Got Triplets?

Four Year Stats

2010-12-13T11:48:00.002-05:00

For the two people who still read this blog ...

Hayden: 40.8 pounds, 90% percentile
41.5 inches, 85% percentile

Tanner: 40.3 pounds, 88% percentile
42.5 inches, 96% percentile

Noel: 33.6 pounds, 37% percentile
40.5 inches, 70% percentile

Mompetitors

2010-09-22T13:44:00.003-04:00

Sigh ... the sad thing is that some moms are like this blonde mom in real life.

This video hit almost every hot parenting topic, so be forewarned!

I guess the only problem is if you don't know which mom you are ...

Why Having Triplets Is Like Being at a Frat Party

2010-08-12T14:48:00.001-04:00

• You sneak off to the bathroom knowing that as soon as you sit down, someone’s going to start banging on the door.

• Probably 80% of the stains on the furniture contain DNA.

• You’ve got someone in your face at 3:00 AM looking for a drink.

• There’s definitely going to be a fight.

• You’re not sure whether anything you’re doing is right, you just hope it won’t get arrested.

• There are crumpled-up underpants everywhere.

• If there’s something on the floor that looks like food, no matter what color it is, it will eventually be eaten.

• Never ever set your drink down and walk away. Someone is liable to slip some funny business in it.

• Everyone in the house uses five or more drinking cups per day because no one can remember where they left theirs.

• Someone, and if you’re lucking they won’t be in your bed, will drink too much and pee their pants.

• No matter how many times you swear that you are going to bed alone, you will inevitably wake up with one (or more) people in your bed and wonder “how the hell did this happen?”

• You end up eating standing up most of the time because someone always needs something.

• Someone made it to the toilet to go pee, but forgot or didn’t have time, to remove their pants first.

• Farting, burping and any other bodily noises are not only the norm, they are also sometimes the evening entertainment.

• Cereal and potato chips make a balanced meal.

• Running around in underwear, a weird hat and rain boots is not in anyway strange.

• Peeing off the porch or into the bushes is preferred to the toilet.

• Nothing makes a person more proud than showing off the big booger on their finger and nothing is funnier than wiping it on someone else.

• If it’s suddenly too quiet in the other room you know that something is up.

• Every time the doorbell rings, you say a silent prayer that everyone will remain mostly clothed for the next 30 seconds and/or have the sense to stay out of eyeshot of the person at the door.

• Someone happily exclaims “Boobies!” (sometimes while trying on someone else’s bra)

• There is a good chance someone is dialing a phone number they shouldn’t be dialing.

• When a boy runs into the room, waiving his underwear over his head, doing the penis dance, no one even looks up.

• You are subjected to the same story 20 times.

• Sometime in the middle of the night someone slurs, “I want my mommy.”

• The toilet is stopped up with too much toilet paper.

• You ask the two nearly naked boys what they are going and they say, “We’re having a naked underwear party.”

• For some reason there’s a half eaten stick of butter underneath the couch.

• All conversations happen as though one has forgotten the language.

• One of them will repeat everything you say … at an inappropriate moment.

• You don’t remember the last time you looked at your television set and saw something other than cartoons or video games.

• You constantly say things like “Please don’t lick my pants” and wonder why on earth you would EVER have to say that out loud.

It's How We Roll ...

2010-08-09T17:13:00.000-04:00

You Should Have Seen the Other Guy ...

2010-07-27T08:35:00.003-04:00

The four foot gorilla was no match for the Shelly triplets!

Butterflies and Mommy's Work

2010-06-24T11:22:00.007-04:00

We had our annual visit to the Butterfly Show today. Hayden and Tanner loved the butterflies while Tanner was terrified of them. We think he must have gotten stung by a bee or some other insect because he runs from anything that flies or goes bzzz.

After we got to go visit Mommy's work place -- we made lots of new friends and got to play with all kinds of fun office stuff. We liked Mommy's candy dish the best!

Wearing Ourselves Out for Quiet Time

2010-06-22T11:13:00.004-04:00

We spend many an hour doing physical activity in the mornings to tucker them out for the afternoon.

Since the boys have transitioning away from naps, we have had "quiet time" instead. Tanner and Noel usually crash, but Hayden usually doesn't sleep (though he does like to tuck his stuffed zebra in for a nap).

On a side note, Hayden has been doing an excellent job of using the potty while we are out and about. :-)

Back to the Dentist

2010-06-18T10:57:00.004-04:00

We've been going to the dentist since our first birthday, so we are old pros at this poking, prodding, and polishing thing! This visit, we got to take x-rays!

Still no cavities! YEA! Noel's cross-bite is still pretty bad, and it looks like Tanner will have to have some ortho work done, too, Hayden is still looking like he might make it through with only some braces.

After, we got to have breakfast at McDonalds and go through the car wash!

It's fun to swim at the Y-M-C-A!

2010-06-11T07:47:00.004-04:00

Our Nanny has a membership to the local YMCA, and she was generous enough to put the boys on her pass, too.

(Note: We do not have a family membership to the YMCA for two main reasons. #1 -- Budget, budget, budget ... well, I guess that is three reasons right there. #2 -- Finding the time to actually use the membership to workout? BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!)

But the boys loved their visit to the YMCA "walking pool" -- I love it because it is a two foot deep pool that is fenced off separate from the big pool with its own lifeguard!

Tanner kept walking laps in the pool!

Hayden, proving again he'll be the last to have a girlfriend, used a water gun to soak the girls playing with them at the pool.

Tanner made sure to take time out in the shade for a snack and juice!

Noel is not my water bug this year ... but he sure does look content simply lounging by the pool!

I'm not sure what the boys enjoyed more: the pool or the shower afterwards?

Warning: Picture Overload

2010-06-08T09:04:00.024-04:00

First Up ... Let's time travel back to Easter.

We visited the Easter bunny in the park:

We hunted for Easter eggs at our house:

We hunted for Easter baskets and presents in our basement:

Then we did the March of Dimes Walk where we were a Top Walker again:

We saw Elmo Live (Mommy won free tickets!):

We got to ride on a bulldozer when our retaining wall got fixed:

Neena and G-Dad got us a PowerWheels four-wheeler and jeep:

We went to one of our favorite places multiple times to see our diver friends at the aquarium:

We played pretend at Otterville and learned new tricks at the park on a hot spring day:

We went to Coney Island with our new summer passes and rode the airplanes, helicopters, and other rides:

We got to see a fire truck up close:

We went to JumpZone and bounced and went on the slides over and over and over again:

According to Noel, we got "too much water" after one spring storm:

And Tanner learned the simple joy of splashing in a puddle:

We had a big picnic on our porch on Memorial Day:

We've been encouraging each other on the potty:

And making train tracks, going to story time, and growing grass caterpillars:

All this work made us want a snack:

Or Pancakes in the Park (go, Daddy!!):

But all these adventures really made us sleepy:

Can you believe we are three and a half already? (Mommy says she can't):

You Know You Have Triplets When ...

2010-05-04T12:03:00.002-04:00

Your stroller has a steering wheel

Your Costco 2% rebate check comes in at $300

Dinnertime is officially declared an Olympic Event

You are the only parents who can utter, “Stop playing with that, it’s not YOUR penis” with a perfectly straight face.

You arrive at your doctor’s appointments early just to read the magazines in peace.

Root canals are a great chance to catch up on your sleep.

You laugh at singleton moms that are struggling to get their stroller out of the car.

You wonder how come singleton moms need a diaper bag the size of a suitcase, while you travel with enough for your babies in a bag half the size.

You can unload three babies from car seats and put them in your stroller WHILE you are laughing at the singleton mom getting her stroller out of her car.

Your husband has seriously tried to add GPS and motorize your stroller.

Men whom you have never met ask to 'test drive' your stroller.

There is no room in your refrigerator for food, all available space is occupied by pre-prepared bottles of formula.

You look at a closet full of diapers and think “I’m running low”

A regular sized pack of diapers lasts only 3 days.

Every morning you mentally prepare yourself for the worst before your enter “that” bedroom, (naked toddlers, wet bed sheets, diapers on the floor and three little voice saying “poop, poop”)

Your biggest dilemma is how to keep those dang diapers on.

You've either used, or considered using duct tape on diapers.

You are obsessed with diapers.

You can throw French-fries to the rear set of seats without looking and none end up on the floor.

You consider wearing jeans being 'dressed up', and it's a formal event if you're wearing make-up

You can change diapers standing up, while in line, at the Children’s Museum.

You feel like a sheepherder instead of a parent

You have people asking if you run a daycare because that’s what your yard looks like.

You can carry 3 plates of food and 3 cups to the table without spilling anything and you’ve never been a waitress.

A trip to Walmart for diapers is a vacation even at 1:am.

You don't think twice about going to Target with bed-head

Your stroller costs more than your first car.

You have a stroller addiction.

You can hold at least three conversations at the same time.

You no longer have a proper name you are either “The Lady With the Triplets” or Moooooooooommmmmmmm yyyyyyyyyyyyy

You consider the commute to work Mommy time

You consider your shower Mommy time.

Your shower is now the most precious time of the day, if you get one.

You find yourself singing songs from Yo Gabba Gabba while at Walmart

You can quote Monster’s Inc. verbatim.

You do your grocery shopping in stores with aisles wide enough to accommodate your stroller

You automatically divide or multiply everything by 3

Complete strangers take pictures of your kids in their stroller... and they wonder why we call them the Paparazzi???

You have diapers in your purse, in the glove compartment, your desk drawer and in every room of the house – just in case.

Every square inch of seating in your vehicle is taken by car seats.

Your vacuum cleaner never makes it back into the closet.

You can sweep, talk on the phone, AND read to your children all at the same time.

Your monthly grocery budget is greater than the annual budget for the State of Rhode Island.

Four hours of sleep is “fully rested” and falling asleep over the kitchen sink is a “fulfilling nap”

The first thing you ask upon arriving home is for the poop and pee report.

2 minute tasks take 30 minutes because you have to keep returning to the play room to break up fights, peel the kids from the wall, change a diaper you can actually smell from the next room, break up more fights, remove a child from the top of the couch, perform surgery on the VCR because there is an UFO inside of it, fill sippy cups back up with water because whatever was in them disappeared mysteriously (only later when you sit down on the couch you will find where it went) remind them not to jump on each other, break up a few more fights and change more poopy diapers.

You not only are familiar with what a 186 count box of baby wipes looks like when they are all removed from the box one at a time, but you know for a fact you can’t put them back because you’ve tried.

You curse stores for only having two of something in a package, or for only having two of something on their shelf.

You buy Baby Motrin, Cough Syrup, etc, 3 at a time, and the clerk looks at you funny, while the whole time you are wishing they sold it in gallon containers.

You pull 3 tickets for Car seats at Babies R Us to take to the register, and when you get there the clerk says, “Ma’am, I think you picked up too many of these or they must have been stuck together”

You’ve fallen asleep in any of these places: The shower, washing dishes, sitting on the floor reading them a book, with your fork on the way to your mouth.

You agonize over what it will be like when they get to school and you have three teachers to visit on parent night, three different sets of homework, and your babies aren’t even out of the NICU yet.

Instead of a wallet full of photos you carry around a CD because it holds 700 megabytes of them.

700 megabytes is 1 night worth of photos.

Everyone in the neighborhood knows who you are, even though you’ve never met them before.

The grocery store clerk has commented on the 6-9 gallons of milk you buy each week, telling you it would be cheaper to buy a cow.

You know how to prop bottles with wadded up receiving blankets.

You’ve ever truly considered strangling someone who said, “you’ve got your hands full”, "are they all yours", or “I’d shoot myself”.

You’ve ever been so sleepy that you can fall asleep with the baby lying on your chest and fail to wake up despite the fact that the baby is screaming directly into your left ear.

You are both shocked by the rudeness, and amazed by the kindness of strangers in the same 60 seconds upon entering Walmart.

Walmart is probably your favorite store, since its open till Midnight, diapers and formula are cheaper there, and they have triplet carts.

Oh, and you consider going to Walmart at 11pm “going out”

If you’ve ever charted poops, pees, and food intake in an Excel schedule.

You know at one time you did have a spouse, but now you can’t remember

You have to wash the dinner dishes by hand because the dishwasher is full of bottles and sippies.

The singleton mom in front of you at Walmart buying one can of formula and one bag of diapers complains about the price and you have to restrain yourself from hitting a complete stranger.

The clerks at the grocery store have to regularly restrain you from pummeling any singleton mom that takes the last multi seat-shopping cart.

You are both revered and hated by the staff at your pediatrician’ s office.

You don’t see anything unusual with the fact that you know not one, but several, triplet moms.

You no longer have to wonder what a “poop painting” would look like.

A complete stranger walks up to you in the mall and says “my niece has triplets, her name is _________ do you know her?” and you can answer “yes I do”

The awareness of silence strikes terror into your soul.

You know the black market value of a Runabout stroller.

You know the black market value of a Choo Choo wagon.

You know what a Choo Choo wagon is.

You consider cereal dumped on the middle of the floor, not to be bad parenting, but rather a unique picnic breakfast!

All kids are aware that any sippy cup left unattended is fair game.

Whining is heard not just in stereo, but in surround sound!

You go to an amusement park with your triplet stroller only to realize YOU’VE become the source of amusement, or you go to the Zoo and find the other visitors watching your kids more than the animals!

Your peri says you look like a beached whale at 24 weeks.

You know what the word Peri stands for.

You use the word singleton.

You need a hitch for your stroller

Your stroller dictates what kind of vehicle you can drive

You refer to your babies as A, B, and C

$15.00 baby outfits seem too expensive.

You buy a single weeks worth of formula, and the clerk asks you if you are stocking up.

You laugh at singleton moms for sterilizing pacifiers.

You can’t stop yours from sucking on each others fingers, nose, ears, toes etc, so you just shake your head because you know those germs are building up their immune system.

You pick up a dropped paci, and just blow the dust off rather than rinsing it because after all, 5 minutes ago they shared it with the dog, and you didn’t get to it in time before they put it back in their mouths. What’s a little dust?

