This weekend was a Mommy/Sammy trip to New York! It’s such precious time together. Steven, Sammy and Amaya are getting old enough that I think they are realizing it, too. On our way to NY Sammy asked not to leave him at Nana’s house. I think he might remember the August trip when I went to Iceland. He had a great time at Nana’s while I was gone but I think it was still a surprise that I’d left, because we hadn’t talked about it in advance, and I was so glad to be able to tell him that I’d stay with him the whole time. I’m keeping that promise, even sleeping in the same room together – just because I can.

We’re at the airport and we’re off!

Sammy loves the fountain. Back in August, he was also totally enamored in a way that Steven and Amaya aren’t. I sat on the floor by the fountain while I ate my dinner to give Sammy a little extra time to watch the water move.

Our dinner was a McDonald’s treat. We usually try a restaurant together but I thought fast food would give Sammy the most time at the fountain and I knew how much he wanted to spend time there. He asked for a hamburger with no ketchup and no cheese. When I gave it to him, he was terribly upset to see there was meat in the bun. It turns out he just wanted a plan bun to eat for dinner! Crazy kid. He ate most of his bun, a few chicken nuggets and a nice amount of fries. He was also fortunate to meet our pilots at the gate and got some cool wings.

I was hoping to wait to potty train Sammy until after this trip but he had other ideas. So here we are two weeks in with a flight to NY. Our first potty break was before we boarded the plane. As soon as we were on, Sammy said he had to go again so we high tailed it to the back of the plane for potty break #2. The hardest part was fighting our way pack up stream as everyone was boarding. I was so proud of this guy for his flexibility as we traveled.

Sammy was a little nervous when we boarded the flight, which is new. Even though this is his 10th trip to NY, I think he might be at an age where fears can develop even in situations that aren’t new. He is starting to understand that we’re up in the air. Sammy was able to distract himself by looking at photos of my iPad and reading books during take-off. It distracts Mommy, too!

Potty break #3! Sammy was nervous because we were up in the air and he wasn’t quite sure how we could go to the potty. I showed him the flight attendants walking on the plane and offered to carry him to and from the bathroom. (I also told him he could just go in his nighttime diaper but he wasn’t having it. I think he may have progressed with the potty training too quickly! 😉 )

We landed in NY around 10pm and, sure enough, Sammy fell asleep about 30 seconds after we touched town. I couldn’t bear to wake him so I managed to unhook his seat while he slept and then carried his seat off the airplane, with him in it. I was able to get his travel cart hooked up and then get our bag and all the way out to Nana’s car without him stirring. Poor Bubba was tired! This was our last flight with a car seat – all 3 are now at Nana’s house – so I may need to take flights that get in a littler earlier in the future knowing that I won’t have the luxury of keeping the kids in their seats.

Saturday morning, Chase and Charlie came over early. Everyone – in NY and MI – settled in for breakfast.

We had a huuuuuuge treat when everyone was done eating. There was snow on the ground and it was a mild day so everyone bundled up and went out into the snow! It was only Sammy’s 2nd time ever in the snow and his first time this winter. He absolutely loved it! We had snowball fights and built snowmen together!

While we were off in the snow, Steven and Amaya were having a great day back in MI with their daddy. It included a trip to Home Depot and this awesome, awesome cart. Just perfect for an outing with 2 kids.

Miss Amaya’s got the potty training down. She knows the drill, even when that includes pooping in the potty in the van. I’m so glad we ended up training them one at a time. I know all three at once works well for some families but the slow roll seems to be the right fit for SSA because they’ve been ready and we don’t have the dilemma of 3 kids who all need to go right.now without the skills to hold it. (I will spare you the photo of the actual poop that Jason sent my way. You’re welcome.)

One of the best parts of my solo trips with the kids is the opportunity to freely cuddle and snuggle and cuddle some more. There is always cuddling before bedtime in a way that just isn’t possible with all 3 – especially with room sharing and the exact same bedtime. It feels indulgent.

Saturday afternoon we had the opportunity to go to Auntie & Dod Shuki’s house where my cousin Mike and his kids, Jake & Naomi, were visiting. Sammy isn’t always quick to warm up but Mike worked so hard and it paid off!

Oh, the potty. I told my triplet group that I’ll have a book worth of bathroom selfies by the time all three kids are potty trained. Similar to how Amaya had big issues pooping in NY back in December (when she was 6 weeks into the process), Sammy struggled using the potty yesterday. He’s only 2 weeks into potty training and I think the change in environments threw him. He didn’t pee or poop all day despite saying he had to go and sitting on the potty over and over again. Amazingly, he didn’t have an accident either.

This photo was taken after we’d already gotten in the car to leave Auntie’s house and Sammy said he had to go potty. (He didn’t go. But we tried. At this stage, there’s definitely no asking him to hold it and, at that point, it had been hours and hours since he’d gone.)

On the way home Sammy said he wanted pizza for dinner so we stopped off an grabbed a pie. He wanted pepperoni. Little did I know that meant only pepperoni. One meltdown later, the sauce, and along with the cheese, were scraped off and he had his bread and pepperoni dinner.

Because he hadn’t peed all day long, Nana was willing to make an exception and let him use the little potty on the carpet while he watched Daniel Tiger. Fortunately, it did the trick – three times!! Yay! The seal was broken!!

Chase and Charlie slept over last night and I slept in the room with Sammy again, as I promised him I would. He woke up around 6:15 after a nightmare about bugs crawling on his hands. I was happy to be there to be able to scoop him right up and take him into bed to cuddle with me. We talked together for about half an hour before joining everyone in Nana and Papa’s bed. We talked about umbilical cords and belly buttons and looked at images of babies in their mommies’ bellies. He told me his favorite animal is a ducky and his favorite color is green so he likes green duckies best. We looked at photos of farms. It was lovely.

It was a quite morning at home inclusive of cupcake baking!

Almost everyone cleared out by 11am which gave Sammy a bit of quiet time in the house. I think he needed it. He had some peaceful play. It’s interesting to see that, even when there are no other kids around, he’s still worried about someone taking his toy when he goes potty.

Building a BIG tower with Nana!

Notice no pants? That was the theme for the morning. Here he is reading a bit before nap, lol.

Everyone came back this afternoon and we had time for games and a great dinner together.

The day wrapped up with Wonder Pets and the potty. Somehow Sammy convinced us to let him watch in the den even though everything you see could have been accomplished on an easier to clean tile or wood floor! He did great with the potty today, though. He told us every time he need to go, pooped twice and didn’t have a single accident. I’m so proud!

