I’m starting a new job on 7/25 which means my time at home with the kids is quickly winding down. What an amazing 5 months I’ve had. It’s been a joy and a gift. I expect some shorter blogs once I’m back and no longer spending every day with the kids. I can’t help but document it all when I’m there to experience it, especially with our summer adventures.

On Monday we were lucky to still have Papa here visiting. We took it relatively easy after our week away but still got out for a fun lunch at Bricks, one of our favorite spots. It’s almost always quiet at lunch time and it’s a nice big, open space.

Steven and Sammy were immediately excited about our lunch adventure.

Amaya, not so much. We’d brought some of Charlie’s old crocs home from NY and Amaya was a sad, sad girl because she wanted to wear them in the car. I really wish there was an “eyeroll” emoji for wordpress because it’s entirely appropriate for how I felt about this. But she’s 2.5 and I’m trying to pick and choose my battles. Right now the kids are appropriately trying to exert a level of autonomy and either everything can be a battle or the important things can be battles. Holding hands in a parking lot? Non-negotiable. Wearing Charlie’s crocs? Negotiable.

A happier toddler with her shoes next to her in the car and Charlie’s shoes on her feet.

That’s my girl.

Lately, Amaya has been a little nervous in restaurants. I think it started in NY when some waitstaff pounced to say hello to us. She lost her mind and has been uneasy since. The compromise is that I let Amaya sit on my lap until food comes and then she needs to sit in her own seat.

In this case, a pack of oyster crackers did the trick.

Please take note of Steven’s deranged toddler smile.

Papa also got to enjoy some playtime in the backyard.

Off they go to the grocery store!

Not surprisingly, it was Sammy who gave Papa the best cuddle as our visit was coming to a close.

Thanks for flying home with us, Papa! We can’t wait to see you again soon!

Early Tuesday morning I took Papa to the airport and then we all met my friend Julie and her boys at the zoo. There’s a splash pad right near the entrance and it was a hot, hot day so we decided to wear bathing suits and play in the water. The kids had a great time. It wasn’t crowded – much less so than the local park splash pads – and there were appropriately sized spouts for little kids.

The splash pad is right next to the penguinarium and penguins came right up to the window! It was really cool.

See Steven in the stroller? He tapped out first and decided he wanted to stay in the stroller for a bit while everyone else finished playing. I think he was done with water and ready to explore the rest of the zoo. He specifically asked to see the rhinoceroses as soon as we got going.

It was a great zoo trip! We walked around for a little bit after the splash pad (saw the rhinoceroses) and then had lunch before calling it a day.

On Wednesday we decided to stay home all day long. It was our first lazy day at home in more than a week and a half and I think everyone needed it.

The Wednesday/Thursday fun was a visit from Grandma Sunshine!

What do you do with your snack of cheese? Feed it to baby Jenna, of course.

After Grandma left on Thursday afternoon, we decided to go out for a frozen yogurt treat. I’ve taken SSA to this place before but it was the first time it was with the intent of letting the kids have their own “ice cream”. Everyone got bowls of vanilla fro yo and got to pick their choice of berries on top. Amaya and Sammy went for raspberries and Steven skipped the toppings.

We had mentioned eating the yogurt on a bench outside but nixed the idea when we realized how quickly it would melt. Steven wasn’t having that, though. He insisted on eating outside on the bench. It’s not a surprise, either. He was able to watch car after car after car go by. “Big red truck. ‘Nother big red truck. Black car. Blue car. Silver truck.” And on and on and on. 🙂 The best part was hearing him try to say “convertible.” It sounded something like “bumverbebel”.

Hi Amaya, Sammy and May May!

I tried to get photos of everyone on the bench but Amaya wasn’t having it. It’s definitely a growing challenge to get a photo of all 3 kids smiling.

On Friday, Megan took the kids to Kensington Farm. I had lunch plans in Detroit but joined her for a little bit. The big excitement of this trip was that Steffie joined along with Megan and Stephanie’s mom! Steven was smitten and immediately took Cindy’s hand.

This week I got a few pictures of the kids helping Jason with the Space Basket.

Saturday morning we took a family trip to Maybury Farm. Kensington Farm Center is about 20 minutes away but this farm is practically down the block. They both have their own charm but Maybury also has a play area with some cool wooden vehicles the kids can play on.

Big peacock feathers!

We went in the pen with the sheep. Steven and Amaya were okay as long as the sheep stayed far away. Unfortunately for Sammy, the sheep came right up to him. He practically jumped into Jason’s arms.

Saturday afternoon, Jason took Amaya to the grocery store and the boys and I went for a walk. We’re still working on listening skills which is hit or miss at this age.

The boys took toy airplanes with them. Right now, Steven is in a phase where he loves all vehicles but especially airplanes. He loves to make them fly in the sky, and Sammy is following suit, too. We saw an airplane in the sky and he told me that it was going to New York. <3

“Ohhhhhhh! Airplane is going up high in the sky!”

Steven, pointing to our house while Sammy lags behind.

Sammy. Lagging behind. Again, I need that eye roll emoji. You can’t see it from the photo but the kid did not want to cooperate. At least he wasn’t running in the other direction.

When we got home, the boys were excited to see that they got a package in the mail from Aunt Dale and Uncle Arnie with some really cool t-shirts from Montauk. Love them!

I love summer and I especially love summer nights. The opportunity to go outside with the kids after dinner is awesome. It reminds me of summer nights as a kid. I can lie in the grass and they can run around. On Saturday night, Jason was even able to get in some landscaping.

Steven was using his “dull dozer” to help with the lawn care.

This morning Jason & Steven headed to Mt. Clemens to a ball card show while Amaya, Sammy and I went to the playground at Maybury Park.

These kids hammed it up for the camera.

We went on a nature walk. Amaya kept asking to see nature and I kept explaining that it was all around us in the trees, rocks, birds, etc.

When we got home, Sammy said, “One girl and one boy. And the other boy is with daddy at baseball.”

It was so nice out that I couldn’t bear to go inside so we had a picnic lunch in the wagon.

Meanwhile, Steven had a great time with daddy! Jason reports that the hits of the morning were the pink ambulance and the model cars. I’m not surprised to hear that!

Steven this week!

Sammy this week!

Amaya this week!

Amaya is obsessed with these glasses from the tool kit. I call her my scientist.

Final photo of the week is story time. <3 <3 <3

Have a great week!

What a week! It feels like we were in New York forever but also, at the same time, just the blink of an eye. We miss everyone already but it’s also nice to get back to routine after 8 night away. And we missed Daddy!

Monday was July 4th and we celebrated America’s birthday with a gorgeous beach day! You can see that Amaya and Steven were ready to go!

At the beach we had Nana & Papa, the Goldbergs, Savta, Auntie, Dod Shuki and my oldest college friend, Rachel.

Once again, the kids just dove into the sand without a second thought.

