Flashback Friday...

Group pictures were never easy. I remember when I took these pictures I kept thinking that these pictures will be so much easier when they can sit up. LOL! NOT!! BTW, I don't know what was going on with Ben's hair that day and yes, I did comb it...sorry Ben, hair has never been my specialty....I guess that is one of the reasons that God gave me boys. And, if anyone even mentions "clown shoes", I am going to ban them from my blog....I like shoes!!! ;)

July 2002 (Jack, Ben, Drew)

Taking over the airwaves...

Den 8 went on a tour of a local radio station tonight. It was very nice and the boys had a blast. Anyone that was listening to the station at about 7:00 tonight got quite an earful. The station was nice/brave enough to put all 7 of our six year old Tiger Cubs on live radio.

Here is a link to the debut of our future D.J.'s. You can jump the recording to 1:20 to hear their portion of the "show".

Enjoy!!!

Easier???

I was in Meijer one day a few years ago. The boys had just turned 4 and I was 8+ months pregnant with Charlie. Since it was "summer vacation", everyone had to come with me to do our weekly grocery shopping. Got the visual?? Not pretty.

The boys were good, but at a tough age for grocery shopping. They were too big to ride in the cart, but too little to understand that other people need to shop and they can't take up the whole aisle. And, they still to required A LOT! of reminders about not touching. Basically, it was a big preggo me, pushing a huge cart full of food saying "don't touch" and "move out of the way" about a million times.

Needless to say, we survived. By the time we got to the cashier, I felt like I had accomplished a pretty big task and was feeling pretty proud of myself. The cashier was very nice and started talking to me. Of course, she asked if the boys were triplets and then commented about how well they were behaving.

The lady behind me in line was listening and jumped right in and responded to the cashier..."well, ya know, having triplets is easier than having one baby".

Me (dumbfounded, obviously, this lady did not come across us while we were actually shopping) - "uuuuuhhhhhh....excuse me?"

The crazy lady: "yeah, that's right, because my brother's sister-in-law's uncle's grandson's next door neighbor (or something like that) has triplets and....they said that once they are 6 months old, they start entertaining themselves. Where as if you only have one baby, the parent has to play with it."

So, there you go folks, the secret about having triplets is finally out. I guess that I'll go grab my last Pepsi and my bag of sweedish fish now and watch my 6 year olds entertain themselves until I have to drag myself off the couch to make dinner.

Scattered Monday Thoughts...

Jack is home sick today.

He was pretty sick over the weekend with a sore throat and fever. He also puked on me! yesterday. Yuck! Yuck! Yuck!! Ewww!!! That is the LAST time that I get up a jump on a Sunday by jumping in the shower and getting dressed for church first thing in the morning. Yuck!! But, back to Jack...he has been pitifully sick since Friday night. Jack really does not like being sick and is typically a tough patient. But, he was definitely a trooper this weekend. He pretty much just laid around. When I asked him how he felt, he usually said "ok", or "fine", but he did not move much from the couch, which is sooooo Un-Jack. Poor guy. :(

This morning, he did not have a fever, but he is still pretty mopey so, I decided to keep him home from school. He actually seems a little giddy about it, whichis strange because he LOVES €school. I think he is very interested in knowing what goes on all day while he is at school. He quite often wants a complete recap of my day with Charlie. Which is funny considering when I ask him what he did at school, his answer is usually something to the effect of "we had gym". That's it. Yet, when he asks me what I did, I have to start at the beginnig of the morning and then answer a string of "and then what?"'s. I don't understand what his fascination is with how many times I moved the laundry, but he is interested and today he gets to witness my exciting day first hand!

I am in denial that the rest of the kids are going to get this yucky virus too. It is sorta like when we get a fluke 60 degree day in January and I allow myself to think that maybe, just maybe this is the start of spring. Not gonna happen, but I can dream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We got a couple inches of snow this weekend. EVERYONE is sick of winter. Obviously, I have been sick of winter since November 15th, but the boys are even sick of it now. I didn't even know that 6 year olds could get tired of snow. But, Ben and Drew didn't even bring their snow pants and boots to school today, which means that they will have to stay on the blacktop at recess and won't be allowed to play in the snow. I left the decision up to them and they both left their boots and snow pants at home and opted for "kickball on the blacktop".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So, Lent starts on Wednesday. I'm going to give up SudOku on Facebook and Pepsi. Ugh!! I love Pepsi. The problem with giving up Pepsi is that so many things don't taste that good without Pepsi. Since I can't have Pepsi, I might as well be giving up McDonalds, chips and salsa and a bunch of other yummy things. So, when Easter finally gets here, there should be a whole new skinnier, healthier, more productive me.

My problem with today is that since my Pepsi days are numbered, I would really like to get some McDonalds for lunch today. Having Jack home kind of throws a major wrench into that plan. I don't think that giving a sick kid McDonalds is a great idea. Plus, he would totally tell his brothers and everyone would think that staying home from school means McDonalds! But, I am desperate, I can practially taste those chocolate chip cookies. Yum!! This is so much easier with just Charlie....I mean I am not happy that Charlie is speech delayed, but there are a couple "benefits", like he doesn't tell anyone when Mommy goes to McDonalds and eats cookies.

