Upping the ante

The potty training with William is slow going but it is going. If I stay on him he usually will keep going pee-pee in the potty but he refuses to drop the deuce in the potty. He actually tells me "no, I don't want to." So just like in business, I need to up the ante and make him want to.

I have often times said that we ALWAYS have a choice. We may not like the choices, the choices may both be terrible but we still have choices. Like when someone says "I HAVE to go to work." They don't "HAVE" to. True, if they don't they may get fired, get their car repossessed, lose their house and not have food to eat, but that IS a choice.

So it is the same with William. Now he chooses between going to the potty and playing with the trains, computer and their new motorcycle (bicycle) game. No, he does like the choices but as I tell him, "welcome to life kid."

One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes ... and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.
Eleanor Roosevelt

We need to teach the next generation of children from Day One that they are responsible for their lives. Mankind's greatest gift, also its greatest curse, is that we have free choice. We can make our choices built from love or from fear.
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Al

The lost generations...

It just occurred to me that anyone over 18 who is currently blogging is probably part of a lost generation. I mean that our past is barely documented, if at all. On the other hand the people growing up now will have more stuff on them than Hoffa did. They will have pictures (pics,) videos (vids,) and documents (twits, blogs, etc...) than anyone ever has had. Talk about no privacy.

What makes me think about this? The CFO's new Flip. It is easy, too easy, to capture anything at any time. This sounds good at first until you start to think what else might be captured. I have always tried to live by the adage that you don't send an email unless you want it posted on a website (the company website) with your name on it. But now we have to worry about EVERY action and comment we make. We might not be recording it but chances are, someone is.

The Triplets will know more about their childhood than the CFO and I know about ours combined. This can be a very good thing but I worry a little bit about info overload. Are some things better left not remembered? Is there a reason that we don't remember but so much about our own childhood? Too many questions....

Enjoy this little clip of the fast way down the stairs. Jackson is much more proficient as he did not get a raspberry from it like William did:)

Generation Gap: A chasm, amorphously situated in time and space, that separates those who have grown up absurd from those who will, with luck, grow up absurd. Bernard Rosenberg, Dictionary for the Disenchanged, 1972

Al

Happy Birthday to the CFO!

There are three hundred and sixty-four days when you might get un-birthday presents ... and only one for birthday presents, you know.
Lewis Carroll

Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the hell happened.
Cora Harvey Armstrong

A diplomat is a man who always remembers a woman's birthday but never remembers her age.
Robert Frost

You are not alone

If you did not receive a Christmas card from us, you are not alone. We (I) did not get them out this year, or the last two years. Yes, we still love you all but I have a finite amount of time/energy and well... they (you) got bumped from the list, again. No, it does not have anything to do with my new PS3, well, almost nothing.... OK, maybe a tinsey, winsey, little bit:)

If we did have a card it might have had this picture in it.



Want to see what Christmas looked like at our house? Here is a shot from the CFO's new Flip Mino. Note, this is BEFORE Mimi and Grandaddy came with their presents:)

A desk is a dangerous place from which to watch the world.
John le Carre

Al

Keeping the Triplets entertained

I can't take credit for this one.... we had our good friends over with their two boys the other day when the mother had a great idea. Build a train track around the island in the kitchen. It not only spread out the five kids but it also kept them from jumping (trying to) over the tracks and wrecking them. Since we are trying to potty train William we are at home a lot more these days so I pulled out the train around the island trick yesterday. It went pretty well but we did have a few issues with faster vs. slower trains and what the trains carried in their cars. Chapstick is a hot item around the house:)



Be happy. It's one way of being wise.
Sidonie Gabrielle

Al

Girls start liking Firemen at an early age

It also didn't hurt that Santa was riding the Firetruck on this particular day:)

It was a good day....

I am a bit nervous to mention it but William went pee-pee in the potty six times yesterday and wore big boy under wear without an accident. He did drop the deuce in his pull ups from the night before but that was prior to me deciding that it was time to bite the bullet. He was actually excited each time he went and I was/am glad for it. I just hope that today goes as well. Even if it doesn't, I feel like we have turned a corner and he is on his way to being potty trained.

