30 sandy toes

We made it! I'll be honest and say there is not much excitement to write about from the trip itself. Uneventful. Trip. Triplets. Rare to see those words together, but it's the truth. It seemed to go by pretty quickly too, I might add. I got all caught up on my celebrity gossip, watched every Disney Pixar movie created, and sang the A-B-C song enough times that I now dread going to back to work. (Teaching kindergarten.)

We stopped in Yuma and went to the same Applebees we went to last year. The food was delicious. The service was stellar. The only complaint really is the fact that they seated us at a table that was literally chin high for the babies and chest high for adults. Even Brian commented that he felt like they had seated us at the little kids' table for Thanksgiving. Had it not been for the effort involved in moving everything and everyone, we surely would've asked for a new table.

Poor kid. Can't even reach his straw.

For some reason, Colton had his chick radar set to high today. No joke, he was flirting with every female in the restaurant. He was batting his eyelashes, and making googly eyes at all the girls. It was seriously hilarious.

He even put his shades on (albeit upside down) for one of the ladies. You think I'm kidding. But I'm not.

And then, lunch ended, we got back in the car and suddenly the kids realized we were in Yuma.

And they fell asleep.

Hands behind the head and all.

Both of 'em.

Brian, on the other hand survived Yuma like a ROCKSTAR! (An orange Rockstar, to be exact.) Funny how a beverage that has existed for so long has only become really cool to me since our friend Dave Conca popularized it! For real! I can't see a ROCKSTAR and not think of him! So on our way through Yuma, I picked out an orange one, took a photo of Brian drinking it and then sent it to Dave! But alas, when we got to SD our cell reception was so poor that I could not email myself the photo for posting! Enter Dave! Luckily, he posted it on his blog, so with the beauty and ease of a Mac, I stole the photo right off his blog! Yippee!! And all is right with the world!

Alas, we made it to the beach and tested it out in the chilly air (68*).

ETHAN

COLTON

HUNTER

Best Friends....In birth order. :) C, H, E

All the heartache in the world is made better when you say to your two year old triplets, "Hold hands. Hold hands." And they do.

Go ahead. I dare you not to say 'Awww!'

My littlest babies.

Interestingly, my mom and I are dressed wearing nearly the exact same colors. By accident of course. Cuz that would be so Jr. High of us to have done it on purpose. :)

To cap off the night, Aunt Mary-very Pregnant Aunt Mary- was kind enough to let the babies' pretend sleep in her pregnancy pillow.

Does she not look like a little bird in her nest?

And yes, she's pretend sleeping, with a pretend snore and all.

Silly girl.

Smart Girl.

And really, that's about all I have to report tonight. I'm doing my very, very, very best to restrain myself from taking over 1,000 photos this year. Cuz you fellow bloggers know what a pain that is to sift through when choosing photos to post! :)

So anyhoo, today was a good day. See you tomorrow.

Stay classy, San Diego. :)

Here we go again!

Yessiree. We are T -11 hours until San Diego! Which, in German, means "Whale's V.agi.na". Forgive me. I'm sitting in front of the TV watching "The Legend of Ron Burgundy" and that happens to be one of my favorite quotes.

The lack of blogs lately is due to the fact that I've been busy unpacking our Kansas City bags in order to pack for San Diego. Yeah, yeah....no need to remind me just exactly how long we got back from Kansas City...

Tomorrow-We roll. Tomorrow night-I blog. Pictures of tiny toddlers coated in salty sand. Little toes dipped in chilly waters....

Good night my friends & Stay Classy Planet Earth. :)

One year ago...

Dear Gracie the Cat,

(Gracie is the white cat. Jag is the black cat)

I know you are a great Huntress, I really do. But in the future, could we stick to 'hunting' stray rubber bands and dust bunnies within the confines of our home? I do not appreciate you trying to show off and "one up" LeRoy, (the friendly lizard who lives on our back patio and periodically runs out from beneath random patio fixtures, scaring us half to death).

Bringing him into the house this morning, clenched tightly within your jaws is not funny. To me, and certainly not to LeRoy. You're lucky I was enjoying my morning solitude and was still ignoring the babies in their cribs.

Further Gracie, let's talk about your listening skills. When I say, "GRACIE DROP IT! LET LEROY GO!" I mean drop him right there. If I had meant, "GRACIE, run through the kitchen, then down the hallway, then run up the stairs and THEN drop Leroy" then that's what I would've said.

Finally- and LeRoy, this part is for you. If you're dead, be dead. Don't be dead and THEN SUDDENLY ALIVE right by my bare feet! I realize that I am like, 400 times your size, but can't you tell by my soothing voice and friendly demeanor that I was NOT the one trying to eat you? I merely wanted you the hell outa my house.