You intentionally feed all 3 kids from the same spoon and bowel even though one is sick, because you can’t bear the thought of 3 consecutive 2 week cold sessions, you’d rather have them sick at the same time.

You enroll them in or join every activity and playgroup you can, you visit every playground in a 10 mile radius, sometimes more than 1 a day, just so you can be out of the house from dawn to dusk so you have less to clean up.

When discussing child proofing and singleton moms say “you just have to tell them no, you can’t child proof everything” and you laugh and say “Wanna Bet?”

After 20 minutes in the car you realize you are not only listening to the kids tape, but you are singing along with it, and there are no kids in the car.

The $250 travel system stroller that singleton moms complain about being too big, look like toy strollers to you.

You’re not sure if what you squeezed on your toothbrush was toothpaste or diaper ointment, but you’re too tired to care, and too tired to check, so you keep brushing anyway.

You say to your husband “if you wake up these babies I’ll kill you” and you mean it.

You say to your dog “if you wake up these babies I’ll kill you” and you mean it.

It doesn’t matter, you ARE buying them out of ProSoBee, and the other moms can just get over it.

All of a sudden everyone you know, knows someone with triplets.

Crib Tents? You can’t afford NOT to buy them.

You know what a crib tent is!

You consider leashes a viable safety option

You burst into laughter at the site of a diaper Genie… AS IF….!!

You celebrate the birthdays of the people who invented the spill proof sippy cup and the auto repeat replay function on DVD players.

You bought a dog (or have thought about it) to cut down on post meal cleanup time.

On the way to rescue a paper towel roll on the verge of destruction you suddenly realize that it might buy you 5 minutes to check your e-mail.

The next day, the kids wake up too early, you open their door long enough to throw in a couple of rolls of paper towels and you go back to bed.

You discover Nirvana when you finally convert to that all one color/all one size/all one style of socks, system.

Your home has become a complex maze of gates, locks and barricades.

Your kids have never actually walked through the zoo or store, because getting out of the stroller is NOT an option.

You are not horrified at the idea of “waking a sleeping baby” to eat. After all, it is time to EAT so sayeth the master schedule!

You seriously wish someone would sell Orajel in a toothpaste-sized tube. Is this little tiny tube supposed to be a joke?

And that’s with the one day supply of infant Tylenol… don’t they know I need a 10oz bottle?

You delivered 17 lbs of baby, and didn’t set any records.

Your nickname for a period of time was Bessie.

You spend more time pumping than sleeping

You don’t think the Suburban is a large vehicle.

When hearing of a new pregnancy, you first question is “just one?”

You call one baby a singleton (before your triplets arrived, it was just “a baby”)

All your friends have multiples.

Your main connection to the outside world is through Facebook and triplet blogs

Some of your best friends you have never even met in person.

You send 7 invitations to a birthday party, and you have 15 kids show up, and you were expecting more.

You don’t want to potty train because the though of trying to take all 3 to a public bathroom yourself sends shivers up and down your spine.

You make formula by the gallon and it lasts only 24 hours.

Your pediatrician’ s office recognizes your voice.

It's considered a 'date' if you husband goes with you to the Mother's of Multiples garage sale.

You refer to your babies as the "blue one" or the "green one" (color coded infants to tell them apart)

You start to question phrases like: "God will only give you what you can handle" and you just pray a lot more in general!

Nothing but Pictures from Various Days

2010-04-14T14:30:00.005-04:00

I'm so far behind on this blog. Ugh -- my camera is about to explode with pictures. Expect a really long blog with no words, all images coming up soon. But for now:

At Otterville on the trolley ...

Drinking Leprechaun Juice ...

Tanner & Noel playing outside ...

Hayden stealing Greta's coffee ...

Brotherly Love

2010-04-01T13:40:00.002-04:00

I've been a slacker ... and I've got TONS of very cute pictures to post.

But this will have to tide you over for now:
Got to love Spring Break!!

Project 5000

2010-03-03T09:03:00.006-05:00

With the onset of the Lenten Season, our church began its 26th year of a program named Project 5000, the purpose of which is to feed needy families in this area.

Project 5000 is named for Jesus' miracle feeding of 5,000 from a boy’s five small barley loaves and two small fish as told in the Gospels of Matthew and John.

The goal is to fill boxes with a pre-determined assortment of food products estimated to feed a family of four for two days. The filled boxes will be taken to local food pantries for distribution the week before Easter.

We participate every year, but this year the boys could understand and help. We put in in terms that a 3 year old could understand -- we were going to help people who were hungry and sad by giving them food. They got it, and we were off to Krogers!
They all helped pick out the food from the list to go in the box.

Then, we figured out how to pack the box so that all the food could fit inside.

The boys really enjoyed this project, and we are looking forward to more opportunities to share more acts of kindness and service experiences with the boys.
Not because we get a free day at Disney for doing it ... but because it helps our boys gain an understanding about others and a sense of human compassion. I want to teach our boys to help others and be compassionate without looking for a reward or praise.

I never want my boys to feel that community service is an obligation. Serving our neighbors is an opportunity that leads to the dawning realization of to the greater understanding our humanity, our fragility, and a greater appreciation of the great lives that so many of us lead and deem to be “normal”.

My Buttons Cannot Handle Much More Pushing

2010-03-01T10:25:00.007-05:00

I did it again.

I got all cocky about how the "Terrible Twos" really weren't that bad, blah, blah, blah ...

And now the "Tryin' Threes" are kicking my butt.

The boys have taken to screeching NO! at the drop of a hat. No rhyme, no reason ... just NO!

Lovely.

I don't know if this was something they picked up somewhere or an inherent phase that every toddler goes through, but dear God, make it stop soon.

In efforts to tire them out and not give them a chance to say NO!, we had a jam packed weekend.

We went to Target and celebrated the Read Across America Dr. Seuss's birthday event.

We visited Lowe's Build and Grow event. (Note to self: Hammers and three year olds are not a good combination.)

We baked bread ... Tanner kept sneaking into the kitchen and stealing the crusty top.

We went to Recreation Outlet -- twice.

We made chocolate covered pretzels.

Last night when tucking them into bed, I asked if they had fun with Mommy and Daddy.

Their answer?

NO!

When it Snows ...

2010-02-24T20:56:00.009-05:00

... make snow forts!

The boys are hooked on hot tea. They love to have a cup of fruit-flavored tea when someone is having a cup of coffee. It's interesting because they don't like hot chocolate -- they only want "hot tea, please"!

Hayden and Noel helped cook up a fun lunch the other day when Tanner was in preschool. They worked very hard on their "Pigs in a Blanket", and Tanner was very thankful for the yummy lunch!

We think we may have budding veterinarians in the house. All the boys love to play "doctor" with the animals at Otterville. Noel always sings and rocks his animals to sleep each night.

Tanner is definitely loving preschool! His personality has been really shining through these last months. He's even explored the ballet area at Otterville, and he loves to check himself out in the mirror before getting on the bus each morning.

Noel is a great playmate. He makes friends everywhere we go -- such a little joiner.

Noel has also enjoyed watching the Olympics, especially the ice skaters and skiers. He has taken to putting on a hat -- any hat -- and pretending to skate or ski around the house.

Hayden is about halfway there for potty training. He loves to wear his big boy pants, and will happily show you whenever you mention them. Makes for some interesting moments. :-)

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2010-02-17T12:37:00.003-05:00

Darn you, Punxsutawney Phil!

2010-02-15T13:56:00.008-05:00

Ugh! Make the snow stop!

Goodness ... this is getting a little ridiculous. And I'm running out of ideas of things to do when we are snowed in. Three year old triplet boys couped up in a house day after day can get precarious very quickly.

So far we have gone sledding ...

Yes, even Mommy went down the hill, but Hayden won the prize by catching major air on the jump!

Painted ceramic dolphins ...

We wore Daddy's undershirts and covered the table in white butcher paper. Good thing, too, because they got a little adventurous with the paint brushes.

Watched the Muppet's version of 'Ode to Joy' many, many, many times ...
The boys are OBSESSED with 'Ode to Joy' right now. While searching for the new GE Healthyimagination commercial that has 'Ode to Joy', I stumbled across this -- and have regretted it ever since:

Made "snow ice cream" ...
This stuff is FABULOUS. It's just snow, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla, but it seriously looks and tastes just like ice cream.

So what do you do to keep your toddlers occupied when you are snowed in?

Ooops ... got to run. We are busy turning our family room into a fort, and the cookies are ready to come out of the oven!

So ... What have you been up to?

2010-02-07T20:27:00.012-05:00

Ugh ... Work. Work. Work. And more work.

Dan and I have been slammed at work. There is nothing like a 16 hour work day, every day to make you appreciate the small stuff.

Like enjoying a hot cup of tea:

Or sampling from our nightly fresh vegetable tray:

Or enjoying gushers (sorry Neena!):

Or getting big boy race car beds and having quiet time in our sleeping bags:

Or having lunch at the museum center:

Or helping our neighbor snow blow our driveway and climb over the mountains of snow:

Or waking up with Neena:

Or playing together with an old toy:

Or learning how to trace letters:

Or practicing our yoga stance while having snack:

Baby Steps

2010-01-27T17:47:00.004-05:00

As most of you know, I take my side job very seriously. (I say side job because I am a mom first -- always.) I believe strongly in what I do for the children of my city and my school district.

Every school. Every student. Every day.

Sometimes I feel like I am in a vicious cycle:

When I create a healthy menu full of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain pastas, reduced fat cheeses, turkey-based meats, and skim milk, the parents are thrilled!

The kids HATE the healthy stuff.

When the kids hate it, they don't buy the lunch.

If they don't buy the lunch, I can't keep upgrading the menu and adding healthier choices.

If I can't keep providing the healthy choices, the parents get upset.

Sigh ...

Still, this is a battle I won't give up. Things aren't going to -- and can't -- change overnight.

I think of it as baby steps ... just like with my real job as a Mom. We are taking baby steps as we move towards a huge change in our world -- toddler beds. The boys are doing what is human nature and resisting the change.

But just as the boys aren't going to stay in their cribs without their crib tents the first couple of nights, I'm not going to be able to change school lunch overnight.

But just because the process is long and difficult doesn't mean I should -- or can -- give up.

It's. Just. That. Important.

The boys need to learn how to sleep in their beds at night.

The students need to learn that healthy food can taste good.

So I'm taking baby steps ... the crib tents are down and people are starting to notice the changes in our school lunches. Check out my rockin' article in the local paper today!
CPS listens, expands lunch options

But we aren't there yet.

For the boys, there is still learning to stay in their beds at bedtime and naptime. I'm using bribery. I bought Little Tikes Roadster toddler beds. Once they stay in their current beds, they get to move into a car bed,

It looks like Tanner might be getting a car bed this week. Hayden and Noel ... not so much.

For the school lunches, I'm on the right path. It seems like I've got the kids liking the healthy changes.

And oh boy, do I have big plans in mind for the future. Hummus made for a ridiculously low price using commodity walnuts ... herb gardens grown by the students at each schools to season the vegetables ... build your own burrito, pasta, rice bowl, and baked potato bars ... sliced cucumbers with yogurt dip.

I'm up for the challenge -- I can only hope I'm given the chance to make these changes.

Weekend Update

2010-01-24T21:19:00.005-05:00

This weekend was rainy and the boys were snotty -- NOT the best combination, but we made the best of it.

It was "Date Weekend", so Noel went to the CSO Lollipop Concert with Neena, Hayden went to the CSO concert with Daddy (separate cars and separate seats), and Mommy went to EnterTrainment Junction with Tanner.

Once we got home, things went down hill. Annie tried to comfort Tanner while Hayden was literally listless on the couch.

By Sunday, we had perked up enough to make valentine crafts, but not enough to go to church and risk exposing any other kids to our runny noses.

By the afternoon, we were having fun watching the "Baby Einstein triplets" and making "bridges".

We ended the night with the boys collapsing into bed -- which invoked a raspberry from Moochie.

Awwww ... SNAP!

2010-01-21T21:27:00.003-05:00

Noel is in big boy underwear! Woo HOO!

He's been ready for awhile, but we've been lazy. Sounds bad, but it's true.

I honestly can't remember the last time Noel didn't poop in the potty. But diapers are easier ... and Noel was asking for them.

He said underwear hurt. So we taught him to snap the elastic.

Kinda like the "bend and snap" from one of my favorite movies Legally Blonde.

He loved it ... and we haven't looked back since.

What about Hayden and Tanner, you ask?

We're still working on that ... stay tuned!

The Week In Pictures ...

2010-01-19T13:42:00.005-05:00

Of course now that I have retired the 365 blog, I've been taking a TON of pictures of the boys.

Sigh ...

So, here are some of the fun things we have been doing and trying this week!

Noel and Mommy have been baking cookies!

Hayden and Noel have been learning to slurp spaghetti noddles!

We went to the Newport Aquarium to see the divers!

We rode the carousel at the mall!

We went to Steak 'n Shake, and once again vowed to never return!

We played cars outside while waiting for Tanner to come off the school bus!

Bulls-eye!

2010-01-15T14:53:00.005-05:00

Oh ... Target 75% Toy Clearance Sale ... How I Love Thee!!!!!

Twice a year, January and July, Target clears out their store. Everything gets marked WAY down. I have both these bi-annual sales marked on my calendar. This week has been the big sale week in January.

I've scored some good deals on clothes and shoes for the boys for next year:
12 pairs of shoes for $41.00
9 polo shirts for $11.25
15 turtlenecks for $13.50
6 pairs of sweatpants for $5.75
9 sweaters for $34.25
3 winter jackets for $15.75

But, today, TODAY was the big toy sale markdown. I am now done for birthday and Christmas this year for the boys. Plus, I picked up a bunch of great toys to use as gifts for our friend's children and for birthday parties the boys will be going to throughout this year.

How well did I do? Check it out ...

My total bill for all you see? $248.39

The regular price for everything I got? $1176.98

Being done with Christmas and birthdays for the year? Priceless.

