Monday I turned 40 and we had a very special day planned. Megan came a little later than usual so she could stay late while Jason and I went out for dinner. I had a lovely morning with the kids and it was warm enough to go outside after breakfast.

We found a frog on our toy chest! And the boys got new sunglasses as a gift from Megan. Such cool cats.

We have entered the phase where the kids, especially Amaya, want a say in what they wear. It makes for some amazing toddler ensembles. For sure I’d say it’s less about fashion and more about exerting control over what she wears, which I totally understand. For the boys, it’s more about the content of their outfits – wearing a woo woo truck or a digger, for example.

As a big birthday treat, Megan and I took the kids to meet Jason for lunch! It was Jason’s first workday lunch with the kids and very special for me.

Of course Mr. Sam Man fell asleep on the drive to lunch. In our toddler yearbook he’s definitely voted “most likely to fall asleep in the car.”

Family lunch!

On the way home, Steven and Amaya held hands at Amaya’s request.

In the afternoon, we donned some eclectic head wear and headed outside again to enjoy the sun. We finally busted out our chalk that Grandma Sunshine gave us for our 2nd birthday. It’s perfect for coloring on the deck!

This girl.

I had a great birthday, capped off my dinner with Jason and this amazing video.

Everyone had moments of great participation at music on Tuesday especially Steven who was playing up a storm. All three kids wanted to get in the action as Miss Marie’s helpers.

At school on Thursday we had lots of age appropriate activities we can make ourselves with items in our home.

These sealed sensory jars are full of all sorts of different foods: beans, noodles, rice, soda & more.

We will NOT try this at home. It’s birdseed!! The kids loved it. They spent a long time playing and spooning/shoveling birdseed into cups. It’s nice that they have these opportunities for this type of play.

I will try this at home. They’re colored sticks from the dollar store and Amaya’s pushing them into little holes in an empty oatmeal container. It’s great for fine motor skills.

Mr. Sam Man fell asleep on the way home from school much to the amusement of his brother and sister.

Sammy has a squishy face like his daddy.

Back in November I bought Hannukah shirts for the kids. I was very excited about them until my mom reminded me that shirts referencing matzah are not for Hanukkah. Uh, OOPS! I really don’t know what I was thinking. But the good news is that they’re perfect for Passover.

Here’s Amaya and her Matzo Matzo Men!

This year the kids are eating matzah for the holiday. They’re not keeping Passover but we’re still enjoying traditions where we can. We call it “matzah crackers” because they need some context for what they’re eating.

Raise your hands if you’re eating matzah!

Nana and Papa got us a bag of plush plagues that the kids are enjoying. You haven’t enjoyed Passover until you’ve experienced plush darkness. I could live without the plush boil, though. The definitely don’t get the point yet, but it’s a nice foundation at this age. I’m a big fan of the holiday. I love the traditions and I love the idea of acknowledging our freedom. It’s one I hope the kids love, too.

This week we made some new art for our art center in the playroom. The Halloween ghosts and Thanksgiving turkeys were getting a bit old. Amaya can sit and color for ages. She loves when I trace her hand. Sammy focuses for a short while but he’s usually done first. Steven colors in spurts and is almost always the first to rip his paper off the table. You can’t see it here but the table and one of the chairs are covered in crayon. It’s much better than the wall but we’re still working on the concept of only coloring on our paper.

A highlight of the week was a play date with a triplet family from outside Indianapolis. Courtney and I grew close from our 2014 triplet group and couldn’t miss the chance to get our families together while they were in town for a family event in Ann Arbor. It was so much fun and surprisingly easy. Everyone played well together and, at lunch, Amaya even wanted to sit with two of her new friends rather than in her seat at the table. I honestly can’t imagine doing this without the support and friendship of the triplet moms I’ve gotten to know over the past 2+ years.

Photos below are all shared with Courtney’s permission.

Now that it’s warmer I’m trying to get outside with SSA as often as possible. We have our cool shades for walks in the wagon and also hats, courtesy of Chase and Charlie. They looooooove the hats. I never know who’s going to want to wear which hat in any given moment. Today it was Chase’s tan fisherman’s hat for Steven, Charlie’s white hat for Amaya (too small) and Charlie’s pale pink hat for Sammy (close to too small). But one of the last things I’ll fight over are hats. It’s win/win if they love wearing them this summer.

TV time this week!

Amaya asked to sit on Sammy’s lap. Every now and then he’d say, “Amaya sit up.” She’d sit up for a minute and then he’d say, “Amaya sit back.” Too much for my heart!

Friday night, after seeing a video of our trip to the beach in August, all 3 of my children were adamant that I show them videos of kids on the beach. Thank goodness for YouTube! I think about how they’re growing up in this generation where they can make these kind of requests and I can fulfill them very easily. (Steven, Sammy and Amaya – if you’re reading this: when I was a kid there was no internet in people’s homes. YouTube did not exist. FaceTime did not exist. There was no such thing as a selfie. Ask me more. I’ll blow your minds.)

Auntie! This is for you. Amaya brought me this flash card and said “Auntie’s apple.” (For everyone else, when Aunt Anita came to visit 3 weeks ago she ate an apple. The kids still remember that.)

Helping Daddy clean for the guests.

Tonight I made chicken in my Instant Pot (pressure cooker) and the kids know there will be a steam release at the end. They never want to get too close when I do the quick release so here they are huddled with Daddy to watch.