At that’s it! Tomorrow Sammy and I head back to NY and I’ll try to go to work for the afternoon. It’s so nice to work close enough to the house to be able to do that.

Here are some photos from the rest of the week.

Last Sunday the boys really wanted to wear dresses but we planned our trip to Ikea and I thought it might be best if we save dresses for Monday. So on Monday, I delivered.

Steven started the morning off at a picnic with Baby Jenna. Sweet boy.

Watching Mommy go to work. It’s always a little more difficult on Mondays.

Sammy and Steven had similar ideas about how to play with their magnatiles.

Rosie told me that, in these photos, they were saying “you’re my friend” over and over again to each other. <3

Tuesday was another swim day for Amaya. She loves swimming but we’ve had some challenges with the teacher’s aide who walks the kids down to the pool. Amaya really doesn’t like her. On Monday night I asked her some questions about the teacher who we’ll call “Miss Fern”.

Me: Amaya, do you like Miss Penny?
Amaya: Yes
Me: Do you like Miss Fern?
Amaya: No
Me: Does Miss Fern make you feel good or bad?
Amaya: Bad
Me: Do you have the words to tell me why she makes you feel bad?
Amaya: I don’t have the words.

Based on Amaya’s reaction and specific feedback from Rosie about things “Miss Fern” has said, I decided it was best if Rosie stayed to walk Amaya to swimming. I also reached out to the assistant director at the school who told me they’d do some observations and look into it further.

The great news is that Amaya still loves swimming! She got right in the water and was even willing to let the instructor help her float on her back. Miss Lena, one of their teachers, said it usually takes a while for that to happen. I’m so proud of her!

That’s Amaya in the water by the edge of the pool with her back to us.

BIG smile!

it’s hard to see but she’s on her back in the water!

Some photos of sleeping kiddos. I love watching them sleep.

One morning this week, Steven and Amaya were playing a game where Steven made a “gate” with his monkey’s tail and Amaya had to go “through”.

Another morning, everyone was taking it veeeeery easy.

We had a visit from Megan and Baby Taco during the week. Just two weeks to go until May May returns to us. We’re so lucky she’s coming back and doubly lucky that Rosie will be able to stay with us for the afternoons.

Baby Taco has grown so much since this first photo on 12/17!

Finally, some after work Mommy/kiddo time. First up, snacks. Then Wonder Pets & Daniel Tiger!

Last bit for this week… We had the kids’ 2nd semester parent/teacher conferences on Thursday.

Steven’s Class Report

Steven is much more comfortable in class. No more crying at drop off and he’s a chatterbox. The assessments are tough when it comes to questioning the kids because so much is dependent on what they’ll share. Miss Penny said that, when you’re talking to Steven, somehow he ends up asking the questions and you’re not quite sure who’s in charge. Sounds about right.

Sammy’s Class Report

Sammy loves to give the teachers hugs. (Steven, too, but not to the same extent as Sammy.) He’s participating more in music but will only hold hands with his siblings or a teacher. When asked, Sammy still says he lives  “at my house.” Which is right!

Amaya’s Class Report

Miss Penny noted that Amaya is talking a lot more than she had been but never upon direct questioning. Just like at home, Amaya doesn’t perform just to give you what you want. Miss Penny found that, if you want to get information out of Amaya, it needs to be conversational.

We spent a good part of the conference talking about the issues with the teacher’s aid, “Miss Fern.” Miss Penny was awesome. She shared some of the concerns that we have and was completely supportive. ln fact, she assured me that Fern will no longer be walking the kids to swim and she’s going to pay close attention to Amaya’s interactions with Fern in the classroom. I’m so relieved and appreciative that they found a fast and reasonable solution for us.

And that’s it for this week! Have a good one!

Every Sunday, the prior Monday feels like a lifetime ago. I think it’s especially true with my recent travel schedule. I had 3 trips in 4 weeks which is more than I’d schedule given a choice but it’s not the norm and, all things considered, the kids have done great with it. This week, it was a three night trip to LA.

Monday was a quiet day at home. Immediately, Amaya was ready for stickers and the boys dove back into the ball cards they’d been sorting with Daddy the night before. Steven even told me that he was “doing ball cards like Daddy.”

Sometimes I think Sammy goes to play at the train table when Steven and Amaya are occupied so he can have it to himself in the peace and quiet.

We got to test run some awesome new bath towels that Daddy picked up! Rosie says that the photos don’t do them justice.

Tuesday was the day I headed to LA. I told them I had to go on an airplane “for the workplace” and Steven said, “Again??” Sammy told me, “I always want to be with you.” Amaya was nonplussed.

I was able to get the kids ready for school and set with breakfast which was nice. They’ve been making muffins with Rosie on Mondays and love eating them on Tuesday mornings. True to form, everyone wanted them differently. Steven wanted his whole with butter on top. Amaya wanted hers cut in little pieces without butter. Sammy wanted his in three pieces, a little warm with butter. These kids most definitely have points of view!

Sammy was upset because he wanted to see himself take the photo.

All better!

I’m working on pigtails for Amaya! Two ponies! Not bad but I need to work on cleaner parts and even piggies. I’m told I should get a specific type of comb and also do the pigtails from the front, not behind. Since the best way to do Amaya’s hair is when she’s distracted by her meal, I think she may need uneven pigtails for a bit longer.

Tuesday was Amaya’s first swim class!! Now that she’s fully potty trained, her tuition includes weekly swim lessons. Rosie stuck around this first day to give me comfort that it was a safe environment. It’s a zero entry pool and there are 4 kids with 2 teachers and an instructor. Rosie was told that most kids don’t make it in the water their first day but Amaya went in! I’m so proud of her for trying.

Tuesday night I was off to LA. I’d been worried about Steven because he’s so particular about me waking him up in the morning. I left a wake up video on Rosie’s phone to show him on Wednesday. These adorable children returned the favor with a video of their own. LOVE.

I think it also helped that they had the excitement of a visit from Grandma Sunshine while I was gone!

I was also treated to a goodnight video. Thank you, Rosie!

Kind of a non-sequitur but this is where the the photo showed up in my photo stream so there is where I’m going to pause and talk about it. On 1/27, the kids’ school had a community Shabbat. There’s a Shabbat service every Friday for the kids but, at this one, family was invited along with “members of the community” like police officers and fire fighters. Steven told me he saw two police officers and a fireman there. So lovely that they do this for the kids.

Last week we got access to photos that another parent took at the community Shabbat. I scoured them for the boys (Amaya was home sick) and found this one of Steven and Sammy. I just love, love, love that Steven is sitting on Miss Penny’s lap. It says so much to me about the care they take. Our kids are in great hands.