Dod Shuki (Uncle Josh) made a sand pile that provided more fun than I could have imagined. When you’re 2, a pile of sand is apparently a huge adventure!

When it was time to eat, of course Sammy wanted to sit with “Fa Faf”.

Steven loves vehicles but not always up close and personal. There was a guy driving an atv on the beach picking up trash and Steven was very concerned. “Man won’t come back,” he said with a nod of his head. He tells me like it’s a statement of fact but he’s really asking for reassurance.

We wanted an extended day at the beach so we decided to try naps in strollers. Rachel, Gene and I started walking the kids and, in true Sammy fashion, Sammy was asleep within 5 minutes. Amaya took a little longer but she and Sammy both got in a nice hour long nap. Steven, on the other hand, wasn’t having it. There was just too much to see. “Man! Man in pool. Boy going to jump in pool. See stroller. Helicopter! Big airplane in sky!”

Steven, not napping.

Eventually Rachel and I gave up on Steven and took him to the skate park where he saw people on scooters and bicycles doing tricks. The kid was in heaven.

We wrapped up the day with a walk to another cabana to see if a triplet mom friend was there with her family. (She wasn’t.) Walking back, Amaya was excited to walk “by herself” with her big cousins.

As a special treat, Rachel brought her camera and go these awesome shots of us at the beach. Thank you, Rach!

We told Steven that the sail on the boat was so the wind could help the boat move. He was holding the boat up to see if it moved in the wind. <3

Feeding my little birds.

We had a great 4th of July evening at the Goldberg’s house. Dinner and baths with cousins. What could be better!?!? Plus, we got some extra time with Uncle Dave.

Tuesday we had a much needed lazy morning at home. Fortunately, Nana and Papa are stocked up on toys!

Traffic jam!

Amaya is putting on her “makeup” with Aunt Sara. And also wearing an old tank top of Charlie’s in a very interesting fashion statement.

For an easy late morning adventure we hit up the play space at the mall and then the food court for lunch.

The kids at grilled cheese and tater tots which wouldn’t be exciting in and of itself except that Amaya and Sammy dipped their sandwiches in hot sauce and Amaya actually drank some hot sauce straight from the serving cup. Kids after my own heart!

The afternoon was just more low key play time with cousins.

On Wednesday morning we went back to the beach! The kids just seem so BIG! Since it was a quiet day, we also took the opportunity to hit up the kiddie pool. SSA did really well. Steven fell and got nervous after that but we worked with him on it on Friday and he got over the hump.

My Sammy. Worn out and fast asleep in less than 5 minutes.

In the afternoon we had a get together with the Goldstein clan. It was great to see them but Amaya was a hot mess almost the entire time. She seemed happy enough when we arrived but, as soon as family started showing up, she freaked out and cried almost the whole time unless she was in my lap. It was totally out of character but maybe the change in routine was just starting to wear on her. Regardless, it’s always great to see my dad’s side of the family and I’m so glad we were able to work it out because it’s important for Steven, Sammy and Amaya to know their whole family. (And fun for me, too!)

Steven and Uncle Arnie

Funny faces with Steven & Uncle Bob

Alex was a hit with everyone!

A rare Amaya smile.

Of course, the minute everyone left she was back to her usual self. Here she is making quite the fashion statement.

Amaya also figured out how to work the scooter! Go Amaya!

Thursday started off with some Auntie time! I love Amaya and Sammy’s smiles while they play with Auntie.

Sammy had to mug for the camera.

I tried to get him to sing on camera but he was distracted by the fact that he could see his face.

Lunch was a special trip to Venus. It’s a local restaurant that I went to all the time growing up. Gena and Savta still go often which was evident when I walked in and everyone there said, “Oh! Are these the triplets???”

I had a dinner planned in Manhattan with some triplet moms so Auntie came over to help hold down the fort at bedtime because Gene also had plans. Easy peasy!

Friday was our final beach day! Just Nana, Savta and I this time around. It was a hot day so we got the water table set up in the shade and made good use of the pool.

Friday night was a sleepover with Charlie and Chase. Here’s a snapshot of the mess these kids make!

Amaya spent a lot of time bonding with both Charlie and Chase. She loves her cousins. They’re so good with her, too. Amaya keeps talking about singing Old MacDonald with Charlie and Chase played all sorts of unprompted games with Amaya.

Chase brushing Amaya’s teeth.

Saturday morning, Amaya got a special braid from Aunt Sara before we had a visit from our cousin Spencer, Jamie and 14 month old Cooper. They couldn’t make it on Wednesday and it was awesome to get a chance to spend time with them during our visit.

For once, Steven, Sammy and Amaya are BIG cousins!

Saturday afternoon we rounded out our family visits with Team Zargari – Auntie, Dod Shuki, Michael with Naomi and Jake and Joey & Nicole with Eli and Dalia. We met up at a park in Lynbrook and had so much fun! Steven was on the swing with Nana foreeeeever. Amaya loved the slide and even tried the big kid twisty slide twice. Sammy ran all over.

After the park we went out for dinner and that was all she wrote on our amazing trip to NY! It was a perfect, perfect week.

Our trip home started early, early, early. The adults were up at 4am and we got SSA up at 4:15am. Ack!! The bonus of a 7am flight is that we get home and have a whole day together as a family. The downside is how painfully early we had to wake up.

Amaya was tired but ready to roll when the car picked us up at 4:30am.

My helper on this trip was Super Papa! He was all the help I could ask for and it was fun for me to see him get a glimpse into my travel life with 3 toddlers.

The evolution of Papa’s flight with Sammy.

Everyone is awake!

Sammy is asleep!

Everyone is asleep!

I was thrilled that Sammy was so comfortable sitting with Papa because Amaya and Steven both insisted in sitting with me. He even kept his cool during Papa’s potty break.

Amaya and Steven didn’t nap but they did stay entertained through the flight with only a few reminders about inside voices.

The only drama was at the end of the flight when we realized Steven had a huge blowout. 🙁 🙁 🙁 I can tell you with certainty that every single person who saw me walking to the bathroom in the back of the plane was glad they weren’t me. He had to stand, hunched, on the changing table while I tried to clean him up. But we did it! And Steven was a total trooper. A+++ to Steven, Sammy and Amaya for the job they did on their flights.

And, by 10:30am, we were home! We sure did miss Daddy!

Kudos to anyone who made it through all of that. Lots of love to all of the family and friends we saw on our trip to NY!

(Subject quote attributed to Michael J. Fox.)

This week’s BIG adventure was a weekend trip to Cleveland to visit with my friend Hannah and her family. Hannah lives in Baton Rouge but is spending a few weeks at her parents’ house with her 6 girls, including her 2 yo triplets. Steven, Sammy, Amaya and I headed out after lunch on Saturday with time to nap in the car and more than enough playtime left in the day.

The visit was so much fun!!

