4yrs 1mo (4 year check up!)

I tried to get the boys to smile naturally, I explained to them "like right before you get tickled or after you hear something funny," and this is what I got...

CET 4 years and 1 month old!
This was the best of like 2 dozen I took

Don't look surprised look happy!

What are you doing with your mouth Caleb?

Lets be more natural please!

Lets keep the jaws aligned!

Triplets 4.0!

I prepared the boys for their 4 year check up by telling them they may get a shot at the appointment (I couldn't remember if they were due for any but figured I'd cover my basis). The last shots they got were at their 2 year check up when they were still essentially babies and as you can imagine they cried like babies too. Wasn't sure how they'd react at 4 so I tried preparing them without scaring them too much so I told them that they only hurt a tiny bit kind of like getting pinched. I was so nervous for them that when the doc said they were due for two shots I quickly decided to put one off for next year (I figured the chicken pox/measles booster could wait another year since they aren't too dangerous, the disease that is). So we got our nasal flu shot/spray and then their whooping cough/polio vaccine. And what do you know, nobody cried and they all told me that it didn't hurt at all (but I don't believe Eli completely because he flinched pretty hard). Gosh babies are such sissies (haha jk)! Had I known they'd be so brave I'd have agreed to the second one! Oh well hind sight is 20/20 right?

As always (and I'm so grateful for this) the boys continue to be the picture of good health! They are 4 years old and have to get even so much as an ear infection (or any infection for that matter). When they were 2 years old they were prescribed topical antibiotics for a misdiagnosed "infection" which ended up being an ammonia burn from their nighttime diapers which I quickly figured out how to prevent. They hardly ever get fevers when they get sick too. They get a little wheezy when it's a particularly bad cold but each year we use the Albuterol inhaler less and less (I don't think Caleb ever needed it at all this last year). 

Their growth curves are all normal but they are all very petite and that's perfectly fine : ) I love my tiny boys and couldn't imagine not being able to lift them so freely at 4 because I still have to a lot! As it is they feel really heavy to me and I keep thinking to myself any day now! So here are their official stats:

Caleb        31 lbs 5 oz, 37.5 in (3rd%) and BMI 54%

Eli            29 lbs 1 oz, 37 in (2nd%) and BMI 24%  

Thomas    31 lbs 5 oz, 37.5 in (3rd%) and BMI 54%

Funny, we go back and forth with Thomas and Caleb or Thomas and Eli being the same...why does Thomas fluctuate so much?! But I guess its not that much of a difference since Eli is only a smidge smaller but still, it makes me wonder? Another weird thing is that Thomas seems to eat the least out of all three and yet he's the same weight as Caleb and weighs more than Eli, what gives?

Sorry everyone but I am about two weeks behind on pics so I'll try to catch up with my blogging soon!

Pumpkin Patch 2014

Last Thursday was the boys preschool field trip to the pumpkin patch and since it's always so much fun Phil took the morning off so we could go as a family. It was a beautiful day that started off chilly but quickly warmed up to just over 70 degrees and it was super sunny so most of our pictures are filled with grimaces rather than smiles : (

CTE

Thomas getting papi kisses

TCE

Classic Thomas face where he looks like he's in pain but is really just deep in thought

Since Caleb's head is round like a pumpkin I bet you can't find him in this picture!
(In case you are wondering, yes it's always this beautiful in Portland : )

Caleb

Little Eli!

Family pic atop of the haystack pyramid!

With the pumpkins they picked out. At home we took out the seeds and seasoned and toasted them. The boys did most of the work and they came out super yummy!

Caleb rolling the giant pumpkin

Phil took this picture and posted it to instagram with the caption "getting corny at their pumpkin patch field trip"

A Comparison

I found a picture of myself making a similar expression as Thomas did in a certain picture so I thought it'd be fun to compare them. At first I thought we were the same age but now I think I was 5 yrs old in this picture (I should ask my mom to make sure, maybe later). I definitely see lots of resemblance but there are also a few differences as well. Thomas' hair and skin complexion is lighter. My hair line is farther down my forehead (to put it nicely, heehee, they have Phil's forehead). My nose is a bit more defined and my eyes are a bit bigger. Anyways what do you think?

I got the opportunity to be a parent volunteer one day at the boy's preschool. It was fun seeing what their life is like when I'm usually not around : )

They did lots of playing first thing

After morning playtime and arts & crafts it was snack time!
A different parent brings a snack each day. 

Off to play in the gym.
The boys got to be the leaders of the "train" since their mom was the volunteer and the kid who's parents provided the snack get to be the caboose : )

Eli in the firetruck he always hogs : )

This is the same gym that hosts toddler open play. I've been bringing the boys here since they were 18mo old and this year they got all new toys for the gym. This motorcycle is the only original. I still remember how badly the boys wanted to ride this but just couldn't reach the floor with their feet cause they were so little, aww miss my babies!

Thomas in the police car he always hogs : )

After school fun!

One More Week Of Summer

A couple weeks back the weather turned cooler and wetter. I decided it was time to put away all our summer clothes and bring up all our cooler weather clothes especially since it was almost October. Then just like that we were graced with another week of summer like weather (and perhaps even more because the forecast is still looking good into the next week). After ALL that work! Oh well, I can't complain since it's been beautiful!

TEC at the zoo!

The blur!

The boys are really into drawing right now.
It always comes and goes in phases, they get really into it and
 then later they could care less for it!

The boys were playing "garbage man," so they tore up half a dozen paper bags and spread them all over our bedroom. What the ketchup is for I don't know, but I'm really glad Phil caught them before they used it!

Gallivanting towards preschool!

Post preschool fun at the park : )

Thomas

How he likes to swing : )

Papa Ed Jackets

I pulled out these wind/rain jackets for the boy to wear and immediately Eli called them "papa Ed jackets!" and then I remembered that papa Ed does have a very similar jacket : )

Caleb is giving his brothers a ride in his "ATV"

Last week after preschool

Thomas has moved on from trains and is now drawing firetrucks!

Funny Stuff Said

-As we were heading out to the car these two ladies jogged past us and Caleb out of the blue says "esas senoras van a matar ardillas" ...translation: those ladies are going to kill squirrels 

-Eli, asks "Mami, papi tiene chichis chiquitas?" ...translation: mami does papi have small boobs?

Me, "yes he does" (because men technically do have breasts).

Eli, "quiero venga mama Elda, mi dice papi tiene chichis chiquitas" ...translation: I want mama Elda to come so I can tell her that papi has small boobs.

Me, "oh ok."

-A classmate of the boys told his mom that there are three Thomas' in his class, ha!

-It was a rainy day and I had just put some new sweat pants on Eli. I was mentioning to him how comfy and nice it is to wear sweatpants at home when it's cold and rainy outside. Eli seemed very grateful for them and said they felt very very nice ("muy rico" were his exact words). Then he asks, "mami tiene sweatpants?" (mami has sweatpants?). Me, "no, but I need to get some." "Mami tiene rainjacket?" (mami has a rainjacket?) Me, "nope."

Then Eli says, "Eli crece alto fuerte mi va tienda, mi compra rainjacket pa mami, mi compra sweatpants pa mami!" ...translation: When Eli grows big and strong (their way of saying when they become an adult) I will buy mami a rainjacket, I will buy mami sweatpants!

Me, "thank you, that's so nice of you!"