made the most of the change with our own pool and some bike riding. It was a perfect family Sunday morning.

Steven insisted he was cold and wore his sweat shirt the entire time he was outside.

Amaya and Sammy made up a game together. I love watching SSA play with each other!

At lunch, the kids were playing a game where Sammy was the daddy, Amaya was the mommy and Steven was their baby. ♥

Wrapping it up for this week, when it was time to get Steven, Sammy & Amaya up from their naps I was exhausted. So tired. I feel asleep in their room, first with Amaya and then with Steven. Best way to nap.

Have a great week!