SSA are always excited by new toys and Hannah’s big kids were off with her parents when we arrived which gave us time to settle in with a smaller group. Here are Steven, Sammy and Amaya with Abby, Bonnie and Betsy.

Hannah cooked dinner for everyone and prep-time involved all 9 kids playing in the kitchen. I think every pot, pan and cooking utensil was out on the floor. The kids were so generous. Evie (6) brought presents for my kids and Josie (3) wanted to be sure that everyone shared.

Evie and Amaya. Evie has 5 younger sisters so I thought she’d be more interested in the boys but she and Amaya were buds.

Dinner outside! Pizza, broccoli and watermelon.

After dinner, Steven and Josie had a very serious conversation about trucks and bikes.

Bedtime was tough. Interestingly, it was Steven who was the most nervous about sleeping in a new place. He cried any time he talked about me leaving the room so I promised to stay with him. We got into bed at about 7:50pm and it was after 9pm before the kids were all asleep. Hannah was kind enough to bring me some wine and chocolate while I waited. (To which Sammy said, “Mommy has a big wine cup” and Amaya said, “Mommy’s drinkin’.”) Once the fell asleep it was smooth sailing, though. I was able to take the monitor and sit outside with Hannah for a few hours. Another local triplet mom even came by to say hi.

Here we are well rested in the morning!

Breakfast time! Interestingly, both Amaya and Sammy wanted to sit in booster seats, not just on the chair. They said they wanted “coasters”.

After breakfast we walked to a beach on the lake. It was a good chance to see how Steven, Sammy and Amaya do with sand after last summer when Sammy was so, so hesitant. It took a few minutes for Amaya and Sammy to warm up but then they were off!

See Steven and Sammy there in the distance? Amaya was sitting on my lap because she was upset about being bit by horseflies. (“No bugs on legs!”) The boys were off playing totally independently which I love to see.

We had a taco lunch at the park.

Then it was back to the house and a drive home to Novi! We had such a great time. Hannah, her parents, and her girls were such gracious hosts and I’m proud of myself for diving into this awesome adventure.

On Monday, we did a quick finger paint project. Though “finger paint” is probably a generous description. It’s more like hand painting. Amaya was totally into it. She made 4 or 5 paintings and loved the whole process. Sammy was a little more tentative but was still willing to get his hands dirty and give it a try. Oddly, Steven did not want to touch the paint. The closest he got (besides the paint on his clothing) was a finger in the yellow paint. One look at it and he wanted us to clean him up.

Tuesday morning was beautiful so we got outside early. We went for a 45 minute walk around the neighborhood, spent some time playing on the front lawn, and then had fun with bubbles in the back. This was all before Grandma Sunshine arrived to take Steven to her home for a sleepover.

After Megan left on Tuesday we decided to mix things up a bit. Usually we watch a little bit of tv to wind down but it was gorgeous weather outside and I only had 2 of the kids home with me. Instead of tv time, we ventured outside for 45 minutes of play time. So much fun! We ran around the grass, did somersaults and just generally had a great time breaking routine.

I don’t have any photos of Steven at Grandma’s house but I do have a story to share. Grandma and Steven were talking about Daddy going to the workplace so she put his big head in the car. Steven said, “Big Daddy can’t drive. He has no hands.” That’s good thinking, Steven!

While Steven was adventuring with Grandma at the tractor supply store and the local airport, Sammy, Amaya, Megan and I went to Maybury Farm. It was a beautiful day and we were able to meet up with another triplet family while we were there. Sammy even got up the nerve to touch a donkey and a pig. He sure did miss Steven, though. He told me he wanted to “hold Bobo’s hand.”

The farm has a story time which gave us a chance for our first ever story time! Sammy and Amaya did great. They sat patiently on their carpet squares waiting for the stories to start and were engaged through 2 stories. I can’t believe how old they are!

Then, before we knew it, Steven was home to us! (But very sad to say goodbye to Grandma Sunshine.)

Thursday we had plans to meet up with another triplet mom at the Toledo Zoo. The weather was terrible, though, so we made a last minute call to go to the Imagination Station in Toledo, instead. One of her sons got sick on the way so, unfortunately, they didn’t make it. But we had a fantastic time! This was one of my favorite recent outings with the kids.

When we arrived the preschool area was empty which gave the kids time to really explore on their own terms. After a quick visit to the tree house (Sammy) and the doll hospital (Steven and Amaya), everyone got busy at the grocery store.

SSA also loved the water table area just as much as last time. It’s such a great play space for little kids.

Construction man Steven!

We had a lot of fun at this little station where balls float over a column of air.

Sammy’s face!

Amaya was beside herself putting her face in the airflow. I can’t remember seeing her get such a kick out of something. It was beyond cute.

Jason’s developed the sweetest bedtime routine with the kids. Their book basket becomes a rocket ship and everyone blasts off into their cribs.

Finally, for the week, on Friday Steffie came by for a play date with Steven, Sammy and Amaya. They were so happy to see her. Nine times out of ten, when we sing happy birthday we have to include Stephanie in the mix. They love their Steffie.

Steven this week!

Mr. Sock Hand.

Sammy this week!

Amaya this week!

Have a great week!

Happy Father’s Day to the best daddy Steven, Sammy and Amaya could ever have!

I think the highlight of the day was probably this special afternoon treat. Ball cards and Tigers Baseball in bed with Daddy!

Morning cuddles for the boys.

Father’s Day brunch at Deadwood, our favorite family spot.

Steven, Sammy and Amaya love their daddy!

On Monday we had the great pleasure of going to the zoo with the Lee family. Once again, penguins and seals were a hit. The kids were a little nervous about the penguins at first but warmed up quickly and didn’t want to leave. The area with the kangaroos is an open area where you walk through a path right in the kangaroos’ habitat. Before we went in, I asked Steven if he wanted to walk or ride in the stroller. He said, “Ride the kangaroo.” I explained that we don’t ride the kangaroos. He nodded and said, “Just horsies.” His memory is unreal.

Amaya was wearing a dress with a button on the back. The boys were so fascinated by it and kept trying to undo her button. She had to throw out many “all dones” and “no thank yous”. Who’s in charge of Amaya’s body? “Amaya!”

We’re rotating through puzzles and this is a great one for SSA’s age. It requires them to match the colors and all of the pieces are the same shape.

Wednesday was our end of the year picnic at school. One last hurrah and one last chance to thank our amazing EI teachers. At the picnic we learned that all of the kids can eat raw baby carrots without issue. (Though we made a point to give them thin ones so they’re easier to bite.) They also do really well with mini bell peppers. Much easier than cutting the big ones!

I love, love, love this picture.

Sweeping with crayons.

You can see how curious Amaya is about the thing in her hand. It’s a piece of cylindrical foam but it was in with a bucket of chalk so she’s trying to figure out exactly what it is.