When I travel to the west coast I often take a red eye home which I’m always miserable about as I board the plane but happy about when I’m home so early in the day. On Friday morning I had a chance to see the kids before they went to school and then had the whole afternoon to hang out. Best welcome home!

Our family photos were rescheduled for Saturday and were a bit of a shit show as one might expect when you try to get three strong willed three year olds to cooperate in photos for an hour. Last weekend I came prepared with m&ms to bribe Steven, Sammy and Amaya but I was unprepared this weekend and I paid for it. I tried to bribe them with future m&ms which only went so far but, sure enough, as soon as the photo shoot was done, off I went with my three 3 year olds to get some m&ms. (Also, for what it’s worth, I was planning to go by myself to get a breather but Amaya asked to come with me. Then Steven. Them Sammy. I’m a sucker and my “breather” turned into a trip to the store with the kids. They were great, though. Excellent listeners.)

Jason is working on some home renovations so we all went to Ikea today to do some shopping. Three hours later and the kids had explored most of the store and we left with nothing we went for. Sounds about right!

Everyone got their own “ruler”.

They loved following the arrows.

Moving in! Steven’s even taking measurements.

If we had room, I’d love to get SSA a tent like this. Steven and Amaya spent a good 20 minutes in there while Jason and Sammy wandered the store.

When Steven saw this he said, “It’s like where the doggies go!” He remembers that from a dog show we saw back in mid-November.

Making herself comfortable.

Making himself comfortable.

Lunch for 5 at Ikea!

Ready for the Super Bowl!

Oh, potty time. Lord help me. I made three trips to the potty at Ikea. One trip for Amaya. One for Sammy. One for Amaya and Sammy. In this last photo, Steven was crying because he was scared of the automatic flush toilet and I had to hang onto Sammy because he thought the potty seat was shaky. Selfie skill level – MASTER.

It was a great trip. So much fun to see SSA explore.

Our final adventure for the weekend was a haircut for Sammy preceded by a “haircut” for Amaya. She was mostly interested so she could use my iPad. In this photo, Steven is telling Amaya that her drawing is beautiful. <3

I got tired of holding the iPad for Sammy so I finally propped it on a stuffed animal and my knees. I only have so much to give!

Steven this week!

A text exchange with Jason from my flight perfectly sums up Steven:
Me: Bumpity Bumpy Bumpy
Jason: What would Steven do if he were there?
Me: Explain air currents and pressure to me.
Jason: And say, “OHHH! I LOVE fluid dynamics!!!!”

Dinosaur tail!

Mr. Focus

Walking his monkey while wearing his monkey.

Helping Daddy paint

FaceTime with Nana

Taking care of Baby Jenna. Her clothes were in the wash after haircuts and he was very worried she’d be cold without her clothing. Sweet boy.

Sammy!

Two Sammy stories this week. First, after naps today he was the first up and, as I was hugging him, this was our exchange:

Me: I love you.
Sammy: And I love you.
Me: Your love is such a gift, Sammy.
Sammy: And I love Miss Penny.
Sammy: And I love Miss Lena.

His teachers! lol I’m so, so glad he loves them but there I was thinking we were having a special mommy/son moment. Nope! But it’s wonderful he has so many people in his life that he loves.

At bedtime, I asked him what song he wanted me to sing.

Sammy: Hmmmm. Let me think. I like songs about monkeys.
Me: “Oooh oooh ahhh ahhh this is a monkey song!”
Sammy: I didn’t tell you that I wanted you to sing a song about monkeys. I told you I like songs about monkeys.

Working on letters.

Big news for Sammy this week! He decided he wanted to start wearing “purple underwear” and use the potty! He’s doing great. I’m so proud and also so happy we waited for him to tell us it was time. (Steven is adamant that he’s not ready yet.)

Tried using Wonder Pets on my iPad to get him to poop. Just like with Amaya, it’s not a good go-to idea. One and done with that. He’s such a big boy, though. Blows my mind.

Amaya this week!

Just a few photos of Amaya from the week. Here, I was telling her about Poppy Steven. She asked me why “baby Mommy” was poking his face, lol.

Getting a spin in the chair from Steven! She loves to spin in that chair!

That’s all I’ve got! Have a great week!

Monday was, apparently, the start of a sick week for Team Cline. Steven was eerily lethargic on Monday morning. He didn’t want to move or eat. He was a limp little dude. I was worried he might be sick until he was coaxed to drink some milk and started to perk up. I remembered that he’d hardly eaten dinner on Sunday night and we hadn’t had a bedtime snack. My guess is that he had low blood sugar. Poor Bobesies!

Little guy just lying there with Morminer and a blanket.

Less than an hour later… all better!

Tuesday Amaya didn’t go to school because she got sick in the car as they were getting there. I thought maybe it was car sickness but, with a stomach flu going around, the school didn’t want her to attend. Good call because she got sick again later in the day.

But evening, Rosie was down for the count! That meant that Wednesday was a day home with Daddy! Here we had a lethargic Sam Man. My kids may not be morning people! (Sammy was healthy but Amaya got to sleep with a puke bucket and Sammy wanted one, too. Five days later and they both still insist on sleeping with them.)

Since Jason was home with the kids on Wednesday, for the first time we both got to go tot their well check together! Amaya had been fine since noon the prior day but randomly threw up on the way to the doctor’s office. Luckily we still travel with a chance of clothing. She was such a champ about all of it.

Here are the three year stats!

Steven:
27lbs 8oz (11th percentile) up from 25lbs 6oz (7th percentile) at 2.5 yrs.
36″ (16th percentile) up from 34.5″ (18th percentile) at 2.5 yrs.

Sammy:
30lbs 4oz (35th percentile) up from 28lbs (28th percentile) at 2.5 yrs.
37.5″ (51st percentile) up from 36.2″ (60th percentile) at 2.5 yrs.

Amaya:
29lbs 4oz (36th percentile) up from 26lbs 2oz (21st percentile) at 2.5 yrs.
38″ (73rd percentile) up from 36″ (65th percentile) at 2.5 yrs.

It was a true big kid appointment. They had their blood pressure taken with bp cuffs and wore little gowns. So cute! Bonus of the three year well visit is NO POKES!

BIG KIDS!

Sadly, sadly, sadly, by Thursday morning I was sick, too. It was brutal. I’ve heard that everyone gets sick the first year of pre-school. I hope this is the worst for us because it’s been a rough winter. Rosie was still sick so Jason stayed home for a 2nd day.

Crafts with Daddy!

I was better by Friday but Amaya had thrown up on Thursday morning so she had another day home while the boys were at school. Since Rosie was still recovering, too, she had a special treat and got to watch a morning movie – Happy Feet!

