I have become one of "those parents"

The CFO is off today so this is short and, well, short. I just realized that I have joined the ranks of "those parents" that pander to their kids. I am cutting the crust off their sandwiches for our lunch. But I have to admit, I like it better too:)

Have fun,

Al

Burn baby burn

William came down the slide the other day at one of our favorite parks and said "OW, that hurt." He pulled up his shirt to reveal the slide burn pictured below. I said "the plastic burned you" to which he said "where?" I told him that the slide was plastic. He went over to it and said "BAD SLIDE!" I asked how it happened and it turns out he went down feet first on his stomach. We discussed how that was probably not a good idea considering the results:)

The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget.
Thomas Szasz

Al

OK, return the socks and I won't ask any questions

What is it with missing socks? For goodness sakes, just take both of them!! Ten, REALLY, ten missing socks. All from different pairs! I would throw them away but then the other ten would show up just to taunt me another time:)

No one can drive us crazy unless we give them the keys.
Douglas Horton

Al

What happened to Spring?

It is Murphy's Law that as soon as the YMCA takes the bubble off the pool it will turn cold again. I feel bad as I want to keep the Triplets up on their swim lessons but I think the low 60's is a bit chilly to go swimming, even if the pool is heated. I know I shouldn't complain as the dog days of Summer will be here before we know it but the Triplets have outgrown their Winter/Fall clothes. Oh well, it is a good thing that I am a SAHD so I can get away with dressing them funny:) Too bad they don't have high tops, that what I did when my pants got to short. They seam to mask the fact that you are wearing high waters:)

Too many people grow up. That's the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget. They don't remember what it's like to be 12 years old. They patronize, they treat children as inferiors. Well I won't do that.
Walt Disney

The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.
Bertrand Russell

Al

Thump... wait for it... wait for it...

WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! If you have been around kids you know that feeling. You hear the THUMP then you freeze and call for quiet while you wait to see if there is any damage. It may come from behind you, the next room or upstairs but the response is the same.

Unfortunately for him, Jackson is usually the recipient of the worst noggin thumps. He also hits the same spot 95% of the time!

In the fight between you and the world, back the world. Frank Zappa (1940 - 1993)

Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfils the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things. Winston Churchill

Al

I Pledge Allegiance

Not that long ago the Triplets busted out with The Pledge of Allegiance. I love it when they surprise me with new stuff they learned at their day out program. Here is one of the times they show us what they can do. Of course Addison is more than happy to "help out" Jackson:)

No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
Barbara Ehrenreich

A citizen of America will cross the ocean to fight for democracy, but won't cross the street to vote in a national election.
Bill Vaughan

Al

Oh, a camping we will go...

I think I mentioned before that we have done a 180 from our previous life as home bodies. Before kids it was not uncommon for us to spend a weekend doing a few things around the house then the CFO would read and I would play video games. The most we did out of the house was when we owned motorcycles when we lived near Seattle. THAT frequently got us out of the house, rain or shine.

But now that we have the Triplets we get out for two main reasons. One, we don't want them to become home bodies. We want them to live active lives exploring the outdoors. Two, they LOVE getting out of the house and are much easier to contain. You know the expression... you can't control them, you can only hope to contain them:)

One of the things we like doing is going camping. We usually go with the Nuke Doc's family, as we did the other weekend. The best part of camping? Breakfast! Bacon, eggs, and coffee taste better around a campfire!

Our campsite the first morning. If the CFO looks a bit tired it is because our eight year old air mattress gave up the night before and there was not much sleep had by us.



One of the Nuke Doc's boys LOVES being the Tickle Monster where he chases (walks) after everyone with his arms going up and down. It is a game loved by all. He keeps chasing and they never get caught.



The boys' job was collecting kindling for the fire.



Warming up by the fire after a good game of Tickle Monster.



Notice the orange theme, War Eagle!



Yes, we still sometimes have to send them to time out.

The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature.
Anne Frank

Al

The CFO does it again!

How cool is it to have a Mom that LOVES bugs, snakes, and animals of all kinds! You never know what the CFO will bring home. Some days it is new clothes and other days it is something that moves:)

Yesterday she came home with a HUGE moth! I don't ask how I just accept it:) The Triplets were enthralled with it and luckily the dog did not eat it:) I will get pics of the kids with it soon.

If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with a mosquito.
Betty Reese

Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar.
Bradley Millar

Al

The end of an era

One of the CFO's cousin's has been staying with us for the past year while she worked in Birmingham. On a side note, I am always confused on whether the CFO's cousin in my cousin, my cousin in-laws, or just her cousin. I consider her cousins mine but I say they are hers to lessen the confusion, I hope:) She has been the been the best roommate that a family with Triplets could have but alas, all good things must come to an end. She is moving back to Florida to again work with/for her first love, Disney. She has been a blessing in all of our lives and our thoughts/prayers will be with her in this new chapter in her life.

Addison was not very happy until we told her that her cousin was going to live with Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

The hardest thing to learn in life is which bridge to cross and which to burn.
David Russell

Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.
Dr. Seuss

Al

Poor little bunny

We forget that it is getting hotter this time of year. Unfortunately Mr. Easter bunny had to pay the price for our forgetfulness. Don't worry, the CFO got replacements.

Heat and hollow chocolate bunnies don't mix well:)

Learning is about more than simply acquiring new knowledge and insights; it is also crucial to unlearn old knowledge that has outlived its relevance. Thus, forgetting is probably at least as important as learning.
Gary Ryan Blair

The mistake a lot of politicians make is in forgetting they've been appointed and thinking they've been anointed.
Claude Pepper

Al

Easter Egg Hunt three, four and five

Little did we know what we were in for. We headed up to the in-laws Easter Sunday for what we thought was the final Easter Egg hunt. We were going to surprise them by showing up for Church but an hour into the trip William had to go potty so we immediately pulled over on an exit ramp. Of course then EVERYONE had to go. Needless to say, we didn't make it to Church but we did surprise them right after Church.