Steven, this week!

He loves his hats from Chase & Charlie!

Wearing Charlie’s hat, looking out the window to see if he can see Nana’s airplane.

At dinner, Steven was holding his bib in his hands and dipping the end of his bib in his sauce & licking it off. (He was also putting it up his nose but that’s an entirely different story.) I firmly told him he had to wear his bib.His solution was to hold his bib up under his neck but, instead of closing it, he still found a way to use the end of his bib to eat up his sauce. Frankly, it was ingenious. He fulfilled my request and still got what he wanted.

Steven holding baby Jenna who is wearing a hat Grandma Sunshine made.

Sammy, this week!

This FACE.

Loving Charlie’s pink hat. Pink is Sammy’s signature color. He wears it well.

No one can lounge like this kid. His daddy tries but Sammy’s got size on his side.

Amaya, this week!

I just love Amaya in a back pony with a clip.

Can you believe this kid? She’s ready for her closeup.

And that glint in her eyes!

This is Amaya’s face when she’s taken something she shouldn’t have and doesn’t intend to give it back. My girl.

That’s all she wrote! Have a great week and Happy Passover to everyone celebrating!

I don’t know how so much happens in the week of three 2 year olds. They are busy kids! This week was our first dentist appointment. Yikes!! There are a handful of things that intimidate me to do in 3’s and this was one of them. We survived, though! The dentist and hygienists were totally prepared for us. We were in a double room so we could just switch sides between kids and not have to wait for them to get everything set up again. Everyone was initially taken by all of the toys the had available to play with.

Steven was first. He cried, cried, cried. Poor Bobo. Fortunately it’s a quick process. As expected, the dentist told me that Steven’s mouth is severely crowded. One of his top teeth came in crooked and, just looking in his mouth, you can see that he doesn’t have as much room as Sammy and Amaya. The dentist said “very, very crowded” more than once and also said that it gets worse when adult teeth come in so we’re going to have to start saving for Steven’s orthodontics fund now!

Sammy was up next. He cried, cried, cried. Poor Sam Man. But, again, it was over quickly. Great report for Sammy! No major issues.

Finally it was Amaya’s turn and she was as cool as a cucumber. Not a single tear from Miss Amaya. Atta-girl! Amaya’s mouth looks good but she does have some enamel issues on her two front teeth. Apparently it’s a fairly common preemie issue tied to halting the development of enamel when they’re born. The dentist said it could impact her adult front teeth and 6 year molars but we don’t know for sure and I didn’t ask what “impact” really means. I’ll follow-up on that in 6 months when we go back.

Thanks to Megan for being an amazing set of extra hands, as always.

Now that the weather is nicer we’ve resumed sleepovers with Grandma Sunshine. It was Sammy’s turn this week and he had a great time!

I love this photo of Grandma Sunshine and her babies. We took this when Sammy was returned home safe & sound. Steven and, especially, Amaya were very excited to have their brother home.

Sometimes it seems like Steven, Sammy and Amaya can’t be bothered with each other and other times all they want to do is hug and kiss. I guess that’s what it means to grow up siblings. Amaya was particularly focused on Sammy this week after missing him while he was at Grandma Sunshine’s house.

This Steven/Amaya hug started when they both wanted to hug Sammy and he was all done. I suggested they hug each other instead. <3

A big ol’ pile-on!

Evening tv time is still our wind down hour. Megan leaves and Steven says, “TV on.” I could set my watch to it.

This was sweet. Amaya sat with her leg on Steven and he played with her toes while he watched tv.

Sunglasses! I decided to see if the infant sunglasses from the past two summers still fit. They do. Sort of. But Megan magicked 2 pair of regular toddler sunglasses out of her car and the kids love them. Their old ones, too, but especially these. We sat through a few meals made more manageable for the fact that the kids were in their shades.

(Megan photobomb!)

Our big adventure of the week was a visit from Nana and Papa!! They came to celebrate my pre-birthday weekend with me and arrived early Friday afternoon. We were fortunate to have a gorgeous weekend and spent a lot of time outside.

Neighborhood walk on Friday afternoon.

Bedtime stories with Nana.

On Saturday we all went to the Farm Center at Kensington Metro Park. Nana and I had been there with the kids once before in the fall. It’s a great space for kids and they are all much more familiar with the specific animals this spring. Steven is still intrepid and adventurous and walked right up to all of the animals.

In the afternoon, we spent time exploring our own backyard. We’ve spent most of the past 2 summers on our deck so the unfenced yard is still a new experience.

Apparently we all got the “blue shirt” memo.

Saturday night the grown-ups all went out to dinner to celebrate my birthday. I had a special moment with Amaya while I got ready. It was the first time she helped me get read to go out. The first time of many, many, many, I hope!

Sammy was sad to see Nana leave for dinner but Steffie held down the fort and got him back on track.

Desert at home after dinner! Such a great night!

This morning, Nana, Papa, SSA and I took advantage of the great weather and went to play at Maybury Park.

When we were walking along this path to the playground, Amaya got agitated and wanted me to pick her up. I asked her what was upsetting her, what was making her nervous and she said, “Nervous about trees.” In Jason’s words, the kids’ ability to talk is going to be handy. I was able to pick Amaya up, calm her down, and then get her comfortable with the big trees. We had a great time at the park!