Hopefully Steven and Sammy were spared. It all started on Tuesday so I’m cautiously optimistic.

Here are our sleeping beauties…

Sammy’s crib, lol. Steven has that photo of me on the floor by his crib and there’s a battery operated nightlight on it. Sammy says he doesn’t want to see the light so we set up this curtain on his crib every night. These kids are so funny.

Saturday morning we had rescheduled family photos from last weekend which we canceled due to colds. Unfortunately, Jason caught the bug and was stuck in bed. Rather than reschedule again, we decided to do a lifestyle shoot with the kids and we’ll reschedule the full family photos.

With Jason in bed, I needed to shower and we can’t leave the kids downstairs on their own yet. (Or we won’t. Either way, same end result.) Wonder Pets to the rescue! A huge benefit of limited tv time is that you can successfully use it in emergency situations.

For a while I’ve wanted to get photos of Steven, Sammy and Amaya holding their nicu baby pictures. This was our chance! Steven was asking about the tube in his nose. I remember making the distinct choice to leave them in since it represented them at that time in their life. I’m so glad I did.

Amaya was being a little bit of a stinker, refusing to take photos on her own.  Even m&m bribes didn’t work as well as I thought they would. (And, yes, she picked the skirt and leggings to go with her shirt.)

I think we got some great shots! I can’t wait to see the photos. Here are a few of the photo shoot in action.

SSA were so happy to see Megan gain. Just four more weeks until she’s back!

Somewhat recently, the kids have started complaining that their milk cups are cold. Makes sense. They are. I finally found a solution! Socks!! Their socks fit perfectly around the cups and cut the cold enough that it’s not an issue. Whoo hoo!

We’re still working on cleaning up our toys but I was really impressed by SSA’s team work cleaning up stickers that were everywhere. I think they made some kind of game of it and did a great job. Hope is not lost! Overall, they definitely seem to be playing together more frequently and with more intention. Now that we watch Wonder Pets, their buzzword is “Teamwork”. They’ll do something together, like carry their little people farm, and say “teamwork” in unison over and over again. So cute! Steven has a doctor game with Amaya where he has her stand on a step stool in a certain spot and then he stands on a step stool right in front her her and gives Amaya her medicine. They’ve played this same game a few times now. It’s so much fun to watch them together.

One more collaboration story! When Jason was home with the kids on Wednesday, Amaya pooped on the potty and Sammy wanted to try. Amaya sat with him and encouraged him saying, “I pushed it our real hard, Sammy, so push it out.” 🙂

Today, a lazy Sunday, the kids had fun helping Daddy with his baseball cards. They’re very excited about the label maker!

Steven, examining a card.

Playing with markers at the table, Steven, Sammy and Amaya made marker towers and tried to reach the light over the table. So funny!

Helping Daddy unload groceries is still a favorite activity. Everyone was eating dinner and, the minute they heard the garage door, they all insisted they were done eating. I hope this keeps up through the teen years!

Steven this week!

Steven is into matching and order. In the first picture you can see that he lined up Tupperware and filled it with food. In the 2nd, he was putting all of the little people in a line. Bobes likes order.

Mommy/Steven selfie. <3

Sammy this week!

Working on ball cards with his daddy.

Proud to drink from an open cup.

The lounging and the boots crack me up!

Mr. Potato Head

Amaya this week!

Mrs. Potato Head. SSA are getting very good at putting Mr. and Mrs. together.

Chilling on the floor.

All in pink, down to the boots!

Amaya looooooves her chapstick. I had to buy a 2nd to keep in her room because she always wants it before going to sleep.

That’s it for the week! Have a good one!

I’m calling this “Year Four” even though it straddles SSA’s birthday week because, as of this moment, it is the start of their fourth year. Madness. Pure madness that we have three 3 year olds.

It feels like ages ago but the week started with Nana and Savta still visiting and three children who all wanted to wear dresses. Why not, right? We’d nudge the boys in another direction if it was a school day but, for home, let’s let kids be kids.

Right now, they’re all very into their chapstick. I need to remember to give Amaya hers before we go up to bed because she always tells me that her lips hurt after she’s already in her crib for the night.

We have this lovely scarf from Grandma Betsy that has made a reappearance in our dress up wardrobe and Steven loves it.

Working it!

Here he was spinning around alternately as a blueberry and an airplane. <3

Final day fun with Savta and Nana

The kids are loving their water wow books. I am definitely going to bring these on airplane trips.

Big kids.

On Tuesday morning I left for a 2 night trip to AZ. I’ve started telling SSA I’m leaving the night before, even if I’ll see them in the morning (which I didn’t this time), so there are no surprises. They seem to do well with the going but Steven might struggle a bit when I come back. He gets very attached at bedtime and asks over and over again if I’ll wake him up in the morning. I usually do, but when I’m away Rosie wakes the kids and I think the change in routine throws him.

The kids don’t miss a beat during the day, though. Here Amaya was at the doctor’s office getting a checkup from Doctor Steven.

Nighttime cuddles with Daddy.

On Wednesday, Rosie did me a favor and put the kids in their “Two” shirts one last time. Sadness and joy!

Awwwww. My little two year olds.

Ben and Sam came for a play date on Thursday which was another dress day for all three of my children. You’ve got to give it to kids who don’t skip a beat about these funny, arbitrary things we decided about who wears what.

I shared birthday pictures but here are a handful more of Steven, Sammy and Amaya’s 3rd birthday morning. First was Jason singing Happy Birthday to the kids and then some photos of them opening cards from Nana and Papa. Amaya was very excited to see an “astronaut” on her card.

Jason and I had a really nice, low key weekend at home with SSA. The kids have a cold and we’ve been going a million miles an hour so this lazy weekend was just what we all needed. On Saturday we didn’t even bother getting dressed.

We’re evolving from crayons to markers, too. Yikes! If you’re having triplets, consider an option other than flat paint. Cleans easier!

We’re also doing more and more with paint, which is reserved for the kitchen table. The smocks we used when they first started solid foods have come in handy for art projects!

Steven and Amaya sat for a long, long time painting.

Steven was so excited to stack his paint jars. I told him that he couldn’t stack them because they could fall and paint would fall but he insisted that he put the tops on and they were tight so nothing would spill. Got me with that one!

Most of the time they painted Amaya’s hands were practically spotless. Steven, not so much. Mr. Paint Hands!

For fun, Steven wrapped in ribbons compliments of Daddy.

Daniel Tiger cuddles with Daddy.

Today we opened up more birthday presents which included a princess dress for Amaya. I think the princess phase is officially upon us. Meet Princess Amaya – Chief Princess of the Castle Science Division.