Lots of water table time this week. We’re working on keeping the water in the table. The big game is just dumping it out one cup or bucket at a time. Which is fine, from a play perspective. Who cares, right? It’s just nice when you don’t have to keep refilling it again and again. (And, yes, I could just tell them that if they empty it they’re done but I don’t feel that strongly about it. It’s a great way to pass time and they love playing with water.)

Steven pouring water on Sammy’s back. Two seconds later Sammy was “all done” with this game. Of course, later in the week Steven was annoyed because Amaya was putting water on his back.

We do still play indoors. Here’s a quick snapshot of three gloriously independent kids. (Don’t poke the bear!) Steven is working on some puzzles. Sammy is playing with balls by the slide. Amaya is calling Nana and Savta.

On Friday we had our bi-weekly play date with  Anna, Ben and Sam. This week big brother Joe joined them, as well, and it’s been reported that my kids were totally enamored with Joe.

Amaya is on a mission. Like a boss.

On Saturday we went to our friend Julia’s house for a play date with Austin, Caleb and Lucas. There were three other families there which made for 2 sets of triplets, 3 sets of twins and 2 older siblings. Steven, Sammy and Amaya were definitely tentative at first, Sammy in particular. After a short while he came and told me he was ready to go home. My sweet boy. He sat on my lap for a while until he got more comfortable and then he was off!

Steven is telling me about his pine cones.

I asked Sammy to hold his pine cone up for a picture. He’s literal.

Grilled cheese and berries for lunch! The kids did great eating picnic style.

Ninety degree heat doesn’t stop us from dress up time. Steven put on his hat and everyone else needed to follow suit.

When it’s not hats, it’s headbands.

Recently I mentioned that we dropped Amaya’s crib to keep her from climbing out. The transformation is complete! It was very easy with the boys. After seeing Amaya’s “big girl” crib they were excited for “big boy” cribs of their own. No toddler beds here. I’m on team #CribsForLife.

Steven this week!

Sammy this week!

Holding something up for the camera. 🙂

Amaya this week!

This girl can focus.

We always bathe the kids together but Amaya was at the grocery store with Jason when I gave the boys baths on Saturday. As a result, Amaya got the bathtub to herself. Holy cow, she was in heaven! She made use of every square inch of space in the tub. I’m going to have to think through options for the kids to have solo baths a bit more often.

Final photo of the week! Our stuffed animals. I swore we’d never have a ton of stuffed animals in our house but there you have it. The kids love them and legitimately play with all of them so here we are.

Have a great week!

Once again, the week was packed full of jam. One thing I’m noticing is that Steven, Sammy and Amaya are interacting a lot more. For a long time the just sort of circled around each other and fought over toys but now they’re talking to each other and really starting to play together. I love it.

On Monday morning my friend Julie asked if we wanted to meet up with her trio at the farm center. It was impromptu and an easy “yes” on a gorgeous June day.

The kids are getting more and more comfortable though Amaya, the only girl, did spend the first 20 minutes or so being carted around in her wagon like Cleopatra.

Both boys spent time trying to pull Amaya in the wagon. It was really cute.

Once Steven learned he could pull the wagon there was no stopping him!

I love this dress. It was Charlie’s and it’s a little fancy for the farm but you’ve got to wear it somewhere!

Steven holding his “tree”.

Tuesday was our last music class! It’s been such a great opportunity to grow! The class really stretched Steven, Sammy and Amaya in all sorts of areas including socialization and gross motor skills. I’m so glad I had a chance to experience the class with them.

We’re working on holding hands when we walk places from the car. (For now, always when it’s right to the sidewalk.)

We’re going to miss the music time and all of this great play equipment!

During bubble time and the final songs, Steven was busy, busy, busy on the little coaster. Both he and Amaya mastered doing it by themselves. It would be a great backyard toy for us.

At the end of every class we hold a parachute and kids can sit in the center and go around in a circle. None of my kids were ever willing to try it. Ever. Until this last class when Amaya went for it! I was so proud!

Monday evening I completed the circuit and took Amaya out for dinner. She’s so cute and sharp and sassy. I was drawing shapes for her and broke the green crayon. I told her I’d try to get another one from the waitress. When the waitress came and left 10 minutes later, Amaya wasn’t having it. She remembered that I was supposed to ask for a new green crayon and I need to remember that there’s no more pulling one over on these kids.

Sammy and Steven held down the fort while Amaya and I were out.

On Wednesday we checked out another farm that’s about 2 miles from our house. It’s fantastic! It’s a big open space with a ton of animals, a small play area and an 11am story time. The only downside to this particular trip was that the temperature was only in the high 50s while we were there and it was windy. I can’t wait to go back when we can enjoy it a bit more.

It warmed up enough after the farm that we were able to have a lunch picnic outside. The kids do okay with it and they definitely like the occasional change in routine.

Thursday was our last day of EI school. There’s a school picnic next week but that’s it for the year. Booooo. 🙁 It’s such a great program! I’m thrilled, of course, that we won’t qualify in the fall but it was an awesome opportunity for Steven, Sammy and Amaya to attend.

We had another opportunity to practice holding hands.

This is Dawn, our primary classroom teacher. She also did Sammy’s in-home visits from 9 months old until he turned 2. We love Dawn.

Playtime!

Amaya did every puzzle on the puzzle table. Her concentration is amazing.

We wrapped up the morning with time on the school playground. This week, Amaya and Steven both tried the big kid swings. Sammy also went down a few new big boy slides. I’ll have to be sure to keep it up with playground visits over the summer.

Swinging with Mommy

On the way out to the car, Sammy wasn’t excited about holding hands and tried to run off. He had a hard fall onto the concrete. It happens, but what amazed me most is that he’s old enough to diligently hold an ice pack on his head. These kids keep surprising me.

That frown above went away the minute he realized I was taking a picture.

We had two awesome families come to visit today (Sunday).

The Kotres came in the morning for some play time outside and a bagel brunch.

The Lees came in the afternoon for a delicious dinner grilled by Jason. We haven’t seen Mike, Kerith and Annabel in two years but it always feels like yesterday.

We’re spending a lot of time outside these days. I brought some of the kids’ inside toys outside to help contain and entertain them on the grass. (No fence, remember?)

We tested out our little sprinkler attachment and I wanted to flush the hose first. Steven and Sammy were super fascinated. I think they could have spent all afternoon just filling buckets with water.

Amaya is obsessed with the rocks under our deck. I never considered that they’d provide hours of entertainment but she just sits there and plays with total concentration.

Filling a bucket with water from the sprinkler.

Sammy is so cute playing baseball. “I batting!,” he says!

Amaya has figured out our climber! She’s gaining so much confidence!! You’ll also notice her bathing suit shorts. The little itty bitty bottoms from her suit are no way to play outside so I swapped them out for bottoms from the boys’ suits. Much more appropriate for an active two year old.

Amaya helping Sammy climb.

We still have a lot of play time indoors. Coloring, blocks, cars, little people, musical instruments…

Every night at 6pm we put the tv on and watch musical shows like Little Baby Bum and Mother Goose Club until it’s time for bed. It’s quite time and cozy time.