Daddy is doing a fantastic job priming the kids for ball cards. They’re already obsessed.

And we rounded out our weekend with a Sunday afternoon walk. Sammy wanted to stay in with Jason so Nana, Papa and I took Steven and Amaya on a walk around the neighborhood.

We loved having you here, Nana & Papa!!

Just a few more highlights from earlier in the week.

Music class!

Sammy, before we asked him to smile.

Sammy, after we asked him to smile.

My children eating their food with no hands. I don’t know. They might be channeling Sally.

Steven and Amaya rubbing Sammy’s back.

The morning devastation to the playroom.

Steven, this week!

Steven is so imaginative these days. Here he was having his monkey play the piano. He reads books all the time and tells stories about the pictures. He says hi to everything. Trees, cars, animals, every character in his books. He turns his food into objects that he’s eating – boats, cows, cars, trucks. I love it.

Sammy, this week!

The kids were in bed when I got back from taking Nana and Papa to the airport. Amaya was crying so I went into the nursery and Sammy said, “Mommy got off the plane. Came home to Bubba.” Despite what Jason had told him he thought I was getting on the airplane. And then he thought I got off and came home to him. LOVE.

Smelling his feet.

Amaya, this week!

French braid!

Have a great week!

Adventure time!! Over the past two and a half years I’ve been so fortunate to build amazing friendships with other triplet moms. I can’t imagine this journey without friends who understand the ins and outs of this wild ride. We brainstorm together, share ideas, support each other and many of us have become great friends. I “met” Heather back when we were both pregnant and our babies were born within weeks of each other. Today we had the opportunity to finally meet in person! Our families met in Toledo at the Imagination Station and then went out for dinner.

The Imagination Station was awesome. The little kids section has a ton of activities including a small doll hospital, a grocery store, a tree house, and water tables. We lucked out with the grocery store because, when we packed up to head to Toldeo, Sammy was really hoping we were going to the grocery store.

Amaya tending to a baby in an isolette, just like the one she was in when she was born.

Playing with the water tables. There were a number of different set ups, all certain to soak an eager 2 year old.

Steven cared for a patient in the ambulance.

Driving a tractor!

Amaya and her buddy Hadley. I can’t believe the similarities between Amaya and Hadley. Same coloring, same size, same hair. Heather and I noticed it in photos but it was even more striking in person.

The restaurant was fun and chaotic. Everyone else there was lucky there was a back room to stick our group because we had some hangry kids when we arrived. Just loud, rambunctious and fussy. A little applesauce did the trick, though, and magically calmed 6 toddlers in an instant.

The whole gang!

It was a great day, and an exhausting one!

Even outside of our trip to Toledo it was a busy week! On Monday, Megan and Stephanie took the kids to the mall play area and for pizza and chinese food in the food court. It’s a fast and relatively easy way to get out of the house.

Tuesday was music class. It’s actually called “Play and Make Music” which is why there are so many photos of the kids playing. This week Steven and Sammy were very excited to swing in Dolphin and Caterpillar and Amaya was eager to help them out.

Mommy lending a hand.

As always, my kids are Miss Marie’s helpers.

Thursday was school. On the way to school Steven kept saying, “Bike at school. Bike at school.” Well there is a bike at school and Steven spent a good 20 minutes riding it. They have three bikes. One has a push handle for adults. One is self propelled by little toddlers. Then there’s this bike that’s too advanced for Steven to ride on is own but doesn’t have a push handle. Of course it’s the one he wanted to ride so I sacrificed my back to help him to up and down the hall again and again and again. He was in heaven!

After school we went to Boston Market. A first for us! It’s actually a great place to go with the kids. They have inexpensive kids meals with turkey or chicken, cornbread and a side and the offer milk and table service. Thumbs up!

On Friday we had our bi-weekly play date with Ben & Sam. This week we went to Ben & Sam’s house for the first time.

Watching backyard construction. The kids saw real-life cement mixer!

On Saturday, my friend Molly got married and it was an all day affair so we were lucky that Stephanie was available to babysit from 1pm- 11pm. SSA love Steffie. They woke up this morning still talking about her.

These don’t look like kids worried about waking up from their nap to find Steffie there instead of mommy and daddy.

And these don’t look like two parents who had any reason to be worried about their kids. Aren’t we all lucky!?!

So, peas. PEAS. Steven, Sammy and Amaya like to eat peas but, today, they decided all of their peas were better off on the floor. So many peas. Jason decided they could clean the peas up themselves so we got them little cups and put them to work. It’s definitely a game to them but it got the job done. No more peas for a little while.

Bath time

Lots of together time!

We’re working on smoothies as a way to add calories to Steven’s diet. The kids like emotional support while the smoothies are blending. The noise unnerves them.

Steven work up from a nap and was still tired so we cuddled for a bit. Amaya wanted in on the action and spent some time rubbing Steven’s back. They love to rub each other’s backs.

Sammy being Sammy.

Evening tv time.

Amaya went to the grocery store to get groceries for family. When she came home, she showed her purchases to her brothers and daddy.

Steven this week.

Trying to decide what he thinks about smoothies.

Megan was doing her best to convince Steven to give it a try. She was explaining that his trucks like to eat smoothies, too.

This face is classic Steven. He was agreeing with Megan about how the trucks love to drink smoothies.

