Want to go to a football game?

The other morning Addison, Jackson and I were sitting at the breakfast table (funny how that same table is the lunch table, dinner table, craft table, art table, etc....) talking when I was explain the difference between a good ticket and a bad ticket.  The learned a cute thing at Church the other day.  If they think something is good or a good choice they give it a thumbs up and say "right thing."  But when it is bad or a bad choice they give it a double thumbs down and say "wrong thing."  I told them that a ticket from a Police Officer was a wrong thing while a baseball ticket is a right thing.  Jackson then said "a football ticket is a right thing."  I asked if he wanted to go to a football game.  He then said "when we go to a football game we can get a football!"  I chuckled and said "no buddy, you don't get footballs at football games like you do baseballs at baseball games."  To which I got a "WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!??????"

I love realizing all the stuff we take for granted.

Here are a few more pictures from our weekend with the in-laws.

 

The future, according to some scientists, will be exactly like the past, only far more expensive.
John Sladek

Some people think football is a matter of life and death. I assure you, it's much more serious than that.
Bill Shankly

Al

Rule #6 Don't do the crime if you can't do the time

I heard myself repeating this once again the other day and decided that I needed to add it to our "House Rules."  I was a Criminal Justice major in college so I believe in this adage whole heartedly.  One of the other things I tell the kids is that I will do my best not to lie to them.  So if I say something is going to happen, ya shur ya betcha it's gonna happen.

They hear this rule a lot when they are headed to or in time out, getting an upgrade or any ramification from their actions.  Now if I can just remember that rule in my own life:)

Here are a couple of pics of William and Addison from our recent vacation.  One of which shows Addison doing the time.

 

A human being has a natural desire to have more of a good thing than he needs.
Mark Twain (1835 - 1910), Following the Equator

Al

Save a buck

The CFO has gotten pretty good at cutting the Triplets' hair.  She started out trying it out to save a buck here and there but she has gotten pretty good at it.  Now she cuts their hair because we have had some BAD haircuts from some people.  We now have our favorite hair cutter, Mr. Micky, but the Triplets' really want the CFO to cut their hair.

Here are a couple of pics from Jackson's haircut over the weekend at Mimi and Grandaddy's.

Life is an endless struggle full of frustrations and challenges, but eventually you find a hair stylist you like.  
Author Unknown

Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair. 
Sam Ewing 

Al

This girl has got it going on!

We went to the Barrons Baseball game the other Friday night.  The YMCA had a screaming deal on tickets.  A family of five could go to the game for $7.  It was also free jersey night.  Pictures?  Nope, but in my defense it was raining and our camera bad is not waterproof.

We love sitting down the first or third base line as a lot of foul balls are hit down the base lines and most of them are grounders.   Once there the ball is usually retrieved by one of the pitchers in the bull pen and given to a kid in the stands.  Because of this we have gotten at least one ball at every game we have been to except for one.  Without exception, Addison is the first to get a foul ball.  She has already perfected the look, the cant of her head, and the wave.  I feel bad for the guys in her future:)


And I highly recommend for all the women in the world, even if they're 71, you can never take for granted that he loves you. It's always good to flirt with him. It's a great sport. 
Salma Hayek 

Why does a man take it for granted that a girl who flirts with him wants him to kiss her - when, nine times out of ten, she only wants him to want to kiss her?  
Helen Rowland

Al

Seven weeks to go.

I was talking with another stay at home parent the other day when we realized that we still/only had seven weeks to go in the Summer until the kids headed back to school/day out programs.  It is a mixed feeling that I have about this.  On one hand I will be happy to start my routine of housework and yard work a again but I will miss all the fun with the Triplets.  Not that we won't have fun when they are in the day out program but it puts us on a tight schedule.

Either way I have seven more weeks to cram more memories into!

God gave us memories that we might have roses in December.  
J.M. Barrie

Memory is a child walking along a seashore.  You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things.  
Pierce Harris, Atlanta Journal

Al

Jump!

Laundry day(s) for the SAHD

Laundry is one of the many things you have to stay on top of or you will get swamped.  Wait a minute, everything is like that!

