9.20.11: Conquering the slide

(left to right: stella, daphne, fiona)

It is still too hot to play outside so we have been frequenting local malls and enjoying the play areas. Today the girls all climbed on top of this book/structure at the same time. Before their feet hit the ground they were squirming to climb up again. They had a great time dominating the slide. I had a great time with them all playing in the same area - I even sat down for a minute.


(back to front: fiona, daphne, stella)

The girls also learned how to strum a guitar. Thankfully they didn't realize that I don't actually remember how to play much, but hopefully I can figure it out before they catch on.


We also had some surprise company this week. Nicole and Peter came to visit for a couple days. It was hilarious when Fiona and Daphne mimicked Nicole reading on her back all while Stella fed the dog and Peter explored some new toys.

9.12.11: Shortest walk ever

Today the girls and I embarked on the shortest walk ever. We haven't gone on a stroller walk outside since we moved, it has just been too hot. With Brant away on a business trip, I am desperate to keep the day full of activities so there is no time for fussiness. So when there was mild weather this morning, I jumped at the opportunity. Turns out I should have looked a little closer. Upon getting everyone into the stroller, I heard it - thunder. Surely thunder is okay as long as there is no rain or lightning. Then we get outside, light sprinkles. Surely light sprinkles are okay, as long as there is no lightning....then it happened. Lightning. We headed back in after less than five minutes.


We have had a great week with indoor activities. Brant found a way to give all three girls a horsey ride at the same time (left to right: daphne, stella and fiona).


(left to right: stella, fiona, daphne, nicole, peter)

Earlier in the week, the Marrones came over for our first play date in our new home. Somehow Nicole got all the girls and Peter to sit still and listen to a story. I'm not sure how she does this...but I really need to learn.

9.5.11: Backseat drivers

(left to right: daphne, stella, fiona)

Originally our plan was to keep the girls' car seats rear facing until they reached the maximum weight allowance of ~45lbs or at the very least another year. While this may seem crazy, our girls didn't know any different and were definitely entertained by each other while driving, so why not? However upon arrival to the extreme heat, something had to give. Not only was the sun directly in their eyes a portion of the day, but the A/C never circulated to the back of the car since their seats created a giant wall. After a 20 minute drive home, I had goosebumps from having the A/C on full blast yet the girls were very wet, sticky, and flush. Needless to say, something had to give.

So we did it, we turned the girls seats around. They surpassed the minimum requirements but I was still apprehensive. The good news, the seats still fit. Yes, that's right - three car seats fit forward facing in our Civic. The other good news, the girls LOVE it. They love telling me all about the surrounding cars, animals and signs that they see. What I didn't realize is that I was getting three backseat drivers. Within one mile of driving forward facing, I received instructions to both stop and go. Contrary to what the girls think, you can't always go at green lights. I suppose our next lesson needs to be on learning why one yields even when the light is green.

9.1.11: Settling in

After two days of solid packing/cleaning, four hours of movers loading, six hours of driving, two days at Nene's house, and two more hours of driving we finally arrived at our new home. The next several days were spent conquering the abundance of boxes consuming our new abode. Once the necessities were uncovered we got garage door openers installed, bought a kitchen table, had our AC break, bought a car, went to the dmv, got our AC repaired, went swimming in our very own pool, fixed various irrigation leaks, and attempted to reestablish a routine. So needless to say, things have been crazy busy even with the help of Nene and Nana over the past two weeks.

I must admit the girls have probably watched more tv moving week than they have in their entire lives - and they loved it! Even while the movers were loading we watched movies outside on the patio sitting in our triplet stroller in an attempt to stay out of the way.

I am amazed at the amount of tasks we have accomplished in the past two weeks, but still overwhelmed by those to come. We are doing our best to settle in and make the most of our new home and community. The girls are loving their new freedom to roam throughout the house although it is still somewhat restricted to box-free areas. The girls have been amazing, adjusting to all the changes easier than Brant and me. Each day gets easier and for that, we are VERY thankful!