Curls

Pre-bath cuddles.

Ready for a haircut from daddy! Well, sort of ready. It took some cajoling but he did great.

Adorable to the extreme. We put baseball highlights on tv and Steven put on his baseball hat and then went into the playroom to get his baseball bat and tee.

He’s ready for baseball season.

Sammy this week.

Cheese!

Oh, sad about something. Sorry Bubba!

Amaya this week.

Amaya’s focus can be incredible. She was putting small blocks in this container, taking them out, & putting them in again. When she’s busy with a task of her choosing, she’s intense.

Have a great week!

This weekend, Nana came to visit and brought Auntie with her! A sister trip to see Steven, Sammy and Amaya. We’re so lucky! It was Auntie’s first time out to MI since SSA were born and it was a thrill to have her with us. When Steven went up to nap on Friday he was awake for a while talking. “Nana. Auntie. Mommy go get. Auntie come home.” LOVE.

It was quite the treat to wake up from naps to Nana and Auntie! Steven was so funny. He just kept silently looking back and forth between them.

Looking at these photos, it’s hard to believe it took the kids a few minutes to warm up.

The kids were obsessed with photos on Auntie’s iPad. Steven, in particular, couldn’t get enough of a photo of Auntie’s car buried under snow.

Saturday we went to the Ann Arbor Hands On Museum. It was only our second visit and the last was in July so it’s was neat to see how differently the kids explore the space at this age. Aunt Anita was Steven’s buddy, I was with Amaya and Nana was with Sammy.

Amaya was incredibly independent at the museum. She’d look for me know and then but spent a good portion of the visit just exploring and playing on her own.

Lunch out in Ann Arbor after the museum visit.

Nana’s regular seat in the van. She did a great job keeping everyone awake until we got home!

We had lots of downtime in the house, too.

We capped off the weekend with brunch at Deadwood. This was the first restaurant I ever went to with Steven, Sammy and Amaya back when they were 3 or 4 months old. Jason and I have been back with the kids many times and even Nana has been 4 or 5 times. Good food, great space and welcoming staff. We can’t do much better!

Steven, playing hide & seek with his menu. He was giggling and giggling and giggling.

Daddy had some fun times this weekend, too.

Watching baseball’s season opener with his boys.

He helped them take good care of baby Jenna.

And Daddy went to Target with the kids!! He needed some clippers to cut Sammy’s hair and asked who wanted to go with him. The answer was EVERYONE. So I stayed home and Daddy had an adventure with his favorite trio.

Of course it involved presents…

…and food.

After dinner, Daddy got down to business. Sammy was a little nervous but Jason did an awesome job getting him comfortable with the clippers. Ideally he’ll be able to use scissors, as well, but he just ordered bigger clippers to allow for a longer cut.

The finished product – short-haired Sam Man!

Next up, the Bobes. Hopefully with scissors. Here he is showing off two of the Target presents, and elephant and Mickey, to go with the cool truck in the photo above. Amaya picked the elephant, Sammy picked Mickey and Steven picked the truck.

More from the week…

Fun bath time!

At their specific request, watching Mommy play a basketball game on my phone.

Pile-on!

Fun at music class.

Three Bees watching Mother Goose Club

Amaya was rubbing Sammy’s back. She can be so nurturing. It’s on her terms, but she can really take great care of her brothers when she wants to.

This picture cracks me up.

Steven this week!

Patting Jenna on her back after he tucked her in and then telling everyone, “shhhhhh.”

Sammy this week!

Sammy spent a long time working on my zipper. His concentration is incredible.

Amaya this week!

Have a great week!

This weekend Amaya and I a girls weekend in New York! I love these one on one trips I get to take with the kids.

The kids are old enough now that we start talking about the trips in advance. Everyone knew that Amaya and Mommy were going to New York. We headed out early for an 8:30am flight. Amaya was a trooper with the early morning and, like Steven a few weeks ago, was excited to see the airplanes.

Whenever she was uncomfortable or anxious, Amaya wanted to sit back in her car seat. She definitely felt a sense of security there, and I’m sure it helped that she had Jenna to care for. Jenna was a big focus of our morning.

Amaya’s smile. It makes me laugh every time.

Amaya did great on the flight. The benadryl doesn’t knock her out but it definitely solved the issues with motion sickness. Between Jenna, snacks and drawing on my iPad, she was mostly content from take-off to landing. Interestingly, she didn’t want the airplane window open. Steven loved to look outside but the minute we took off Amaya insisted that I put the window down. She also seemed a little nervous when we accelerated during take-off. “All done! All done!” I’m very nervous during take-off and have to try really, really hard not to show it. I’d love it if SSA can actually enjoy flying.

Waiting to exit the plane…

Back at home, Steven and Sammy were holding down the fort with Megan.

The first thing Amaya did when we got to Nana and Papa’s house was head for the kitchen and get “cookin”. It wasn’t long, though, before Aunt Sara, Uncle Dave, Chase and Charlie came over and the fun really got started. Now that Amaya is talking, she can play with Chase and Charlie on a totally different level. They’re so good with her, too. Careful, kind and engaged. It’s so cool to see.

Wearing Charlie’s sock.