Other that that the day was uneventful. I was without the family truckster due to a problem with the torque converter. I know, it sounds similar to a flux capacitor:) I will be back in business today so we will probably venture out but yesterday we were home bodies, by necessity.

There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.
Oscar Levant (1906 - 1972)

Al

I clean the house, no really, I do

Unlike one of our good friends, I do not have a cleaning checklist. I may look into that after our most recent discovery. I DO NOT like dusting but it is a necessary evil. So it seems that I sometimes miss a few places. The other day the CFO noticed a spider web from one of the lights. It had collected a lot of dust so it was VERY visible.


When making a fire people like to join you, when cleaning the ashes you are often alone.
African Proverb

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing is like shoveling the sidewalk before it stops snowing.
Phyllis Diller

Al

We plan, he laughs

I have always heard that we plan and God laughs. Today was/is one of those days. I was planning on going camping with my Brother in Laws for the night after dropping off the Boys with Mimi. I was going to drop off Addison with the CFO at her office. Notice all the "was"s:)

William had recently developed a nasty sounding cough so I took him to the Doctor. About one and a half hours later we got back home with a diagnosis of an ear infection and upper respiratory virus. I then tried (in vain) to get me and them packed. It seems that someone told them they were three and they decided to act like it.... yelling, running, smashing fingers, taking toys, etc.... Not even the Polar Express would tame their savage hearts. So after yelling at them twice I succumbed to God's will and backed out on the camping. Since then the day has been better and we are having fun.

Laugh or cry..... I choose to laugh..... a lot... a WHOLE LOT!

Al

Had to share...

I usually don't pass these along but this one had me laughing. It was titled Christmas Holiday Eating. I have seen this one before but I still like it. Not to mention I get to be lazy today by not coming up with my own blog entry:)

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table
knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave
immediately. Go next door, where they're serving double chocolate fudge.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It's rare.. You cannot find
it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000
calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an
eggnog-aholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have
two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. if something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy.
Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed
potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. as for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or
whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car
with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your
eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other
people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's.
You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the
time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while
carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted
Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near
them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of
attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind,
you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you
don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three.
When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory
celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or
get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read these
tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember
this motto to live by:

"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving
safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in
sideways, chocolate in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out
and screaming "WOO HOO what a ride!"

Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you!
Tommy Smothers

It would be nice if the Food and Drug Administration stopped issuing warnings about toxic substances and just gave me the names of one or two things still safe to eat.
Robert Fuoss

Al

It's all about me!

Santa brings the comfort

Santa has already brought the Triplets their "big" presents.... big beds. The boys get a new queen size and Addison gets a single bed that is a family piece. This was a bit of a selfish gift as we were hoping it would help keep them out of our bed:) A king is big until you start adding three year olds that like to sleep perpendicular to you:(

So after three nights with the new beds I have realized that it was a VERY selfish gift for us. When the boys come down to our bed I move to their bed, which is VERY comfortable. Unfortunately the CFO has gotten stuck with them but hey, she wants more time with the kids:)

Traditions are group efforts to keep the unexpected from happening.
Barbara Tober

If you can't sleep, then get up and do something instead of lying there worrying. It's the worry that gets you, not the lack of sleep.
Dale Carnegie

Al

Christmas time is here.

I have always enjoyed Christmas... the lights (how did they get THAT tangled just sitting in a box?), the exciting build up (if you find long lines and no parking exciting), doing good for others (unless I am on 280), looking forward to Santa (scaring the Xerxes out of the kids), the gifts (oh... I'm sorry, we just sold the last one), and last but certainly not least, the eight pound six ounce new born baby Jesus.