Amaya sitting on Sammy’s lap. (Deranged toddler smiles.)

Snow boots in June.

Little crossed legs.

No one lounges like Sammy.

Amaya sitting in Steven’s lap.

Mommy and the gang!

Modern mommying… playing on my phone while the kids watch TV.

Wrapping up the week – I tried to have a breakfast picnic on Saturday morning but Steven wasn’t having it. He insisted on eating in his seat while Sammy and Amaya ate on the blanket. We won’t be trying this again any time soon.

Steven this week!

Sammy this week! (Wearing a t-shirt that says “I love my nerdy dad.” I bought it before we even started trying for kids. Well, kid. We were trying for one kid. Which is why there’s one shirt.)

Amaya this week!

Finally, when your two year old boys want to try on their sister’s dresses you say yes.

Have a great week!

It’s possible this is the first time in 28 months I skipped a week of the blog. Is that crazy? It seems impossible to me that I’ve actually kept this up for so long but here we are!

Through our early intervention school we had a chance to go to the Real Life Farm. There’s a barn with animals to pet, a hay ride and horse rides. It seems that they only bring people in in groups so it was a cool opportunity to check it out.

Steven was all about the animals, especially the cats, kittens and rabbit. No fear at all. If I recall correctly, he even pet a cow. He drew the line at feeding the goat oats, though, which Sammy stepped up for. Amaya wasn’t having any of it. At all. It was crowded. There were animals walking around on leashes. It was hot. She spent most of the time glued to Megan’s side.

Steven, attempting to bottle feed a goat.

Steven, sort of holding a kitten.

The boys wanted to hug the kittens. Tight. We still have a lot to learn about the fragility of baby animals.

Sammy, sort of holding a kitten.

Amaya, doing her best to remain calm.

Between the barn and the hayride we had some time to run around where I think Amaya was so happy to be free of the animals she couldn’t help but give out big hugs.

Hay ride! It was a hot day. The hay ride went through some shady areas but I think it was too long for toddlers. Maybe too long for adults, too.

Horse rides!! We were going to skip the horse rides and just eat lunch at a picnic table but Steven really wanted to ride a horse. In fact, he said, “Bobo ride big brown horse.” There were ponies available but Steven wasn’t having any of that.

Sammy, much to my surprise, was also excited to ride a big horse! I think it’s time to stop assuming what will or won’t scare my kids.

Amaya wanted to ride a horse and kept saying so but she just couldn’t get the nerve to go through with it. We did celebrate the great job Amaya did watching horses and maybe next time she’ll be ready to ride.

We had a pb&j picnic lunch after horseback riding, supplemented by most of the crackers Megan brought to eat herself. Thanks for sharing, May May!

It was time for a follow-up appointment for Steven’s orthotics. You can see in this picture how nervous he was. When I asked if he was nervous he said, “yeah”, in the sweetest, smallest little voice. He was a champ, though, and our orthotist, Robert, is awesome with kids. The verdict is that he’s made great progress on his left side but still has a lot of pronation on his right side so he’ll be in the orthotics for at least another 6 months.

The next day, Steven had a quick pediatrician appointment after school because he’d been randomly spitting up. (It’s stopped.) He was a champ. Even when he was visibly nervous he soldiered on. For some reason, standing on a scale has been a big fear of his. I did it first, this time, and then he was able to do it, too. Later he told me he got on the scale “just like mommy.” Melted my heart a bit.

After the appointment I decided we should walk down the street to get lunch together. The last 3 times we’d been out one on one was for a doctor appointment and I didn’t want him to start associating our alone time with medical appointments. It was so great! I wasn’t really prepared but we made napkin bibs for both of us and shared chicken bites and mozzarella sticks. Steven, being Steven, narrated the entire experience. “Two fans going round and round. Two very big TVs on. Lady. Lady came back. Lady came back with milk for Bobo. Lady go over to mans.” This one on one time just fills me up to bursting.

Thursday afternoon I was off to Portland, OR for Bitcherie Weekend 9.0 and the kids were ready to see me off. I was unusually emotional leaving them, maybe because of how much time we’ve spent together lately.

Here I am, having fun with some of the best people I know!

In the meantime, the kids had a great time at home with Daddy, Grandma Sunshine, Megan and Stephanie.

I think Steven and Sammy look so similar in this picture. I don’t usually see a resemblance but I think they definitely look like brothers here.

Amaya, as she does.

Playtime with Stephanie on Saturday morning.

Amaya, putting shorts over shorts. Again, as she does. She’s either in a state of overdressing or undressing. 🙂

Morning photo sent from Grandma Sunshine!

On Tuesday afternoon, when I returned, Megan and I took the kids to a local shoe store to get some summer sandals. Amaya and Sammy will wear theirs as their primary shoes and Steven will wear his when he’s playing in water and can’t wear his orthotics.

Steven, ready to be measured.

Sammy is so excited about his cool new Keens!

Too cool for school.

Hot Stuff Amaya had a choice between turquoise Keens and another pair of pink sandals. Pink! Pink! Pink! No question in her mind that she wanted the pink ones.

The whole gang.

On Wednesday we took everyone to the splash pad! We were able to go twice late last summer after Steven finally started walking. They were some of the littlest there, by far, and also new walkers so it was fun but a little overwhelming. On Wednesday we were the first ones there so everyone got to acclimate before the crowds came. Steven and Sammy dove right in. Amaya needed a little coaching from Megan. They did great, though, and probably had a good 20 minutes to play before it was packed.

We’re nearing the end of EI school. Only 2 weeks left! This week’s focus in the “ball room” was on fitness so they had all sorts of little kid exercise equipment. It was so cute.

Steven pushing Amaya on the elliptical.

As always, gathered around the sensory bin.

These bags were a great end of the year project. Everyone got to choose their own colors.

After class ended we had some playtime on the playground. It was a big day for us! Sammy tried out the big kid swing. “Flying high in the sky like a bird!” Both Steven and Amaya went down a huge twisty slide. Amaya was nervous but she wanted to do it and pushed herself. Twice!

Twisty slide!

Thursday afternoon there was a garage sale down the block and I wanted to check out the clothing. It was lunchtime so we packed up sandwiches and clementines and made a wagon picnic for lunch. SSA did so well. They sat and ate and calmly asked me for more food when they needed it but I was easily able to shop the clothing.

After the great lunch with Steven, I decided to do the same thing with Sammy and Amaya. Thursday night was Sammy’s turn for a one on one dinner with Mommy. First we stopped at the tailor to pick up a pair of pants for Jason. He was very proud of himself for helping.

The Sammy Smile.

We sat outside and enjoyed some mac & cheese together. It was a prefect evening out with my Sam Man.

Thursday afternoon, the Megan took Steven, Sammy and Amaya for a play date at Ben & Sam’s house. Everyone suited up for water fun.