When we got to their house the Triplets had a great time playing with their twin Cousins before the egg hunt(s). The first hunt was for money. The kids got two each. Addison ended up being the big winner getting the egg with the five spot in it. After we corralled the kids back up we put out the candy eggs and a few of the real eggs that the families had dyed. Believe me, it was a priority to find those once we got home and get rid of them. That is all I need, to find one of those suckers in a couple of months:)

Then the CFO's Daddy put out eggs for the adults. He did a great job of hiding them and it took us a while to find them all. Once again the Triplets racked up including the gifts from their Aunt Ra-Ra gave them... clothes, candy, books, etc...

Everyone was ready to go!



Opening their Easter goodies



Release the hounds!




On the hunt

We had a great time and the Triplets fell asleep on the way home.

In every American there is an air of incorrigible innocence, which seems to conceal a diabolical cunning.
A. E. Housman (1859 - 1936)

Al

Easter Egg Hunt, Take Two!

The second hunt was held at our abode. I did my best to be sure there were no brown eggs from the family dog:) We cooked/ate hamburgers and hot dogs before "releasing the hounds." BTW, if you have never tried it, you need to try Dale's on your hamburgers/steaks. A word of warning it does have MSG but it tastes so good I don't care if it gives me a headache. Just don't marinate them too long.

Some fun before the chaos.



The balloon battles can get serious:)



The kids with their loot.

The resurrection gives my life meaning and direction and the opportunity to start over no matter what my circumstances.
Robert Flatt

The joyful news that He is risen does not change the contemporary world. Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice. But the fact of Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice.
Henry Knox Sherrill

Al

Easter egg hunt, take one!

This year we are going for a grand total of three Easter egg hunts. I can see us in the years to come making a game of it and seeing how many we can actually participate in. But for now, three is enough for me. You know the deal... cute clothes for ALL of us, get out the Easter baskets, keep them under control (a relative term) until it is time to "release the hounds," sort through the candy with them to make sure they don't choke on anything, and finally be the bad guy telling them they can only have so much all the while trying to take cute pictures. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention keeping an eye on well intentioned older kids that keep giving your kids more candy to eat:)

Our first Easter egg hunt was at our Church. Last year it was inside due to weather but this year we got to have it outside! There were enough eggs for each kid to get 12 eggs. That sounded good to me, less candy:) After getting the eggs we headed back in to survey our loot and sort out the choke-able candy and gum.

A little while later the Easter Bunny came in and the trauma began. One pre-teen was holding a friend's eight month old and wanted to introduce him to the Easter bunny. But for some reason an Easter bunny that is over six feet tall seems to scare the, well, the mess out of many kids, including eight month olds. William on the other hand went right up to him, waited for him to turn around and promptly "bonked" him on the bottom. We talked about that a minute later:)

Now for the pics.....

Addison is not a big fan of a six foot tall bunny:)



The Triplets are ready for the hunt!



Who is the genius that put the Easter eggs on the business side of the AC units? :)



Raking it in baby!



Whatcha been eating?



Want some fun? Just tie a balloon to a kid and let him run!

Only the shallow know themselves.
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young, 1882

Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't the fine line between sanity and madness gotten finer?
George Price

Al

One of my favorite pics

Monsters....

When the CFO and I put the Triplets to bed last night William came up with a new ploy to try and get one of us to stay with him or let him sleep in our bed.... Monsters. Just like any good idea it took off like wildfire and Addison was soon boo-hooing about the Monsters that were going to get her.

The CFO made an immediate counter attack with no more movies or TV explaining that is how they got scared. Keep in mind she was explaining to them, not me. What happened next was nothing short of peeing in your pants funny. They started a discussion of what TV show and/or movie they could watch that didn't have anything scary in it. Here is a short list of what ensued....
Keep in mind they are the ones coming up with the movies AND the reasons they can't watch them.

• Catchow (Cars) - No, there is a combine.
• Wubbzy (Wow Wow Wubbzy) - No, there are robots.
• Einsteins (Little Einsteins) - No, there are bats and spiders.
• Dora (Dora the Explorer) - No, there is Swiper.
• Super Why - No, there are Dragons.
• Kai-Lan (Ni Hao Kai-Lan) - No, there are ants.

This went on for over an hour and covered almost every show/movie they have seen. It was primarily Addison and Jackson throwing out ideas and William pointing out the scary part of ANY show or movie. Hilarious!!!

Of course, what they do not know is that this calls into serious question that they "forget" what we tell them.

Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters.
Victor Hugo

Al

Party all the time...

We had a busy but very fun weekend. The CFO was off work Friday to spend the day with the family and get some stuff done around the house. I emphasize "some" as doing anything with three and a half year old Triplets around is a bit challenging, even with all their help. We got the house and backyard cleaned up for our second Easter egg hunt of the season at our house Saturday.

Saturday started off with heavy rains in the morning and a friends Pirate Party. The CFO and I were not very fun at the party as I/we didn't want the kids getting all muddy. But there were some more fun parents there:)

After the Birthday party we came home to finish getting ready for our Easter egg hunt for our small group from Church. Luckily we had good weather the rest of the day and the yard dried out. Sunday we left early to go to the in-laws for lunch and Easter egg hunt #3. Actually numbers three, four and five. More on that tomorrow with some more pics, I hope:)

If it's not fun, you're not doing it right
Bob Basso

Al