Of course you have the normal stuff like clothes for five people but it is the tedious stuff that drives me nuts.  Like matching up socks.  At a minimum we go through four pair of socks per day.  You might have seen my post where I had ten unmatchable socks at one time.  Ridiculous!

Not only do you need to wash and dry it all but then you also need to fold it and try to get it put away before the cycle starts all over again.  I also need to wash towels, dish towels, wash clothes, napkins (we use cloth ones) hand towels, bath rugs/mats, etc... Keep in mind that there are four sets of sheets to wash and change.

The biggest challenge with the sheets is washing the kids' sheets and getting them back on their beds in between when they wake up and when they nap.  Yes, having two sets per bed is a good idea but I don't see wasting the effort to fold sheets, just put them back on the bed.  Heck, if it wasn't for the CFO I am not sure I would fold anything.  I would probably only have seven or eight outfits for the kids and we would rotate through those each week.

BTW, what is the deal with the hostile fitted sheets and mattress covers?  I do not remember having this problem before moving to Birmingham but now anytime I wash the fitted sheet/mattress cover they end up taking all the other clothes hostage.  It is the same thing every time... I take care to separate everything coming out of the washer going into the dryer.  I look back after thirty minutes and all I see is a ball of laundry, damp of course.  I must then wrestle the rest of the load from the grasp of the fitted sheet.  In the process it inevitably spits some of it's prey into the dog's water dish as retribution for freeing it's quarry.  I can usually get it to give up on hijacking the entire load but it always picks off a few stray socks or shirts just to remind me of who's in charge.  The coupe de grace is when I notice a lump in the bed after making it... THERE'S the missing sock!

I try to keep to a semi-usual schedule:

• Sunday - kids' clothes
• Monday - towels
• Tuesday - darks
• Wednesday - cleaning towels and napkins
• Thursday - Sheets and whites
• Friday - kids' clothes

Of course this is contingent on our weekly activities.  There is extra laundry when we go swimming and the time line gets compressed when we go on vacation.


Marriage is about the most expensive way for the average man to get laundry done. 
Burt Reynolds 


Al

The tipping point

At the Science Center there is a touch tank with sharks and sting rays.  I have heard of kids taking headers into the tank but I always wondered how that happened.  Well, thanks to a friend of mine, I now know.  We ran into the Nuke Doc's family at the Science Center Friday down at the touch tank.  One end of the tank has a slanted edge for shorter kids to be able to reach the water.  It starts low and moves up to accommodate kids of different heights.  They have a four year old and a two year old (C and E) so if they are standing together, which they were, then one is either too high or one is too low.  What would you choose?  Trust the four year old or listen to the two year old whine?  She did what I would do and have done, trust that your child won't lean too far.

It doesn't take long for one of the sharks to come by.  Turns out this one shark in particular is a sneaky little bugger that likes to tease you by coming at you close and shallow then going deep just before he is in reach.  He did just that to the four year old.  Not to be out maneuvered C continued his pursuit only using his two fingers, as instructed.  The only issue was that those fingers are attached to his hand, which is attached to his wrist, which is attached to his arm, which is... oh, you get the idea.  Next thing I know he is headed for a dip. It looked like he went a bit too far and one of his feet slipped putting him past the tipping point.

The Nuke Doc's wife moved into action letting go of E to grab C before he got another bath.  So there she was holding C by a leg and an arm over the touch tank.  She brought him back from the brink and everyone else seemed none the wiser.  C was embarrassed but only wet up to the shoulder.  I laughed the rest of the day.


Defining and analyzing humor is a pastime of humorless people.
Robert Benchley (1889 - 1945)

Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.
T.S. Eliot


Al

Sometimes you gotta stick to your guns

For some reason the Triplets seem to have caught a bad case of the whine flu.  As becoming four is just around the corner they are testing their limits again.  Since I am "the heavy" in the family that means it is time to draw a line in the sand.

Early on in my career as a SAHD the CFO asked that I not use ramifications (punishment) that also punishes her.  So I try to confine the "if you do or do not do this then we will or will not do that" to my time with them.  Since Miss Kelly came to visit on Friday the Triplets have been on a tear.  Yesterday, I drew the line.

It started early with some "demands" rather than "requests" from the Triplets:

• Get my milk
• No, you get it
• NO!