Tanner's First Day of Preschool ... Kinda

2010-01-09T08:41:00.000-05:00

When the boys turned three this past month, we "graduated" from Help Me Grow services. Help Me Grow is a county based program here in Ohio that provides free early intervention services including occupation therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy at no charge to children 0-3 years old who meet certain guidelines. The boys being 29 week old preemies automatically qualified them for services.

So for three years, we had weekly visits to help the boys meet all the expected milestones. They were wonderful and without them, the boys would definitely not be where they are today.

Right before their third birthday, our local school district came to evaluate the boys to see if they qualified for free preschool under an IEP. An IEP is an Individual Education Plan developed to help any student that might have a disability that interferes with their ability to learn.

The preschool would be at our local school; there are twelve children in each class, four are "typicals" and eight are "IEP based". Students are eligible to ride the bus to school each day as well.

When the school evaluated the boys, they immediately dismissed Hayden as eligible. However, they carried through Noel and Tanner to something called the arena. This is where they would bring the boys into the preschool class one day and evaluate them.

After the arena, Noel was determined not to qualify. This was great news -- my littlest one who is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy didn't have anything that limited his ability to learn.

However, Tanner did qualify as the school team was worried that some of his behaviors may interfere with his ability to learn. To be exact, they told me either he was brilliant and needed more stimulation, or he needs help learning how to take cues and participate in a learning environment.

Tanner has always been a little quirky in the way he communicates. We had an appointment at Cincinnati Children's Hospital to have him evaluated for behavioral problems, even autism, but the jury is still out on that. After our initial appointment, the doctor stated that some things Tanner does is textbook autism, but other things he does are not ever seen in children with autism. So, we are going through a battery of tests over the next several months, and will hopefully get a final word from the doctors in September.

In the meantime, Tanner will go to preschool at our local public school three days a week. He will also get to ride the bus there and back each day -- something he LOVES.

All three boys attend preschool one day a week at our church's preschool. It is a wonderful program and the boys love their weekly Thursday class. Both Dan and I thought it was very important to have Tanner still go with his brothers to church preschool once a week.

Next year, Tanner will go to our local public preschool four days a week, while Hayden and Noel continue to go to our church preschool three days a week. I will put Hayden and Noel in different classes, so every boy will have their own class, make their own friends, and gain their own independence.

The year after (the year before they start kindergarten), the principal of our local public school would like to have all three boys attending preschool there four days a week. Hayden and Noel would be considered "typical" students. This would be perfect since then Hayden and Noel could ride the bus with Tanner each day, too.

Now, what you have been waiting for -- the pictures of Tanner heading off to preschool all by himself! He was such a brave, big boy!

Snow Day!

2010-01-08T08:20:00.001-05:00

Okay, okay ... I know I complained about the snow yesterday, but I'm actually really glad Mother Nature sent us the "White Death" yesterday.

My district let non-essential workers go around 10:00am when the snow started to fall. My drive home was completely uneventful as the roads were fine. Here is a picture from our front porch -- this is what closed schools down. (snicker)

BUT ... because everyone freaked out about the snow, I got to spend the day with my boys! Sure, I worked during their nap, but before and after that ...

We got to eat a fun breakfast.

We had fun painting velvet horses with water using paint brushes.

We fished for gold fish crackers.

We baked pumpkin bread.

We went sledding outside in the snow.

Maybe it's not so bad living in an area where people don't know how to plow or drive.

The Sky is Falling!

2010-01-07T07:29:00.002-05:00

Breaking news ... We are about to be buried under 3-6 inches of snow! Everyone run for the hills!!

(dramatic pause for effect)

Yes, you read right. A measly 3-6 inches of snow and our entire region is freaking out. All of my friends from Chicago and family in Pennsylvania and Utah are laughing hysterically right now.

Schools are closed here today. They actually started to announce closures at 5pm yesterday.

The grocery stores are out of eggs, milk, and bread due to the mad rush of people last night. I guess everyone makes French Toast when it snows?

The punchline? There is no snow yet.

They are expecting it to start around 10am and go through the day, but right now, there is not a flake to be found.

Personally, I think it is a little ridiculous coming from Chicago where I had one snow day my whole four years of high school -- and that was actually for an ice storm. I can remember walking the 1/2 mile trek up the hill to the bus stop in at least 8 inches of snow one morning.

But here in Cincinnati, everything shuts down on the very threat of a snow flake.

In a way, I get it. Chicago is flat (think corn fields as far as the eye can see), and Cincinnati has hills that put San Francisco to shame. I know I wouldn't want my kids on a bus going down a rural back road that has a 30% incline hill.

However, I maintain that the main difference is two things:
(1) Cincinnati doesn't know how to plow roads properly
(2) Cincinnati drivers don't know how to drive properly (snow or no snow, but I digress)

Plowing here is a joke. I always chuckle when I see the Cincinnati plows making their first pass down an unplowed road throwing salt ... then on the next pass they plow all the salt right into the ditch. Talk about a waste of city's money and time!

Instead of sending plows in all different directions, they need to put three plows following each other and doing the entire road in one swipe. They way they are doing it, one plow makes a single pass down the road, but by the time that plow makes a loop and gets back to that same place, people have run over the snow that it has moved and thrown the snow back onto what it just plowed!

I will cut the drivers a little slack here. Even the best snow, most experienced drivers have problems on the horribly plowed roads of Cincinnati.

However, the fact that most Cincinnati drivers don't have basic driving skills makes snow driving so much more difficult. If anyone here just used a turn signal, knew how to properly merge onto a highway, didn't tailgate, knew that a yellow light means begin to slow down, and respected the high speed passing lane rules, things would be better on the roads.

However, I blame most of their horrible snow driving skills on their parents. Not one kid I went to school with in Chicago didn't have a parent take them to a snow filled parking lot and made them purposely spin out in the snow. Either you learned how to control your car in the snow -- break properly, recover from a slide, etc -- or you didn't get to drive when it snowed.

So, given the roads and the drivers, I really don't blame the schools for closing down or for everyone stocking up for French Toast right before a big snow storm.

When the snow starts falling, I'm going to pack up my things and head home to bunker down with the rest of Cincinnati.

R.I.P. Project 365 Blog

2009-12-31T10:10:00.004-05:00

I tried ... I really, really tried.

I'm sorry to announce the retirement of our 2009 Project 365 Blog. While I promise to finish the 2009 year in pictures, I am not even going to attempt a 2010 series.

It started out so well. How hard could it be to take a picture every day and post it?

AURGH!!!!!

Very hard indeed.

So, faithful readers (and I really am so happy to say that I have 23 followers -- it's like my own little Waco), since there will no longer be a 365 picture blog, expect more posting of pictures on this blog!

I thought about creating another side blog that told the story of how the boys came into our life and the world ... kind of a, "And then God said, 'Let them have triplets -- that will teach them!'", but I'm not sure I could do the whole story justice. Much of the last two months of my pregnancy was spent in a haze of drugs in attempts to keep the little beans cooking for as long as possible.

We'll see ...

Happy New Year Everyone!

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T15:46:00.003-05:00

More pictures to come, but this should get you all a sneak peek!

We started our day with huge, yummy sweet rolls for breakfast ...

Then we got down to opening gifts ...

This was the aftermath of unwrapping gifts with three three year olds ...

Groovy, Baby!

2009-12-21T11:12:00.002-05:00

Today we had our 6-month dentist check with the boys.

Most moms I know don't even take their kids to the dentist until they are three or four years old. We started going at one year old, as recommended by our pediatrician. He mainly recommended it because the boys were preemies, and preemies can have enamel issues, but it is also the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists.

We are lucky that our pediatric dentist has been voted "Best of Cincinnati" too many times to count. He is a rock star -- and if you live anywhere close by, I highly recommend checking out Sea of Smiles.

We have also been lucky that we have always had great news at all of our check-ups. Yes, Noel's got the cross-bite and we will have to start orthodontics for him when he hits six years old. But other than that, no problems!

Until today ...

The dentist told us that Hayden's teeth are "groovy". At first, I was like, "Cool! Far out, man!" Then I realized he did not mean groovy like the way Greg Brady meant it, but he was trying to tell me that Hayden has huge craters in his teeth, especially his back molars.

Well, crap -- that's not "Totally Awesome in a Groovy Far-out Kind of Cool Way".

They laser scanned his teeth to check for decay and his back molars were a "20" -- anything 30 and higher means cavity. So that's pretty close considering all his other teeth were 2s and 3s.

The dentist said there not much we can do about it -- some kids just have more grooves in their teeth than others. For example, Noel and Tanner do not have the grooves that Hayden does. It's just a matter of genetics. (Okay, family, fess up! Who has the groovy teeth?)

Wait, the news gets better ... it really doesn't matter how much or how well you brush. If you've got grooves that deep, you are probably going to get cavities. (Fabulous. So the incentive to get them to brush is what again?)

The one ray of hope and the one thing we can do ... cut out carbs. (Insert slow-clap here.)

No crackers, no chips, no bread, no dry cereal, no raisins = no fun. Seriously? What three year old doesn't love him some Ritz crackers? And you want me to cut that out of his diet completely? Thanks, doc, looking forward to the melt-downs at meal and snack times.

We are very lucky that Hayden is my most diverse eater and will happily snack on apples, carrots, cheese, yogurt, and salad. But he will also not be happy to see his brother chowing down on pretzels while he gets none.

But, we are willing cutting back on the carbs if it helps his groovy teeth.

The dentist agreed to wait on drilling and filling the back molars since Hayden would have to put under general anesthesia since he is still so young. Instead we are putting a high concentration fluoride on his back molars every night after he brushes. We'll go back in three months and hopefully still scan out at a "20" or lower. If it gets worse, then we will have to drill. Ugh ...

My one piece of mind is that since we have been seeing the dentist regularly for so long, we caught any decay early. If we had waited until they were four years old or later, we would have had some serious teeth issues.

Plus, our boys are so used to going to the dentist -- this is our fourth visit -- they all sat very quietly in their chairs as they had their teeth cleaned and counted.

So, to all you moms out there ... get thee children to a pediatric dentist! An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure! After all, it has been estimated that preventive dentistry can add ten years to a person's lifespan!

O Christmas Tree

2009-12-20T08:46:00.001-05:00

Better late than never! We finally got around to decorating our Christmas tree. It was ready to go for almost a week, but we had some train issues. (Don't ask.)

All three boys were very excited to help, and I was very proud that we only broke four ornaments (mostly skis coming off skiers)! I was honestly expecting much worse, and I was glad we kept our breakable ones off the the tree this year.

Noel did a fabulous job and kept us entertained by singing Christmas songs that he would make up about each ornament. We heard about Santas and angels and gingerbread men and cats all.night.long.

Tanner was a superstar and figured out very early on how to hook the ornaments on the tree far enough back on the branch so they won't fall off.

Hayden started out strong, but his interest quickly faded from the whole decorating thing when he found out he could play with the train instead.

Christmas tree decorated? Check!

Now onto wrapping gifts ...

The Long Awaited Birthday Party Post

2009-12-18T08:37:00.003-05:00

We had the boys third birthday party at the Cincinnati Fire Museum. About 30 people, including 11 kids, helped Hayden, Tanner, and Noel leave the "Terrible Twos" and enter the "Trying Threes."

Our cake was awesome -- I'm so lucky to have a close friend who designs cakes for one of the best bakeries in town!

The museum has a real front halve of a fire truck in it, so the boys spent most of their time playing with all the lights and sirens!

But nobody could resist a slide down the fire pole ...

... including Neena!

We ended the party with a pinata. I was holding my breath, just waiting for something to go wrong as the kids took turns whacking on it. But, it ended peacefully with all the kids happily collecting the goodies that come out after a few good whacks by the Daddies of the group!

It was a great day and a great party -- I'm already trying to plan out how to top it for next year when we move from the Trying Threes to the 'Effin' Fours.

3 Year Well Visit Stats

2009-12-14T11:48:00.003-05:00

The boys had their three year well visit appointment today with their Pediatrician. Such an easy appointment since this year we didn't have to get any immunizations. Next year is brutal -- they get 4 different booster shots! Ugh!

I'm happy to say all the boys are doing really, really well! Our pedi couldn't not have been more pleased with how they are growing and how healthy they are for being 29 week preemies. He said that if he didn't know they were preemies, he would have never guessed it looking at their current stats!

Hayden is 3 ft, 3 inches and weighs 35 pounds. That's the 87th percentile for both height and weight!

Tanner is 3 ft, 5 inches and weighs 34 pounds. That's the 99th percentile for height and the 80th percentile for weight!

Noel is 3 feet, 2 inches and weighs 29 pounds. That's the 70th percentile for height and the 30th percentile for weight!

Just for giggles, I put these new numbers into the online height predictor: It shows Hayden will be 6'1" ... Tanner will be 6'4" ... Noel will be 5'11".

Holy COW for Tanner's height. I mean, I know the kid is tall for his age and already he wears a size 10 shoe, but 6'4"?! Basketball scholarship, here we come!!

No Such Thing as Coincidence

2009-12-10T10:21:00.006-05:00

Many thanks to all of you that are patiently awaiting Birthday Party pictures. I am still in the process of gathering them from the many people who were so awesome to help take pictures of our fun event! That post will be coming soon ... I promise!

In the mean time, on the boys actual birthday, we had our first big snowfall of the year. My normal 15-20 minute commute to work turned into a 2.5 hour nightmare.

But, the whole time I was smiling and even giddy. Why? Three years ago, the day the boys were born was our first big snowfall of the year.

Maybe it was a coincidence, but I'd like to think differently. I had plenty of time to reflect on the miracles my boys are while I sat in traffic that morning.

It was an unexpected delivery to say the least. After having a PPROM with Noel at 24 weeks, but then managing to stabilize and hang in there through the haze of magnesium sulfate, I was suddenly diagnosed with asymptomatic HELLP Syndrome at 29 weeks. I was told they were going to deliver me the next day when they could fit me in. They didn't seem that concerned, and honestly I was in zen mode. I was more stressed about quickly deciding on names than I was delivering 11 weeks early.

Dan stayed with me in the hospital that night, and thank goodness he made that choice. At 5am on December 7th, 2006 I woke up in a pool of blood. The nurses came in and the flurry of activity began -- I was going down NOW for an emergency c-section.

