3 years 4 months!

40 months old!

Sunday afternoon at the school playground

Thomas

Phil jumping onto the play structure

Caleb

Big jump for such a little guy!

Thomas looking as charming as ever

My boys

The boys are becoming so close and I see their triplet bond growing more and more intense each day, it's actually a little scary. Don't get me wrong, they still do their fair share of fighting, but man can they play their little hearts out together! They make each other laugh, they make up games, they have their own language, they hug, they kiss. I recently read a news article that was sent to me by one of the identical triplets in the article, you can read it here: Three Of A Kind. Besides in this article I have read numerous times where identical multiples describe their identical siblings as their 'soul mates.' From what I've learned it's a relationship closer than that of a husband and wife! It's pretty amazing when you think about how there may be no closer relationship that exists and most of us don't get to experience it! I am so grateful that my boys will have such a strong support circle, stronger than one mom and dad could ever create, that will help them get through anything life throws at them : )

Zoo Hiatus

It's been busy around here, so after a 5 month zoo hiatus we finally missed it enough to bundle up and head back to the zoo. For some reason the coldest days always results in the best animal action. It doesn't matter if an animal is from a hot climate, they are always sooo much more active when it's really cold out! Our best days at the zoo have always been in the winter, go figure! To top it off there were several baby animals to ooh and aww over : ) 

This time around I noticed the boys enjoying the zoo because of the animals and not just because they were in a different fun place. They've always been more into the animal statues and the like more than the actual animals. It's nice to see they are appreciating the zoo for what it's intended for, ha! Right now they are really into knowing if a particular animal is nice or mean. For example, I tell them birds and fish are nice but bears and snakes are not nice (this should come in handy if they ever encounter these out in the wild so they won't go near them). 

Eli looking so serious

Try not to let Phil's gloves, that make his hands look abnormally large, detract you from the rest of the picture, haha!

The guys

Eli

Thomas

Caleb

Besides the baby elephant we got to see this adorable baby river otter snuggling with it's mom after nursing, awwwww : )
Nothing sweeter than a baby nursing it's mama, it always makes me miss nursing my baby boys!

The highlight of the day was watching this lion cub stalk and play fight with the other two lions. He got so frisky, it was the cutest thing I've ever seen at the zoo!

Dispatch Command

ETC

ETC yelling in unison : )

These fire fighters are working the dispatch command center

Move out of the way we've got a kitty and giraffe that need immediate medical attention!

All things firetrucks is probably the boys second favorite thing after trains, so of course they've really been enjoying their new fire fighter uniforms. They haven't taken them off in days and even set up a dispatch command center...you can see the boys at work as they receive numerous 911 calls.  

Perfecting The Homeless Look

Thomas dressed himself in several layers, a hoodie, a shirt and a suit coat

The beanie really does complete the look!

Couldn't help myself from giving him a bag full of his stuff, ha!
What more could he need?
Oh yes! Somebody please get this boy a piece of cardboard!

Eli caught wind that the homeless look was in

My boys not looking homeless : )

Here is a video of the boys acting pretty silly. Every time the boys watch it they crack up laughing especially when Thomas asks for pants with his head tilted and when he picks up the "yucky" sock...what makes me laugh is that the first 20 seconds looks almost choreographed!


 The boys are getting pretty consistent at counting to 10 (and sometimes they make it to 13), at times they need a little help...
 
I put this last video in only because Caleb sounds so cute...

Dressing To The Nines

About two weeks ago one morning we woke up to the boys dressed in swim trunks, puffy vests, beanies, and shoes. Phil asked them where they thought they were going and the boys said the beach! Ok that explains it. The next day they did it again and it was all very cute but by the 4th or 5th day I was getting tired of having to put the same clothes back in their respective drawers. So I reprimanded everyone and asked them to please stop! I also put all those clothes they kept putting on in a big box and threw them in the basement hoping that was the end of that. Of course I was wrong and they kept it up except now with different clothes. I mentioned it to one of their teachers and she said it was probably just their way of trying to become more independent (I guess at some point they do have to learn to dress themselves, I just didn't realize the process would be so annoying). So that made me feel a little bad for telling them to stop playing dress up for the sake of not having to put extra clothes away each day, ooops!

It should be to no surprise to me that the process of gaining more independence automatically comes with a hefty dose of annoyance. Take for example, getting these kids into the car. When they were babies I used to stress out and think it was so difficult to go anywhere when they were infants because of the fact that I'd have to load everyone up in their infant carseats and take them out one by one to the car (we have an unattached garage where our car has never been parked, we park in the drive way, so I'd be trekking back and forth in the elements). It was a lot of work but when I'd finally drive away at least I felt a sense of accomplishment, yay I did it! I was so excited when the boys finally could walk themselves to the car, little did I know how difficult (not physically, but mentally) it would be get them to walk into the car. Try carrying them when they want to walk and you may be dealing with a tantrum that results in doubling the time it take to get them in side the car let alone buckled in their car seats! I can buckle everyone up in about 30 seconds flat but then THEY want to buckle themselves in, which turns into another arduous brain wrecking ordeal. 

"Sit on your butt Caleb

Sit on your butt Eli

Thomas stop clicking that light off and on!

Now sit on your butt Thomas!"

(repeat)

"Do your top buckle Caleb

Eli don't eat that gross m&m you found on the floor! 