You get the idea.  Then it ramped up to repeated time outs for hitting.  William was the TOD.  I warned him that one more bad choice and he lost it.  So I then got to be the TOD for a while after he hit Jackson, again.  But just like God does me, I forgave them.  We headed out for the day.  I told them the plan:

• Go to the CFO's work to take her thermos of coffee to her.
• Toys R Us to look at bicycles.
• Kohls to try on clothes.
• The Department of Motor Vehicles (yes, I am crazy) to renew our tags
• Grandma Jack's Pool

The only stipulation was that they had to make good choices.  I know, that's one big stipulation.  Kind of like the asterisk * on the add that tells you only the stuff that no one wants is on sale. Or the warranty* only covers the stuff that NEVER breaks.  The CFO went with us to Toys R Us and we had a great time.  Unfortunately Addison and Jackson fell asleep before we got to Kohls.  When we arrived in the Kohls parking lot Addison belted out a command for me to carry her and I said "I would have if you asked nicely but you didn't so I am not going to carry you."  She cried all the way to the store.  Once in the store she ramped it up when I told her we were all going potty.  So I upped the ante... I told her we were going to leave the store if she didn't stop.  She didn't so I told her we were headed home.  Her head popped off!  We essentially walked in one door only to walk out the other door.  I could hear people laughing as I walked back out the other door with the three of them following me, Addison a sobbing mess in the back.  We stopped in the breezeway for me to give her another chance to pull it together.  She almost had it when William hit the handicap door button, which I had told him not to touch.  My next words "that's it, we are headed home, no pool today."  Everyone fell apart.  We walked back to the car with me smiling and them bawling.  Sometimes it sucks being my kid:)

Keep in mind that I was smiling not because I was happy but rather a kind of... well... the CFO would call it an "evil grin."  I had gone through the trouble of packing lunch (we did eat it at home) in the cooler and getting all of our pool stuff ready.  I was also looking forward to swimming with them.  But I do not get to choose when lessons will need to be learned.  Yesterday, school was in session:)

Addison WAILED all the way home.  We got home and it took her thirty minutes to get her sanity back.  But by nap time she was back to normal.  I could see it in her eyes, she just wanted to push me to see if I would break.  What is this...  hell week at the Fraternity house all over again? :)

genuwhine 
\jen-yu-wine\ noun:
Sounds of distress made by a child for a legitimate cause (e.g. fever) as opposed to a petty annoyance (i.e., misplaced Nintendo DS). Rare.
Parenting Magazine

Al

SAHD Cleaning

Next up, Cleaning!  I have been thinking about cleaning a lot lately.  Mainly because I have been behind in my cleaning ever since the kids' day out program ended in June.  I don't have my designated free time to clean.  Oh well, the CFO is very understanding but my PS3 is getting a little dust on it from the lack of playtime:)

When I think of cleaning a few main areas come to mind.  I want to look at each one in detail.

The Triplets - I know that is a funny thing to start with but baths are the one thing that I did not look forward to as being the stay at home parent.  Not mine silly, the Triplets'.  Back when I started staying at home when they were 18 months old it was much more challenging (a beating).We now have fun but it still takes about an hour and a half if they have fun or 40 minutes if I am in a hurry.  Another thing about baths is periodically cleaning their bath toys.  Who ever invented and sells bath toys that actually squirt water have either never had a child or really believe in planed obsolescence as these things grow mold in them faster than a petri dish.  I run the toys through the dishwasher on the sanitizing cycle from time to time.  You also need to get their teeth brushed and flossed (yeah right) twice a day (yeah right). Add to that the constant cleaning of faces, hands and extremities.  No, I do not use my spit on them, we use wipes.


The Kitchen is one of the heaviest used rooms in the house so it is the toughest to get and keep clean.  The kitchen table gets washed down two to three times a day.  Then you have the cook top, the counters, the dishes, the stuff you must handwash, loading/unloading the dishwasher, etc...  Our Roomba spends a lot of time in the kitchen during nap time.