Poor Amaya didn’t initially understand that, if the slide lands in the water, so does she.

Saturday was gorgeous so early in the morning the whole family headed outside. The key is to get outside by 8:30am so we can enjoy the sun without worrying about sunblock.

Summer means watermelon!

Summer also means haircuts. This was round 2 of the Daddy-do. It went much better than the first time with far fewer tears. Steven was fidgety but calm. Sammy was extremely anxious but didn’t cry. He did have to finish his haircut on my lap. Amaya doesn’t know that she only got a pretend haircut. She was all in, though. So was Jason.

Post-haircut cuddles.

Today my friend Julia came over for a play date with her boys who will be 2 next month. Total chaos and lots of fun! I’m so lucky to have made so many local triplet mom friends. None of us are are phased by the tornado that comes with 3 two year olds.

SSA are starting to play with each other so much more. Here, Steven was playing a game with Sammy and Whammy Puppy where Sammy would pop up and Steven would hold Whammy Puppy up to Sammy’s face. They fight like the best of siblings but it’s awesome to see them actually starting to play with one another.

It’s finally warm enough to actually put water in the water table. I love it but it’s also created a situation where the kids want water every time we go outside. Who wouldn’t?

Happy kids in their car seats!

Steven this week!

The deranged toddler smile, lol.

This kid loves his tutu.

Sammy this week!

Amaya this week!

My little non-climber is becoming a climber. Be careful what you wish for!

Amaya takes good care of baby Jenna. Here she is putting lotion on Jenna’s “‘gina” and giving her a good wipe down.

It’s good to end a diaper change with a bottle.

Have a great week!

This week started with a surprise. On Monday, Mr. Steven decided to strip naked at the end of his nap! We lucked out because it was not a clean diaper and it managed to land open side up when he tossed it on the floor. Ack! He was so proud of himself, too!

We’re trying out some new activities at home. It turns out that dry beans are a great time suck. The kids can play with them for ages, especially Amaya who loves to sort the beans by color and also pick them up and put them in containers. It’s made me think we should start doing more with color sorting.

Still at it. I think Amaya played with the beans for a good 45 minute stretch.

I saw this one at our EI school and also in my triplet group. It’s just a colander and pipe cleaners. The idea is to put the pipe cleaners in the colander to help with fine motor skills but the pipe cleaners are all sorts of unrelated fun.

Best new toy of the season first seen at our twin friends, Ben and Sam’s, house. A Home Depot Power Tool Kit! Now Steven, Sammy and Amaya can be like Daddy! The tool set comes with removable battery packs just like the real deal. They love it!

Amaya was ready to dive in immediately. I’m surprised she ever removed the goggles.

Sammy was nervous at first but Jason worked him through it and he was a champ!

It took Steven a few minutes on his own to get the hang of it and then he was go-go-go Construction Bobes.

You have to try to saw your arm off.

And drill Daddy’s face off.

Sammy had lots of fun with the safety goggles.

Even this morning, the tools were the first activity of the morning!

At music this week, Miss Amaya insisted on wearing  her hat. As toddlers do. She was consistent, though, and didn’t remove it for the entire class.

Tuesday to Wednesday, Amaya had an adventure sleeping at Grandma Sunshine’s house. They’re old enough now that we can talk about it in advance. On Tuesday she came over shortly before they left and said, “Ready!” When she got home, Sammy said, “Bobo go to Grandma Sunshine’s house now.” They all know that it’s Steven’s turn next. I had to explain that he’s not going right now so Sammy corrected to, “Bobo go to Grandma Sunshine’s house soon.”

On Wednesday morning, the boys got to enjoy the zoo along with Anna, Ben and Sam. They’ve come to expect hot pretzels as a zoo treat!

Wednesday afternoon fun with Grandma Sunshine after Amaya came back home to us.

We only have a few weeks left for early intervention school and then the kids will have officially graduated. We can go to some summer play classes but there’s no more formal weekly program. It was a great opportunity for them to grow and socialize. This week Steven actually played with another little boy spending some time rolling a big exercise ball back and forth to each other.

Sammy fell asleep on the way home from school which is always exciting to Steven and Amaya. “See Bubba sleeping!”

You can’t really tell but this is Amaya going in for a kiss.

Last weekend at Comic Con I saw some cool Star Wars t-shirts but they didn’t have them in the right sizes so I ordered the online. So cute! Though getting them all to stand still for a photo isn’t as easy as it used to be.

Amaya is using the force to get Moo, her cow puppet.

We had lots and lots of time outside this week. The weather has been all over the place but always nice enough to get out.

Someone has decided to start climbing into the water table.

Sammy, refusing to come inside. He thought it was hysterical that we were all back in the house and he was still outside.

On Thursday, Ben and Sam came for a play date.

Early Saturday morning we tried out our new bubble machine.

Bubbles on bellies, just like at music class.

Today, our friends Liam, Kayla and Makenzie came over for a play date. We pulled out our climber, which SSA are getting more used to and starting to explore more. It helps when your friends can climb to the top!

Amaya made it all the way to the top but wasn’t sure what to do next and wanted to swing over. It’s really cool to see her exploring and pushing her limits. When we first got this, she didn’t even want to touch it.

This afternoon, for the first time, I went out in the yard with the kids by myself. Without fences I wasn’t sure how it would go but it was great. Everyone seemed to understand I was serious when I said we were a team and stuck together. No one tried to run off anywhere that concerned me. It’s really exciting because I wasn’t sure it was possible. I accept that there are some things we just can’t do with triplet toddlers but it’s nice to discover something is safely doable. Amaya also wanted to get on the climber again. Even the boys joined it. They still have to figure out what they’re doing but it’s cool to see them take an interest.

I took a million selfies with the kids.

Steven has learned to smile so he’s the “deranged toddler smile” phase.

Funny faces!

Jail break into the library!

Proud girl!

Years ago, Jason got me this giraffe from Borders. It’s been in the nursery closet for the past 2.5 years and today I finally thought to take it out and let the kids play with it. It’s been determined by my children that she’s a girl and her name is Julia Big Giraffe.

Amaya stole her nose.

The boys wanted to steal her nose, too.

One last random group photo of play doh time with Megan.

Steven, this week!

In Mommy’s sweater.

Showing me his food. (Sorry folks. I think it’s adorable.)

Holding hands with Baby Doll while he eats. (Amaya was a Grandma Sunshine’s house.)

A MESS. Such a mess.

Deranged toddler smile.

Sammy, this week!

Deranged toddler smile.

After nap, Sammy didn’t want to get up. He wanted Steven to rub his back. Related, tonight Sammy tripped and fell in the nursery. (“What hurts?” “My face.” lol) Both Steven and Amaya rushed to comfort him with hugs, back rubs and his water cup. It was so sweet.

Baby Doll is a sack of ‘tatoes.