A gift from Anna was this little critter hospital which has compartments that open with colored keys. Steven, Sammy and Amaya love it. It’s so neat watching them figure out how to work the locks.

Giving a shot to bunny.

We also got these dot things. (I’m sure there’s a more official name.) Another great way to make art. Megan had the fun idea of making bingo cards with numbers and letters and playing a game with the kids where they put a dot on the number or letter when we call the name. I love it!

AND, the kids have a science kit that includes binoculars and some other cool bug catching/tracking accessories. I ordered some plastic bugs for now but I can’t wait until we can get outside and catch some real bugs!

Sammy caring for Princess Cat.

Catching critters and putting them in the dump truck.

This morning we had a fun visit from Megan and Baby Taco!!

We opened the scissor activity pad that Megan got for the kids. They loooooove scissors.

We’re still unsure if Steven is a righty or a lefty. He holds crayons and markers in both hands and has done the same with scissors. I finally bought him a pair of lefty scissors after seeing him struggle a bit today. We’ll bring a pair to school, too.

We also played with this tape activity book from Megan. It was fun for the kids to open the gifts while Megan was actually there to play with them. And lucky for me I still have a boppy and some baby blankets for Taco!

Big kid helpers feeding their little friend.

The time has come! For the past two or three weeks Amaya has almost exclusively slept in the travel crib in her own room. Today at nap time we finally made the switch and Jason moved her real crib into her own room. My big girl! I’m glad we had the trial with Sammy back in October and that she’s been in there in the travel crib for a few weeks. It made the transition a lot easier for me. Sweet Amaya.

While I’m writing about bedtime, a cute nighttime story with the boys. The other night Sammy was crying and Jason went in to check on him. He asked Sammy what he needed and Steven said, “I don’t think he needs anything. I think he just wanted you.” <3 And tonight, when the boys were asking me to bring them tissues, they wanted to be certain I’d bring one to Amaya in her room. Early in the night Steven saw the travel crib in the boys’ room (which is where we’re keeping it for story time at night) and said, “Amaya’s sleeping in our room tonight?!?!” I hated to tell him that wasn’t the case. Definitely a transition for everyone.

We wrapped up the afternoon with more dress up clothing from Auntie and Dod Shuki.

Amaya – the construction worker princess.

Constable Steven wore this all night straight through dinner and put it back on over his PJs.

Blast off!

Sammy’s got some construction work to do!

This is a big week for Amaya. Now that she’s potty trained she can take swim lessons at school! I’m prepping her to make it an easier transition and she was very excited to try on her swim suit! It’s nice that I don’t have to worry about rash guards/coverage since it’s an indoor pool (and, of course, winter in MI).

Finally, momma and her boys.

And that’s it! Three is off to a great start!

THREE!!! I don’t know how that’s possible but here we are. I could write a novel about the ways Steven, Sammy and Amaya have filled our lives these past 3 years. I may never feel well rested again but it’s a small price to pay for the joy, privilege & adventure of being their mom.

Today I had the rare pleasure of dropping the kids off at school. Is it any surprise that Amaya refused to look for the photo? She already lives to torture me.

We had a brief meltdown over “three”. Earlier, at breakfast, she wouldn’t let me sing to her. At school, when I referenced her age she burst into tears and said, “I want to be two, not three.” So I guess this is her 2nd annual 2nd birthday.

Crowns from Miss Penny! And I hear that the whole school sang Happy Birthday to them during Shabbat. (Though Sammy says it was just the “Shabbat lady” who sang. I’m guessing the Shabbat lady is the center director, Shannon.)

After work we met up for a big birthday dinner! I was so excited to see SSA still in their crowns. Steven said they have to wear their crowns so they remember it’s their birthday. <3

Look who made it!!

And, finally, a little look at then and now. My loves. My lovies. My sweet, sweet little babies who aren’t so little anymore but who are forever my babies.

Today was a big day for Steven, Sammy and Amaya! They aren’t THREE until Friday but today we celebrated their birthday with family and friends. <3 <3 <3 It was so much fun. The party was at Tiny Town and it was perfect. I was worried that the kids would all fight over toys but that didn’t seem to be an issue at all and it seemed like everyone had a great time.

Sammy was so excited to see Mikey (and maybe Megan and Baby Taco, too.)

I told Nana and Grandma Sunshine that this is what it could be like if I had another baby. They weren’t impressed.

The ball pit was a big hit today.

Princess Amaya. I told her she can run the castle science division.

Including my own, we had 5 sets of triplets and a set of twins at the party. It would be a much smaller event if we all came in ones instead of threes!

Cupcake time! Amaya was pretty annoyed that I made her wait for singing to eat her cupcake.

So annoyed.

Still really annoyed. This photo is so our kids.

Singing Happy Birthday to Steven!

Singing Happy Birthday to Sammy!

Singing Happy Birthday to Amaya (who just wants that darn cupcake)!

Days away from three. I really can’t believe it.

The weekend started with the whole crew at the airport, ready for a weekend of fun with Team Cline!

There were three excited kids waiting for everyone to arrive!

This morning we all went to Legoland. It’s free for kids under three so it was the perfect time to check it out – just under the wire!

Everyone lined up on their red dots. Amaya turned to face the wall because she didn’t want to be in the picture, lol.

It was a really cool place. There were a ton of interactive activities even beyond building with legos.

Steven looooved the area with the interactive models. I could barely get him out of there.

Lego car races!

Our first movie! It was 4D and a little scary for the kids so we didn’t make it through the whole thing but it was fun to try. We talked about going to another movie someday soon that doesn’t require glasses and is less scary.

Sammy’s still a runner. Fair warning to anyone out with him. If it’s not a safe place for him to take off, keep your hands on him at all time.

He’s gone!

Our souvenir photo.  <3

We had a quiet Saturday afternoon at home which also included open a birthday present from Megan, Mike and Taco full of all sorts of craft activities.

Sammy and his Savta

Steven and his Savta

Sunday crafts with Aunt Sara

Swinging Puppy with Nana

We opened just a handful of presents this afternoon and are saving the rest for during the week/their actual birthday. Steven, Sammy and Amaya have very generous friends and I think it’s nice for them to actually get to take a breath and enjoy their wonderful gifts.

I had to run to CVS to pick up playing cards and Amaya and Steven wanted to come with me. Easy yes, but I didn’t know if I’d ever get Steven away from the cars. “Can I go back to the cars when we are done in this aisle?” He found two white buses that matched and was insistent that he needed them. Our compromise was that he could carry them up to the guy at the check out and give them to him to keep. (Of course when we did that Steven told the guy that he would come back for them later.)