Dinner for Amaya was corned beef, chicken nuggets and green beans. Amaya’s in a phase where she wants “dippy” with everything. The dippy that went with this meal turned out to be golden brown mustard and sriracha mustard! Amaya was licking the sriracha mustard straight off her fingers. She may be developing her mommy’s taste for spicy foods!

Amaya and Chase

Zerberts for Charlie!

Nana and Aunt Sara on the phone with Amaya. Hand gestures are a must.

Checking out the photos on the fridge & wearing Nana’s slippers.

While we were having our fun, the boys were having their own fun with Grandma Sunshine who came to spend the weekend!

After a long day, it was time for bedtime stories and night night.

Saturday was more cuddles and fun for everyone – in NY and back in MI!

Coloring time!

Saturday afternoon we all went to visit Savta who’s been recovering from an infection. It was the highlight of the trip, for sure! We were especially lucky that Auntie, cousin Mike, Jake and Naomi were visiting at the same time.

The Amaya smile.

Steven, Sammy, Daddy and Grandma Sunshine having fun on the home front.

Out for a pizza dinner. Keeping up with the spicy theme, Amaya insisted I put hot pepper on her pizza. I was afraid it would be too hot but she kept asking for more. A girl after my own heart!

At bedtime, Chase and Charlie were a huge help again. Chase even did an expert job brushing Amaya’s teeth.

Pile On!!

On Sunday our flight wasn’t until 2:30pm so there was ample time to play and go out for brunch before heading to the airport.

.

Miss Amaya has mastered the stink eye. This is what you get when you ask her not to color on her shirt.

With an option of bacon, eggs and fries, Amaya’s entire breakfast consisted of bacon dipped in ketchup. At least she knows what she likes.

As it neared time to leave, two special boys were ready for us to come home.

Papa took us to the airport and off we went!

Smiling for a picture to send to Daddy!

A kiss for Jenna on the airplane.

After a great weekend in NY, we are HOME!

Back to earlier in the week, music was on break so Megan and I decided to check out Toddler Time at a local community center. For $3 a child it was advertised as a play place for kids between 1 and 5 years old. We were the first ones to arrive on Tuesday and found an open gym with a handful of ride-on toys.

Steven was a bit too small to ride this tricycle on his own but he loved it and we pushed him all around the gym.

The hit, though, were the basketballs. An open gym, three two year olds and basketballs!

Sammy couldn’t get enough. He was a happy, HAPPY boy!

Fun times with headbands and clips.

Daddy’s nightly sight when he gets home from work.

Play time with Megan.

Steven, this week.

Looking under the bathroom door while Daddy gets toothbrushes prepped.

Comfy for TV time.

Sammy, this week.

Sammy’s answer to why he was crying: Cause I wants to cry.

It’s hard to believe that this kid was once scared to go down the slide on his own.

Amaya, this week.

Amaya’s first braid, compliments of Megan.

Comfy tv time.

Aside from my trip with Amaya, the highlight of the week is that I finally have printed copies of the first year of the blog! I don’t want to have to worry about what happens if I lose the digital version so, for months, I’ve been working with a graphic designer to convert it into a print version. It’s finally printed!! Many thanks to Nana for reading it through for my many typos. I hope this is something Steven, Sammy and Amaya treasure when they’re older. Now on to year two!

We started our week with a play date with my friend Julie and her boys, Cooper, Walker and Tucker. The kids are 9 months apart which was a big difference last summer but is no big deal now. I no longer have to worry about Steven, Sammy and Amaya crawling straight over immobile babies. Sammy seemed to have jealousy issues, though. I think they may have been more specific to Julie than her boys but I’m not sure. He spent most of the play date in another room crying, crying, crying for me. I don’t think he wanted to share his mommy with so many people.

Everyone is still having fun with baby Jenna. While Amaya gives her the most attention the boys take their turns when they get a chance.

Often we’ll put the kids over our shoulders and call them a sack of potatoes. “Sack of tatoes! Sack of tatoes!” Amaya got the great idea to carry Jenna as a “sack of tatoes”.

The boys, of course, wanted to join in with Ruf and Monkey.

Poor little Jenna had nowhere to sleep so we also got her her very own crib.

This week we had music class on Tuesday and Wednesday thanks to a make-up session for a week we missed.

A pre-music snack!

After I nearly killed my back trying to pull this tractor, Megan had the great idea to grap a hula hoop and let the hoop do the pulling.

We had a fun visit from Grandma Sunshine this week!

SSA are all thriving in their group. It’s a combination of music, gross motor skills and fine motor/sensory activities.

For the first time, Amaya was willing to get on the trampoline.

I love this picture. She looks like such a big girl and it totally captures her personality and sass.

In the fall, Sammy was reluctant to even get in the ball pit. Look at him now! Practically taking a nap in there!

Hiding!

Steven, in music. The heater was making a chirping sort of noise and Steven kept saying, “birdie, birdie.”

We have a few toys we’ve been saving that we finally brought up from the basement.

I knew the digger would be a hit with Steven.

A parking ramp/garage for the cars.

Notice Amaya dressing herself in the background?

Very proud of herself!

Amaya is having baby doll Jenna move the beads. There is just so much imaginary play at this age!

Watching the sunrise with Megan.

Watching TV with Mommy. Steven, Sammy and Amaya are still obsessed with Mother Goose club. We’ve been watching for about 30 minutes at night before we go upstairs and, try as I might to introduce a new show, they just want their “goose club.”