The House is easy and time consuming at the same time.  For those of you that have not cleaned a house, I mean REALLY cleaned a house, it is a daunting and ongoing battle.  Your main enemy is DUST!  I can't wait for God to explain dust to me:)  WHY is there dust?  Not what causes it but why:)  Here are the areas I hit.  Some almost daily, while others are weekly, monthly, or whenever I notice an issue:

• Baseboard - yep, they get dirty/dusty and we have 5" ones.
• Chair rails
• Molding
• Window sills
• Blinds
• Tops of doors
• Pictures - on walls and on furniture
• Furniture - chairs, tables, beds, etc... under them, around them, etc... 
• All those stupid nicknacks people (we) own
• Ceiling fans
• Corners - cobwebs on the floor and the ceiling
• Sinks, showers, tubs, toilets, mirrors, etc...
• Towel rods
• Toilet paper holder - YES, even they get dusty.
• Refrigerator - the coils on the bottom, the inside, the outside and the top.
• Cabinets - wipe down the outside and the inside
• Windows - why lie, I pay someone once a year to do the inside and out.  I just get the ones the kids and the dog mess up the rest of the year.
• Lamps
• TV and audio/visual equipment
• Kids' potties - yes we still have them.  I hope to be rid of them soon.  Pee just seems to appear in these things!
• Carpet, rugs, hardwoods - even under the furniture, thank you Roomba!
• Microwave, toaster oven, coffee maker, etc...

I know I am missing some stuff but that is all I can think of right now.


Miscellaneous stuff must also be cleaned.  The van for one.  In my previous life is would totally clean my car once a week inside and out.  Even when I had a company car for about six years and even when we lived in Seattle.  But now the outside and the windows get cleaned about once a month.  The inside gets cleaned out and vacuumed once a week.  I am amazed at how much stuff the Triplets take into and then leave in the van.  Hats, toys, bags, etc...

Add to all this the constant challenge to keep the house "picked up" with three three year olds running around.  We periodically take a time out of what we are doing to clean up but that can be undone in the time it takes for me to find the chicken in the freezer that I need to thaw for dinner:)

To top all of this all of you must periodically clean/wash the stuff that you clean and wash with: cleaning cloths, dust cloths, dishwasher, clothes washer, wash buckets, dryer filter/vent, vacuums, etc... It all ends up with the shop vac at the bottom of the pile.  I even blogged about our vacuum hierarchy in the house previously.


If all the world's a stage, I want to operate the trap door.
Paul Beatty

I think housework is the reason most women go to the office.  
Heloise Cruse


Al

Party Favors!

A lot goes into pool time

As a side note to the duties of a stay at home parent is the trip to the pool.  Many see it as a benefit, to take your kids' to the pool.  Let's take a look at the work that goes into making that happen.

 The Triplets have been going to the pool a good bit lately.  The CFO and I take them most weekends and I take them two to three times during the week.  Sometimes it is to the YMCA, but it is pretty packed.  We have started using the pool at my Mom's apartment complex.   It is a great facility and is usually not busy at all.  They also have a bathroom close to the pool in the clubhouse and a covered area where we eat.   They even have a gas grill out there if I am every brave enough to cook while there.

Since we are headed out I need to pack our lunch.  If I know the day before that we are going I can get a head start by asking the TOD (Triplet of the day) what they want for lunch the next day.  That way I can start packing before the TOD is awake the next morning.  Lunch usually consists of:

• Sippy cups of water
• Sandwiches: Peanut Butter and honey/jelly or turkey and cheese
• Snack: Cheese-its, chips, cheesy poofs, etc...
• Fruit: Strawberries, bananas, blueberries, oranges, etc...
• Desert: AKA: bribery:)  Double Stuff Oreos, Fig Newtons, etc...

Now that lunch is packed it is time to get the kids and me ready. As we have been going to Grandma Jack's pool a lot I don't have to pack for the showers.  But we do need to pack the pool stuff:

• Noodles
• Life Jackets
• Squirting guns
• Goggles
• Splash balls
• Towels

Now that we are ready to go all I have to is get everyone in the van.  Oh yeah, and get sunscreen on everyone.  If you have ever tried to put sunscreen on a three year old then you feel my pain, times three:)  Then we have the potty breaks.  The rules stay the same with potty breaks, one goes, we all go.  Unfortunately it is VERY chilly in the bathroom.  We usually play for about an hour then we eat lunch, well half of it anyway.  Then we play for another hour before eating the other half.  During the play time I rotate who goes without a life jacket.   I have to keep reminding them that they cannot swim yet.  Usually when I take the life jacket off they jump right in saying "I can swim."

