Showing love the Triplet way...

We now have periodic wrestling matches between our three. They are very short lived and often end poorly but they are funny. Addison even gets into the mix. Refereeing these is not easy. Do I let them "figure it out" or do make everyone play nice? I am trying to teach them that when it ceases being fun for one person it is no longer fun for anyone. A match usually ends with a scream, hair pull, bite of pinch.





Assuming either the Left Wing or the Right Wing gained control of the country, it would probably fly around in circles.
Pat Paulsen


Al

Time out!....

Again and again the Triplets keep reminding me that they learn more from watching rather than when I "teach" them. The other night we noticed the kids putting all their animals in time out. The CFO asked what she was doing. She said "animals in time out." The CFO asked why they were in time out. Addison said "BITE."

The CFO grabbed the digital camera and I grabbed the video camera. Like many times before with the kids, I almost peed myself laughing.

The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think.

Horace Walpole (1717 - 1797)

Al

I thought cloning was illegal:)

Just another day with Triplets....

Woke up late.......

Cute pics of the kids, no banter today:)

Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he'll buy a funny hat. Talk to a hungry man about fish, and you're a consultant.

Scott Adams (1957 - ), Dogbert; Dilbert cartoons

Al

The Toddler intercom system

As you may know I love anything that I find humorous, silly, peculiar or ridiculous and if it is not one of those I do my best to make it funny. Our morning routine has changed some since we went on daylight savings time. The kids usually get up around 6am so they are up and at'em while the CFO is getting ready for work and I am getting all the logistics for the day put together (diaper bag, school stuff, blog, etc...). The other day we learned that the kids LOVE relaying messages for us. It does however sometimes end up a little murky at the other end since they are only 2 1/2:)



Here is an example:

• Jackson comes in the kitchen: Mommy tea, Mommy tea, Mommy tea....
• Jackson runs to the CFO: Mommy salad? Mommy salad? Mommy salad?
• Jackson comes in the kitchen: Salad yes, salad yes, salad yes
• Jackson runs to the CFO: Mommy chicken? Mommy chicken? Mommy chicken?
• Jackson comes in the kitchen: Chicken yes, chicken yes, chicken yes

I now know the CFO is ready for me to heat up her tea for the trip to work and she wants a salad with chicken for lunch. Yes, I sometimes pack her lunch:)

Did I mention that learning how to eat can be messy:)

My work is a game, a very serious game.
M. C. Escher (1898 - 1972)


Al

The Triplets get invited to a Birthday Party!

I LOVE confusing people so I really enjoy telling everyone that the Triplets got invited to their first Birthday party. People look at me strange when I say this for two main reasons...

1. The Triplets are two and a half years old

2. If it was their party why wouldn't they be invited?

Then I explain that it is the first non-family Birthday party they have attended. We were SO excited. The kids and I went shopping. The party was for a boy in their class at school. He was turning three. I asked the teachers is he liked anything particular. They said "just normal boy stuff." I can handle that.

Last Thursday we headed to Target after school to pick out some gifts in our price range. Good thing the CFO and I had agreed on a price range, I wanted everything! It was also tough to restrain myself and only buy age appropriate stuff. We settled on some Hot Wheels and a chainsaw! I really did try to get stuff with no lights or noise but I could not resist the chainsaw!

The party was at a Fire Station. When we got there we realized that it was actually in the fire station's playground. It was chilly that day and the CFO was VERY cold but everyone had a great time. The kids had never had Capri Suns before. William drank three!

Addison was a bit shy around the Firemen (playing hard to get) but the boys had a good time and William's "Girlfriend" was flirting with the boys:)

Technology is dominated by two types of people: those who understand what they do not manage, and those who manage what they do not understand.

Putt's Law

Al

What is up with the gravity storms?

I have always said that when I loose my balance it is actually a "gravity storm." I don't remember who I picked that up from but I find it very funny. The Triplets seem to me VERY susceptible to gravity storms:) For instance when they are standing around me (on-top of me might be a better description) to have a bite of my food (it is actually their food that they did not eat as that is usually my meal) they frequently head-butt the plate, knock the food off the plate or grab me trying not to fall. It is like they are in a mini gravity tornado and can't stay in one spot.

The CFO blames their fidgeting, I blame the gravity storms:)

The boys LOVED the candy hearts... Addison, not so much:)

Never try to tell everything you know. It may take too short a time.

Norman Ford

Al

People actually like eating these candy hearts?

One of the Triplet's strong points....