We rounded out our party day with lots of cuddles.

Not quite a cuddle. Amaya hadn’t pooped for days and needed some serious motivation. Success! Thanks Nana!

The boys playing with their Water Wow pads. The jury is still out on whether Steven is a righty or a lefty.

Snuggles before bed!

It was a great visit! I can’t believe the weekend has already come and gone.

The early part of the week busy for the kids, even with a snow day. They helped Rosie bake breakfast muffins.

Yummy!

This is what we look like while we’re letting our nails dry. (Amaya and Sammy. Not Daddy.)

My first manicure!

On Wednesday, Rosie got great pictures of the kids waiting for us at the window and waving goodbye. It made me think of doing the same with my own daddy when I was little.

Daddy!

Mommy!

On the recommendation of some triplet moms, we tried a new activity this week – stringing cheerios on spaghetti! What a fun fine motor skill activity.

In preparation for the big birthday party, Rosie took the kids to Tiny Town on Thursday.

Train time. (This train track is now screwed in.)

Riding time!

Everyone’s “friends” needed a friend to cuddle with at bedtime and all of their friends needed pillows and blankets.

Steven this week!

Riding his horse.

Engineering

Sammy this week!

I don’t have any solo pictures of Amaya this week but I can share that we’re working on transitioning her to her own room. She initiated the change by asking to sleep in a room that is quiet. Throughout the week she slept in the travel crib in her own room as well as in her crib with the boys but, as time has progressed, she’s sleeping alone more and more often. After the debacle when we first moved Sammy we want to be sure before dismantling and moving her crib but I think we’re close. It will be good to have Amaya long settled on her own before we even consider transitioning to beds.

And that’s it! Next time you hear from me I’ll have three 3 year olds!

It was a pretty quiet week as we started into 2017. I’m absolutely dumbfounded that we’re nearing Steven, Sammy and Amaya’s 3rd birthday. Three! It feels like we had itty bitty babies a full lifetime ago and, at the same time, it feels like they were just born. If I pause in a quiet space, I can almost feel them moving inside me again. What I would give to have another day pregnant and another day with newborns, knowing what I know today.

Monday we were all home together, with Rosie, and all feeling well. Hooray! In another milestone moment, we removed most of the child locks from our kitchen cabinets. SSA were eager to help.

Keeping with a crafting weekend, we tried some painting with these cook painting sheets that have a strip of water color paint with each picture. Definitely a winning craft. They love having their own cups of water to wash off their brushes.

I don’t remember what I asked Sammy to lead to this face but he and Amaya have the most expressive eyebrows. 🙂

Wrapping up a day at home with story time.

Tuesday was back to school after a 2 week break! Rosie reported that the kids were more clingy than usual but she was able to leave without tears. Oddly, on Thursday Amaya was hysterical at drop off. Even in the beginning, she was the one who ran right in. Hopefully that’s not an issue for her this week.

The kids are big into making magnatile pizzas. Sammy usually has pepperoni and hot peppers. Amaya likes pepperoni mushrooms. Steven does not want pepperoni.

Saturday morning we had a fun game of “why is my toddler crying?”

Steven was crying because I ate a pancake during Playroom Pancakes. “Pancakes are not for you and Daddy. They’re for us!”

Sammy lost it when Steven came over with a spoon and took some imaginary butter out of his butter container and then refused to give it back. The hardest fights to break up are the ones over imaginary food, lol.

Jason got me some Apple gift cards for Hanukkah and my phone is a mess. (Such a mess. It randomly called Jason during work the other day while it was plugged in and nowhere near me.) Steven was my buddy for the trip. Since it was single digits outside, we took a stroller and a blanket to be sure my Bobes stayed warm.

Looking at the phones with me. “It has an apple on the back just like your phone!”

Little dude.

Steven asked if we could go to the play area at the mall which was an easy yes. He had a blast running around. It’s fun to see the kids get more comfortable in the space as they get bigger and more confident.

The kids decided that the playroom was an outside garden. Everyone needed their winter clothes (and mine!) on to stay warm.

Bedtime has been interesting lately. Sammy is over whatever issue was keeping him up crying for us at bedtime and in the middle of the night. After my stomach virus, though, Steven suddenly started crying for me at bedtime. Not a whining cry but a really upset cry that we couldn’t ignore. What’s helped, besides checking on him a few times, is a small portable light that we set up to light a photo of me with the kids. I hope they all do ok when I travel for work this week. I know they’ll be okay long term but I don’t want to undo any of our progress.

Even Baby Jenna needed a pillow, a blanket and a friend to sleep with.

Today Grandma Sunshine and Aunt Annette came by for a belated holiday celebration. The kids were very excited about more presents!

A new workbench!!

While Daddy put it together, the kids opened their gift from Aunt Annette – Lincoln Logs!

Amaya’s expressive eyebrows…

We wrapped up our weekend with new homemade play doh from grandpa homey and grandma betsy and my three souz chefs helped make grilled cheese!

Steven this week!

Late last week, Jason was talking to Steven at bedtime and Steven wanted me instead. This was a while after they went to bed and Jason thought Amaya was sleeping.

Steven: I want a lady!
Amaya: (Out of the darkness) I’m a lady!
Steven: No, a big lady!

Here he is sharing his pancake with Mickey.

Very proud of the train he built!

We made him a track.

Steven is very into matching right now. He wanted all of the yellow triangles to make this design. Earlier today he told me that his blue bib matched Sammy’s blue big. He knows that I always wear an infinity symbol necklaces and regularly asks to match it to the “stamp” on my arm.

Chef Bobes!

Sammy this week!

Sammy and his daddy. The sweetest.

He wanted gel in his hair and was deeply contemplating the cover to his yogurt which he insisted on removing himself.

Sammysaurus!

Amaya this week!

She’s such a KID here.

Working on Mr. Potato Head. Amaya can actually put it together pretty well. I had no idea! I only had to help push in the arms and one ear but she knew exactly where she wanted them.

Admiring her finished product.

Amayasaurus. Her hair is getting longer! I look at pictures from a year ago and can’t believe what a little baldy she still was.

Finally, a mommy/kiddo selfie!

Have a great week!

Monday started quietly. Megan, Mike and Baby Taco came for a lovely visit with the kids. The kids are so attached to Mike. They call him “Mikey” like Megan does and Sammy told me that next time Mike can come by himself, lol.

The kids were great with Taco. Half interested, half disinterested but always gentle and sweet.

Amaya and Mikey

After nap, Sammy was listless. I thought it was just sleep inertia which happens often with Sammy but about 15 minutes after I took this photo the poor kid puked. My poor Bubba!