And do your top buckle Eli

Do your top buckle Thomas"

(repeat)

Sometimes they can do one of the two small buckles below but sometimes they can't. So I watch them fumble around while I bite my nails and wait for them to scream in frustration. 

"Just let mami do the bottom ones you are not strong enough yet to do it yourself!"

They finally secede and approximately 20 minutes after locking my front door I drive away feeling as frazzled as ever!

Why does their independence have to be so annoying?! 

Anyways at least it makes for some cute pictures...

Thomas dressed himself to the nines because not only does he have a blazer on he also has...

a dress shirt!

Caleb looking quite happy with himself!

Eli is attempting to do a button...he came really really close but no cigar!
I can only imagine how fun it will be to wait around for three little boys to button up a dress shirt with 5 buttons each on meeting days, ugh!

Phil and I had to admit that besides his shoes being on the wrong feet that Caleb looked pretty darn good!

Just had to share how bad Caleb looks in this picture (you may have to click on it to get a better view). Not only does he have some kind of sauce on his cheek but the boys face is a wreck and looks like he got into a cat fight with an actual cat! A bruise on the top of his forehead he got from throwing himself on the floor (is own doing), scratches on his cheek from Thomas while they were fighting, and more scratches that I have not idea how he got but appeared after he'd been jumping on my bed with his brothers. 

yup...pretty much bad to bone

Ugly Custody Battle

There has been a really ugly custody battle going on for several months here. First some background information. The boys went through a stuffed animal attachment phase when they were younger which kind of died away except for Caleb's love of his lynx. I've been kind of glad that they aren't too into stuffed animals because they can easily take over your house and I try to do a purge every year or so to get rid of as many as I can. How is it that I never buy stuffed animals and somehow we end up with so many each year?! 

So one day all of a sudden Eli decides he wants to claim the lynx for himself (that's Eli for you). Caleb was gracious enough to share and didn't seem to mind too much (that's Caleb for you). But after a while Caleb began missing his linx and started to claim what was his, and so the custody battle began! I won't go into details but every few days I'd have to either reason with Eli that that "diddle diddle" belongs to Caleb or I'd be pleading with Caleb to share with Eli and let him have a turn. I can't tell you how much anguish it has caused me! At some point my toddler psychology tactics quit working and I started telling Eli that we'd just have to go and buy him a kitty too (because none of the other stuffed animals we had would do...not even his once beloved Roarski!). 

I could't believe what I had just promised, that I'd willingly purchase a stuffed animal and bring it home, but we have so many already!!! 

It took me a while to get around to it but we finally made a family trip to the Goodwill. I dug around the shelves that were overflowing with stuffed animals that had previously overtaken other peoples homes till I found a few kitties to choose from. I showed them to Eli and he picked one out, and then I picked one out for Thomas whom had stayed out of the feud but I could foresee problems arising if all his brothers had a kitty and he didn't (that just doesn't fly with triplets). 

Oh crap, did I just do that? I bought not one but two stuffed animals?!

Thankfully that did the trick and the custody battle has been settled and everyone is happy with their diddle diddles. Even Thomas has become quite attached to the kitty I picked out for him, it was a good call, parental win!

This is the lynx that belongs to Caleb.
Phil gave it to me after we'd been dating for a couple of months
(little did I know a future child of mine would be so attached to it!). 

We asked the boys what their kitties names were....
From left to right: Juice, Pancake, and Taco!

Eli is quite thrilled with Pancake!

Thomas and Taco

The cat Eli picked out is pretty silly just like him : )

Taco was cold

Can't forget your diddle diddle at bedtime!

Caleb has full custody of Juice again!
(although he didn't have a name till his brothers also got kitties)

They just had to take their kitties with them!

Sledding!

We started 2014 with some family fun on the slopes! 

Pretty sure Eli loved sledding the most

Eli was such a daredevil!

Caleb looking a little scared after a run in with a tree, ha!

Pops and E

While Eli kept sledding Caleb and Thomas sampled the ice against our wishes. My friend K said the boys must like the taste of raccoon pee bc the snow wasn't pristine white!

E C T

Pops and C

Eli doing a run with K and Oz

They bailed before they hit the car! (j/k)

Family picture!

Here is a video of us sledding. In the first 20 seconds you will witness my awesome cat like reflexes as I save Eli from a world of hurt! Parental WIN!

Bye 2013, Hello 2014!

I can't help myself from reflecting on another year gone by! 2013 was a pretty good year with lots of new milestones. The best and biggest milestone was the boys potty training a little before turning 2.5! I'm so grateful for that everyday and that last stomach bug the boys got was a good reminder of how gross it is to deal with diapers and poop, especially times 3! I shutter to think that all three boys were in diapers full time this time last year. We took down the remaining remnants of the baby prison for good, which wasn't the best idea since the boys broke a part of our TV soon after. They got big boy beds, turned 3 and are now talking up a storm.
I'm excited for what 2014 brings and hope the boys turn into civilized human beings soon and leave all that terrible two/three stuff behind! We will celebrate our 10 year anniversary this summer and we have big plans for that which also coincides with a visit to California. Then the boys will start preschool around the time they turn 4, wow four sounds so old! Everyday I try to soak up their cuteness that comes with how little they are because it will be over before I know it. I love how I can still hold them like babies and smother them with kisses and that they still like it! I love seeing them walk in front of me so I can admire how little they are compared to myself. I also love how I can still easily pick them up and dance with them and spin them around and fling them in the air. The day is coming soon when they'll be the ones that can pick me up, ah!