Wordful Wednesday: Sisters

Everywhere we went, people asked if we were related. Hmmm, I wonder why?

Mom, me, Mary, Judy and Cathy ~ Girls' Weekend 2011

Wanda, our favorite desk manager at the hotel, quickly dubbed us "The Family," and took great care of us.

Especially when she chose to bend her own rule and warn us to keep it down instead of just kicking us out at 11 p.m. one night.

Really, we weren't that loud. We just got to laughing a bit too much.

Apparently the people in the next room who complained were young, too. And they weren't up when we left the room at 8 the next morning. Which made us laugh all the more.

I wonder what they'd think if they knew we were too loud because we were celebrating an 80th birthday?

I'm hosting the 11th annual Girls' Weekend next year, and I'm already looking forward to it.

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© Trippin' Mama 2011

Hi. My Name Is Mom.

Today Jeff and I took Alex and Isaac to the doctor's office.

Yes, the plague continues. Two weeks and counting. Feel free to debate which is the lesser of two evils: one sick child at a time stretching into eternity and Mommy slowly going off the deep end, or everyone sick at once so the house becomes a pit of wailing misery and Mommy flipping out fast. I have yet to decide which method of torture I prefer.

I walked up to the window with Isaac in my arms, and the receptionist said, "Name?"

I paused for a couple beats. Not because I didn't remember my name, though there have been those days, but because they always know who I am in the doctor's office. And this wasn't a new receptionist.

I told her my name and she did a double take. "Oh, I didn't recognize you without the triplets!"

The triplets! Of course! This season's hottest fashion accessory. All the rage on the runways in Paris. (Now that's a gig for one of those modeling reality shows that I'd really like to see!)

True, I usually show up there with a can't-miss-it stroller full of children, so I understand her confusion.

But it was a little reality check, too. Because that's what it comes down to, doesn't it? I have become "The Triplet Mom."

I used to have a name all my own. Most days I can even recall it.

One of the great secrets of motherhood is that you'd better make sure you love your kids' names, because their names will become your name, too. First I became "Mom." And before my first child could even talk I became "Amelia's Mom." And now I'm "The Triplet Mom."

I'll wear those titles proudly for now. I just hope that when my kids are grown I can still remember my real name.

© Trippin' Mama 2010

How Old Are You?

When I was with my sisters and my mom last weekend we all took the Real Age Test (http://www.realage.com/), which determines, based on your lifestyle, what your "real" age is.

Note: I do not receive any compensation from www.realage.com, and I am not endorsing their results. We just did this because it was fun and informative. This disclaimer brought to you by the FTC.

What a youthful group!

I was relieved to be younger than my actual age, because I can't say I'm taking the very best care of myself these days. That, and one of the questions was about how much sleep you get a night and I know I'm falling waaaay short there.

We all came up younger than our years, in part thanks to good genes and no family history of cancer. And we all got suggestions back on what we can do to improve our health even more. Judy and I are both supposed to get dogs because we don't get enough aerobic activity. HA! I'd love a dog, but I don't need one more thing to take care of, discipline and potty train right now.

I suppose I could count a few minutes a day of chasing babies as aerobic exercise, but honestly I don't regularly engage in heart-pumping activity. Unless you count panicking when I find the boys climbing on something. (But that's another whole post.)

We spent a lot of the weekend talking about what we eat, where our food comes from, and debating the merits of organic, or at least, locally-raised foods. I think we all agreed that where the food comes from is probably less important than making sure you are eating lots of fruits and veggies and minimizing processed foods as much as possible.

I spend a lot of time thinking about what my kids eat, worrying if they are getting enough sleep, and making sure they take their vitamins to stay healthy. But what about me? Even though I'm pretty healthy, I don't take care of myself as well as I take care of my family. And there's always room for improvement

So, I came home determined to take little steps to even better health. This week I am making sure to take my multivitamin every day, along with a little extra vitamin C (to kick this cold) and some extra calcium, which I know I don't get enough of. It's a tiny commitment compared to the vitamin and mineral regimen I followed when I was pregnant with the triplets.

How about you? What small change will you make for a healthier you?

These Shoes Were Made for...

These shoes were made for...a wedding! And for a big surprise.

Today, my brother Dan is getting married in California. When he invited the family, he assumed, as did I, that I wouldn't be able to come. But thanks to the world's most wonderful husband and some dedicated helpers, my shoes and I arrived in California yesterday to surprise him. It will be a quick trip, and I'll be home in time to spend the end of Mother's Day with my little ones.

I left Jeff with enough food to feed a small army, and a small army to feed! Amelia's off for a fun weekend with friends, and someone is coming in every evening to help Jeff get the boys through the supper and bedtime routine. I tried to organize everything to make his life as easy as possible. I'm afraid if things don't go smoothly he'll never let me leave again!

This is the first time I've been away from the boys. I'm partly excited and partly nervous. I'm not worried about Jeff. Heck, he'll probably get more help than he does when I'm at home! But it's still a little hard to leave. I'll miss my boys and Amelia!

On the other hand, I am looking forward to eating a hot meal or two, sleeping all night long and not getting spit up on for a day or two...

Moms Are...

Yesterday the boys were two weeks old. I planned a light-hearted post that compares how I looked the day I delivered with how I look now, but that one will have to wait.

Instead, I want to post a big THANK YOU to my mom. She just left, after being here a full month before the triplets were born and these first two weeks we had them home. As you saw in previous posts, she did all my nesting and organizing for me, and helped take care of this family as we waited for the babies to come. She truly was a godsend in those last few weeks.

But that was nothing compared to these first two weeks of life with triplets in the house. From helping with three feedings a night to devising baby boot camp, and from giving first baths to working with our volunteers to handle the late evening feeding, Mom was there. She stayed long enough for me to recover from the delivery. And she was here to see the boys start to come out of the sleepy baby stage and begin to develop their own personalities. Of course, that makes leaving them all the harder.

Grandma Alice with Sam, Alex and Isaac. 10/11/08

Mom, I never thought you'd still be taking care of me when I was 36 years old, but I am so glad you were here. I love you and I miss you already. Thank you isn't enough, but it's all I have to offer. You're the best!

Christy