35 Minutes to Spare...

I have 35 minutes to spare before I have to get my little munchkins up from their nap – although they are not so little anymore. Full–blown toddlerhood is upon us!

Running in all different directions. Going up and down the stairs. Climbing up and over EVERYTHING. Climbing out of highchairs. (Thankfully not climbing out of cribs yet!) Self-feeding, which is always a festive time in our kitchen, although the cleanup that follows is not so great. Talking, talking, talking – and more talking.

My big man Emerson is like a little parrot who repeats everything that comes out of our mouths (hence the swear diet that my husband and I desperately need to go on). Case in point, Em recently said the infamous word that rhymes with truck. To fess up, that word happens to come out of my mouth on occasion (or more) when our nearly 5-month old pup, Blue, uses my legs like a chew toy. My husband likes to joke that he must love my blood. Little vamp!

And it’s so fun to see my peanuts not only repeat words… but point at something and know exactly what they’re talking about. Phone, shoes, teeth, knees, car, elbow, puppy, toes (Em loves to pull on our toes).  We’ve also been counting a lot, doing our primary colors and of course animal noises. I love to see their little minds in motion.

My Attie talks like a machine, although most of the time it’s in his own language. I’m dying to know what’s going through his mind when he’s jabbering on because he is so intense when he says stuff. And he loves to wag his tiny little index finger while doing so. As far as moving around…watch out when he wants something.

He’s crazy quick and will plow over one of his toys (or his brother and sister) if he sees an object that catches his eye. He’s also becomes a little bit of a barnacle lately. Squeezes really hard and cries like a madman when I put him in the playroom for a minute while I run up to get the other two. Don’t get me wrong. I love the LOVE.

Smack in the middle is Nola Grace taking it all in. As I’ve said in the past, she’s so observant. My little girl doesn’t miss a thing. And like Attie, she too likes to wave her little index finger and say “No, no, no.” when the boys are doing something they aren’t supposed to do. It’s nice having a little back up from my pint-sized mama. She’s not as talkative as Em or Attie, but I think it’s because she’s a little stubborn – or maybe it’s just because she’s a girl.

They are all growing like weeds – so much so – that we got our first family photos taken a few weeks back, so we can capture these moments. Let’s be honest, before I know it – they will be going off to pre-school, kindergarten and then first grade.

Our talented friend and neighbor, Susan Baker, took the photos and I can’t wait to see them. I will share a few when I get the digital copies back.

These hot summer days have been flying by, and next week we head to the beach for a week in NH. I’ve been plotting at night about how I can get their choo-choo to fit in the Jeep so I can tote them around in it. So far, I’m not so confident I will be able to pull that off.

We’ll see though. I’m pretty persistent when I want something.

We’re staying at these little cottages overlooking the Isles of Shoals, which is an absolutely beautiful vista. And it’s not just us. We have lots of friends and family staying there that week as well. So it should be a blast. One of many summer vacations to come.

We’ll fiercely be missing one very dear person to all of us. But it’s too early and painful for me to talk about that right now. In time, I will.

Until then, we will enjoy the hazy, hot and humid days of July and relish in all things that is love and family. I hope you are having an amazing summer as well. Ciao!

A Note From My Husband on Father's Day

Ahh- at the wheel at last. Greetings & Salutation, fellow Karlie Bloggers and the internet masses. Karlie has given me the reigns for one day on her blog. Please beware you have been warned for those of you who want to continue to read. I am sure she is hoping for some truly mindful insights that I might be able to espouse, but I think that bar might be a bit too high for this fat headed Canadian French guy.                    

All kidding aside as we approach our first father’s day here in Warwick.  A day that up until last year, I never thought would happen. Yeah, yeah we went through the motions of trying and other multiple paths to having a family, but internally I had crossed it off the list. The only thing I was getting good at over the last few years was masturbating in doctor closets (a story for another time) and playing Piñata with Karlie’s poor butt with needles. Let’s all be honest here in blog land, when you keep betting on black and the big guy keeps throwing you red, sooner or later you need to move on.   As we all know, we got lucky and the next roll he gave us three in one shot.  Who says God does not have a sense of humor.

This brings us back now to the present where I have three amazing bambinos and a superstar of a wife/partner.   We sit here on the cusp of another Father’s Day. A Day of long rides back home( for some of us), Bad Barbecues, Unusual Tie gifts and always one family member trying to peddle a birthday card for Dad because CVS sold out of real Father’s day card that morning ( you know who you are) . Here we are fellow reader, on the day I become a proud participant of the Father’s day clan tradition.  How will I embrace the holiday? With closet ready for bad ties and handmade ash trays or maybe a handful of Zantac for bad father’s day meals…Hmmm. No, I have decided to make it a personal thanksgiving day. No not that type of thanksgiving with the big Macy’s day parade and enough turkey to feed ten towns. A day for me to personally call and thank all of the amazing people who have gotten me to this point in my life. Okay you knew there was going to be a little sap in this. It is my first Father's

I am extremely lucky person, with almost everything in my life. I am not saying I do not work hard to keep that luck rolling but I have had some good luck come my way.  I am also graced to come from a long stock of great dads. While some of my ilk maybe be light on words to express their feeling, their actions around what it means to be a Dad were demonstrated every day in my life. No cliff notes needed , just Dad deeds ( like working two jobs to provide income for the family or listening to hair brained ideas that other people would have locked you up about) done every day for over 40 years.  It raised the bar for me on “Dadhood”, but gave me a strong base to build on. Again I am lucky to have the AAA of Dad’s. If you look him up in the dictionary or phone book there he is first on the page, Marcel Man of the Month, Father of the year for the last 40 years.  An impressive track record for a man with a weird laugh, terrible dance moves and a beard, but trust me he does the hard work that goes into it...