One thing that I have NOT enjoyed in the least is the way that toy companies now lash their toys to the packaging. Are they worried that the toys will come alive and try to escape? It is probably to prevent shoplifters from taking them out of the packages easily. If that is the case I say we flog any shoplifter as they have made parents lives infinitely more difficult on birthdays, Christmas, or any other gift giving occasion. If they were caught stealing a toy I may be for bringing back breaking on the wheel:)

We did Christmas with all the in-laws yesterday. One of the toys the Triplets got, and LOVE, is a small truck. This cute small truck was attached by not only an industrial twist tie that was long enough to tie a Christmas tree on the top of the van and was twisted more times than a balloon string caught in a ceiling fan it was also attached with not one, not two, not three but four screws! SERIOUSLY!! I want to find who developed that packaging and superglue all the locks to their house, car, gym locker, EVERYTHING!

On to the solution.... The CFO and I take everything out of it's box before wrapping it and take all that mess off. We also put batteries in the stuff that needs it, charge the stuff that needs charging, download the software that needs downloading, etc.... Nothing is more infuriating than having three kids all screaming while you wrestle with just getting the stinking toy out of the package. Once everything is working and unattached we put it back in the box and wrap it up. This makes for a VERY nice Christmas morning.

BTW, we also try to do the same thing when giving a gift. Believe me, the parents will thank you:)

Everyone is gifted - but some people never open their package
Unknown

You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving.
Unknown

Al

The tooth....

William ran into another kid at church a few weeks ago. Unfortunately he may be loosing a tooth over it. I feel VERY blessed that we have made a trip to the emergency room yet so I know I shouldn't complain. Right after the hit he was bleeding from the tooth and it was a little loose. It was not until it started turning gray that I got a little nervous. Oh well, it happens.

So we are waiting to go back in three weeks to the dentist to see if we can keep the tooth. When we went yesterday to the dentist I had all three with me. We had a great time and everyone enjoyed William getting a "picture" of his tooth:)

On a similar note, I actually like taking the kids to things like Doctor appointments, etc... I think it is my ego... to see if I can handle all three in a high stakes environment:) I have always liked doing what others say cannot be done. Maybe it is the whole "double dog dare" thing with guys:)

Perhaps middle-age is, or should be, a period of shedding shells; the shell of ambition, the shell of material accumulations and possessions, the shell of the ego
Anne Morrow Lindbergh

The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think.
Horace Walpole (1717 - 1797)

Al

You can't argue with that logic

It seems that the Triplets lay down some compelling arguments that are hard to combat. For instance... when you ask them "why did you hit?" Their answer is usually "because I wanted to." At least they are being honest:) I then switch gears and go into my "do you like it when someone hits you?" line of debate.

The other day Jackson started a new BFO "Blinding Fact of the Obvious." He got to the van to leave then said "I want my glowy," his comfort item(s). BTW, he now has two regular glow worms, a Christmas one and an old school one courtesy of the in-laws cleaning out their kids' rooms. He ran upstairs to find one (all) of the glow worms to take with us on our trip. I soon heard him crying "I WANT MY GLOWY!" I went up and asked him where one was to which he answered "they are somewhere." BFO!

It is good to know that like so many others, the Triplets have a firm grip on the obvious:)

An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind.
Mahatma Ghandi (a quote I saw while playing Modern Warfare 2)

Al

Wanna share your candy?

Family love

It is funny that many times we hurt those we love the most. It seems this is most true with kids. I know the Triplets love us and we love them but boy oh boy, do they (we) have a funny way of showing it sometimes. I will often times say that William has the most gentle heart, but that is the only thing gentle in/on him:) He may poke you in the eye, bite, push, kick, hit, jump on, roll over, throw at or any of the other things he does to you but they are all done in fun. Very rarely is there any malice.

So we love it when we get group pics that show they love they really have for each other. The CFO gets some great shots.

Love works in miracles every day: such as weakening the strong, and stretching the weak; making fools of the wise, and wise men of fools; favouring the passions, destroying reason, and in a word, turning everything topsy-turvy.
Marguerite De Valois

Al

Santa's coming to town

We went to breakfast with Santa on Saturday. I was hoping to get at least one of them smiling this year. We lucked out and got at least two out of three! I will look for the old pics later today to post, they are hilarious. The new one MIGHT go out on Christmas cards this year.