Our kids are great at many things (in our humble and unbiased opinions) including saying "NO", ignoring us, pushing, pinching, biting, kicking, etc.... But they are also great at trying new things. It is not uncommon to hear them say "I try it, I try it" when we have something new/different at the table or eating out.

So the CFO tried mustard with them the other night. Addison was not a big fan but the boys liked it. BTW, don't use the condiments at our house if you are a germaphobe:)

Anyone can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work he is supposed to be doing at the moment.
Robert Benchley (1889 - 1945)


Al

Internet issues....

I LOVE technology until I hate it:) My Internet connection through Charter Non-Communications has been going down intermittently lately. It was down this morning so I called. I already knew what they were going to say but I had to call anyway. BTW why is it that you have to enter your phone number while going through the automated system to only have to repeat it when the "Frustration-Agent" comes on the phone? I understand them asking other identifying info but don't ask twice. So they say "It looks like "they" (it annoys me when people say they - don't they represent the company?) are having issues in Birmingham. I then ask for a credit to my account for the time it is down. He says I have to call back once it is up! I understand that they are not sure how long it will be down but.....

If retail was like Charter Communications here is how shopping would be:

Retail Clerk: How may I help you?
Customer: I would like to buy these pants?
Retail Clerk: What would you like to buy?
Customer: THESE pants!
Retail Clerk: What color are the pants you want to buy, please?
Customer: Well, let's look...... they are blue!
Retail Clerk: That will be $20.99 please.
Customer: Here is $25.
Retail Clerk: Thank you have a great day.
Customer: May I have my change?
Retail Clerk: You will need to get back in line to get your change, can I help you with something else today?
Customer: IDIOT!

Thank goodness we don't have to go through the same thing in person as we do over the phone:)

If the Blues Brothers had kids.......

I told the doctor I broke my leg in two places. He told me to quit going to those places.
Henny Youngman (1906 - 1998)


Al

I LOVE power tools....

Of course as I am a stay at home Dad my power tools are a bit different than other guys:) I have a kitchen aid food processor that I use frequently for pizza dough, making purees, and hash browns to name a few. I mean come on... it has a motor AND spinning blades.... what is not to love! I am saving up for a heavy duty mixer.

I know a lot of guys don't cook or don't cook much but I think cooking is made for men.
Knives + expensive tools (pots/pans etc...) + power tools + FIRE = MAN

So let me encourage all men to cook more and by all means PLEASE be sure your boys know how to cook. Heck if nothing else "Chicks dig it" :)

Have a great weekend!

Al

What to do, what to do....

We know, we know, we did it to ourselves. A few months back Jackson was sick and we would bring him to bed with us (primarily the CFO) to comfort him. Since then it has been rare that he does not get out of bed at least once during the night. He also frequently ropes William into coming with him:) The other night I heard him cry (he was in our room) and before I could get to the other side of the bed the CFO had already picked him up. She started cuddling with him! I quickly grabbed him to take him back upstairs. I am not even sure she woke up or knew what she was doing but I knew what it had done.... he was up four more times that night.

I have thought of locking him in their room but that seems to defeat the purpose of "teaching" him to stay in bed. OK, "in bed" is a flexible term. We really mean in it, under it, near it or at least on the same floor as it:) Plus it would be different if he slept in by staying up later but it seems to have the opposite affect making him more short tempered than usual.

Oh well, I guess if this is my biggest worry at the moment then we are truly blessed. I just need to remember that when they smile and say "NO!" :)

The kids are getting tired of me taking pictures:)

If the English language made any sense, a catastrophe would be an apostrophe with fur.
Doug Larson

Al

OK, now for some of the downsides......

I have been accused of sometimes being a little "Pollyanna" about things. So, just to let everyone know that I actually realize there are some "challenges" to being a stay at home parent here is a list in no particular order. Some are just for Dads but most are general.

• You are RARELY "off work"
• You are on call 24/7
• You deal with other people's poop (literally) all day
• If your kid's act inappropriately it is YOUR fault:)
• Tough to fit in during "work" conversations with other guys
• There is ALWAYS something that needs to be done
  

There are more but I will leave it at that for now:) Now for some of the things I miss about work...

• Co-Workers
• Lunch
• Travel
• If you are feeling a little burned out... take a day or week off
• If you are tired you can always take a break

Both have a sense of accomplishment. The good thing about the accomplishments of a Parent is that they really do last a lifetime!