I don't remember much, but I do remember in the surgery room as they bent me over for my epidural, I could look out the window and see that it was snowing ... the first snowfall of the year. I remember turning to Dan when he walked in to make sure that he saw that it was snowing, too. He nodded, and we both silently knew that we had finally decided on names -- Hayden, Tanner, & Noel.

Hayden, the name I had secretly thought of since childhood and that Dan thought was strong and deserving ... Tanner, the name Dan had suddenly thought of at 28 weeks and that we both loved ... and Noel, the name we both felt in our hearts that snowy morning.

Of course, Dan had known it was snowing long before I saw it in the surgery room. The calls went out as I was being whisked away and the grandparents started their journey to the hospital, only to be caught in the snarled traffic that exists in Cincinnati when there is even a threat of a snowflake falling. My Mom was caught in the worst of it on the way to hospital -- morning rush hour traffic during a snowstorm!

As I sat in my car this year, I could only imagine what my Mom was feeling as she sat helplessly in a sea of brake lights as far as she could see. Unfortunately, my Mom did not make it to the hospital in time for the birth of the boys, but she was there to meet me in all my drugged out glory in the recovery room where I was bashing pregnant women who smoke and giving shouts out to myself for being a "bumper" (the term the nurses called me since my emergency c-section bumped the elective c-section scheduled).

My boys loved the snowfall this year ...

It's a long way from how they spent their first snowfall ...

Noel Austin ... 2 pounds, 11.5 ounces

Tanner Allen ... 2 pounds, 15 ounces

Hayden Miller ... 3 pounds, 3 ounces

Thanksgiving Weekend Blitz!

2009-12-01T08:26:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving was great at our house this year! The boys are finally starting to "get" holidays!

We all enjoyed our turkey day dinner with Neena and G-Dad.

Then we spent Black Friday at JumpZone, an inflatable play center. It's pretty pricey and it doesn't have the most convenient hours, so we haven't gone before. The boys had a lot of fun -- and it was a great PT work out for Noel! It never ceases to amaze me when I watch them scale a two-story climbing wall to then go down a slide of equal height! I think we will try and get back every other month.

On Saturday, we took all the boys back to EnterTrainment Junction. Hayden kept on talking about the trains since our Mommy Date, and the other boys were wanting to go!

They all loved the train ride.
Hayden was more familiar with the area and spent his time exploring the displays.

Tanner instantly found the exact same train layout Hayden had been captivated with, and played with the "train hospital" that Hayden had also been fascinated by.

Noel was attracted to the much more active play areas and even took time to play a game of hide-n-seek in the coal bin.

Festival of Lights

2009-11-25T13:56:00.001-05:00

Every year the Cincinnati Zoo does their Festival of Lights -- it is beautiful. Literally thousands of lights and holiday items decorate the zoo. We decided to go on the night before Thanksgiving -- good weather, members-only specials, and a reason to get out of the house!

The boys particularly loved the rhino nutcracker at the entrance.

We also got to see Santa light up the Christmas tree we had been stalking for the past month during our daytime visits to the zoo!

We got to meet "Hoots" the Great-Horned Owl. The boys were all ready with their "two fingers" to touch the owl like we do in zoo class, but there was no touching allowed this night.

Noel loved seeing the penguin and the walrus characters, while Hayden and Tanner were not as thrilled to meet them.

Of course, having a gingerbread man cookie made it seem much less cold and dark out!

Advent Conspiracy

2009-11-23T09:13:00.003-05:00

Be sure to turn up your volume so you can hear the videos!

Once again, our family will be participating in the Advent Conspiracy. We encourage you to do the same. Here is this year's video to explain more ...

Here was last year's Advent Conpiracy video to give you some background on the challenge and mission.

Ballooninaria!

2009-11-22T08:46:00.004-05:00

Every fall, a park by our house does a Ballooninaria around this huge mirrored lake.

So, you are asking, "What the heck is a Ballooninaria?!"

It's like doing luminaries except with hot air balloons.

Are you still like, "Huh?!"

See, twelve different hot air balloons are inflated around the lake area.

Then we wait for it to get dark out as all the little children get grumpy from having to wait so long as they huddle together for warmth in the cold. (Check out the cutie-patootie next to Tanner -- it's our good friend's daughter, Josie.)
But then, all the balloons flame up at the same time -- and to quote Tanner, it is "really cool"!
So, the once grumpy children are then filled with amore, and they snuggle with each other and bask in the glow of the balloons!

Date Day!

2009-11-21T08:29:00.005-05:00

I have said this over and over again, but I think one of the hardest thing about having triplets is making sure each boy gets enough one-on-one time with us.

Since the boys are older now and I think they are starting to really show signs that they want more Mommy or Daddy time, we are starting to take the boys out more on "dates".

Today, Noel went with Neena to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's Lollipop Concert. He had a great time! Since my Mom is friends with some people in the orchestra, Noel got to go on stage after the show and stand on the conductor's podium and see some of the concert props up close and personal.

Dan took Tanner to the Cincinnati Museum Center and then to Eden Park to look at the views of the city. This was heaven for Tanner as the Museum Center has button to press all over it! It was all he talked about that evening -- "Mommy! I pressed the buttons at the museum!".

Dan was without his camera, so sorry, no pictures to post for you all.

I took Hayden to a new place we haven't been to yet called EnterTRAINment Junction. If you didn't figure it out, it is a place for kids to play and learn about trains. Hayden loved it.

The best part was that they have a annual pass that is FREE for kids under the age of 3 -- I got one for each boy while Hayden and I were there. And even though they turn three in only two weeks, the pass is still good for a year! YEAH for free!! It's is kinda pricey for adults, but I figure since the boys are free, if I can find a coupon for us adults, we are set for a fun adventure some cold or rainy day next year!

Our next date day is set for January -- Neena is taking Hayden to a different Lollipop Concert. I'm not sure what we will do with Tanner and Noel, but I know it will be just as fun and special as today was!

No Animals Were Hurt in the Posting of This Blog

2009-11-20T08:19:00.004-05:00

We have had some ROCKIN' weather this November. It was so good, that we took the boys to the zoo in mid-November just for a morning adventure.

We got to see the big Christmas tree going up for Festival of Lights (stay tuned for a blog post with pics from that upcoming adventure).

We played "worker bee" in the Insect House.

We made friends with the lions!

We took a train ride around the zoo!

Annnnnnnd .... then Hayden accosted a goat.

Or two ...

Or three ...

Hey! The kid loves goats!

Get it?

Goats. Kid?

Geez ... I crack myself up! I'm so glad I have this blog so I can share my corny humor with all of the one or two people who read this blog!

Look into my eyes!

2009-11-19T08:05:00.002-05:00

When I tell people that I'm taking the boys to the eye doctor, they look at me like I'm crazy. It's a good thing I'm used to getting that look from people.

I know most kids don't go to an eye doctor until they start Kindergarten or their parents suspect a problem, but it's different for preemies. There are increased risks of eye problems with preemies due to their eyes not being able to be fully developed before delivery to the oxygen being used to help them breath when the are first born so early.

The boys had their first eye exam before the even left the NICU. Luckily, our boys did not require more than a nasal cannula of room air, and subsequently their eye exams have always been great!
We started out with eye exams every 2 weeks, then every 2 months, and now we see the eye doctor once a year. It's still fairly tramatic since they have to have their eyes dialated (we call it getting "magic raindrops" in their eyes), but this year they got to help participate in the eye exam by naming colors, pictures, letters, etc.
The doctor found no problems again with this eye exam. Woo HOO! That's great news! Dan and I have always joked that we want the boys to have my vision and Dan's teeth. (His eye sight is not great and my teeth were jacked up as a kid.)

I'm happy to end this goodnews post with a picture of Mommy and Noel doing our cheesy "CHEESE!" for the camera! Bye, eye doctor! We'll see you next year!

Turkey Day Cookie

2009-11-18T08:09:00.006-05:00

We are very blessed and lucky to have an exceptional Nanny who takes care of our boys during the day while Dan and I work.

Today it was rainy and yucky out -- plus were were expecting a visit from our Help Me Grow people -- so a special Thanksgiving day activity was enjoyed by the boys with the help of our Nanny.

The boys made turkey cookies!

It was a simple recipe I had seen in the coupons insert of Sundays paper -- I picked up the ingredients Monday, and when I came home Tuesday afternoon, the boys had made special treats for all of us!

Noel helped make sure all the cookies were carefully put on the baking sheet!

Then they got down to decorating ...

Noel was very precise in his placement of the "feathers" and his turkey turned out very cute!

Tanner actually participated -- which is great since he normally just doesn't have time for tasks that don't involved buttons. He'd never admit it, but I think he really enjoyed creating his turkey!

Hayden obviously got Dan's awesome "baking cookie" genes -- he rocked it, and even made the turkey have a smiley face on his second attempt after the unfortunate blob face cookie incident!

This is November??

2009-11-07T13:30:00.003-05:00

So ... it's 72 degrees outside today. And it's November 7th.

Seriously? I'm LOVIN' it!!

We took the boys to a park by our house that has a huge pond that gets tons of the migrating ducks and geese. We had a great time feeding the birds, and playing on the playground.

It's hard to beleive we will be shoveling snow in only a couple weeks.

Traditions of Fall

2009-11-06T08:29:00.005-05:00

There are things I always think of when the air starts turning crisp and the days get shorter. One thing is caramel apples.

I remember when caramel apples were such a treat and would only be available for one week out of the year during Halloween. Now, thanks to McDonalds and their apple dippers, you can get "caramel apples" year round.

In fact, this is one of the boys favorite snacks -- slices of apple with Marzetti's fat-free caramel dip. Or as the boys call it, "Apples with dip-dip, Mommy!"

Being the traditionalist I am, I want them to see what a real caramel apple was.

I'm happy to say that it was as yummy, sticky, messy, and wonderful as I remembered.

Hayden really enjoyed his whole apple ... and I mean the whole apple. The kid ate the core, seeds, and all!

Tanner, my sweet boy who usually never likes to get messy, was even getting in on the action.

Noel liked the caramel best and offered to share his with Daddy and Mommy.

The Leaves Go Down, Down, Down!!

2009-11-03T08:21:00.000-05:00

The boy's preschool lesson this week was "Fall and Leaves". Good timing since the boys have become fascinated with leaves -- especially crunching them and jumping in them!

We have a huge forest behind our house, so we get our fair share of leaves in our yard every year. We had a great time with the neighborhood kids raking big huge piles of leaves and jumping in them, crunching the leaves with our feet, and getting buried in the leaves.

Our trees are now almost bear. Next up, snow! Ugh ... why are they things you loved so much as a kid the thing you dread most as an adult?

See No Evil ...

2009-11-01T08:08:00.000-05:00

*Editor's note: I thought I was publishing these to the web, but I had been saving them as drafts! Doh! Me thinks I've been a little bit busy at work!*

After much to do ... the boys decided on being monkeys for Halloween this year. I imagined all of the adorable "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" pictures I would have gracing this blog.

Ah .... no.

Part of it is that the boys were really too excited to sit still for pictures, and part of it is that I just didn't have the energy to make them sit for hours trying to get the shot. So, we have free-swinging monkeys!

The boys got to wear their costumes for their preschool costume parade. Seriously -- how cute are they. I mean, I know I'm bias, but I think they looked adorable!

I have Halloween trick or treat pictures coming -- I promise! -- but they are on our Nanny's camera since I was too busy hurding cats ... err, I mean trick or treating with boys to remember to take a single picture while we were out terrorizing the neighborhood.

Pumpkin Carving Pity Party

2009-10-26T08:23:00.003-04:00

We finally got around to buying a big pumpkin to carve with the boys over the weekend.
I sometimes feel like we are such slacker parents. It's so hard to do the "traditional" things that singleton parents do with their kids. Carving a pumpkin would seem like a simple thing to do if you didn't have six hands trying to get into the same pumpkin at the same time.

Why not have three pumpkins you say? Because that would need three adults (think sharp knives, pumpkin guts being thrown, etc) ... and last time I checked there was just Dan and me.
I commented to Dan the other day on how bad I feel sometimes that I think the boys get shafted because we can't take the time to do one on one activities with each boy as much as we want to. He twisted this around into that I was feeling more sorry for myself than I was the boys. To which I promptly fumed and sulked because I operate under the theory that EVERYTHING I do is for my boys without any thought to myself.

But he is probably right on some level.

I do have a pity party for myself in regards to the boys every once in awhile.
I think every parent of multiples has those times when you think what would it be like to have just one baby at a time. Just one baby to nurse ... to hold ... to share adventures with ... to read books with.

Having multiples of the same age is very different than having multiple children of different ages. All three of the boys need the same kind of attention and time commitment NOW! With different ages, I would suspect that you could give attention to the younger one while the older one plays independently ... and conversely, while the younger one naps, it is the older one's turn for attention and one-on-one time. That's the kind of set-up that makes me jealous -- even angry -- sometimes.

Yes, we take the boys out individually and have "Mommy Time" or "Daddy Date", but it is not the same thing. One or two hours of alone time does not make up for the countless hours where they have a three-way fight for attention.
But this worry is probably all in my mind.

The boys seem to be okay with sharing Mommy and Daddy. They even take turns sitting on our lap while reading books. The other night after I finished a bedtime story with Hayden, he got off my lap and proudly said, "Noel's turn!".

I love that they share and take turns.

It just breaks my heart that they have to ...

Pumpkin Patch ... Take Two!

2009-10-19T11:48:00.003-04:00

The boys asked to go back to "the park with the pumpkins" this weekend. So, Dan and I obliged and took them to a different pumpkin farm in our area called Shaw Farms. We had gone last year as well, and had a good time.

Shaw Farms is right on a major road, so we were very relieved to find that they had put up a fence between the kid's activity area and the road this year. Last year was a little stressful without that fence.

The boys had a good time exploring all the pumpkin displays and decorations. They were moving so fast it was hard to get a picture, plus it was really muddy so I was trying to grab boys before they became little mud men. Here are the best I could get.

Tanner and "the Moochie cat!"

