Wordful Wednesday: LOVE This Photo

This year I had a shot at getting my Christmas cards out early.

Early as in before Thanksgiving.

But I'm a realist and I knew that wouldn't happen. Especially not when I was busy putting all the magic in Christmas -- you know, playing Santa, moving the Elf on the Shelf, having four extra sets of hands in all my holiday baking.

I had hoped to have them all out before Christmas, or at least by New Year's.

Nope.

I got the last cards out on Jan. 9., which means I can finally share these great photos on the blog. They were on our Christmas card and I didn't want to spoil the surprise!

We didn't even try to get a picture of them all together with their letters. I just planned from the beginning to frame four individual shots.

I LOVE these photos, and those little people in them, too!

Play along with Wordful Wednesday over at Seven Clown Circus.

© Trippin' Mama 2012

She Says "Don't Carpe Diem." I Agree

Today I read a blog post that a fellow triplet mom linked on Facebook. It was an epiphany for me, the kind of thing that had me laughing, nodding and saying, "Yes! Exactly!" It was a post that banished some myths and abolished some of my mommy guilt.

I want you to hop over to Momastery and read Glennon's post titled, "Don't Carpe Diem." She says it all far better than I can.

I appreciate Glennon's honest perspective that this parenting gig is hard work, and it's just not reality to enjoy every moment of every day. Like today, for example, when kids didn't nap and Candy Land became a full contact sport. But it is possible to enjoy some moments of every day. In fact, it's almost impossible not to.

Thanks, Glennon, for voicing the honest truth that so many of us live.

Christy

© Trippin' Mama 2011

We Want Mama!

The boys are suddenly very, very attached to mom. I don't really understand this phenomenon, though someone will probably assure me that it's developmentally right on target. But holy cow! I can hardly leave the room long enough to pee and when I come back it's like I've been gone for a month!

It's been a long time since the kids got upset when I left, until recently. Now they go crazy when I leave, even when Jeff is here. And they want mama to do everything, which drives their daddy and me up the wall. He wants to pitch in and give me a break, (and I want to take it!) but the boys throw fits and make this difficult.

We both just ignore it and try not to cave, but it makes the going a bit rough around here at times.

One day I ran a quick errand, maybe 15 minutes. The boys all cried the entire time I was gone, and when I got home they piled on me like I'd been gone a month.

And the other day I left and the boys were here playing with Miss Ellen, who is one of their favorite people in the whole world. Still, Isaac was upset when I got home. I tried to talk to him about it.

"It's OK if Mommy leaves for a little while. I always come home to you," I said.

Isaac crossed his arms and gave me his mad face. "No, I want you to stay here forever!" he growled.

It was funny, but not funny all at the same time.

Today I went to the Y to work out during nap time and Sam informed me that it was not OK for me to leave, even if I left while he napped.

The problem is that if I don't get out of here once in a while, I'll go crazy and then they'll be begging me to leave!

© Trippin' Mama 2011

Oh, Christmas Tree

We are live Christmas tree people. (Well I am, and Jeff goes along with it.)

Yes, it's a hassle. Yes, it bothers my allergies. Yes, today when we took the tree down it rained a million pine needles that I will still be finding come spring. But still, I love a live tree.

I understand the convenience and ease of a pre-lit artificial tree. I just can't bring myself to do it. Especially now that we get to take the kids to choose the tree. That was one of the highlights of the season for us.

But all good things must come to an end, so after the kids were in bed the tree went out and the stockings came down. I left the nativity up since tomorrow is the Feast of the Epiphany when the wise men arrived to honor Jesus. I thought it might also cushion the blow for the kids.

Being kids, there's no predicting them. There will either be tears tomorrow morning that the decorations are gone, or a week from now someone will finally notice and ask me where the stockings are.

We've been enjoying unseasonably warm weather and we got our first garden catalog, so the kids are already talking about spring. Next weekends temps in the teens will be a harsh reality for all of us! But for now, we're just glad we'll have 50 degrees tomorrow to get the Christmas lights down.

© Trippin' Mama 2011

The Snowman Is Doing What?

Last week while Jeff had a few days off for vacation, we had just enough snow to make a snowman, throw a few snowballs and do a little sledding.

I was inside getting my cold weather gear on and resting up from getting four kids bundled up, so I missed the actual building of the snowman.

When I went out, I found a rather unusual snowman, which Sam was happy to explain to me. Jeff, on the other hand, refused to answer for this.



The snow was gone the next day, so I was glad we got out and played in it. The snowman mostly melted in the next couple of days, though a small part of his potty remains. 

© Trippin' Mama 2011

2011 In Review: Part Two

Ready for round two of our trip down memory lane? Here it is!

July
What color is your poodle?
The wedding: Let them eat cake!
Isaac sings, in costume!

August
Amelia rode the "chool" bus for her first day of kindergarten.
We went to the fair where we fed the animals and fished.
The one about testicles.
Bus 52? I'd like my child back.

September
Amelia and I took a girls' only trip to see Aunt Judy.
I caught the boys on video playing their version of Duck, Duck, Goose.
My park pooper finally started going on the potty.

October
Capice?
My kids are giving me ADD.
I had to deal with a dress-up dilemma.
The boys turned THREE!
It was a swirly, more or less.
I added an Absentee Mom to my $%#^ list.

November
Halloween costumes, crafts and more.
I showed off my asymmetrical prom dress, circa 1989.Isaac cut his own hair.
The kids helped me make Thanksgiving dinner.

December
A new rule to add to the list.
Isaac finds a monster under his bed.
Our Elf on the Shelf got out of hand.
I made some homemade Christmas gifts.

Ahh, 2011 was a good year in many, many ways. And we're starting out 2012 with the boys fully potty trained and having learned how to lay down and sleep in their beds with a minimum of antics. Amelia's loving school, and Jeff's got no business travel on the horizon. I have no idea what adventures this year will hold, but I'm looking forward to it!

© Trippin' Mama 2011

2011 In Review: Part One

I want to admit right up front that I'm writing this post sheerly for my own entertainment. It was fun to write last year, and even more fun to go back and read this year. So, here are my favorite posts and most memorable happenings in 2011. Join me for a trip down memory lane, won't you?

January:
Isaac shows off his daredevil moves.
The boys learned how to make their own breakfast.
The day I fired myself.
Amelia and I had a conversation about the birds and the bees.
Sam explains how he broke his leg.

February:
Isaac takes a serviceman to school.
Maybe their first year wasn't the hardest.
It's a "dinking party!"
The one about the child-endangering handbags.
Who is in charge here?

March:
The day I accidentally taught my boys the farmer's blow.
The kids gave up their pacifiers.
I had to get out the pooper scooper...for the boys.
Amelia had a hair-raising experience with a remote control car.
The poor man's jacuzzi video.
The kids' first pet: Elizabeth.
The (mis)adventures of Potty Boy, The Bandit and Mr. Footprint.

April:
The day the boys started a small fire in my kitchen.
Here's what bedtime stories look like in our house.
Things that are giving me gray hair.
The end of an era and the return of furniture!
Splishin' and splashin' in the spring puddles!

May:
Isaac turned into Great Aunt Edna.
We made the move to big boy beds. Oy!

June:
The boys had a funny bedtime conversation.
I "twapped" Isaac in the pack and play after he wouldn't stay in his bed.
Pooping (sadly, NOT in the potty) became a team sport.
Our Father Who AREN'T in Heaven.
The boys had a lot of fun with body art.
The boys found another use for my Tupperware.

Hope you enjoy this trip through the archives as much as I did! Part two coming soon!

© Trippin' Mama 2011