I have a Sammy story to share. At nap time I was trying to get everyone to go upstairs and Sammy wasn’t having it. I let him know it was time to come upstairs for naps but he wanted to play. I brought Amaya up and fully expected to have to bring Sammy upstairs kicking and screaming. Instead, I found Sammy and Steven climbing up the stairs. When I praised them, Sammy put his finger in his ear and said, “listening!” I was so proud. Practically proud to tears! It’s Megan who’s been working with the kids on using their “listening ears” and it’s amazing to see him put it all together like that.

Amaya, this week!

Reading intently with some crazy bed head.

A pipe cleaner flower bouquet, compliments of Megan.

Crazy child. Amaya climbed up into Sammy’s seat and buckled herself into his booster seat. It was pretty impressive.

Finally, this week, a look at what it takes to brush teeth every night.

No blog until Tuesday. Next weekend I’ll be off in Portland with some of the best girlfriends a girl can have. Nine years running. LNVE to the ladies I’ll see next weekend.

This weekend was another great visit from Nana and Savta. They came in Thursday night and stayed through dinner on Sunday. It’s so much fun that we can prep the kids in advance so they know to expect Nana and “Fa Faf” after naps. Our 3 bees were very excited to see two of their favorite visitors.

On Friday we all went back to the zoo. Three trips in 8 days!

Amazing how geese can be as exciting as a tiger.

Almost as exciting! We aw a tiger! That’s a benefit of showing up early on a cool day. The animals aren’t hiding from the heat.

Amaya was checking out the zoo map, trying to decide our next move.

Sammy smiles for the camera.

The highlight of the zoo trip was this. FEEDING GIRAFFES. I love giraffes. They have knobby knees and long eyelashes and long prehensile tongues and they ware awesome. I bought a $5 ticket to feed a giraffe and was near-tears excited about it. The ticket allowed two adults up on the platform, plus kids. You got 2 leaves to feed to the giraffes. Steven is the only one I knew would be calm with the feeding and I was pretty certain that Amaya wouldn’t want to get very close. The plan was that Steven and I would do the feeding with one leaf each and my mom would take pictures. Sammy wanted to see everything so Savta walked with him up the line to the platform while Steven and I fed the (amazing) giraffe. Which was as cool as I anticipated. Steven did great! He was calm and fed this leaf to the giraffe like such a big kid.

When we were done, Sammy started crying that he wanted to feed a giraffe with mommy, too!! Uh oh!! We used up our turn and you can’t buy the experience right there.  Plus, it was sold out. I took my chances and explained to the zoo staff that I had a son who was crying to feed the giraffe like his brother. She took pity on me and let me jump back at the front of the line with one leaf so Sammy could have a chance, too. He did great!! it was so much fun!

Proud Sammy.

After the giraffes we had lunch at the zoo and called it a day!

The next BIG excitement of the weekend was Motor City Comic Con. This year, the main draw for us was Brent Spiner who played Commander Data on Star Trek: TNG. The kids did great while we waited on a looooooooong line to get inside.

The family that cons together, stays together!

Just the weekend activity Nana and Savta were hoping for.

Amaya loved sparkly, pink costumes.

We had a slow moving line for autographs and decided to ask Savta to watch the wagon while Jason, Nana and I managed the kids. All things considered, I was really impressed with how they did during the wait.

It was our turn! I told Spiner that the kids were exited to meet him and he said, “No, they’re not.” Which is true. But Jason and I were excited for them to meet him! They’re going to grow up with all of these personalized autographs from actors their mom and dad loved, haha. Spiner was incredibly gracious and recommends we check out an Indian restaurant in London called, Amaya. 🙂

Nana and Savta set up a grocery store in the house. Food was in different sections. Sammy had a grocery list. Amaya had the money. Savta was the cashier.

It was a fun, easy weekend with lots of together time.

Brunch out, where my kids ate at TON.

Besides the weekend events, we were jam packed with activities during the week.

Tuesday was music. Getting them in is easy. Getting them to leave is a little more challenging.

On Wednesday we went to the Ann Arbor Hands On museum. So much fun and considerably easier than on a weekend. Steven was so cute in the fireman’s uniform. I think he’d live in it if he could.

Holding hands!

A “picnic” lunch outside the museum.

Mr. Jelly Face. And hands.

On Thursday we went to Funtastic for some climbing fun. Sammy was a brave guy and conquered his fear of climbing through the mesh netting to go down the big slide. Amaya was completely fascinated by two older boys, maybe 6 yo, and their activities. She stood right next to them watching them play.

Steven really likes to organize chairs.

We loooooooove books. Book, books and more books. Right now our favorites are The Snowy Day, Go Dog Go and the Jewish holiday books from PJ library.

This week our big kids tried their first real sandwiches other than PB&J – turkey and cheese. Someday I’m sure they’ll tease me for celebrating “first sandwiches” but it’s a big deal when they can eat convenient, healthy, easy to make foods like sandwiches.

An even bigger deal… new seats at the table. We got ride of our high top bar-style table and went back to our regular kitchen table with booster seats. It’s really nice to have a table that fits us all and this feels like another step forward toward big-kid status.

Amaya approves!

Steven, this week!

He loves to buckle and unbuckle the straps on their booster seats.

Moving chairs again. Strong Steven!

Of course I’m not sure about his end goal with that one. 🙂

Sammy, this week!

Sammy is so funny. He picked up his baby doll and used her hand to hit himself in his head.  He then said, “Baby doll hit Bubba” and proceeded to put her in a time out in our time out chair.

Sammy, getting hugs from his sister.

Amaya, this week!

I love when she’ll let us do her hair with one ponytail in the back. She far prefers pigtails these days, though.

Amaya’s pirate smile.

Cuddles on the deck.

This week we are going to REST. Until Grandpa Homey and Grandma Betsy come to visit this weekend, that is!

Happy Mother’s Day!

It still brings me to tears to think that I’m a member of this club. I wanted it so badly, for so long, and I’m beyond grateful that this is my journey. Even when the kids are near impossible and I could cry tears of frustration, I’m always, always grateful.

To celebrate the day, Steven, Sammy, Amaya, Jason, Grandma Sunshine and I headed to the zoo. We have our annual passes again (thanks Nana and Papa!) and, while the kids went to the zoo with Megan on Friday, this was our first family trip of the year.

As she does, Amaya made a point not to look at the camera once she realized we were taking pictures.

Hot pretzels! They’re seriously delicious. Doughy, buttery and salty. Pretzel perfection.

We visited the new penguinarium. It’s a timed entrance and fairly crowded. You also have to walk down a long winding ramp to get to some underground tunnels. The boys did great but Amaya was pretty nervous throughout the experience. I think Steven could have spent all day watching the penguins.

Checking out two red koala bears. (Two ones!) It’s really cool that the kids are finally old enough to get out of the wagon to look at animals. It’s also tough because they don’t always want to go in the same direction as the group.