He only got sick that once but he spent the rest of the night cuddled on me holding his “puke bucket”. At bedtime he was so sad that Jason and I took turns letting him sleep on us downstairs until we could transfer him to his bed. I think that’s probably a first. We have a very strict bedtime routine especially when they’re in phases where they cry for us to stay with them at night. But sick kiddos call for changes in routine.

On Tuesday Rosie was still sick with the same stomach virus so I stayed home with the kids. Sammy recovered fast and everyone was ready to play! Throughout the day he alternated between running around and lying on my lap but he had no fever and no more stomach issues. Yay Bubs!

10am and need a mommy break? Who wants to play with scissors???

Ms. Sock Hand hard at work building.

After nap we opened up a Hanukkah present from cousin’s Joey & Nicole.

Peek-a-boo!! It’s a house! A big house to play in and color on! All 3 kids played with crayons and markers and yet only Steven was completely covered in marker when we were through.

Wednesday was still a mixed bag for Sammy.

We had the sick Bubba.

And the slick Bubba.

He was certainly well enough for presents and candles on Wednesday night, though.

Thursday morning, everyone was finally energetic enough to check out the awesome new dress up outfits from Auntie and Dod Shuki.

Dr. Amaya! Or, as Jason calls her, Dr. Sweetie Girl.

Dr. Sammy

Chef Steven!

Fire Chief Sammy!

My Fire Chief, Chef and Doctor taking a play doh break. My little loves.

Thursday night Hanukkah fun continued with night 6 and superheroes!

Wonder Amaya!

Super Sammy!

BatBobes!

BatBobes, getting ready to fly with Daddy.

BatDad!! <3

Thursday night, around 1am, everything went downhill. Amaya woke me up crying. When I went into the room she said she needed a puke bucket. I wasn’t sure if she was for real but I sat her by the toilet and got her a puke bucket. Then I put her back in bed. She woke me up again a few minutes later and, sure enough, the poor thing got sick. 🙁 She threw up 3 more times over the next 2 hrs and then finally fell asleep in bed with me.

Jason, in the meantime, was manning Sammy who was waking up crying for me. Not because he was sick, just because. In the middle of that, Steven got sick, too. 🙁 🙁 My little kids are such big kids. Jason was tending to Sammy and when he got back to Steven, in a different bed, Steven said, “I puked in my bucket but I got a little bit on your bed.” My big boy, taking care of it all by himself.

Sorry for all of the puke stories. This is kind of new for us. We’ve been lucky not to deal with this often.

Little Miss Sick

Friday morning Sammy made the most of the chaos and sickness and enjoyed some crackers on the floor with big teddy.

Steven got sick one more time mid morning and was pretty attached to his puke bucket. Even days later they are, actually. I get it. Puck buckets = a sense of security in an uncertain world.

By early Friday morning, I was down for the count. Boy, that was brutal. Jason took care of lighting candles with the kids on Friday night and took care of all of us through Saturday. Best man!

I made it down on Saturday for a brief hour to FaceTime with Grandpa Homey and Grandma Betsy and to open presents/light candles for the last night of Hanukkah.

Fortunately, this morning, everyone was better. Thank goodness. It could have been worse but it was no fun. My biggest fear was that Jason would get sick, too, and we’d both be in horrible shape trying to take care of the kids.

We celebrated the new year with a craft project, also compliments of Joey and Nicole. Everyone had a vehicle to paint and we whipped out our old school bibs from the early days of solid food.

The kids had incredible focus.

Midway through the project – after the painting, before the stickers and wheels.

The final result! Steven’s is the fire truck, Sammy’s is the police car and Amaya is the helicopter. What an awesome project!

We had a calm wrap to the day and week, which we all needed.

FaceTime with Nana!

Cuddles with Daddy!

I’ll wrap up the week with some sweet photos of Amaya and her brothers.

Happy New Year!

It’s been so much fun getting ready for Hanukkah this year. Steven, Sammy and Amaya don’t totally get it (and don’t at all understand why we celebrate) but they’re definitely understanding more and more and are actually able to participate lighting the candles. I love it.

This year we were lucky to have Uncle Austin with us to celebrate the first two nights.

Hanukkah present for day one was a TRAIN TABLE! I think we’re as excited as the kids are.

We planned a big reveal! So much fun!!

Austin arrived late Friday/early Saturday after we all went to bed and he was up bright and early to enjoy playroom pancakes with the kids.

Coffee with Stevensaurus.

It wasn’t quite Hanukkah yet but Steven started talking about the “funny man” which meant it was time to give Uncle Austin his Hanukkah present. He was a very good sport. But, really, who doesn’t want a 4′ tall talking Darth Vader?

Saturday morning, Austin and I took the kids to Tiny Town for one more visit before their birthday party on 1/15.

We had the place to ourselves the entire time we were there! Perk of going on Christmas Eve morning, I suppose.

Amaya was so excited to “cut” my hair.

They did great, and I had a personal milestone. Well, Amaya did. She told me she had to poop. We went to the bathroom at Tiny Town. She pooped! It’s the first time she’s pooped out of the house and the first time I’ve been with her where she simply said she had to and went and did it. I’m so proud of how we’ll she’s done with potty training.

The boys are starting to show interest but I think it’s generally either to a) procrastinate or b) get to wash their hands. Neither of them has peed on the potty at home and I’m not sure they even understand yet how to intentionally release. They’re persistent, though. Sammy knows I’m going to claim he didn’t pee so he’ll tell me, “It was just dribbles and they’re white not yellow so you can’t see it in the toilet.” That boy.

We had a relaxing day today. It started off with Hanukkah crafts.

And playtime with Uncle Austin.

Everyone got to have a piece of Hanukkah gelt. “Show me your gelt and smile!”

We opened presents from Aunt Ouize & Uncle Todd and everyone had fun building. Amaya has incredible focus. She sat right down and got to it.

The kids also got a trampoline from mommy & daddy. Steven’s PT thought it would be good for him to help with his jumping since he still can’t get his left foot up when he jumps.

It’s amazing to see how far the kids have come. For the longest time, Steven, Sammy and Amaya wouldn’t even try to jump on trampolines. Amaya in particular gets crazy height and Sammy, who was nervous at first, love it! Steven is trying, too, but he also loves to swing from the handles (so does Amaya) and sit at the front of the trampoline pretending he’s on a motor-scooter.

This was hysterical. Sammy would jump on the trampoline with Amaya sitting behind him and she laughed and laughed and laughed. They took turns, too, and wanted to make sure the jumper had time to rest their legs.