So, that's my Monday in a nutshell and not a "NOT" in there. ;) Have a good week!!

How to be a good mom....

...when you are addicted to Facebook Suduku.

Teach your kids how to play Suduku too. Suduku is educational, right?!?!

Flashback Friday

Since yesterday was Daddy's birthday, here are some pictures that Cathy took when we were trying to make a birthday card for Daddy's birthday 6 years ago. Fun times...we should have included a picture of me and Cathy dripping in sweat after trying to get a picture of these 3 bozos. ;)

Drew, Ben, Jack

February 2003

Happy Birthday Daddy!!!

What is in all of those pretty packages??? It looks like Christmas around here!! The boys went shopping yesterday at the dollar store. I bet you can't wait to see what they got for their favorite guy!!

In honor of it being Triplet Tree Dinner night,

I thought I would talk about one of the small reasons that I love hanging out with my triplet mommy friends.

Actually, to clarify, I love going out, with anyone, well anyone that is fun....Spencer (of course!!), family, moms with lots of kids, moms not a lot of, people with no kids....I'm not picky, I like going out!! But, my triplet mommy friends do rock and have an understanding for some things that moms without a whole bunch of little kids don't always "get".

Last week, I was at Charlie's Mommy & Me class at the park district. Some of the moms were talking about strep throat. I happened to mention that last year all 4 of my kids got strep throat at the same time. Remember that??? I then continued about how *happy* I was when we were at the doctor and all 4 of the strep tests came back POSITIVE!! Talk about killing a conversation. It was silent!!! Everyone just stared at me like they were trying to decide whether or not to call DCFS because it must be some sort of child abuse for a mother to be be HAPPY that all 4 of her kids tested positive for strep.

Ummmm....yeah. Oooops. Thank goodness it was the last class for that session! Maybe I'll never see those women again.

But seriously, these women could not possibly understand how miserable our house would have been for the month that it would have taken for strep to go through all 4 of my kids! And, if they would have continued to re-infect eachother, it could have gone on for longer...we might have still been fighting it now! Yeah, and with my small army of kindergarteners, we could have had an epidemic...at least in the 3 morning kindergarten classes. ;) In a house with 4 little kids, they all get everything that any one of them gets. I don't love my kids any less than those moms because I was happy that my kids had strep that day, instead of 2 weeks from then. In, Out, On with our lives!! Woo Hoo!!!

My triplet mommy friends would be all excited with me about my strep x4 story. In fact, that day, I think that I probably called my triplet mom friend, Mishelle, on the way home from the doctor to share my good fortune. Triplet moms get it!!!

So there.

Two Words...

I'm almost to embarassed to admit it, but the 2 words that explain the reason that I have been slacking on my blog are....

Facebook Suduku.

Ugggghhhh!!! I've been using my "free" internet time to play Suduku on Facebook instead of blog. I've got to stop it because blogging is so much more fulfilling...plus I keep losing at Suduku...a game that I thought I was pretty good at. Grrrrr...I hate losing.

I think that I'm going to have to give up FB for Lent. And, by the way that my clothes are fitting, it might be a good idea for me to give up chocolate and pop too. It is going to be a long Lent....but, at the same time, it better get here quick!!!

Flashback Friday, Part II

The Valentine's Day Edition

February 2004

Flashback Friday...

Sweet Ben

October 2002

Reality Check.

Jaclyn from The Polhamus Family posted this excerpt in her blog today. I have seen it before, but it was a nice reminder, especially considering my post for yesterday. I really liked the end of it. I don't feel "invisible" as the author describes at the beginning (I guess that I have a way of making myself heard) but I really liked the end...especially when she is talking about how she wants her son to come home from college. Very touching...and true. I also think that it is so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day, groundhog day type stuff, that we sometimes lose sight of the big picture.

Ok, that is enough out of me. Here is what the real author had to say...

It started to happen gradually. One day I was walking my son Jake to school. I was holding his hand and we were about to cross the street when the crossing guard said to him, 'Who is that with you, young fella?' 'Nobody,' he shrugged. Nobody? The crossing guard and I laughed. My son is only 5, but as we crossed the street I thought, 'Oh my goodness, nobody?'

I would walk into a room and no one would notice. I would say something to my family - like 'Turn the TV down, please' - and nothing would happen. Nobody would get up, or even make a move for the remote. I would stand there for a minute, and then I would say again, a little louder, 'Would someone turn the TV down?' Nothing.

Just the other night my husband and I were out at a party. We'd been there for about three hours and I was ready to leave. I noticed he was talking to a friend from work. So I walked over, and when there was a break in the conversation, I whispered, 'I'm ready to go when you are.' He just kept right on talking.That's when I started to put all the pieces together. I don't think he can see me.I don't think anyone can see me.I'm invisible.It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not. No one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.I'm invisible.Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this?Can you tie this? Can you open this?Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again.She's going... she's going... she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a banana clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.'It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte , withadmiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'

In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tinybird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'

At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.