After we get done swimming all I need to do is take them home, give them a bath, hang up the life jackets to dry, wash our swim suits/towels, clean out the cooler and get them down for a nap.  Just another day in paradise:)


We are the people our parents warned us about.
Jimmy Buffett


Al

Cooking as a SAHD

Now that we have all those lovely groceries, that we got on sale, with coupons, we need to be sure to cook them before they go bad.  Keep in mind that "cooking" involves ALL food preparation.  To that I would add all clean up.  I know that clean up would technically fall under "cleaning" but let's put it under "cooking" for smiles and giggles.

Cooking sounds easy enough... just fix the meal right?  Anyone who has "fixed" a meal knows that it is WAY more involved than that.  First you have to figure out what in the world you are going to eat.  Of course you could look at the new Food Pyramid or go to the American Association of Pediatrics for advice.  First, who knew there is a whole website dedicated to the Food Pyramid!  Man, can we complicate the fog out of something or what!  Then you go to the AAP and you can go broke trying to read their info through their bookstore and publications.  Since I do not have a team of people or my 30's (they are almost gone) to read all of that information I just try to figure out what they will like that is reasonably healthy.  There are some good resources out there to help like The Sneaky Chef.  I actually got mentioned in the last edition!

On to what they will/want to eat.  I follow the mantra that I am not a short order cook.  One of my favorite quotes on this comes from Buddy Hackett: "As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices:  take it or leave it."  But I do frequently give them choices, this or that.  Usually the Triplet of the Day (TOD) makes the call for everyone.  Our biggest weakness is veggies.  Other than green beans cooked with bacon they are not welcome by the kids.  BTW, I LOVE being a Southerner... our veggies include bacon cooked green beans, fried okra, fried squash, green bean casserole, etc...  As you may know, just because they eat it today it does not mean they will eat it tomorrow, next week, next month, etc...

Also, how far in advance should I plan?  I will sometimes plan a meal or two in advance but that is it.  I do not plan out the whole week.  Yes, it would probably make it easier but so would turn signals and no one around here uses those either:)  OK, I know what we are going to cook, now what?

Let's look at the three main meals.  This of course does not include the two snacks during the day that most kids have.  Snacks are good but you have to plan when AND where you are going to have them.

Breakfast is the easiest of the three for me.  Our usual choices are:

• Cereal (fruity or chocolate cereal ONLY on Saturday and Sunday)
• Oatmeal (the kind you have to cook) with brown sugar and raisens
• French toast
• Blueberry pancakes from scratch
• Waffles from scratch

Keep in mind I only offer/do the last three if there is enough time or I have some frozen that I can reheat.

Lunch is a bit trickier as I need to figure out where we will have it.  If it is at home how long will I have to cook it?  I mean, will we be getting back home right at lunch time or can they "play" while I cook?  If we will not be at home I need to consider the following:

• Can I keep in cool? (you try carrying my backpack and a cooler)
• Will we be able to sit down?
• Do they have napkins?
• Is it outside? (fresh fruit is NOT a good idea outside as bees LOVE it!)
• Are there trashcans available?

Dinner is usually our smallest meal of the day, which my team of researchers (sarcasm) tells me should be the smallest of the day, and is usually easy.  But I do have a few things to consider:
Does the CFO want to have dinner with them?
If she does, what time is she coming home?
What time did they go down for their nap?
How much did they eat for lunch?
What leftovers do we have?