After today, I'll bet Santa takes a shovel to the reindeer stalls to fill your stocking.
Bill Watterson

Al

I miss work

From time to time I miss working outside the home. Yes, I still laugh when I say that:) I miss the comradery that goes with working on a team and the smack talk that also goes on in a good team. It seems that most parents don't take smack talk too well "Nice job with that kid, I'm sure you'll do better with the next one." :) See what I mean, it just doesn't work, seems a bit too personal. I also miss the rush of getting it done, whatever "it" was. It was usually filling a position/requisition as I was in Recruiting. Or it was getting an employee promoted.

Yes, I even miss the meetings and all the politics. I actually enjoyed most of the things others did not like. To be honest I also miss being able to take a break and get a coffee or run an issue buy a colleague to vet some solutions. And to be completely honest I miss this time of year at work. In recruiting, at most companies, Q4 or Thanksgiving to December is usually slow for recruiting full time/management positions. It was the time of year to review the year, get organized, get ready for next year, and touch base with all of my contacts. In short, relaxing.

All that being said I LOVE what I do now as a SAHD of three wonderful triplets with a wonderful wife (the CFO) that works 45 - 50 hours or so a week including some late nights to give us all the creature comforts that we have. I feel truly blessed to have this opportunity to help mold and shape three young minds and spirits into what they will become, whatever that may be. I know it is truly in God's hands but I have got to do my best or I will never forgive myself later.

I have many of the same feelings of "accomplishment" each day, week and month but they are constantly tempered by the challenges. But I guess that what it feels like when you are the CEO of a company. "We had a great quarter but we are totally hosed next quarter":) I also never got naps in any of my positions.

Even when all three are whining their heads off and there is willful disobedience abound I know this is where I want, should and ought to be right now. I have a feeling that there will always be work to be done, positions to be filled and meetings to attend. You only get one shot at your kids growing up. That is why we sold our motorcycles when we got pregnant. There will be time to ride in the future. Heck, when the kids go to school in few years things will change a lot. Just like at "work," change is inevitable.

Change is like a train.... you can stand in front of it and get run over, you can stand next to the tracks and watch it go by, or you can jump on board and go for the ride.
From a motivational speaker at a conference I attended, his name eludes me.

Al

I help you!

As many of you know, children are VERY "helpful." :) This is never more evident than when you are decorating for a holiday, organizing/reorganizing things or moving things. For instance just yesterday the Triplets helped the CFO and I take their cribs/toddler beds down. Believe it or not they were quite a help even if we did have to keep a close eye on them as their attention span is about as short Marine recruit's hair. They would each hold a side while I took the side off. They would frequently walk away leaving their side teetering.

This was precipitated by the CFO buying a big boy bed for the boys. Addison gets her own single bed that my Mom had in her house. The boys are getting one queen size bed. Of course it takes two to four weeks for the bed to come in so their room is a little empty now. But as they were already sleeping on their sleeping bags on the floor they don't care. We just hope that they will sleep in their own beds when they get them. They have assured us of this but I know how promises from three year olds go:)

So, it has taken me an hour to write this as the kids are up and I am at the beckon call:)

The love of truth lies at the root of much humor.
Robertson Davies

There art two cardinal sins from which all others spring: Impatience and Laziness.
Franz Kafka (1883 - 1924)

Al

Here we go again....

There has been even less sleep around the house than usual. Between decorating for Christmas, the new PS3 and the "coughing crud" going through the Triplets we have been getting a lot less sleep than usual. Not as little as we did when they came home mind you, but still it is less than we are use to. I have been spending every other night in their room with them so the CFO can get some rest. A king size bed is big until you try to fit two adults along with three three year olds that like to kick and sleep spread eagle:)

I wonder... at what age do you not have them waking you up at all hours? I know I will miss it but whew!

Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be (appear) normal.
Albert Camus (1913 - 1960)

Normal is boring,
Al