Hayden says, "Hello, Witch! Bye, Witch -- I'm off to work!"

Noel flirting with Fred Flintstone -- who doesn't he flirt with?

Tanner hanging out of the pumpkin saying, "Cheeeeeeeeeese!"

NTR -- Moab, Utah

2009-10-13T11:34:00.001-04:00

A totally NTR (non-triplet related) post! My cousin, Dasch, finally took the plunge this past weekend and got married! Woo Hoo!

Yes, this is them actually rafting down the Colorado River after their beach wedding ceremony. How freakin' cool is that? Don't you love that she is the one rowing?

Dasch and Megan got married in Moab, Utah. And if you haven't been -- GO! This place was beautiful. I could have spend hours hiking the arches and red cliffs ... and I'm not exactly what you call the outdoorsy type!

And I think I found the perfect for us to stay once the boys are old enough to enjoy such a vacation. Check out the Red Cliffs Lodge. Does this place rock or what?

Pumpkin Festival

2009-10-07T12:22:00.005-04:00

On Sunday, we went to Burger Farms Pumpkin Festival. We had been to this festival last year and loved it, so we were looking forward to going back again this year! We were not disappointed!

The boys definitely measured up!

Noel made sure we knew that this was a ghost and that ghosts say, "Boo!"

We had fun finding our way around the hay bale maze!

Noel made a new friend!

And we all had fun on the hayride to the pumpkin patch!

At the pumpkin patch, we got to drive a tractor and make new scarecrow friends!

We all found a pumpkin that was just our size!

We ended our day by driving a 4-wheeler. Some of us learned to steer quicker than others!

For Parents Only

2009-10-05T13:46:00.005-04:00

* The Following Material Is for Parents of Small Children Only and Otherwise Incomprehensible if Not Offensive to Others

I take an interest in my child's viewing habits. For all my earlier promises to myself that I'd limit her TV watching time to like--half an hour a day--that has been a hard policy to enforce. Denying a 2 year old when her lip starts to tremble and her face crumples, a look of utter betrayal in her eyes as she implores me: "Da Da? I want Backyardigans!" has proven to be too much for me.It's edumacational anyways, right?
Plus, I really like THE BACKYARDIGANS. I find the adventures of Pablo, Austin, Tasha, Tyrone and Uniqua thrilling. It looks unlike anything else on kiddie TV, the characters (animated with the help of live action dancer choreographers) move differently than any other brightly animal colored characters you've ever seen. The backgrounds are eerily wonderful and atmospheric--like Grand Theft Auto without the dead prostitutes and chain saws. The music, by former Lounge Lizard Evan Lurie is quirky, catchy, creative and ever changing. In brief, each episode begins with the five (sometimes only four) characters playing in their adjacent suburban backyards. A theme is struck..they wander into an episode- long fantasy world. At some point in the story, one of the characters' stomachs will begin to growl. A snack is suggested. Whatever beautifully designed world of the imagination they're in dissolves around them as the friends rush the few steps home for a snack. I actually experience a frisson as the walls of a medieval castle, windswept beach, Mount Olympus-- whatever world the little friends occupy that week--dissolve around them, the trappings of a suburban backyard reassembling itself as they toddle inside for cookies.
On the other hand, I resent that the painfully animated WONDER PETS has an unholy grip on my daughter's affections. And I count the days until she tires of these cloyingly cute little cut outs, seemingly reassembled and animated from scraps of magazine photographs. Is it possible to hate an animated character? Personally hate them? Because my loathing for guinea-pig Linnie and turtle Tuck is exceeded only by my fervent hope that one of these days, the disgustingly cute duckling, "Ming-Ming" will get sucked into a lawnmower or a fan, ending her reign of terror over my household. And if my little girl grows up pronouncing her "l"s as "w"s--as the disgusting Ming Ming insists on doing in a misguided attempt at cuteness? I will hunt down the producers of this show and do them terrible violence.
I love YO GABBA GABBA. I don't care what you say, DJ Lance, Muno, Broby, Foofa, Toodie and Plex have taught my daughter many valuable lessons--like the desirability of napping, for one. Not to throw objects at Daddy's skull. Not biting. The value of "trying again" and "not giving up." All set to surprisingly weird, offbeat songs which--in another venue and with other lyrics, one might find oneself enjoying at a club. They get good indie bands as guests, and Mark Mothersbaugh of DEVO is a regular. I know every song and every lyric by heart.
BLUE'S CLUES I can take or leave. I do greatly prefer the episodes hosted by "Steve" to the ones featuring the seemingly overplucked and man-scaped "Joe". BLUE'S ROOM, a cynical brand expansion of the original show--with puppets--sucks. Blue's charm in the original was that she didn't talk. In BLUE'S ROOM she does. To ill effect.
All parents must, sooner or later, come to terms with DORA THE EXPLORER and her alleged "cousin", DIEGO. I've always found their relationship suspicious at best. And who is this kid, Diego, anyway? Where are his parents? How does he get to run around unsupervised in the jungle? And isn't he too young to have a driver's license? If not--then he's certainly too goddamn old to be hanging out with Dora!! I do like the "Rescue Pack" song, however. And my daughter's affection for these kissin' cousins is unwavering. So much so that I brought her to see Dora "Live" at Radio City--which is to throw oneself into a Skittle scented mosh pit filled with thousands and thousands of screaming kids and their mothers. At every appearance of the rascally fox, "Swiper", the walls shake like a high-pitched Nuremberg rally of sticky children , screaming "SWIPER NO SWIPING" in unison--as avidly as any cries of "Duce!" or worse. But...there's no arguing with true love. All kids love Dora and Diego--and the sooner we resign ourselves to that, the easier it'll go for us.

I like OSWALD just fine. LITTLE BILL is kinda charming and sweet--and relentlessly teaches good values. I"m okay with MAGGIE AND THE FEROCIOUS BEAST. That spider show is pretty cool.
I like NI HAO KAI LAN because my daughter loves it--and because any show that teaches her Mandarin is probably a good thing--preparing her for the day that this will be the language of our future masters. I like that Kai Lan's Granpa, "Ye-Ye" is always cooking dumplings. Not so crazy about Kai Lan's little friend Toli. He strikes me as a maladjusted, whining little shit--always acting out in hopes of getting special attention and sympathy. She should drop that little koala **** until they adjust his meds and hang out more with her tiger friend Rintu--or the more outgoing and well adjusted Ho-Ho. Every episode that Kai Lan persists in enabling her deeply disturbed, panda-obsessed, passive-aggressive little friend only teaches her impressionable audience that just pouting long enough will get you what you want. Time for tough love for Toli.
LAZYTOWN? This show totally creeps me out. In this candy colored ode to eugenics, live action "Sporticus" matches wits with the malevolent "Robbie Rotten" among various puppets in a stylized village populated by a credulous and generally helpless populace of Untermenschen, all of whom look to their blimp-dwelling hero as their unelected leader. "Sporticus" is played by millionaire areobic champion and owner of an Icelandic gym franchise--who also produces, directs, designs the puppets--according to the credits, there's nothing he doesn't do--and the message, constantly reinforced throughout every episode is that the answer to all life's problems is relentless exercise, narcissistic exhibitionism--personified by muscle flexing, gratuitous displays of aerobics, and taking credit for everything. We are all helpless bivalves, waiting for a well-cut Uber Man to rescue us in Lazytown. It's a textbook showcase for apparent pathological narcissism. I find the show creepy and somehow...evil. Exactly how, I'm not sure yet. But I keep my kid away from it like caustic drain cleaner.
There's no keeping her away, however, from the bombardment of promos and songs from the painful and excrutiating industry created entity known as the "FRESH BEAT BAND." At the end of every other Nick Jr. or Noggin show, for the last few months, they've been pounding us silly, trying to introduce audiences to the music and antics of this hyperactively peppy music and dance group. Until a few weeks ago, they were being touted as the "JUMPAROUNDS" --then, perhaps, some office wag was overheard referring to them as the "ReachArounds" and a sudden name change was instituted over night--as if the previous campaign had never occured. (Causing, no doubt, untold psychological damage and confusion to their young, vulnerable fans). Not to be too cruel--but one of the "kids" in this bunch looks like a 32 year old masquerading as a teen. The lead "singer" (meaning, I gather, he moves his lips obligingly when called upon to do so) has the dead eyes of a man at the end of his string. The "rapper", a tall, gawky young man, throws himself into his moves with the urgency of someone who wants never to fill another fixin's bar--whatever the cost to his soul. It's a genuinely uncomfortable mash up of "street" affectations, "grown up" moves from MTV,and adults and children --that feels (to me, anyway) sleazy and exploitative. I fear the worst. That my daughter will love it.

While Miley and the Jonas Brothers--with any luck--will be in rehab or jail by the time my little girl is at the target age for their brand of hijinks, these FRESH BEAT creatures have me worried.

Plargarized from http://anthony-bourdain-blog.travelchannel.com/read/for-parents-only because it is too darn funny -- and sadly, true -- not to share! (I added the pictures in case you haven't been forced to sit through hours of Noggin with a toddler lately.)

A Walk in the Park

2009-09-28T15:27:00.003-04:00

Q: What do you do when your football team is playing your arch rivals on a perfect, crisp, fall day?

A: Turn off the television, go outside and take a walk around the park!

Fear Is A Curious Thing

2009-09-25T07:14:00.005-04:00

As all of you faithful readers know, all three of the boys were part of the H1N1 vaccine clinical trial.

The boys have had NO adverse reaction -- not even redness or soreness at the injection points. This is the norm, not the exception ... all the adult and children clinical trials have shown no adverse reactions.

The H1N1 vaccine is now FDA approved, but people are still fear mongering about the H1N1 vaccine. I get questions daily from people who cannot believe that I would allow my sons to be guinea pigs, pin cushions, or "pawns in the government's scheme". (The last one was my personal favorite.)

Can we all be rational for just one minute -- does anybody really think Dan and I would allow our sons to be part of something that we didn't think was completely safe?

But the doubts continue ... Hey! It's your choice if you want to get any vaccine, but please find out the FACTS before making your decision.

In doing our own due diligence on the H1N1 vaccine, we found this article written by Harriet Hall, MD. Because she says it all so well regarding the myths and realities of the H1N1 vaccine, Dan and I wanted to post her article on our blog.

Fear: it often bears no relation to the actual risk of what we fear. When swine flu first broke out in Mexico, people were understandably afraid. Travel was restricted, schools were closed, and so many people stayed home that the streets of Mexico City were empty. As the disease spread around the world, Egypt developed a paranoid fear of pigs and committed national pigicide. They ordered the slaughter of all 300,000 of their country’s innocent little porkers, ignoring the fact that the flu is spread person-to-person, not pig-to-person. Now that the disease has officially been labeled a pandemic, fears have switched from the real threat of the disease to an imagined danger from the vaccine.

Some people just plain hate the idea of vaccines — to the point that they are willing to spread old falsehoods, make up new lies, distort the results of studies, misrepresent statistics, and endanger our public health. There are websites like “Operation Fax to Stop the Vax” and even anti-swine-flu-vaccine rap videos. Press releases, e-mail campaigns, talk shows, and blogs are being used to stir up irrational fears. These people are irresponsible fear mongers. They are wrong, and they are dangerous.

Background
The 1918 flu: The flu epidemic of 1918 started as a mild disease in the spring, called the “3-day fever.” Most victims recovered in a few days; there were few deaths. Then in the fall, it turned into something far more severe. It was the same flu strain, but it had become more virulent. Some victims died within hours. Healthy young adults were as susceptible as children and the elderly. It affected remote villages as well as urban areas. It attacked 1/5 of the world’s population and killed 50 million people.

Wartime conditions may have favored the evolution of a more virulent strain. In peacetime, the sicker stay put and the mildly affected move around. In the trenches, the mildly affected stayed on duty and the sicker were sent on crowded trains to crowded field hospitals. Today, places with social upheaval might have similar effects favoring a virulent strain.

The 1976 swine flu: In February, 1976 a strain of H1N1 influenza similar to the 1918 strain killed a soldier at Fort Dix. Officials feared a pandemic and over-reacted. In actuality, the H1N1 strain was limited to the Fort Dix area and quickly died out, and another related strain only persisted until March. Nevertheless, a swine flu vaccine was developed and was given to 48,000,000 Americans, 22 percent of the population. The vaccination program was stopped in December after 532 cases of paralysis from Guillain-Barré syndrome were linked to the vaccine and 25 people died. It had been a false alarm, and more people died of the vaccine than of the disease. The risk of getting Guillain-Barré from the vaccine was approximately 1 in 100,000.

The 2009 swine flu: Between April 15 and July 24, 2009, there were 43,771 confirmed and probable cases of H1N1 influenza (“swine flu”) in the U.S. There were 5,011 hospitalizations and 302 deaths, 39 percent among those aged 25 to 49, in contrast to the usual flu where 90 percent of the deaths are in people over age 65. For comparison, the more common strains of flu have been killing around 36,000 people a year in the U.S. Swine flu has been declared a phase 6 pandemic by the World Health Organization: that is a measure of its spread, not of its severity.

What are the chances that the new swine flu will follow the course of the 1918 flu? We have no way of knowing. All we can do is hope for the best and prepare for the worst. In addition to the annual flu vaccine for the usual common strains, a specific vaccine for the H1N1 strain is being prepared and tested to see whether one or two shots will be needed to produce a satisfactory immune response. So we may be offered as many as three shots this year. Supplies will be limited, at least in the short run, so the CDC has announced these priorities:
***Pregnant women
***Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age
***Health care and emergency medical services personnel
***All people from 6 months through 24 years of age
***Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza.

What if it fizzles out like the swine flu of 1976? That’s already ruled out: the 1976 flu had fizzled by March; the new swine flu hasn’t shown any signs of fizzling yet. We will be monitoring numbers of cases and vaccine complications very carefully, assessing the risk/benefit ratio, and we’re not likely to repeat the mistakes of 1976.

I can’t hope to address all the misinformation that is circulating, and even if I could, more new lies would come out by the time I finished writing. Here are some of the ones I have heard. A correspondent in the Netherlands forwarded me an alarmist e-mail that is circulating in Europe.