Here I am at the Petting Farm at a State Park checking out the Donkey before letting the kids near it. Obama has the Secret Service, the Triplets have me:)

Lies are like children: they're hard work, but it's worth it because the future depends on them.
Pam Davis, House M.D., It's A Wonderful Lie, 2008

Al

The Triplet's CFO and Mini-Me

The Triplets go country.....

Well, country for city kids:) The CFO's parents (Mimi and Granddaddy) so we made an outing to a local State Park and their petting farm. The kids LOVE it! Addison fit right in with her boots. As an added bonus the CFO and I got to sleep in till 7am! That was of course after getting up a few times to put Jackson in bed.

>

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts.

Bertrand Russell (1872 - 1970)

Al

Grandma Jack takes the helm

My Mom had all three for the first time last night while we enjoyed a child-free night at a small-group meeting from our Church. Everything went great! Our small group was smaller than usual (us and the family hosting it) and we had a great time.

A great picture of my Dad and the boys from his recent visit.

I have enough money to last me the rest of my life, unless I buy something.
Jackie Mason (1934 - )

Al

What is that thumping under the bed?

Now the boys think it is fun to come downstairs in the middle of the night to sleep under our bed. They have figured out that if they get in our bed they wake us up which means back to bed for them. They could get away with it but Jackson can't resist kicking the underside of our bed. He is our strongwilled child:) I guess he wants us to know what he is getting away with. I can understand.... the only thing more fun than getting away with something is letting someone know you are getting away with it.

We celebrate a lot around here:)

Seriousness is the only refuge of the shallow.

Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)

Al

We are such a giving family....

My Dad visited last week and had a great time with the Triplets! That is until he got sick:( We have been having a 24hr bug go around here lately. We are such a giving family that we decided to give it to my Dad:) It is like a mini-flu and he did not seem to appreciate it very much. So he did not get to see much of us for three days. I know, 24 hr bug - three days? The way I see it, my Dad always goes above and beyond:)

We went to Science Center with G-Daddy before the bug took over. We are trying out new discipline techniques with the boys:)

I'm not a vegetarian because I love animals. I'm a vegetarian because I hate plants.

A. Whitney Brown

Al

The gloves come off......

This is a mid-day post as I am taking a new course heading in this journey of being a stay at home Dad of Triplets. Things seem to have changed dramatically over the last few days....

First we started getting some more willful disobedience. Then yesterday they seemed to really step it up. As my Mom would say "They found out where my goat it tied." Yesterday Jackson bit a Teacher at his school, William and Addison. Last night (early this morning) I could start to see the tipping point come in to focus. Both the boys got out of bed at 4:30 am or so and did it four more times before finally crying themselves back to sleep at 5am only to wake up for good at 6am. Then I find Jackson joyfully pumping out the baby soap/shampoo and putting it all over himself. No worries, it is bath day. Then Jackson tried to bite me when I gave him a hug. So his glow worms went to time out for half the day. OK, I threw them out the door:) These are his prized possessions.

Then the boys pulled out all the toys and refused to put them back. I told them that if they did not start cleaning up the room before I finished giving Addison her bath that all the toys were going away. I gave them several warnings.... They must think I am a liar:)

So now they have no dinosaurs, no TV, no books, no Little People, no cars, no trains, no animals, no balls, no puzzles, no play food, no flashlights, nothing, zip, nada. My idea now is to re-introduce toys as they become more compliant. If nothing else they have less to step on as they head to time out.

Sometimes it sucks being one of my kids:)

Al

OK, this is not fun anymore....

The fringe benefits of being a stay-at-home Dad

I got to thinking (yes, I still sometimes indulge my brain) the other day about what fringe benefits my job as a stay-at-home Dad has. Feel free to add your own.

• I wear shorts all the time (pants rub the hair off your knees)
• I get to workout three times a week during the day (so I can indulge my Blue Bell ice cream addiction)
• Did I mention I wear shorts?
• I get to watch my children grow up and shape them (this is quite often a double edge sword)
• People are all the time asking me if they can do my job for a day (watch the kids)
• I get to work out of the office (home) whenever I want
• I could take naps almost every day (it is actually encouraged by the CFO)
• I don't get in trouble for running personal errands "on company time" (of course I have to take all my "employees" with me)
• People give me kudos for doing my job (people rarely told me "I think it is great that you are in recruiting" when I worked "outside the home")
• If my "employees" act inappropriately I can send them to timeout
  
  
  William "inspecting" a piece of fuzz he found on his PJs
  
  
  
  
  
  If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.
  Anne Bradstreet (1612 - 1672), 'Meditations Divine and Moral,' 1655
  
  Al