Amaya, reminding me who’s really in charge. Hint: It’s not me.

My loot. Sammy picked out the ball cards. I will keep them new-in-pack forever. Thanks Bubba!

Thanks for spending Mother’s Day with us, Grandma Sunshine!

On Friday, Megan joined some other nannies on an outing to the zoo. We were ready to go early in our cool spring hats, all compliments of big cousin Chase.

For solo trips to places where you’re walking a lot, the Valco is still a good transportation choice. It’s a lot easier to push the stroller than to pull the wagon. It’s been months since the kids were in it with the joey seat but, by all accounts, they did great and it was a non-issue. The stroller still gets a lot of attention, though.

Lunch at the zoo, trying out the grown-up chairs.

Earlier in the week, we went back to the Kensignton Farm Center for a meet-up with three other local triplet families including my friend Carrie and her family who were in MI visiting from Texas. It was a gorgeous day and everyone did great. It’s nice that it’s such a small, enclosed environment because you can easily let the kids roam.

Steven, checking out the ducks.

Triplets everywhere!

Carrie’s husband, Chris, took some great photos of Steven and Amaya. Sammy said, “man no take pictures.”

We’re now able to eat lunch without our wagon tray. Whoo hoo! The kids used these to go cartons really well. (See Amaya intentionally looking away from the camera?)

Both Steven and Sammy touched a baby goat!

The whole gang!

On Wednesday, Julie (who was at the farm) came by for a play date with her boys. It was nice enough to spend time outside and we let everyone explore the backyard. Really explore it. The good news is that all of the neighbors to our left confirmed that it’s okay if our kids end up in their yards. Good thing because our development has a “no fences” rule. No fences is a tough setup when you have 3 two year olds let alone a play date that includes 2 eighteen month olds!

During the week we had more opportunities to get outside. These kids crack me up!

Steven, this week!

Lining up his cars.

He asked me to take a picture of him with this magazine.

Ruf is a ‘sack of tatoes’ on Steven’s shoulder.

Weight check at the pediatrician! From 18 months to 2 years Steven’s weight dropped from the 26th percentile to the 6th. That was a big enough change for them to want us to come back in 3 months to see his progress. He’s now at the 7th percentile which is still small but, since he hasn’t dropped further off his curve, there’s no real need for immediate concern. We just need to keep trying to push healthy fats and we’ll see where he is at his 30 month checkup in July. Poor kid was a wreck at the appointment, though. The minute we went into the room he started sobbing. “Go home now! Go home now!” Not a fun outing for either of us, but good news which is what mattered.

Steven pointed out the reflection of the tv in his ball. I honestly can’t believe he correctly uses the word “reflection”.

Mommy & Bobo

He took this clip from a balloon and was using it to pretend to cut his nails and to cut Monkey’s nails.

We’re making some changes to our kitchen table and Steven was Daddy’s helper, helping him carry the chairs into the kitchen and decide where to put them.

See Steven in the background under the table with Daddy?

Sammy, this week!

I don’t have a lot of solo Sammy photos this week but I do have some great videos of him singing.

Amaya, this week!

I don’t have many photos of Amaya this week, either, but I do love these two of us together. Amaya is testing limits and exerting control all the time now. I get it and I respect it but it is exhausting. Totally worth it, though.

Just a few more!

Megan and the kids!

Daddy, swarmed by toddlers who want to share his food.

And a few more of Mommy and her lovies. <3 <3 <3

Luckiest mom there is, except for mine! 😉 Have a great week!

Oh, baby! We had a quiet start to the week which ended with Mommy in Vegas. But we’ll get to that…

Steven, Sammy and Amaya are quite the cooks! The make a mean soup and they’ll even feed it to you.

At music this week it was the first time I pushed Sammy on the see-saw. I love how much he’s exploring and how much more he pushes himself. “Up and down, Mommy. Going up and down.”

Monkey needed a ride, too.

This was so cute. Steven was pushing Amaya and Big Monkey around and around and around.

Then they tag teamed.

Steven took Big Monkey in the swing with him.

The way the class works, the kids play for 20 minutes, then they have 20 minutes of music followed by another 15 minutes of play and 5 minutes of goodbye songs. When it’s time for music it’s sometimes hard to drag them away from playing. Amaya, in particular, has not wanted to come to the music circle when it’s time. I think it’s more a control issue than anything else so I’ve stopped forcing the issue. I turns out, if everyone else is in the music circle, she’ll follow on her own almost immediately.

Earlier in the year, Savta gave the kids money for a hannukah gift and birthday gift. I wanted to save it to use for outdoor activities and it’s time! On Thursday, Megan and I put together this outdoor climber. Steven, Sammy and Amaya don’t climb much, which has served us well, but I’m hoping they’ll get comfortable with this climber over the course of the summer. Right now, though, they’re not quite sure what to do with it. Good thing it’s only May 2nd! We have all summer to play.

Some photos from school on Thursday…

Steven – shaking his pom poms!

Sammy bouncing.

Sammy, working on putting pipe cleaners in a colander.

Steven and his cars.

Amaya, with popsicles and play-doh.

Megan reading to the kids.

SSA call their vitamins “vitaminutes”. Here they are looking carefully at my sour skittles which they are convinced are mommy’s vitaminutes. Works for me!

Thursday night, life continued as usual for the kids while their mommy jetted off to VEGAS for a triplet mom getaway. It was 24 triplet moms from my 2014 triplet group coming from all over the US plus a mom from Mexico!

See? Not missing a beat!

Friday fun times with Grandma Sunshine.

On Saturday morning, Stephanie came to take care of the kids.

Saturday afternoon, it was all Daddy time! Says Daddy, “Is this heaven? No, it’s Saturday afternoon snacks on the couch watching the Tigers.”

Dinner time with Daddy!

Super Amaya, sleeping.

Sunday, Anna came by to help hold down the fort.

Says Anna, “They were making a game of taking turns laying on my arm and saying, ‘Head stuck on Anna’s arm.’ and cracking up.”

To keep everyone happy when Daddy left to run some errands, Anna busted out our first ever snap chat filters. So much fun!

I know this blog is about the kids but the week recap wouldn’t be complete without some photos from my amazing Vegas getaway. It was so much fun! Just 72 hours of relaxation and laughter.

The front of our shirts say “Tearing up the strip without the trips” and the back says #freefromthree.

With three of my January mamas.

My roomie, and one of my due date buddies, Cecilia. <3

I’ll never stop saying how lucky I am to have such an incredible group of women to share this journey with.

Just a few more photos from the week.

Amaya has taken to removing her clothing after naps. Sometimes, like she did in these photos, she tries to redress.

Pants back on inside out.

Shirt back on. Sort of.

Turns out a bulk delivery of paper towels are great for stacking. Until the kids learn how to tear open the packages!

And, finally, I just received a quilt I had made with clothing from SSA’s first year. I absolutely love it. It’s an amazing keepsake.

Have a great week!