Back to earlier in the week, Savta and Nana were still here until early Tuesday morning. Is it a bus? A train? Whatever it is, you can bet that Savta will make it fun!

On Sunday night, Savta made up a hockey game that absolutely enthralled the kids.

On Monday I had the opportunity to meet everyone for lunch. It’s hard to see in this photo but Amaya is ordering her food from the waiter. Mac & cheese and salad. She was very concerned when he went from my order to Savta’s so he came back to take hers.

Mac & cheese and salad, as ordered.

On Thursday, Rosie and I took the kids to their 2nd dentist appointment. All in all it was pretty uneventful. Amaya and Sammy cried. Steven was nervous but stoic.

It’s hard to hold your bag of dentist treats with mittens on!

Here’s what it looks like when the kids decide the hall by the garage is a bedroom.

Here’s what it happens when they play hide and seek by hiding in plain sight.

And here’s what it looks like when three almost 3 year olds “help” me get ready for work.

Steven this week!

Steven graduated PT this week! His physical therapist, Meredith, thinks he’s making great progress and has seen enough improvement that she thinks we can stop his sessions. We’ll go back in 3 months to see if he’s still progressing on his own. Go Bobes Go!

His graduation medal. 🙂 This one was donated from someone who ran the Charlevoix (MI) marathon in 2014. What a neat program! He’s so proud of his medal.

I’m sure Sammy and Amaya will be happy they don’t have to pass time at PT anymore. I think they’re getting punchy at his sessions. Hugging…wresting… it’s hard to say.

Steven loves order. He’s always been the one to tell us if we left baby gates open, even with a point and an “ooh ooh” before he could talk. Today at lunch he only wanted me to hold the back of his hand, not his palm, until he wiped the crumbs off his hands. Apparently this fastidiousness and sense of order applies to his artwork as well. Check out his fire truck! And it’s not a matter of Sammy or Amaya being particularly lax for their age. I saw the rest of the class’ work on the wall. This precision is definitely a Steven trait.

Of course when the menorahs came home from school I immediately knew which one was Steven’s.

Cuddling with Ming Ming, his current favorite friend.

Swinging!

Steven is making all sorts of interesting connections this days. He asked me why there is air in the sky. When I told him I was going to “jump in the shower” he told me not to jump in the shower and to be careful. When I was singing The Farmer in the Dell, Steven said that the cheese can’t stand alone because it doesn’t have legs, lol. His new phrase includes “sure”. “Can I have that, Steven?” “You sure can.”

Sammy this week!

Sally and the kids are all getting more comfortable around each other. In the past, both Sammy and Sally would have scurried away from each other but they sat there together for a surprising amount of time. Sammy did a great job staying still and helping Sally feel safe.

Bubba got to ride with Vader!

Checking out Uncle Austin’s gift.

Sammy is deep in a “why” phase. You better give him a good, clear answer or the whys will continue indefinitely!
“Your heart is beating inside your body.”
“Why?”
To circulate blood throughout your body.
“Why?”
To bring oxygen throughout your body.
“Why?” And so on. And on. 🙂

Amaya this week!

Homegirl is bad ass.

Hanging out with Steven on Rosie’s lap.

Always focusing on her play doh!

A toddler fashion statement, for sure.

Amaya looks so old here! I’m still in shock that I have kids, not babies.

Have a great week and a happy new year!

It was an exciting week in the Land of Cheltenham. Baby Taco came to visit!! My heart was near to bursting watching my babies with Megan’s baby. They were great with her. Everyone was totally enthralled when they arrived and then wanted to take Megan off to play which gave me lots of baby holding time. Steven surprised me by showing the most interest in feeding Taco and all of the kids showed a touch of jealousy. This is it! The closest we’ll get to a new baby in our house!

On Thursday, Rosie brought Steven, Sammy and Amaya to a holiday part at my office. It was so much fun and much more relaxing than the Halloween party. Even with more people in the office, the activity was spread out instead of masses of kids walking through the building in a pack.

Taking it in.

There were tables set up for dinner but it was crowded and impossible to find 5 seats together so we made our own picnic on the floor.

Show me your cookies!

Story time!

On Friday, Nana and Savta came to visit. Savta always knows how to entertain the kids. She’s so creative, just like she was when I was a kid.

We spent the morning at home, working on construction projects. We always have helpers!

Amaya played a game where her play doh was a boo boo and Nana had to call Dr. Anna (from Daniel Tiger) for medical advice.

Sammy got in on it, too. His hammer was “stuck in his ear.”

Last night we went to the kids’ Hannukah party at school. Jason and I had movie tickets because I forgot the date and I’d only paid for 5 of us, because I forgot the date, so Jason kept the movie plans and Savta, Nana and I took the kids so we were only a +1 our reservation.

Before the party started, we were invited to the art gallery at the JCC to see displays of artwork from all of the classes. It was a lovely, lovely presentation. Such a clever idea!

The center director wanted a photo of the children in attendance but mine wouldn’t get in the photo without me so we sat it out. I do not have joiners!

The party itself had a dance floor & dj, dinner, and Hanukkah crafts. So many of the kids ran right to the dance floor but Steven, Sammy and Amaya really hung back. I’m not sure what it is but they’ve never been dancers. Even when we play music in the house, they’ll sing but they’re not busting out dance moves.

With a little coaxing we did get them out to dance for a few minutes.

Can you see the pink sock Amaya is wearing on her right leg? It’s one of my fuzzy “home” socks that she insisted on wearing with her boots.

At dinner, everyone got their first taste of latkes! They were a hit. I mean, who wouldn’t want fried potato pancakes?

Decorating cookies

Show me your cookies, Steven! (True to form, he did not want to frost his. A) To messy B) To sweet.)

And backing it up all the way to the beginning of the week, Monday (which feels like a lifetime ago), Amaya and I traveled back from NY. She did well but definitely had her Threes on. I was the mom carrying her daughter on the plane like a potato sack. There’s no “later” or “not now” when it’s time to board.

Steven this week!

He was using the book basket to make patterns in the carpet.

Help from Sammy!

Swinging at PT

Savta showed the kids how their ribbons will float above the vent when the air is on.

Savta is also great a making costumes out of everyday items in the houses.

Brushing Daddy’s hair. Don’t worry! It won’t hurt.

Sammy this week!

“I have two pieces!”

Play doh creations

I think it’s a bedtime stalling tactic, but someone is asking to use the potty.

Super Sammy, in a Savta original cape!

Amaya this week!

Little miss independent.

Amaya was wearing ALL the clothing she could find. And mismatched boots.

Then she found more clothes!

Bat girl.

Cooking and throwing me pretend food.

And finally, bath time portraits!

Have a great week!