Summertime procrastinations...

I've been thinking of posting a new blog entry for some time. I could say I don't have time and have been busy, but I'm always busy, and I need to make time. All that aside, here's what's going on in our household.

The boys are walking quite well...and climbing. Most people keep their piano benches up by their pianos. Not us. If we kept it there, I'd have boys walking down the keyboard "plink-plink". The boys do climb on anything and everything. The week it started, I came home from being out for a few hours to find the babysitter had put all the ride on toys behind a latched door. They were using them to climb everything in the living area. One evening after supper, I found that Chris had shoved the learning chair up against the recliner and had used it climb up. So I removed him from the recliner, and put the learning chair back against the wall. 5 minutes later everything was returned to the previous state (the learning chair to the recliner, and Chris to the recliner chair). I returned everything again...and quickly learned how intelligent my first born triplet is. He was very methodical about retrieving his tool of choice (the learning chair), positioning it appropriately, and climbing into the recliner. We've since given up the fight to keep them off the furniture...we only require that they sit (which is not easy) of course to prevent falls.

Oh, and at the end of that week, I came home and another sitter told me that one of the boys had climbed on top of the high chair tray. (why does everything happen while I'm out?)

It's been a couple months since the boys have been to the doctor. We go back in a few weeks, and I'll try to update you then. Anyway, as of May, the boys weighed about 23 pounds each and were around 28 inches tall. Essentially, they're substantial, stocky, healthy but short little boys. Mary recently had her 4 year check up and shots. She's doing great...25% for weight & height (means her weight is perfect for her genetic height). Her shots did not go so well. I'm not looking forward to that for the boys 4 year checkup. Baby shots are one thing...they don't know it's coming. Four year old shots...that's something entirely different.

The boys are starting to talk a little more, though not quite taking off yet. Their vocabulary includes words such as:

ma ma
da da
me me (Mary)
Kede (just heard that from Chris this morning, in reference to Nimrod the cat)
Hi
Bye
Ni-niye
ball

They are also understanding (and sometimes following) "no no", "close it", "clean up", sit and come.

We've been teaching the boys to point to themselves when I say "Where's Chris" (or Nathan, or Daniel). Unfortunately, they still sometimes point to themselves in reference to another baby. Chris has learned to point to his nose if you ask him, too. So communication is coming. It will become very interesting, I'm sure.

Mary's enjoying her brothers (likes to feed them or "mother" them when she gets a chance). Mary has some interesting things to say sometimes...

"He falled me down!"
"kristies" --Rice Crispies
"Mommy ate too many M&M's and got a boo boo in her tummy" --in reference to my minor surgery last spring.
"Dear Jesus, thank you for my..dinner from last night. In Jesus name, Amen" (occasionally upon not eating much for supper, the veggie or whatever "revisits" Mary for breakfast).

Mary very much enjoys her play dough, her Leap Pad, books, coloring...

We have all enjoyed going swimming this summer at a friend's pool, as an occasional respite from the busyness of the summer. We're not taking any vacations this summer (can you imagine 3 18 month olds and a 4 year old at the beach???) I'd need a vacation afterward! Instead, we're busy on the finishes to our new home. It is projected to be done sometime in September. I recently finalized my selections for tile, and lighting fixtures. As I am not an interior designer, I've needed some help and still struggled through some of my choices.

Here's pictures of the house:

House Pictures 1

House Pictures 2

Here's the latest pictures I have posted of the kids:

Pictures from May - More to come soon!

Enjoy!!