Best Mother's Day Gift Ever

Not to brag, but I got the best Mother's Day present ever today.

BEST. EVER.

Not jewelry. (Though Amelia helped choose a beautiful necklace for me.)

Not flowers. (Though I got a gorgeous yellow bouquet.)

Not cards. (Though I got some very sweet cards.)

Not breakfast in bed. (Though we had a yummy breakfast casserole for brunch.)

So what, you ask, could this best gift be?

Wait for it...wait for it...

Two of the boys pooped in the potty!!!

Color me so excited. Could this possibly be the beginning of the end of the very worst part of potty training? I certainly hope so.

I'll take that over breakfast in bed any day.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, grandmas, and special aunties and friends who help mother so many kids. I hope you all got to celebrate with the people you love.

© Trippin' Mama 2011

They Lied to Me

Now that the boys are the same age Amelia was when we brought them home I look at them and wonder how we ever survived. I never had four in diapers, since Amelia was fully potty-trained when the boys were born, but she was not sleeping consistently through the night.

And she was two. TWO!

Now we're back at two again. Setting aside the fact that I can't believe the boys are in the thick of being two already, I have days when I wonder if we'll all survive to see three.

Before the boys were born many of my fellow moms of multiples said, "If you can just survive the first year it's all downhill from there."

Liars.

Yes, the first year was tough. Brutal even. And honestly I have (mercifully) already forgotten much of it. But the pumping, feeding every three hours, sleeping in 45-minute increments, and never having time to shower or eat? I remember. The spoon feeding, diaper changing, baby bathing, bottle washing and laundry marathons? I remember those too.

But two years old? Times three? The velocity, the energy, the curiousity, the into-everythingness is AMAZING. Also, exhausting.

The other day we were playing with Play-doh, and I was breaking a sweat trying to keep up. One wanted help cutting out a circle. Another wanted to "quish" the orange Play-doh, not the yellow he had. A third wanted me to make balls to put in his cup. And no one wanted to wait patiently or play on his own while mommy helped someone else.  The faster I filled their requests, the faster the requests came at me.

It reminded me of spoon feeding them in the early days when they would open their mouths and squawk for more the second they swallowed. They made me sweat then, too!

I am continually trying to keep up with them. Their imaginations are in high gear and I spend a lot of time trying to understand what they are talking about and whether it is real or pretend. Then there are the special toys, cars and tiny pieces of things that must be found, sending Mommy on a treasure hunt all around the house.

Then there's the typical two-year-old behavior. You know, the less-than-accepting response when the answer is "no." The sudden changes in what they like and don't like that leave their mama completely confused. The physical acting out when they are mad or frustrated.

Some days you'd think there was a rule here that the time-out chair can never be empty. And I'm sure the neighbors sometimes think I'm beating the kids for all the wailing in anguish they do when they don't get exactly what they want. I promise I'm not, though sometimes they beat on each other. Just one of many reasons we need the time-out chair.

The early days were crazy, sure, but three two-year-olds raises the crazy stakes to a whole new level. At least in the beginning everyone needed pretty much the same thing at the same time. Three bottles, three diaper changes, three baths etc... Now, everyone needs different things at the same time. I thought the juggling was crazy when it was trying to get everyone fed at the same time and sleeping at the same time.

These days I'll often find myself playing race cars and eating a pretend lunch someone's whipped up in the play kitchen while singing "The Itsy-Bitsy Spider" with the third boy. I try to grab every moment I can to do something one-on-one with each of the kids. Amelia gets the boys' nap time and the boys get whatever moments I can find when the others are busy. It's not easy, and I try not to obsess about those days when mommy time isn't very equitable.

One thing does make this age easier than the early days: I get to sleep at night. Let's hear an "Amen" for that!

© Trippin' Mama 2011

The Not-Quite-Perfect Mother's Day Video

If you are a long-time reader you might remember that last year on Mother's Day I flew home from my brother's wedding. I arrived home after the kids were all in bed and found this video posted on my blog. 

So this year Jeff tried again. Things didn't go according to his plan, but I think this attempt turned out just perfect. Amelia is valiantly doing what she's been asked to do despite what happens around her. Sam is parroting Amelia. Isaac is disinterested, and Alex is taking the place apart.

Perfectly perfect.

I hope all of you remembered your moms today!

© Trippin' Mama 2010

The Shoes Redux

My shoes and I returned from California late last night. I'll do a post later with pictures, but for now, here are some of my favorite moments, in no particular order:

1. Catching up with two of my sisters on the flight out.

2. Seeing the look on my brother's face when he figured out I wasn't Mary (my sister) and realized I had left the triplets behind to make the trip.

3. His bride, Karen, greeting me and then coming back an hour later to say, "Wait a minute. You weren't supposed to be here!"

4. Being recruited, along with all the other women at the rehearsal dinner, to arrange flowers for the centerpieces for the reception. No experience required. Tequila shot beforehand, mandatory. (The flowers came out surprisingly well!)

5. Watching my brother's oldest son grin from ear to ear during the entire wedding.

6. Breakfast with my mom & sisters.

7. Margaritas at lunch Saturday.

8. Getting my nails done.

9. Sitting in the California sunshine talking with my family.

10. Wearing "big girl" clothes and those killer heels.

11. Eating my meals while they were hot, and without interruption.

12. My brother's comments at the wedding about the role model for marriage and family life that my parents have provided for all of us.

13. Showing off pictures of my kids!

14. Giving my mom her Mother's Day card in person.

15. Watching my brother surprise his bride by singing to her during the wedding.

16. Catching up with my niece and nephews whom I rarely get to see.

17. The opportunity to sleep all night, though I woke up anyway!

18. Coming home to all my children peacefully sleeping while my husband waited up for me.

Photos and video of the flower arranging session to come. You won't want to miss this. Trust me!

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...