Amaya and Sammy really have it down with spoons. They just get it. Steven is still happier eating with his fingers. In this case, it was chopped spaghetti. Though tonight Amaya told me she wanted to use her fingers, not a fork. I guess sometimes we all prefer our fingers.

In the words for their daddy, “You look so silly! You have pants on your head!”

Cheese!

I’ve never been to a Mom 2 Mom sale but I’ve heard they’re a great way to find some gently used clothes/toys for the kids so today Sammy and I went to check one out. I was a total rookie and forgot a stroller but it worked out well. Sammy did great. He held my hand when I needed him to, took the crowd in stride and had a chance to explore a lot of the toys for sale. We were on a timeline and it wasn’t actually easy to shop with him wandering around but I did find a shirt for Amaya and, best of all, Sammy and I had some great one on one time. My Sam Man.

Amaya in her new “a” shirt.

Steven this week!

He put his hat on by himself. I just love him in his backwards baseball cap.

Steven loves to hold as much in his hands as he possibly can. Full to bursting!

Chilling with cheese.

Steven sat lining up his cars on the piano complete with a narrative about his activities. “Man car here. Lady car here.” He loves vehicles! He can stand at the window for ages watching for cars, trucks and bicycles.

Sammy this week!

Amaya this week!

We’re playing a lot of basketball these days. Steven is comfortable with a straight dunk. Sammy has actually figured out how to step away from the basket and throw the ball. Amaya really wants to but hasn’t quite figured out her release. She’ll get there!

Finally, this week, a bedtime photo with my little loves. Have a great week!

Steven had an adventure this week. On Friday night, as Megan was leaving, he was racing to try to say goodbye to Megan and tripped, falling eye first into the little digger truck he was holding. Poor Bobo! Megan was calm and cool, cleaning the cut while I held him. Amaya got one look at the blood and was in tears herself.

While Megan waited for Jason to get home from work, Steven and I headed to our pediatrician’s after hours care. He was such a trooper. In true Steven style, he spent the time waiting narrating our environment. “Black TV. Daddy’s TV. Man. Lady. Baby. Chair.”

Steven lost his mind when they took vitals. Boy, he hates standing on a scale. He was amazing, though, when it was time to clean the wound. He put his head on my shoulder and watched Mother Goose Club on my phone and stayed still like a champ.

All bandaged up!

Ready to go home.

By morning, his eye was somewhat shockingly swollen. Steven didn’t seem bothered by it, though. If you ask him, he says his eye is “better”. And if you ask about getting it taken care of he says, “Lady do it. All done. In the car.” That pretty much sums it up!

By late afternoon Saturday, the swelling was already decreasing. He may have one heck of a shiner, though.

Back to earlier in the week, which seems like a lifetime ago… Nana was still visiting! Monday afternoon was warm enough to head to downtown Northville for some frozen yogurt and a walk.

I wanted to get a photo with the kids but Steven refused to let go of Megan’s hand so we improvised.

Here I am trying to persuade Steven that life will be ok without Megan’s hand.

Nana and kiddos

Whenever Nana visits we have fun cooking together. Steven, Sammy and Amaya are so interested in everything happening in the kitchen and they want to participate as much as possible.

Nice weather continued through the week. We were able to get out for a few walks. With 2 adults on hand, we can often go without the wagon which Steven, Sammy and Amaya love. It’s hard to believe that none of them were even walking a year ago.

We made our way down the block where the neighbors were out playing. Steven saw the house the day before and remembered that there were pumpkins on their porch last fall. It amazed me that he remembered those pumpkins!

We’re back in the backyard! Spring is upon us!! Jason reworked the gates to give the kids a bit more space than they had last year. We still have last year’s water table and, as I hoped, there’s much more imaginary play with the little figures. We named them Betty, Bob, Julie (Lullie, says Steven) and Joe. This year those four are sliding down the slide and taking rides in the boat. I love seeing all of this unfold.

We also adventured down into our backyard which was a first for us. It’s spacious enough that I think we can spend time playing in the grass even with just one adult. Just like in the fall, SSA love seeing the airplanes fly overhead.

Calling Daddy

Everyone still loves Mommy & Daddy’s shoes. My boots are fun to play with but Daddy’s shoes are the mother-load.

On Thursday, SSA’s group went to a place called the Lekotek. It’s a center where you pay an annual fee and can borrow toys for 4 to 6 weeks at a time. It was mostly a sales pitch but the kids did get a chance to play with different toys. Amaya was totally drawn to this baby doll. She spent the hold time holding, hugging and feeding it.

It was time for a doll of her own! Well, their own. We share in our house. Baby doll “Jenna” is a hit and, amazingly, everyone is doing a decent job sharing.

You can see that Steven’s eye is a little better this morning. The swelling is improving fairly quickly.

Back to the kids helping in the kitchen… oh, how they want to help! They love to hold the “big brush” and the “potato brush.” On Saturday I paused cleaning up lunch and heard a commotion in the kitchen. Sammy was taking everything off the counter and putting it in the sink for me. “Bubba put noodles in the sink.” He was so proud of himself.

Then Sammy was nearly apoplectic at the thought that he couldn’t help me do the dishes so I had to give him a dirty pot and a brush. It wasn’t long before everyone was joining in. I think I need a third scrub brush!