Claim: It alleges that only one person has died of swine flu in the UK, and it questions whether he really had flu. It tells us “you are slated for vaccination against a disease which poses no credible threat whatsoever.”
Fact: As of August 27, the death toll in the UK was 66. As of Sept. 1, 2009, 2184 deaths had been reported worldwide. Most rational people would call that a credible threat.

Claim: Guillian-Barré Syndrome is a newly concocted name for a much more familiar condition: Polio.
Fact: Ridiculous! Polio is a distinct disease and its symptoms are very different from those of Guillain-Barré syndrome. A diagnosis of polio can be confirmed by finding the actual polio virus particles in body secretions or cerebrospinal fluid. The last case of “wild polio” in the U.S. occurred in 1979. Polio has been eradicated in most countries; Guillain-Barré still occurs regularly in every country.

Claim: Guillain-Barré is still being caused by flu vaccines. A study based on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) found 54 cases of GBS reported after vaccination in the U.S. in 2004; 57 percent of these followed flu vaccines and the rest followed other vaccines.
Fact: The VAERS is a voluntary reporting system that accepts all reports of symptoms or illnesses that occurred after vaccination. It even accepted a fraudulent report claiming that a man had been turned into The Hulk by his influenza vaccine. To find out whether the VAERS reports mean anything, it is necessary to compare the incidence of the condition in those vaccinated to the incidence in the unvaccinated. Guillain-Barré syndrome affects 1 to 4 of every 100,000 people around the world every year, and the increased risk from vaccines is currently estimated at no more than one in a million.

Claim: It usually takes several years to test a drug and show that it is safe, but the swine flu vaccine is going to be fast-tracked for quick approval.
Fact: A new flu vaccine has to be developed every year to respond to the new strains that are constantly evolving. Time does not allow for the same kind of testing we require for approval of a new pharmaceutical. Time is even shorter for the swine flu this year. We have a lot of experience in producing new flu vaccines every year, and there is no reason to suspect that this year’s batches will be any more dangerous than usual. Because of fast-tracking, we will be monitoring very closely for side effects. We have a choice between fast-tracking and being prepared for a serious outbreak, or being slow and cautious and totally unprepared.

Claim: 4,000 people were afflicted with Guillain-Barré Syndrome in 1976.
Fact: At least 1 in 100,000 people would have gotten Guillain-Barré syndrome anyway. The excess cases attributed to the vaccine were estimated at 532 (some sources say half of that number), and most of them recovered fully; 25 deaths were attributed to the vaccine.

There are several websites where writers with a bad track record for scientific credibility (like Joseph Mercola and Gary Null) advocate vaccine refusal. The Health Freedom movement wants the government to forget about trying to protect the public and give us the freedom to harm ourselves by using untested, disproved, useless, or even dangerous treatments.

Claim: Legislation allows for you to be isolated or quarantined or “incarcerated in relocation centers” if you refuse vaccination during a declared Pandemic Emergency. This is a violation of human rights and of the Constitution.
Fact: If you have active TB, the government has not only the power but the responsibility to require treatment or quarantine so you don’t sit next to me on the bus and cough in my face. If you contract Ebola virus, I sure hope you will be quarantined to reduce the death toll. Quarantine is legal, is mandated by legislation, and is accepted by international law. Sometimes the duty to protect most of the people in a society temporarily trumps a few individual human rights. The government is not going to require quarantine unless there is a serious threat that demands action.

Claim: People should be allowed to “self-shield.” For self-shielding you go home lock the doors and stay there. Then you can try to further protect yourself with nano-silver, homeopathic remedies, cold packs, vitamins, flavonoids, zinc, astaxanthin, magnesium, and other stuff.
Fact: A self-imposed quarantine is better than nothing, but I question whether it would be effective in practice. The suggested (untested) remedies might conceivably keep people entertained so they are more willing to stay home.

Claim: The CDC and the American Academy of Neurologists have asked neurologists to be vigilant in looking for cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome in people who have been vaccinated. This is an admission that they know the vaccine will be dangerous.
Fact: They clearly said “they do not expect the 2009 H1N1 vaccine to increase the risk for the autoimmune disease” but since this is a concern with any pandemic vaccine, they will be on the alert. This is a good thing. If the incidence starts rising, they will know it earlier and be able to react more quickly than they did in 1976.

Claim: The threat of Guillain-Barré is a reason to reject vaccines.
Fact: No one understands what causes Guillain-Barré syndrome, but it can develop after an infection, surgery or vaccination. It is possible that people who develop GBS after vaccination might also have developed GBS after natural exposure to the disease. One expert said,"From both the societal and individual perspectives, the risk of GBS after a flu shot pales in comparison to the risk of serious adverse events if infected with the influenza virus: 60 to 70 cases of GBS vs. 20,000 deaths from influenza". Keeping things on the same scale, people over 65 years of age can choose from a risk of one case of GBS per million people or 10,000 cases of hospitalization and 1500 deaths due to influenza.

Claim: Joseph Mercola writes about “Squalene: The Swine Flu Vaccine’s Dirty Little Secret.” He has claimed that the vaccine adjuvant squalene is dangerous, that the Gulf War Syndrome was caused by the squalene in anthrax vaccines, that squalene is “good” or “bad depending on how it gets into your body: “Injection is an abnormal route of entry which incites your immune system to attack all the squalene in your body, not just the vaccine adjuvant.” And the only reason they put adjuvants in vaccines is to save money.
Fact: Squalene is found naturally in the human body. It is a precursor of cholesterol and other compounds necessary to human health. Squalene antibodies were found in Gulf War veterans; but the rate turned out to be no higher in those who had Gulf War Syndrome than in those who didn’t. Squalene antibodies were found at similar rates in people who had never been exposed to squalene in vaccines. The anthrax vaccine has been ruled out as a possible cause of Gulf War Syndrome. Anyway, it turns out there was no squalene in the anthrax vaccine!

American flu vaccines do not contain adjuvants, but maybe they should. Adjuvants enhance the body’s innate immune response to the antigens in vaccines, making vaccines more effective. And they allow for broader cross-reactivity against viral strains not included in the vaccine3. Mercola says adjuvants are added just to increase profits, but the pharmaceutical and health industries could make far more money treating patients in an epidemic than they could ever make trying to prevent one.

There is a large body of data demonstrating the safety of squalene. Flu vaccines containing MF59, a squalene-based adjuvant, have been used in Europe for 10 years, with 22,000,000 doses given; and no serious adverse events have occurred, only mild local reactions. The vaccine does not raise the incidence or titers of anti-squalene antibodies. The World Health Organization (WHO) considers it safe4.

Claim: Flu vaccines are not very effective and don’t protect everyone. The effectiveness is particularly low in the elderly.
Fact: This claim is true, but… In recent years, flu vaccines have been 75 percent effective in preventing hospitalizations for flu, and 75 percent is way better than nothing. No vaccine is 100 percent effective. Flu vaccine is particularly problematic because of the constantly mutating strains of the virus. Nevertheless, the benefits of vaccines are clear. It is true that the elderly are not as well protected by the vaccine (efficacy rates have been estimated at 50 percent or less): that’s why it’s so important for younger people to be vaccinated, reducing the prevalence of the disease in the population and thereby reducing the likelihood of the elderly being exposed. In other words, don’t just get the flu shot for yourself, get it for Grandma.

Claim: Mercola says “Injecting organisms into your body to provoke immunity is contrary to nature.”
Fact: Nature kills people. Doing something contrary to nature is what medicine is all about. It’s a good thing.

Claim: “The potential for a weaponized vaccine to be the vector for a weaponized flu cannot be discounted.”
Fact: Most far-fetched conspiracy theories are wrong. I have no trouble discounting this one. The potential may be there, but the likelihood is homeopathic.

Claim: People should make their own decisions about their health care.
Fact: One of the basic principles of medical ethics is autonomy: patients have the right to accept or reject any treatment. Modern doctors try to involve the patient in the decision-making process, but most people are ill-equipped to make health decisions on their own without getting information and guidance from a health care professional. In a recent survey5, 30 percent of Americans believed that there had been a case of smallpox in the United States in the past five years, and 63 percent thought there had been a case somewhere in the world in the past five years. They didn’t know that the last case in the U.S. occurred in 1949 and the last case in the world occurred in 1977 in Somalia; 25 percent thought it was likely that they would die if they got the smallpox vaccine (the actual risk of death from the vaccine is one per million). People who are uninformed and scientifically illiterate are not capable of making rational decisions about health matters.

Claim: Eliminate sugar and processed foods from your diet, take a high quality source of animal-based omega 3 fats like Krill Oil, exercise, optimize your vitamin D levels, get plenty of sleep, deal with stress, and wash your hands.
Fact: Washing your hands is a good idea.

Mercola claims: “Vitamin D deficiency is the likely cause of seasonal flu viruses.”
Fact: Now really! Vitamin D deficiency in a human body can no more “cause a virus” than it could “cause a cat.” Perhaps he meant vitamin D deficiency could predispose a body to infection, and there is some research to suggest that it might. Some have claimed that taking vitamin D supplements will prevent the flu, but there is no evidence to support that.

Mercola’s claims and arguments were decisively eviscerated on Science-Based Medicine by Dr. Joseph Albietz6. Not only are Mercola’s assertions demonstrably false, but they reveal a profound misunderstanding of immunology. Unfortunately, he reaches a large audience of scientifically naïve people who believe his every word.

In response to Dr. Albietz’s article, there were some interesting comments from readers that further demonstrate the anti-vaccine mindset and the ability to distort information to promote a cause.

Claim: The government is going to mandate that everyone get the swine flu vaccine.
Fact: No such proposal has been made. The government couldn’t do it even if it tried, because there won’t be enough doses to go around. That’s why they’ve issued recommendations prioritizing who should get the vaccine first.

Claim: George Bush signed an agreement that if a pandemic emergency arose and the President declared a national state of emergency, control of the government would be passed to the United Nations. Blue-helmeted UN soldiers would run our country and the Constitution would be suspended.
Fact: It was simply an agreement to facilitate international cooperation, to share information and enhance collaboration in the event of an emergency. It says nothing about the UN at all, much less about relinquishing sovereignty to the UN or any other organization. The actual agreement can be read online at www.spp.gov/pdf/nap_flu07.pdf

The same person pointed out that shots hurt and that alone should tell you something. “Yet you are willing to trust these people with your lives to make a vaccine that the Creator never intended the human body should need, and let them inject it into your body? You people are scary or insane!”

No, it is the anti-vaccine zealots who are scary. They are not insane, just self-deluded and misguided. I hope the swine flu won’t develop into a reprise of 1918; but if it does, the false information these people are spreading could be responsible for a great deal of death and suffering. Freedom of speech is a good thing, but this kind of fear-mongering is almost as bad as shouting “Fire!” in a crowded theater.

References:
(1) Swine Flu Vaccine Fearmongering http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=1296
(2) Press release from the American Academy of Neurology, August 31, 2009. Available online at: www.aan.com/press/?fuseaction=release.view&release=757
(3) Grabenstein, J.D. 2000. “Guillain-Barre Syndrome and Vaccination: Usually Unrelated.” Hospital Pharmacy 36:2, 199–207. Available online at:www.factsandcomparisons.com/assets/hospitalpharm/IMM1.pdf
(4) O’Hagan D.T. 2007. “MF59 is a Safe and Potent Vaccine Adjuvant that Enhances Protection Against Influenza Virus Infection.” Expert Rev Vaccines 6(5):699–710.
Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety, World Health Organization. 2006. http://tinyurl.com/squalene-adjuvant
(5) Blendon, R.J., et al. “The Public and the Smallpox Threat,” NEJM 348(5):p. 426–432. 2003. http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/348/5/426
(6) Albietz, J. 2009. “A Defense of Childhood Influenza Vaccination and Squalene-Containing Adjuvants: Joseph Mercola’s ‘Dirty Little Secret’ Science-Based Medicine,” Aug 21.www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=851

Museum Center Celebration!

2009-09-23T09:48:00.004-04:00

We had our second round of H1N1 vaccine shots yesterday (recall that we are in the clinical trial for the vaccine).

The boys did super, and for doing such a great job, we went to the Children's Museum after to celebrate!

Great Wolf Lodge

2009-09-20T09:29:00.004-04:00

We scored a serious Friends and Family deal at our local Great Wolf Lodge ($79/night for a KidCabin Suite) this past Saturday, so we decided to try it out.

Holy Cow, did we have a great time! I highly recommend a stay at this place if you have one around you.

I apologize in advance for the lack of pictures, but it was impossible to take a camera into the water park area and keep an eye on all three boys -- this place was HUGE!

And we went on a great weekend because it was not crowded at all. I think the longest we waited for a slide was three minutes. Most of the time we could walk right up and get on -- and with lifeguards EVERYWHERE I felt very safe and comfortable with the boys being in the water and going down the slides.

The boys seriously are such fish -- at Great Wolf they have this really cool wave pool. It goes 10 minutes waves, 5 minutes calm, 10 minutes wave, etc. A recording of wolves howling goes off right before the waves start -- we could be on the other side of the water park, the boys would hear the wolves howl, and they would scream and run over to the wave pool. Hayden loved to get knocked down by the waves while Tanner would count to three and jump over each wave.

Noel wasn't a big fan of the wave pool, but he was a pimp daddy in the hot tub. Seriously, the boy is such a flirt. He would go up to a group of girls in the hot tub and sit next to them -- just sitting there and smile at them. No wonder why our friends with little girls are worried about play dates with Noel!

Great Wolf has a nightly story time where all the kids come downstairs to the big Clocktower to watch a mini show and listen to a bedtime story. At story time, Noel left us and went over and sat next to this other group of girls and put his head down on their shoulder.

The boys also loved meeting Wiley the Wolf. This poor guy must have had fifty plus kids mauling him, but he gave every child a hug or high five and stayed around to take pictures.

We had a great time exploring the lodge -- it was really set up wonderfully to be a great family vacation place!