Keep in mind I need to clean all of this stuff up!  So if we go somewhere during the day I am scrambling to clean up breakfast before we leave.  Then I need to clean the cooler out after lunch.  Finally I need to clean up after dinner.  No worries, I only start my day around 6 am and I am usually done cleaning up by 9:30 pm or so.  See, being a SAHD of Triplets is just like a normal job:)

I LOVE this from Despair.com (thank you Roger) and I think it is a good reflection of me:

Originality is the fine art of remembering what you hear but forgetting where you heard it.
Laurence J. Peter (1919 - 1988)

Al

Grocery Shopping

First in my mini series on duties (I always chuckle when I say that) of a stay at home parent is Grocery Shopping.  It sounds simple enough at first glance.  Drive to the store, put what you need in the cart, pay, put it in the car/van, drive home, put it in the house.  But on further examination it is a bit more than that.  Here are a few of the things that go into just making/keeping the list.  

• Keeping track of what you have on hand.  For some reason it seems that many people are unable to let you know when you are about to run out of things or you do run out of things.  Thankfully the CFO is not one of those people.
• When do things expire?
• Who likes what, today:)  You must also keep track of any diets.
• Finding and using coupons to save money.
• Searching for sales

Let's not forget to mention that you usually are shopping with the kids!  This adds just a little bit to the put things in the cart and pay for them, this includes:

• Don't let any of them get hit by a cart (you try keeping three three year olds in a cart)
• Who wants to sit where NOW?
• Answering 100+ what's or why's 
• We need to get everyone a free cookie (you better get the right kind) and balloon (not only is the color of the balloon important but what about the color of the ribbon and balloon weight?)
• Who has my list now?  When and where did you drop it?
• No, you cannot hold the raw hamburger meat.  WHY?  Because I need to cook it first.
• Please put down the jar of pickles... GENTLY!
• Yes, they are Triplets:)
• No, we are not buying that because... it is not on sale, not good for you, because I said so.
• Yes, everyone will get a turn putting the groceries on the checkout conveyor belt.
• Please stop pushing cancel on the keypad at the checkout.
• Then you get to unload all of this in the heat, rain, cold, etc... after getting your kids in the van.
• Did I mention that one of the balloons just flew away?  No bueno!
• GREAT!!!  I forgot to get the.... eggs, milk, item that we cannot live without.  OK, everyone back in the cart, Daddy forgot something:)

Once you get home (did I mention that a balloon popping in a van is LOUD?) you get to unload everything, with their "help" of course:)  I usually just do the frozen and refrigerated stuff leaving the rest for nap time or after they go to bed.  

So, that quick 30 minute trip to the grocery store....yep, it took an hour and a half to two hours!  

If A equals success, then the formula is A equals X plus Y and Z, with X being work, Y play, and Z keeping your mouth shut.

Albert Einstein

The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without one.

Oscar Wilde

Al

Just what do Stay at Home Dads do?

I had to chuckle the other day during a conversation with a SAHM (Stay at Home Mom).  I mentioned that I was a SAHD and she said "so you can sympathize with what stay at home moms do."  I just said "yes mam" but I wanted to say "uh, I do a bit more than just sympathize."  I am not even sure that sympathize is the right word.  Empathize may be better but is still depends on what I am empathizing/sympathizing with.  

The one thing that is inexcusable is for the spouse of a SAHM or SAHD to take for granted all the stuff (crap) that gets done on a day to day, hour to hour, minute to minute basis to keep the family moving forward.  Not to mention actually caring for and training their child/children.  I am truly blessed to have a Wife (the CFO) that is supportive, empathetic, appreciative, and forgiving.  I joking tell the CFO that I sometimes let things slide to remind her of all the stuff I do:)  I know that many stay at home parents are not so lucky.  My heart/prayers go out to them and I offer a free reality check for their spouses:)

Let's look at the responsibilities a Stay at Home Dad/Mom might have around the house....

• Grocery shopping
• Cooking
• Laundry
• Cleaning
• Paying the bills
• Shopping
• Yardwork
• Maintenance

Doesn't sound like much huh?  Keep in mind that I am not even including the roles many stay at home parents have like: volunteering, PTA, sports, helping with homework, etc...  I am going to start a short series of blog posts looking at at each one of these "around the house" responsibilities in a bit more detail.


Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy.
George Carlin


Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all.
Sam Ewing 

Al

Note to self

Not only do you need to take the camera when you leave town.  But you need to put it back in the van when you take it out:)  The CFO and I have the good habit of taking valuables out of the van at night.  Unfortunately I do not have the good habit of putting them back in the van the next day.  So for our Fourth of July jaunt to the in-laws we only got pictures of the first night there, before we unpacked.