We got some play doh and sand time in this week. It’s really nice that SSA can now articulate their needs or interests. In both cases, one of the kids asked to play with the play doh or the sand. Makes for an easier path to happy kids!

Earlier in the week at the Lekotek place, we started off the morning with Timbits. Steven, Sammy and Amaya don’t get a ton of sugary snacks so these were a huge treat. You can see the sugar sparkle in Steven’s eye!

Sammy can get comfortable in any setting.

And there’s Amaya’s sugar sparkle!

On the way home, Amaya was in the car calling for Jason. “Jason! Jason! Jaaaaaason!” I have no idea where they came from. She thought it was hysterical. She and Steven were also caught holding hands in the car. I love those moments.

This afternoon Jason was out watching Michigan State win the Big 10 Tournament and the selection show. When SSA woke up from naps, Sammy really wanted to see Jason so we texted and asked for a picture. (And I swear Sammy understands that I’m sending Jason a message with this request.) When we got the photo back, each of the kids took turns waving hi to their daddy.

Sammy also insisted on showing Jason the cheese in his mouth. “Send picture to daddy.” Showing the food in our mouths is already something I’m starting to regret but I couldn’t say no and, of course, Steven and Amaya wanted in.

Steven this week!

Sammy this week!

The safety lock on the garbage broke. Sammy was trying to fix it for Daddy.

Amaya this week!

At music class, Sammy was lounging in the back of this tractor and Amaya was helping we walk him around the music class space.

Smiling for the camera. Toddler smiles look a little deranged.

Need a toddler activity? Forget painter’s tape shapes on the floor, just give them pieces of tape and let them have at it.

Finally, tonight at dinner the kids and I all ended up holding hands. It started because I was holding Steven’s hand and Sammy wanted to hold my other hand. That left Amaya without any hands to hold so she turned to her brothers. (Only after wiping off the bbq sauce. Steven didn’t want to hold her dirty hand.) We were sitting there all holding hands and Sammy said, “Take a picture.” My hear just about exploded. I obviously couldn’t get a shot of all 4 of us but I did get the kids with a cameo of my hand. Amaya said, “Cheese.”

Have a great week!

Nana is visiting so, in preparation for Purim, we had a fun Sunday morning and made hamentashen. Steven, Sammy and Amaya made pizza during a play date with Ben & Sam but this was my first chance to really cook with them. They’re so fascinated by every last detail.

We mixed!

We patted!

We cut our circles!

And we rolled!

They came out great, too! Strawberry and black raspberry. Sammy had a meltdown when I would only let him eat one with lunch.

Yesterday everyone headed to Zingerman’s Roadhouse for lunch. It’s a great spot. The food is delicious, they take reservations, the tables are big and the service is phenomenal. These kids ate and ate and ATE. Mac & cheese, chicken fingers, fruit, sweet potato fries. I can’t believe how much they can put back when they put their minds to it.

Sammy was sad he couldn’t see the food in Daddy’s mouth.

Daddy fixed it!

Steven and Daddy holdings hands.

The ladies! (That’s no lady, that’s Nana!)

We also opened the last of our birthday presents! I think doling them out slowly has worked well for the kids. They’ve had a chance to enjoy each gift they received. From the Kotres, we got new building blocks and new musical instruments!

Amaya’s hair is finally long enough to wear a pony on the back of her head instead of the top of her head. I’ve been waiting a long time to really start to have fun with her hair.

Of course sometimes the boys want to join their sister in the ponytail fun. Sam-urai is back!

Even Steven, who usually isn’t interested, wanted in.

I have two year olds. Three of them. I am at their mercy. Seriously at their mercy. Right now, it’s a fine line between holding my ground and giving in to whatever will keep them happy. So when Steven wants me to lie with my head on the wood floor and Amaya wants to lie on my back, it’s a no-brainer.

Aside from the pony, there are a couple of things going on here. First, this kid loves his pockets and he knows how to wear them. Second, you’ll notice Sammy is missing a sock. He loooooooooves these pink socks and they’re starting to wear out. I’m going to need to find alternatives stat. (See note above about picking my battles.)

Amaya, inspired by Sammy’s pockets.

We had music this week. Amaya is fairly independent these days. She’s comfortable roaming around and playing without having a familiar adult by her side.

“Bubba can do it.” That’s what Sammy told me when I tried to help him climb down from this slide. He was right! Bubba can do it!

Steven went down the coaster over and over and over again. As they weigh more, they’re starting to get more distance, too. I wish they made one of these in my size.

Each of the kids took a turn on Miss Marie’s lap for a song. That’s particularly helpful without a 1:1 adult/SSA ratio. “Rie! Rie!”

My kitchen helpers are still at it. Steven and Amaya barely let me in at the sink. When they’re teenagers can someone please remind them of this willingness to help?

Steven can run the dishwasher for me with an oven mitt and a lawnmower.

More random fun from the week…

A Steven/Amaya pile-on. Steven was a great sport.

The kids tested out of early intervention services in our home but they were invited to continue to attend the weekly group to help with socialization. Sammy and Steven both took turns climbing stairs by themselves. They’re slightly shorter steps and perfect for a learning toddler.

Amaya and Sammy are huge fans of the ball pit.

One of the sensory activities involved shaving cream, which Steven called “snow”. He did a great job driving his cars through the snow. Sammy found his own way to have fun without having to touch the shaving cream. He picked it up with one bowl and carefully transferred it to another. It’s so interesting to see how they all play differently with the same activity set-up.