First Day of Preschool -- A Day in Pictures

2009-09-10T19:09:00.003-04:00

Renaissance Festival

2009-09-07T15:18:00.007-04:00

Today we ventured out to the Ohio Renaissance Festival. It was a little stormy in the morning, but it clear up just in time for us to have a great and adventurous day!

We got to see a pirate show, sword fighting, jousting, and magic tricks!

The boys were very excited to see all the castles!

They were treated like kings ...

... and we were followed all around the fair by people very curious about our "carriage".

We found a flag that was highly appropriate for family shield!

And one that was very appropriate for the boys, too.

We all loved watching the Mudshow!

And the maze was a huge hit -- we got lost so many times that we were glad to finally find the slide at the end of the maze!

I think the boys will LOVE going to the festival when they are a little older and can do more of the games and rides -- and Dan and I are happy to take them since they have Guinness, Harp, and Mead all on tap throughout the 30-acre fair!

The House on Pooh Corner ...

2009-09-04T07:51:00.003-04:00

... will never be the same.

Darn you, swine flu! Darn you to heck!

Taste No Evil?

2009-09-02T10:44:00.004-04:00

I've got a boatload of gift cards to UDF, a local ice cream shoppe near our house, so we decided to see if the boys were ready to try a milk shake. Our attempts at fruit smoothies, drinkable yogurts, etc in the past have met with disastrous consequences.

But, it's ice cream, right? What kid doesn't like ice cream??

So we all sat at our table and tried our shake.

May I quote Noel? "I liiiiike ice cream!"

Hayden was unable to talk he was so busy slurping down frozen chocolate goodness. I love his face in this picture -- he looks like he is dazed by the yummy ice cream shake.

Tanner was, of course, completely unimpressed, and tried to tune out the shake through his "I can't see it! I can't hear you! I WON'T taste you!" routine.

I think if Tanner would have actually tried the shake he would have liked it, but you can't make Tanner do something he doesn't want to do.

It's this frustrating fact about Tanner that I have to learn to let slide. I would love to help show him the world and explain different things to him, but he is the type of kid that has to do it and figure it out on his own.

"A flute without holes, is not a flute. A donut without a hole, is a danish."

Tanner is who he is. Period. End of discussion.

A Star is Born

2009-09-01T07:50:00.003-04:00

We have a budding Broadway star in our house.

Nightly, Noel likes to sing himself to sleep. Usually it's "Frere Jacques" or "Twinkle Twinkle", but last night Noel decided to branch out and sing "Tomorrow" from the musical Annie.

We filmed this off Dan's camera phone after sneaking into the boys bedroom after they were in bed, so there is no picture ... only Noel's singing of "Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya, Tomorrow! You're only a day away!"

At the end you can hear Noel discovering the light on the camera phone.

For those of you who got serenaded by Noel on Facebook last night, consider this a reprise.

Turn your sound way up! I might be bias, but it is really too cute for words.

You Snooze, You Lose

2009-08-26T11:29:00.003-04:00

Today I booked the boys birthday party.

I know, I know -- it's still four months away! But, what can I say ... I'm a planner.

At our annual Junior League of Cincinnati Gala this past April, Dan and I bid on and won a party for 40 people at the Cincinnati Fire Museum through the silent auction. So we got a free birthday party plus a tax deduction -- not too shabby!

The only snafu is that the museum is only open from 12noon-4pm. That is smack in the middle of the boys nap time -- yikes!! But, I went ahead and booked it anyway.

What's a nap when you can participate in a "hands-on" bucket brigade, take a turn on an old style hand pumper, ring a fire bell, wail the siren, flash the lights and "drive" to a fire inside a real fire truck cab, and slide down a fire pole?

Honestly, I'm more worried that Hayden will still be saying "Fire $%^&!!!" instead of "Fire Truck!!!" than I am about a missed nap.

When I called this morning, the receptionist told me that someone already had a tentative hold on the date but had not put down a deposit yet. I was BUMMED -- I had really wanted the party to be on the Saturday before the boys birthday so we avoided the upcoming Christmas party schedule crush.

I asked if I could be put on the wait list for the date in case the people didn't put the deposit down, and the receptionist told me that if I put a deposit down now I could have that date. Woo HOO!! I whipped out my credit card so fast.

I kinda feel bad, but like the receptionist said, "You snooze, you lose."

So, now it is off to find fire truck themed birthday invites, decorations, and such!

I just know my friend, Kathy, at Busken is going to be able to do such a cool cake for me! She did our wedding cake, the boys 1st birthday Baby Einstein cake, and Dan's 40th birthday party cake.

I already snatched up a bunch of "Elmo Goes to the Fire Station" books for party gift bags -- any other ideas of what I can put in them? Maybe mini Matchbox fire trucks?

I definitely need to find fire hats for all the kids to wear!

Do you think a dalmatian pinata is overkill? (I love the fact that it talks ... hee hee.)

And moms of multiples ... this is where I really need some advice: How do I handle gifts? I know people are going to be wondering if they should bring a gift for each boy or just one gift for all three? What is the protocol? Part of me thinks that each boy has a birthday so each boy should get a gift, but then I think, "Three gifts! Holy cow, that's a lot to ask of people!"

And a question to all moms ... I know birthday party standards are that the child can invite as many friends as years he is old. That would mean each boy can invite three friends ... that is nine kids right there for a total of twelve kids at the party. Doesn't that seem like too many?

What if the party is for close friends (and their children, of course) and family, and I have a separate birthday thing for the boys at their preschool, too, just for those kids? After all, there are only twelve kids in their preschool class, and they are three of that twelve! (Personally, I find it hilarious that they make up 1/4th of their preschool class!)

Ugh ... I might be an excellent planner, but I'm also a very good worrier!

Blessing of the Backpacks

2009-08-23T14:05:00.007-04:00

Today at church was the annual "Blessing of the Backpacks". We were pretty psyched that we got to participate this year since the boys start preschool next month.

The boys were very proud of their Winnie the Pooh backpacks. (These are "props" if you may ... the boys not need real backpacks for preschool this year.)

After the service, our church has a big family festival to celebrate back to school. It was ... a fiasco.

Three crazy toddlers, two parents, and a busy four lane road right next to the festival did not make for a good combination.

But, we stayed for a couple hot dogs, some cookies, and a turn or two in the bounce houses.

First up to try out was the simple train shaped bounce house that had a very small slide. (In these first two pictures, you can see just how close this road was to the festival -- enough to give a mom a heart attack.)

Yeah ... unfortunately, that didn't hold the boys attention very long, so we moved onto the obstacle course bouncer with the really high climbing wall and slide.

All in all, it was a good morning, but I think I might drop a few suggestions to the church for the festival next year -- like having it in the back of the church instead of in front next to the main drag.

Up Close and Personal

2009-08-22T13:51:00.006-04:00

Today was PERFECT weather in Cincinnati, so we packed up the boys and headed to the zoo.

The boys love to visit the animals, and since I had my internship there in undergraduate school, I have developed a pretty good system to get us through the zoo quickly while hitting all the "popular" animals yet avoiding the big crowds. Amazingly, I still remember feeding times for certain animals, so we time it to hit the exhibit right when the critters have been fed.

We did our typical stops ... elephants, giraffes, monkeys, lions, gorillas, big cats, tropical birds, etc.

The boys were wearing their alligator shirts, so we made sure to stop by the alligator to say hi.

When we came to the bear exhibits, we were the only ones there. The keeper was still getting the areas ready, and all the bears were up and about.

We got to the polar bear exhibit and were disappointed that there was already a crowd in the underwater viewing area. Two of the polar bears were sleeping, and Icee, my favorite polar bear, was swimming around but didn't seem too interested in anybody and wasn't coming very close to the glass. We almost turned around and headed out, but for some reason we decided to stay.

Once there was a clear spot, we put all three boys up on the cave wall next to the glass. What happened next was utterly cool ... Icee came right over to where the boys were, put her nose up against the glass as to give them a bear kiss, and then swam up the glass wall.

She did this several times, and the crowd around us was itching to get their kids up on the glass wall for their turn with Icee, so we took the boys away so other kids could have a turn.

But as soon as the boys were gone, so was Icee. She swam away and rested on her log. She didn't do the glass wall drive-by for anyone else.

It's probably a fluke, but still a really kickin' cool fluke that the boys loved.

Hmmmm ... maybe we will adopt a polar bear for the boys for their birthday?

Have I Mentioned I Love Puddle Jumpers?

2009-08-21T13:34:00.000-04:00

Once again ... best purchase decision EVER!

Yes, that is Tanner and Noel jumping off the diving board with Hayden swimming around the in the deep end of our pool.

Puddle Jumpers have changed our summer completely!

My Own “Sermon on the Mound”

2009-08-20T08:39:00.004-04:00

"Don't judge, so that you won't be judged” ... Matthew 7:1

I am so fortunate to belong to one of the coolest groups of women I know called TriState Multiples. We are women who all have triplets or quads. I cannot tell you how awesome it is to be able to talk with other triplet moms who “get it”, “been there, done that”, and a whole bunch of other clichés that are applicable.

TSM has helped me through some very rough times as I evolved as a triplet mommy … bedrest, the NICU, breast feeding, sleep deprivation, developmental milestones, RSV, starting solids, dropping the bottle, discipline, playdates, potty training, etc, etc, etc.

Every question I posed to the group was answered with thoughtfulness and great advice. No matter how stupid my question … and I asked some whoppers! … people gracious responded to my requests with their perspective and ideas.

The great thing was that I got different advice for each question … and I would pick and choose what would work for me and the situation I was in.

Because we all have different parenting techniques.

I don’t know if I have one technique that defines me … I’m a mutt, a hodgepodge of methods. I’ve found some great guidance from Raising Godly Tomatoes, Attachment Parenting, Happiest Baby/Toddler on the Block, and of course, from my fellow triplet moms.

I also pay it forward by answering questions posed by other members of the club. I expect those triplet moms to take what I suggest in the same manner that I give in … with the intent to help and guide, but not to state that my way is the absolute way.

Recently, a triplet mom posed a question about how to stop one of her triplets from biting.

And I posted this response:
“This will NOT be for everyone, but it worked like magic for us.

Hayden started biting and nothing could stop him -- time out, denying treats, Dan even swatted him through pants and a diaper when he bit Noel so hard he broke the skin and made him bleed. (Yes … we do swat butts when safety is involved like biting or running into the street.)

What finally worked? Tabasco.

I put one, tiny drop on my fingertip and rub it on his bottom lip outer gum, and then put him in time-out. It took only two times and Hayden has not bitten anyone since. In fact, when I was "pretending" to eat Tanner's toes the other day, Hayden came over and said, "No bite, Mommy! Hot mouth and time out for TWO minutes!"

Again, this may not be for everyone, but it worked when nothing else did for us.”

Is it controversial what I posted? Maybe. Is it primitive? Yep. Did it work? Hallelujah, yes.

Did I expect a different, new triplet mom to post this in response:
“That’s horrendous!”

Ummmm … Hells no!

My first inclination when I got this response to my post was, “Meh … she has one month old triplets and is probably sleep deprived. She didn’t really mean to say horrendous – she must have meant to say different – ingenious – interesting.”

After all, a couple of my triplet moms said on my Facebook wall recently, I practically have a fan club of triplet moms. (Thank you, Julie and Trish – that was very sweet to say.)

But then I thought if I were a new mom reading my post, I might have though the same thing as this new mom. I remember bashing my mom when I was a new parent and she told me the story of how she stopped my biting.

Flashback with me to a time 30 years ago to an Air Force base preschool far, far away in Plattsburgh, New York.

There was a boy who kept sticking his finger in my mouth. I told him that if he kept doing it, I was going to bite him. He kept doing it, soooooo … I bit him.

Yes, I was defending myself because ewwwwwww!!! – he was sticking his finger in my mouth!

But, I had been warned before about biting, I still bit him and therefore my parents had to follow through and punish me … by washing my mouth out with soap and then making me sit on the top of the stairs for five minutes with the soap still in my mouth.

I have vivid memories of screaming from the top of the stairs. “You’re killing me!”

What I don’t have memories of are my parents downstairs agonizing over the fact that they HAD to follow through with the soap or else their words would never really have consequences.

Is it controversial what they did? Maybe. Is it primitive? Yep. Did it work? I never bit again.

It was kinda preachy for me to say that my parents were wrong to do what they did because I hadn't experienced what she was speaking about.

Matthew 7:1 works both ways. The new triplet mom shouldn’t judge me on what I suggested, but I shouldn’t judge her on her response either.

I forgot the "support" part of the support group concept … we are there to support and help each other, not to judge each other because it is not what we would do or want to hear.

It’s a universal lesson that is so hard to understand: We all need to be careful not to judge without first understanding.

He'll Go Stag

2009-08-18T15:01:00.003-04:00

Dan and I "teach" Sunday School every third week at our church. I say "teach" because we are currently in the toddler room where all we really teach is God doesn't like it when you eat the crayons.

Anyway, this past weekend we had our pastor's granddaughter in the toddler room with us. "This little girl is so quiet, so gentle, and so well behaved", I thought to myself as I watched my boys throw puzzle pieces across the room while screaming "Elephant has a LONG nose!" at the top of their lungs.

We had an extra large class with 14 toddlers. We tried to make sure our boys were entertained, so we could pay attention to the needs of the other children since we are not as familiar with their cues and signals.

A sure way to entertain Hayden for a long period of time is to give him a fire truck. So, on this busy Sunday School day, I gave Hayden his favorite fire truck to play with while I went and played dolls with the girls.

Foreshadowing: While Hayden is an excellent talker, he is having trouble with his "tr" sounds, especially when it is a two syllable phrase.

Near the end of the class, our pastor's wife walked into check on their dear, sweet, innocent granddaughter. Ironically, it was the exact same time that Hayden choose to scream out, "FIRE TRUCK!"

Only he didn't say truck ...

He said the mother of all swear words ... and very loudly at that.

Thankfully, everyone just kinda ignored it and went about their business.

Hayden really doesn't know it's a bad word ... he just really likes to talk about trucks.

"Big truck coming!"

"Get the truck out!"

"Big truck ... no honk!"