Here is the whole crew just after watching Huntsville's fireworks.  

William showing Aunt Jo a little light show.

The next day we all went on a pontoon boat that Granddaddy Coblentz rented for the whole day.  Everyone had a great time.  I would show you but I forgot the camera:(  EVERYONE swam in the river.  The Triplets would jump in then swim around to the ladder to climb back on board and do it all over again.  Yes, they had life jackets on:)  Unfortunately the boat did not come with an anchor so one of us had to stay on board and move the boat periodically to keep it from running ashore.  Thanks to constant vigil of the CFO, no one got sunburned.  Jackson took a nap in Aunt Jo's lap and Addison in the CFO's.  William fights naps like he is in the UFC championship cage match. He finally succumbed after turning into a crying mess on the boat deck unable to move from exhaustion.

After baths we headed over to Uncle Tommy and Aunt Julie's for the local fireworks.  Lucky for us the CFO had negotiated a very good deal on some fireworks on the way home the night before so we shot some off before the big ones got going.  Man, fireworks have come a long way since I was a kid.  But snap and pops are still lots of fun:)

We headed back early yesterday for a dentist appointment for the Triplets.  They love the dentist!  New toothbrushes AND a toy, what is not to love:)


Most people would rather be certain they're miserable than risk being happy.
Robert Anthony

It is a far, far better thing to have a firm anchor in nonsense than to put out on the troubled sea of thought.
John Kenneth Galbraith (1908 - 2006)

Al

The funniest SAHD blog post/article

I have read some funny stuff in my short time as a SAHD but this article is without doubt the funniest I have ever read.  The author of the article, Hossman, may be the funniest SAHD blogger out there.  I won't even bother mentioning who I previously thought was the funniest SAHD blogger as they have been surpassed in banter and buffoonery.  The jocosity of Hossman's writing is only matched by his levity.  Hossman's facetious remarks and raillery make being a SAHD a little more fun.  I hope this is not a man-crush, it is probably just a bit of the green eyed monster (yes the "J" word) creeping in.

The article is "The SAHD and His Man Bag" that is on Daddyshome.org.  You can read more badinage at The Hossman Chronicles.
 

They are getting too smart

The other day William looked at me and said "I want all the lip stuff."  He is referring to Chapstick.  The kids LOVE this stuff.  They get it from the CFO.  I avoid any kind of cream, lotion, conditioner, salve, etc... like the plague.  Hey, remember I may stay at home, I may cook, and I may clean but I am still a dude!  William had four in his hand so I said "you have four of them, I don't think you can hold any more."  He really wanted some that was on the kitchen counter because it was a different color than what he had.  William quickly gave two of his tubes of Chapstick to Jackson.  William then looked at me and said "now I can hold more."  I am afraid:)


He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the secret of life.
Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Keep your fears to yourself but share your courage with others.  
Robert Louis Stevenson

Al

No talking with food in your mouth

Just when you think that your kids don't listen....

I have been trying to get the Triplets not to talk with food in their mouths.  Jackson first started opening his mouth to show me there was food in it when I would ask him a question when he was eating.  Thankfully now he just points to it.  The other day I was on the phone with my Mom while eating a snack.  Out of nowhere I hear this "Daddy, don't talk with food in your mouth."  I had no choice but to comply.  I don't want to be one of "those parents."  You know the ones that say "do as I say, not as I do":)  Keep in mind that I expect them to follow the rules better than I do, I just won't say that phrase.

That brings me to my soap box.... I am amazed at the number of people (parents) that expect their kids to speak kindly and respectfully to them but they do not speak that way to their kids.  Granted, I may be seeing people at their worst (I have my moments) but I think it is all too common for adults to speak down to kids while expecting kids to be respectful to the adults.  Or maybe those kids are just getting an earlier taste of hypocrisy:)  

Many of us believe that wrongs aren't wrong if it's done by nice people like ourselves.  
Author Unknown

Even if you do learn to speak correct English, whom are you going to speak it to?

Clarence Darrow (1857 - 1938)

One thing you will probably remember well is any time you forgive and forget.

Franklin P. Jones

Al