Our good friend Grace had surgery this week to replace her chemo port so Steven, Sammy and Amaya wanted to wear their Team Grace shirts to support her.

Smile!

I play a game on my phone and, when the kids catch me, the love to watch. Sammy will ask for “dots”, too.

Climbing the stairs for nap time.

Amaya!

Snuggling with Daddy after naps.

So far, my time out strategy is not a winner. Mostly because Amaya wants time outs. I told her she’d get a time out if she hit Sammy again so she grabbed a toy truck, hit her brother, and marched over to the time out chair. She did apologize, but I’m not really sure she knows what that means. We’ll keep working on it.

Amaya has officially mastered the use of spoon. For soup, no less!

Mommy & Amaya

Steven!

Sammy!

Sammy cries at the drop of a hat these days. It’s incredible. He’s such a typical toddler. Crying because he can’t see the food in daddy’s mouth. Crying because he wiped off the jelly and wants the jelly back. Crying because he asked me to eat food and I ate it. Crying because I came into the room. Crying because I left the room. Crying because he’s not done pooping. (He’s done pooping.) He’s always been sensitive and he also has always had a hard time getting himself out of it once it starts. I wish I could help him but I know I probably just need to wait it out. We’ll keep working on this, too.

But when Sammy is happy, his smile is incredible.

Mohawk!

Sammy dragged the bean bag chair into the kitchen so he could relax where I was working. Once again, his daddy’s son.

And, finally, for the week…

Nana and SSA looking at a photo of Chase & Charlie

Sunday morning fun on Fudgie

And last, but not least, a screenshot of my play list from the other night. 40 minutes of The Muffin Man. Over and over and over again. This is how much your mommy loves you, kiddos!

Have a great week!

We had so much fun with hats this week.

Sammy, smiling for the camera. It’s so cute.

Where’s Steven?

I’m a little obsessed with Steven in the backwards baseball hat.

We also had some fun with rain boots and snow boots that were hand-me-downs from Chase and Charlie. They can barely walk in the boots but, of course, didn’t want to take them off.

On Tuesday, music class was on a mid-winter break so we took Steven, Sammy and Amaya back to Funtastic for some playtime. It’s amazing to see how they’ve grown in the space since the boys first went back in the fall. They climb with much more confidence though I definitely don’t have daredevils.

The big fun of a week was a visit from Grandma Sunshine! Because of the snowstorm that hit us, Grandma was able to stay with us from Tuesday afternoon until Friday morning. Fun, fun, fun!

Everyone was so sad on Friday morning when it was time to say goodbye. The kids stood at the window to watch Grandma Sunshine’s car drive away.

We had time for lots of activity time between coloring and play doh. Right now the biggest trick is getting SSA to keep their crayons and play doh at the table. We’re working on it.

The play doh aftermath. There was a brief moment in time when I thought I’d be able to keep the individual colors separate and pristine. Hahahaha. Joke’s on me! Good thing I’ve learned to let go of the little things, even if they trigger latent ocd tendencies.

Steven, Sammy and Amaya LOVE helping Daddy with construction projects around the house. They have a screwdriver, wrench and hammer and are ready to jump in at a moment’s notice. The big project for the weekend was to replace a ton of doorknobs in the house so we could add some baby proofing devices that don’t work on the original knobs. Construction-Man Daddy and his crew to the rescue!

The kids loved helping with the work but I don’t think they were very excited about the end results. Foiled!

Amaya is such a caregiver. She will bring her brothers their stuffed animals when they’re sad and, as I’ve shared in past blog entries, she’s quick to rub their backs when they need comforting. Here, Amaya and Steven were sitting in their chairs in front of the fireplace. She said to Steven, “Careful Bobo, Fireplace hot.” It was so sweet.

Just a few more group photos from the week.

I tried to get out for a walk today but it wasn’t meant to be. Amaya hated the snow & wind and Sammy hated the puddles on the ground. Within 5 minutes they were both clamoring to go home.

We had berries with us for our walk which, instead, we ate on the floor. A definite treat for these kiddos.

Mesmerized by “Wheels on the Bus.” Bus! Bus! Blue bus. Red bus. Lello bus. Bus! See how Sammy’s sitting? So, so Sammy.

Here’s Steven this week!

Cleaning everything. Steven took a wipe and cleaned the water bottles, the magna tiles… anything he could get his hands on.

Watching Daddy brew a fresh cold sodie-pop.

Sammy this week!

Yesterday, Jason was at the grocery store when Sammy picked up the headphones. He asked me to take a picture of him to send to Daddy. It blows my mind that 2 year old understands that’s possible.

Lounging like Daddy.

Can I remember why he was sad here? It could be so many things. He wants more vitamins. (“More vitaminutes!”) He wants a toy someone else has. He wants my phone. I know this one wasn’t about wanting his belly button off. It’s hard to be 2.

Amaya!

Proudly wearing my sweater.

Amaya loves to dress herself. She’s getting quite adept at walking around in pants pulled up to her knees.

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

This post is long overdue! In late January, we had the joy of another family photo shoot.

We are a lucky, lucky family.

As a reminder, here we all are one year ago.

May May and her charges. We’re so grateful to have you in our lives, Megan!

Love, love and more love.