Using paranoia to your advantage

I have always heard to use others' weaknesses to your advantage in a competition so that is what I am trying to do with the Triplets. Very recently the boys have had the tendency to want out of the tub when they see any dirt in the tub. They call it poopie because I have drilled it into them that you NEVER EVER poopie in the tub.

They LOVE playing in the tub but since I need to bathe three at a time I only have a limited amount of time in which to get it all done. Heck, even letting them play in the tub for 5-10 minutes each makes bath time about an hour and a half all together. So sometimes I need to "get it done" and I don't want them to play. This is when I use their bit of paranoia to my advantage. If I see something in the tub I point it out to them and out they come!

Yes, I sometimes feel a little bad but it is after all their decision:)

Consider what you think justice requires, and decide accordingly. But never give your reasons; for your judgment will probably be right, but your reasons will certainly be wrong.
Lord Mansfield

You've got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you're not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice.
Steven D. Woodhull

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Nap time

Kids have very funny sleeping habits. I feel blessed that our three still take naps. I plan, hope and pray to keep that up till they go to school. Some friends have mentioned that without naps they may go to bed earlier but with the CFO's work schedule and our social engagements going to bed earlier than 8:30 or 9:00 would be tough to stick to.

They usually take 1-2 hour naps on school days and 2-4 hour naps on other days at home. Yesterday their teacher told me that Addison decided not to take a nap. She is usually OK without one so I did not worry about it much. After school we headed to the zoo. Addison was out before we left the parking lot coming home.

The Triplets like to play in the basement/garage so when we got home I unbuckled everyone and headed upstairs to start lunch. After starting the oven I heard the boys but not Addison. When I went to investigate. This is what I found. Too funny!!


A hypocrite is a person who--but who isn't?
Don Marquis

Reality continues to ruin my life.
Bill Watterson (1958 - ), Calvin and Hobbes

Al

MLK the SAHD way

Unfortunately the CFO does not get Martin Luther King's Birthday Holiday off. But fortunately two friends did get the day off so I invited the families over for the day. One of their wives had to study for an upcoming test so she stayed at home as having six kids under four in one house is not very conducive to studying:)

The guys rotated playing PS3 Modern Warfare 2 while the odd guy out and the girls hung out with the kids. Miss Kelly was in town so we had one adult per kid coverage most of the day. Red, the Mom in the group, suggested taking the kids outside. The only problem was that I had not cleaned up after the dog for quite a while. The Nuke Doc stepped up to the plate and volunteered to clean it up. I warned him that it was probably a lot but he was undeterred. After walking "the grid" he came back in about thirty minutes later after filling two grocery bags. Outside we went. The kids asked for balloons but I was out. I need to restock my warm weather toys. But when they asked for bubbles I was more than happy to comply. Heck, it was bath day anyway:)

It was a great day! Miss Kelly always enjoys a little chaos on her visits:) You might think that being a SAHD of Triplets I would shy away from more chaos but I (we) love entertaining and having people over. Maybe I need to start having SAHD PS3 play dates.

Psychos will always be psychos; they don’t need video games to help them.
SCOTT RAMSOOMAIR

Video games are bad for you? That's what they said about rock and roll.
SHIGERU MIYAMOTO

Al

Human pets

The CFO was told by a friend that we are in the "Human Pet" stage of child rearing. That is, they can be trained to do "tricks." One of the tricks they do is that if you say "oh no" William will almost always say "what happened." It is hilarious.

People who have no weaknesses are terrible; there is no way of taking advantage of them.
Anatole France (1844 - 1924)

Al

Smart Triplet

Jackson figured out how to make his pinwheel spin with little to no effort.

He is destined for management:)

This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.
Will Rogers

So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work.
Peter F. Drucker

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Humor

We have a Cousin staying with us (she rocks) and she helps out with the kids a lot when she is not working 70+ hours a week. I almost peed on myself laughing yesterday morning when I overheard this exchange she had with William while he was holding a bag of M&Ms.

Cuz: What do you do to get those Ms?
William: Use your hands
Cuz: Sorry, what do you have to do to get them?
William: Open the bag
The Triplets get M&Ms for going to the potty:)

Two observations... 1. William has my humor. 2. I am in trouble:)

A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road.
Henry Ward Beecher

It is not bigotry to be certain we are right; but it is bigotry to be unable to imagine how we might possibly have gone wrong.
G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936)

Al

Talk, talk, talk, talk, ....

It seems that someone is ALWAYS talking in our house these days. Check that, it seems that two to three someones are always talking in our house/van these days. It is usually a combination of one or two of the Triplets and me. They ask something then don't wait for the answer before asking it over and over and over.... More often then not one of the other Triplets also answers the question. Which for some reason really offends the questioner. Then the "whys" start.

So the other day leaving the gym I turned the tables and why'd them all the way to the van. Before we made it all the way they were all screaming and crying, it was great:) I asked them if they liked it and they said "NO." So I tried to explain how I don't mind and actually enjoy them asking why but they need to give me a chance to answer before the next why. I really don't mind them asking why if they will give me a chance to answer and actually listen to the answer. I think there are too many people in the world, including me, that don't ask why. Call them pot stirrers if you want but people who ask "why" or "why not" respectfully can drive change.

I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.
Pablo Picasso

Al