This in no way takes away from my Mother who like salt and pepper made perfect bookend parents. I Again I hit the jackpot  with a woman that can shoot you guilt through her eye lids , but remembers to call you and tell you how much she loves you when it seems like the world is taking a shit on you. For that matter I stuck gold with my sisters and the rest of my clan, we all have some weirdness but in general they are all amazing people and I am fortunate to have been raised by them.  They have all showed me what it is to be a great person and a great dad. I owe them all.

Day.

How could I forget my amazing wife and owner of this blog. If there has been a person who has shaped me almost as much as my family it would be my wife. She is my rock. Plus any woman that lets you  stick needle in her, travels half way around the world listening to your stupid jokes, and does not kill you has to win some type of award.

Last I promise, thank you  is to my children. It is hard for me to write this without getting slightly emotional.  There is a true joy that I never knew existed that comes when my kids smile and laugh with me.  I am often told we saved our children by people when we are out, but I always tell them the truth they saved me.  Thank you Atticus, Nola Grace and Emerson for letting me be your dad.

Thanks and Happy Father’s day.

Reflections on the Past Seven Months of Motherhood

Being a mom is over-the-top wonderful on so many levels. The smiles, the laughing and the nose scrunching (from Nola Grace) that I get to see first thing in the morning when I open the door to their room.

The high-fives from Emerson. The big, huge – my face is covered in Velveeta cheese and I love life – smiles from Attie. The giggles from Nola Grace when I tickle her – and the snuggle-time she needs after getting up from her nap. And the way they dance to Motown during dinner is too much. They love Al Green. I mean, who doesn’t.

Oh, and there’s nothing better than seeing their little minds at work. I am blown away by how smart they are. Of course I am biased. But it makes my heart sing every time they learn a new word, point to a new object, say a new color (Yellow is Em’s favorite. For a little while he thought EVERTHING was yellow!)

It amazes me how far they have come in the seven months since we’ve been home. They all went from not being able to sit up (little wet noodles, especially Attie) --- to walking and half running around the house and yard. THEY ARE WALKING EVERYWHERE AND ARE INTO EVERYTHING. All I have to say is gates people. Gates, gates and more gates.

Yes, they have made real strides – but we haven’t done it without some help along the way. A month after we got home (they had just turned 12-months), we had them evaluated by Early Intervention, which is a state-funded program (although we all pay our fair share of NY state tax) … that helps kiddos 3 and under with a variety developmental delays.

The initial evaluation can be a little daunting. It sent my mind spinning with worry. “Why can’t they scribble with a crayon yet?” “Why doesn’t Nola know how to ‘fake’ brush her hair yet?” “Why can’t they fit that triangle in the shape-sorter?” “Why can’t they walk yet like other 1-year-olds?” … And those questions go on and on. I made it even worse by comparing my three little cherubs to kids of the same age who were born here and have been thriving in a stable home environment since they were born. DON’T DO THIS. It will drive you nuts.

And don’t feel stigmatized if your kid/kids need these services. (I know my husband did a little bit in the beginning). If you have a fantastic instructor, like we do, it’s only going to help your child get to where they need to be and beyond. It’s a good thing. Trust me. My kiddos have learned so much and so have I.

We also go to the library once a week (it’s free!) for story time and a Mommy-and-Me class, which is as good for the kids as it is for me. We moms need time to bond with other women going through the same stuff. It definitely helps you stay sane. Plus it’s so good to bounce ideas off each other. I know I could always use advice as a first-time mom. Especially a first-time mom of triplets!

Speaking of advice. Ken and I are having an ongoing debate about more traditional Pre-K schools and Montessori. Thoughts? I would love to hear some.

As much fun as it’s been to watch them make huge strides both in their ability to walk, talk and learn everyday – it’s been even more entertaining watching their personalities unfold. I’ve written about my Big Em and my sweet pea Nola Grace -- and how unique and beautiful they both are. But I still have one to go. My sassy Attie is not to be missed. There’s a lot going on there. But I’ll save that for my next blog along with the “not so always” amazing moments of motherhood, including living in a world of poop.

That’s right. Three toddlers whose diapers need to be changed all the time and one very active puppy who’s still being house broken. Needless to say... I sometimes live in what I like to call, "Crazytown."

Case in point, Attie trying to drink out of the dog bowl...