I actually have him on video saying all these phrases -- I'm looking forward to threatening to showing it to his prom date as blackmail.

One thing I am very sure of ... our pastor's granddaughter won't be his prom date.

Okay, Now I Feel Old.

2009-08-13T12:21:00.006-04:00

I've always considered myself "in shape", and dang good for having triplets, actually!

Well, at least I don't get winded walking up a flight of stairs, and I can hide my muffin top very well with strategically paired skirts and tops.

But, I have to bow down to the master.

My awesome father is about 25 years my senior ... after running the Flying Pig Marathon for a couple of years, he has moved on.

Now he does triathalons. Triathalons ... you know swim, bike, AND run.

Triathalons make people with those little 26.2 stickers on their cars look like sissies.

Last weekend Dad ran a triathalon over in Indiana. He came in 67th out of over 450 people in swimming. That's insane!

He ended up coming in the first 1/2 of all finishers and fourth -- FOURTH! -- in his age group. Are you kidding me?

I'd still be trying to get up the first hill of the biking part (assuming that I actually made it out of the water after the swimming section).

This would so be where I would end up.

Rock on, Dad!

We're Famous!

2009-08-09T14:16:00.004-04:00

Well, no, not really.

But we did make the front page, first headline of the Saturday Cincinnati Enquirer!

I was interviewed on how I felt about having the boys participate in the H1N1 vaccine clinical trial here at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center -- we are trying to get the boys into the study.

Crickets chirping ...

I know many Moms out there are wondering what the heck am I thinking. Well, here is what I am thinking ...

Dan and I are scientists by education and training, and we have done much research into vaccines and the safety of clinical trials.

My husband even worked for a company which conducts clinical trials, and he now works for a company that is involved with vaccine production.

In my job with the school district, I am part of their District Incident Management Team. Our district has worked extensively with the city, state, and federal government to be prepared for a pandemic flu long before H1N1.

Knowing how potentially devastating a pandemic flu could be, I feel that our participation in a clinical trial is our way of helping to protect millions of people. And hopefully protect my sons as an added bonus.

Honestly, I am more fearful of my sons being harmed in a car accident to and from the church than I am from side effects of a vaccine clinical trial.

That being said, I will only have my children participate in the NIH sponsored clinical trial for this vaccine at Children's Hospital. I feel extremely comfortable with NIH, Children's Hospital, and the particular vaccine producers for that trial.

And I will only have the boys in the study after I have seen the Patient Information Sheet that would state if the vaccine type is attenuated, acellular, or inactivated, and if there are any adjuvants such as squalene, thimerosal, or alum in the vaccine. These facts will weigh heavily into our decision to participate.

As we continue to gather information to make an informed decision, we are also still actively weighing the risks and benefits.

When the paper decided to use us in the story, they sent out a photographer to take a bunch of pictures for the article. They ended up just running the straight story with no pictures, but the boys still loved meeting the photographer and playing with her camera. She was such a good sport.

But Who's Counting?

2009-08-06T09:22:00.000-04:00

Only 142 days, 14 hours, and 48 minutes until it's Christmas!

HO! HO! HO!

I'm actually pretty set for the boys ... thanks, Target Summer Toy Clearance Sale!!

But, I think I found one of the BEST ideas for gifts I have seen in a long time for people over the age of three. I'm sure I blogged, Facebooked, or Twittered about it before, but I had to post it again.

It's called "Rent Mother Nature".

The concept is simple: The company sets up a lease agreement between you and local farmers of various food products. You are then guaranteed a minimum yield of the product you choose.

The farmers send you pictures and progress reports of how your particular rental is doing.

You can rent a Pistachio tree for nuts, a coffee tree for beans, a beehive for honey, a lobster trap for fresh lobsters, and even a berry patch for jars of homemade jam!

I have so many friends and family that are at that point in their lives where they just don't need any more stuff. I thought this was a fun and different idea that also helps support local farmers and growers.

I might even lease a Vermont cow for the boys ... I think they would get a kick out of knowing that they "own" a cow (plus we get three wheels of cheddar or brie). Then maybe when they get older, we could go to Vermont and visit our cow.

I guess we could always simply adopt the boys an animal from the Cincinnati Zoo. That's a hard decision for me -- I interned at the Cincinnati Zoo as an undergrad and came away with mixed emotions about zoos.

I became very, very attached to Alex, my baby Fennic Fox ... Penny, my Potto ... Mama, my Slender Loris ... and Scooter, my Aye-Aye.

But THAT is a story for another day.

PSA for Parents of Triplets

2009-08-05T09:11:00.008-04:00

The daunting first year of parenting triplets definitely includes but is not limited to:

... feeding and/or changing three babies every three hours

... weekly trips to the (fill in the blank) medical specialist

... slapping away a random stranger's hands when they want to touch your babies to see if they are "real"

... struggling with CIO (cry-it-out) to get them to sleep through the night

... creating a maze in your house with baby gates

... baby proofing cabinets-doors-etc with contraptions that would keep even a seasoned burglar out of your home, but can't seem to keep three toddlers out

... dodging unwanted sippy cups as they are hurtled at your forehead amongst screams for their "milky bottle"

... and them learning to climb out of their cribs.

The last challenge of that first year actually gives you options: crib tents or toddler beds. This is the quandary we faced when the boys started scaling their cribs and running down the halls during nap and bed times.

With one toddler, you can move them to a toddler bed and convince them to stay there with a couple days practice.

Or you can turn their crib upside down on top of them like my in laws did with my husband.

But with three, it becomes increasing difficult to get all three toddlers to stay in their bed for any length of time more than a nanosecond. They tend to follow the two codes of multiples: "Monkey See, Monkey Do" and The Wonder Pets philosophy of "Teamwork".

(I wish I could insert the picture of Hayden holding the kitchen stool while Noel climbed up the stool onto the counter and then handed the prized cookies on the counter to Tanner to demonstrate this "Teamwork" thing, but I was too busy trying to chase the boys down to recapture the cookies to grab my camera.)

Essentially, if one gets out, they ALL want out ... and they will work together to make it happen.

So unless you have three spare bedrooms hanging around ... Buh-bye, nap time! Hello, cranky and overly-tired boys!

So, on the seventh day, God invented crib tents. And it was good.

Crib tents?

"Like, you crate your babies?", as my husband's boss put it so tactfully.

Yup -- we crate them. But we think of it more like camping for toddlers. Here's tent city at our house.
They boys LOVE their crib tents ... so much so that when something goes wrong with a crib tent, it can be damaging to your ear drums.

Which brings me to my two-part PSA about crib tents.

(1) If you choose that crib tents are right for you, there is a company called Tots in Mind that will give you a 'Buy Two, Get One Free' deal. I recommend going with the Crib Tent II, but there is an early version still available as well.

(2) If your crib tent ... oh, I don't know ... gets a hole in it from 'Finding Nemo' keys being poked through the mesh, or gets torn on the side from 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' book being shoved through it, or the zipper gets caught and broken because "I want to do it!" one too many times, the company will replace your crib tent FOR FREE! That's the kind of warranty I wish I had on all baby and toddler products. Hello, Nuby sippy cup company, are you listening?

(I actually love Nuby cups, I just don't like having to replace the silicone straws once a month from my boys using them as teething soothers for their 4-year molars.)

Last night, Tanner's crib tent zipper broke. And it was like the world was coming to an end. Hayden is not so picky about being zipped up, so we did a quick crib switch-a-roo (because pinning Tanner's crib tent with safety pins was NOT "zippered up", as we were told by Tanner at the top of his lungs over and over and over again).

I immediately emailed Tots in Mind and our crib tent replacements should be here by Saturday.

And that's music to my ears.

My "Fair" Triplets!

2009-07-29T01:12:00.000-04:00

We ventured out to the heart of Appalachia yesterday and went to the Clermont County Fair!

It was Kids Day which meant the boys not only got free admission, but free rides. Plus, all military and military dependants got in free, too. So for $10, the boys, Nana, and I got to have a great afternoon!

We visited all the animals first ... mooed at the cows,oinked at the pigs, quacked at the ducks. And then -- the real fun began -- the RIDES!

First up, the Rainbow Funhouse which was a huge maze of slides, tunnels, climbing walls, and bridges. All three of the boys had a blast and went through the thing multiple times! (Noel needs to work on his dismount ... he had a litle trouble on the last slide out of the house.)

Unfortunately, after the big Rainbow Funhouse, Tanner decided he was done with the rides and he watched Hayden and Noel from the choo choo.

Hayden and Noel, however, had discovered ... THE DRAGON! Legends tells of a legendary dragon whose roller coaster skills were the stuff of legends!*** (Actually it was a itty bitty roller coaster that went in a very small circle.) Hayden LOVED it -- he would run off and get right back in line.

We found a ride that was jeeps and motorcycles -- that got a bunch of "Beep! Beep!"s out of Hayden and Noel!

We tried out the spinning bear, but it was HOT inside that big metal bear!

Hayden and Noel loved the carousel, but I wasn't allowed to touch their "horsey" because "I can do it, Mommy!" Sigh ... they are growing up waaaaay too fast.

We ended our visit with a ride on the "Flying Cars"!

***This is my lame attempt to be funny and use one of my all-time favorite quotes from "Kung Fu Panda". Check it out here!

Everybody into the Pool!

2009-07-28T06:30:00.005-04:00

I'm beginning to see the value of having a pool.

When we bought the house and for the last two summers, all I saw was a death trap for my babies. Now, with a self-closing and locking gate around the whole pool, a door alarm on our house doors, and these new Puddle Jumpers, I'm starting to relax and enjoy the pool with the boys.

Hayden is now jumping by himself into the pool!

And when he gets tired, he just lays back and floats. Did I mention how much I love these Puddle Jumpers?

But nothing beats being thrown in the air by Daddy! (This first picture is great -- Dan was telling Hayden to close his eyes when he threw him ... Hayden would then cover his eyes with his hands instead of actually closing his eyes.)

Tanner was leery at first, but once he found that he popped right back up to the surface he eventually loved getting throw in the air.

He also loved catching a ride around the pool on Dan's back.

But mostly Tanner was happiest just sitting by the side of the pool kicking his feet in the water.

Noel, our land lover, was content just to sit on the stairs of the pool by the warm water waterfall.

Our Newest Find!

2009-07-27T08:15:00.005-04:00

The township next to us just put in a brand new park with awesome playground equipment.

While our local township park is PACKED every day, this park was EMPTY. Literally, we were the only people there for a 1/2 hour. Then two other kids showed up. I think we will be hanging out here more frequently as the park was clean, fenced in, and the boys had a great time!

How crazy is this picture? Yes, this is Hayden going down a zip line ... by himself!

Hayden and Noel are such monkeys -- they love to climb. And they sometimes like to scare the crap out of me by trying to climb up things that are meant for much older kids. But, they can do it and are so proud of themselves when they get to the top!

The slides are super fast -- I'm guessing that they will slow down with use and time, but it was like they were greased up because the boys went so fast! Even Dan had to try them out!

Thanks, Pierce Township! We LOVE your new park!!

C'mon Ride the Train!

2009-07-26T08:02:00.000-04:00

The boys have become fascinated with trains, so today we went to see an outdoor garden train layout. Every year the Greater Cincinnati Garden Railway Society has a tour that is free and open to the public! These people open up their homes so that we can tromp through their backyard and look at their trains!

And what they have done is simply amazing and beautiful!

The boys were quite taken with watching the trains go all throughout the backyard ... over bridges, into tunnels ... it was very exciting for them and I was so proud that they sat so quietly and did not try and touch or grab the trains.

Red Lobster

2009-07-25T13:31:00.004-04:00

We took Nana out for a birthday celebration lunch to Red Lobster.

A couple days before we went, we played that old B-52s song, Rock Lobster and taught the boys to say "Red Lobster!" at the appropriate place in the song.

It sounded like such a good idea at the time.

Thankful, the boys' shouts of "RED LOBSTER!" at the top of their lungs didn't happen much inside the restaurant.

We had a really good lunch!

Noel especially enjoyed eating the tomatoes off our salads. (I love how he has his pinkie up -- the boy is ready for High Tea!)

Hayden practically ate my entire salad. I was pretty impressed -- I don't know many two year olds who would rather have salad than french fries!

Tanner enjoyed all the croutons dipped in ranch dressing.

So, I essentially had my entire salad dissected and consumed by the boys.

At the end, our server brought us a BIG bowl of ice cream and we sang "Happy Birthday to Nana".

Hayden chowed down on the ice cream. I would have tried to get a spoonful or two for myself, but I was afraid I'd get my arm chewed off by the ice cream hog.

Tanner enjoyed licking the spoonful of chocolate sauce -- the kid's a sucker for anything chocolate!

Noel was also a big ice cream fan, but preferred to be spoon fed. Can't tell he's the youngest, can you?

Zoo Class -- Ani-Moves!

2009-07-24T12:59:00.000-04:00

Our zoo class today was all about how animals move! We learned a really fun song to the same tune as "Wheels on the Bus"! The boys loved it!

" The elephant moves his trunk up and down, up and down, up and down ... the elephant moves his trunk up and down, all through the zoo."

Noel, of course, made a new girlfriend during our class. The boy is a playa!

Tanner was mesmerized by the "tropical bird". I think that was all he said for a 1/2 hour after seeing this cockatoo.

All three loved watching the monkeys play on the island.

Hayden was trying to scale the fence to go and "Me pet!" the giraffe.

We ended our visit with a train ride around the zoo.

All three boys had big smiles and said "Cheese!"

A climb through the spider web in the Children's Zoo completed our day!

Back to the Lake

2009-07-16T08:29:00.006-04:00

Tanner really enjoyed himself at the Lake. He found driftwood, ran through the water after the birds, pointed out all the fishing boats and speed boats, and played in the waves.

Hayden loves the water. And with his new Puddle Jumper coast guard approved life vest, we can swim and float all by himself. Many, MANY thanks to a fellow triplet mom, Laney, for this recommendation. Worth.every.penny!!! (And on sale now, too!)

Noel didn't venture in the water much. He was content to pick up sticks and rocks, and then drop them in the water to watch them make a big splash!