When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell his friends that he’s bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for threehours and presses all the linens for the table.'That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself.I just want him to want to come home.And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.'

As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we'redoing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to theworld by the sacrifices of invisible women.

-From the book "The Invisible Woman"
by Nicole Johnson

Is the grass greener over there???

Ben (yesterday, in a whiney, snotty tone) said: "I can't wait to be a grown up so that I can do what *I* want to do all of the time".

Are you friggin' kidding me?!?!

To say I was a little ticked off would be a bit of an understatement. Maybe if he would have said it for a reason other than he was just ticked off because he would not have any more "free time" to play Wii for the day, I would have been a little more understanding. Or, maybe if he hadn't said it on a TUESDAY! when I spend the whole day running all over heck for my family, I might have been a little more understanding. But, the fact that he chose yesterday, a day that I spent not doing a single thing for *me* (except blogging and showering), until 8:45 at night , to basically announce that grown-ups, (and he was totally directing this at ME!), spend all of their time doing exactly what they want to do every day, was just not good. And, it really didn't result in my best Mommy-ing Moment.

I don't remember exactly what I said, but I do vaguely remember mentioning grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning floors and laundry. And, come to think of it, I'm pretty sure that Cub Scouts, Soccer, Wii and reading "My Weird School" books was mentioned too. And, if I had to guess, I would guess that my tone was probably a bit on the nasty side. Like I said...not my best Mommy moment.

So this morning, I remembered the "conversation" with Ben from yesterday. Since today I was able to spend time thinking about it with a clear head, and not running into the Park District building with kids and dinner, to pick up another kid from baseball, because we had 1/2 hour to get all of us to R.E., I was able to be a little more objective.

Ironically, in my objective state of mind, I was able to see that Ben was kinda right. I mean, of course, he wasn't right to say it to me in a snotty way when I was obviously doing the best that I could, for him and his brothers. But, he is very right that being a grown-up *is* cool.

I actually remember feeling the same way when I was a little kid. And, it was not like I had a rotten childhood. I actually had an awesome childhood and I like to think that my kids are having a pretty great childhood too, but the problem is that I (and probably Ben) like being in control. A child is not in control. They do spend a good portion of their time playing and doing fun things, but they are not in control. They get up when we tell them to, they go to school and get bossed around all day, they do the chores that we decide they should do, they watch the shows that we let them watch and they go to bed when we make them.

Being a grown-up is hard too, more than a 6 year old could ever imagine, but I personally like eating McDonalds and M&M's any time that I want. I like staying up late to read, or blog, or play Wii if I feel like it. I like deciding what to buy....with the money that Spencer gives to me ;), and deciding what colors to paint my house. I like picking out my own vacations and I'm always happy that I'm a grown up when I feel like wearing jeans to church...sorry Mom. ;)

After my epiphany, I was excited to talk to Ben this afternoon to tell him that I "got" what he was saying yesterday and I agreed with him!! I know that it did make him happy to hear that. I continued to talk, but I guess he had heard enough because he interruped me to see if *I* could get *him* a snack.

Ummmm....yeah, it must be nice to be a kid!!

What to do with old Halloween Costumes...

...give them to Charlie!! At least we are getting our money's worth out of them. ;)

Intermission...

We are really appreciating the break from winter. I never knew that a breezy 40 degrees could feel so good.

When I tell Spencer (daily) that I want to move to Florida, his main argument against it is that if we did not have to live through winter (misery) every year, we would not appreciate "nice" weather days. I think that happens to be a really STUPID! argument, but I guess that he is a little bit right...If we lived in Florida, we would definitely not have spent a couple of hours playing frisbee, football, baseball, tennis, riding scooters, bikes and a plastic horse on a day that was 40 degrees and windy. But, whatever.

I want to run...

Actually, I don't want to run. I need to exercise and I want to want to run. Does that make sense?

Drew brought this home from school. They are learning about the human body. On the brain page, he wrote "To keep it (the brain) healthy, I do exercise (if I have time)."

I'm totally with you on that one Drew!!!

Spencer is a runner...and he likes it....a lot! This guy on tv last night liked running so much that he got his foot amputated. It was a long story and I was only 1/2 way paying attention, but the short version is that he badly injured his foot in a motorcyle accident. The doctor fixed his foot, but not good enough for the guy to be a runner again so, he got his whole foot amputated because he liked running MORE THAN HIS FOOT!! I can't imagine!!!...I'd be like, oh well, bad foot, no running for me...WooHoo!!

This nice "spring" weather is making me feel like I want to start exercising. How can I learn to make running fun? Because is just really makes me feel miserable. Of course, I like the way I feel when I am *finished* running, and I LOVE the way that I feel when I have a little bit of breathing room in my jeans, but while I am in the middle of running, it just kind of sucks.

I need some motivation!!! HELP!

What's the hardest thing your boss asked you to do today??

"Mommmmmy Onnnnnn!!"

Seriously, he wanted me to put the banana string thingie back on the banana.

,

Flashback Friday...

Continued from last week. Drew's pictures from our photo shoot with Cathy. How cute is he!?!?!?

October 2002