Chasing you up and down the stairs, wildly thrusting random objects at you trying, again, NOT to kill you, but simply block your further forward progress up the stairs and possibly into my kids' room. When I say, "It's okay LeRoy. Just...be....still..." that means STOP FREAKING RUNNING so I can catch you and return you the great outdoors!

Did the two of you think it was funny that I nearly ran out into the backyard with a lizard in a tub still IN MY UNDERWEAR? Cuz I surely did not. Mostly because it meant I had to risk leaving you alone for a few more moments, risking your escape, while I ran to put on pants before greeting the neighbors.

Let's be very clear-Gracie, hunting is for outside. Do not bring me your treasures. LeRoy, you've been warned and you're welcome for returning you to the backyard. In the future, let's be paying better attention when fluffy white things lurk nearby.

Oh and Gracie, I now have a pretty good idea who left me a half eaten pack rat on the rug a few months ago. Stop trying to blame it on Jag. You're busted.

Love, Mom

This is LeRoy. Lucky dude.

Disappearing Act

How is it that I seem to have MORE time to blog during the school year when I'm essentially working 2 jobs (mom AND Teacher) than I do in the summertime when my only job is mom?

That said, I regret to inform you that this post is not going to provide you with that much needed Bunchkin update you so deserve. This post is just here to tell you that that other post is coming. I have not fallen off the face of the earth...I've just been busy doing a little bit of everything. Some fun (shopping, crafting, classroom organizing), some not-so-fun (cleaning, jury duty).

So I'll leave you with some cellphone photos (my bad...the quality is horrid) of dinner at the food court the other night. My mom and I went shopping at the mall and had a quick dinner in the food court. Note to self: Don't let the kids drink Dr. Pepper or they will turn into hyenas or jackals, or some equally crazy animal.

Pizza for kids. Can't beat the ease of that.

Colton and me.

Shopping is hard work. She's pooped. (No actually, I'm pretty sure this was an action shot of Hunter trying to pull herself across the table. Um, sorry little girl.

Colton and Grammy.

REMEMBER THIS?

The disaster that was my classroom on the last day of school?

WELL HERE IT IS NOW!

(And actually in these photos, the walls aren't done yet. I've actually put up bulletin boards and posters now. So really, I'm even more awesome than I thought! :) These are the bare bones pics.

Happy Wednesday. I shall return to my regularly scheduled blogging tomorrow. :)

Ice Cream & Anecdotes

The last day of every school year, I think of Alice Cooper.

You know you do too. Sing it with me.. "SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER..."

Summer vacation....aaaaahhh! Why is it such a great feeling? Um, probably because I'm a teacher and we feel exactly the same way the kids do on the last day of a school year! FREEDOM! Just knowing you don't HAVE to wake up early (but you do anyway, cuz it feels so much better when you do it of your own accord.)

Lists of things to do & things to accomplish line the refrigerator on each of your $1 'Magnetic 'To Do' Pads from Michaels. Some of those 'to-do's' get done and others will move to the next vacation's list. Either way, summer vacation is bliss! (Admittedly not AS freely enjoyable when you have three 2 year olds messin with your tasks.) Some days I swear we have opposing lists...

For example:

My List: Clean & Reorganize playroom

Their List: Play with every toy and throw it in the middle of the floor.

My List: Wash the windows

Their List: Put sticky peanut butter fingers all over the windows.

My List: Sort the outgrown baby clothes into neat piles

Their List: Jump in mommy's neat piles.

Do you see what I'm saying? Sometimes it seems futile to even attempt to clean the house because they know how to undo it faster than you can say, "ARE YOU FLIPPING KIDDING ME? I JUST PUT THOSE TOYS AWAY!"

Sigh...never the less, summer is summer. And I heart it.

I also heart Cold Stone Creamery. :)

Went there 2 nights ago with the babies, my dad, Auntie Valerie and Uncle Jim. I've figured out after a few recent trips why this is such a good recipe for my family. (You may recall I was just there recently with my mom and Brian and the babies.) So here it is-

I love ice cream. They love to run down the corridor.

I love sitting on the patio. They love to run down the corridor.

I love spending quality family time. They love to run down the corridor.

See? It's a win-win-win-win.

Auntie & Hunter

Hunter & Grampa

Ethan and Uncle Jim

Remember this foot? Well this time, no blood, just strawberries and ice cream. Booo.

My sister Mary would be happy to know that Auntie Valerie was there to be sure no triplets ran into the street.

"Stop! Nobody Move!"

Good job Auntie!

Yep. It's THE corridor.

"Here Auntie, I'll feed you."

"Now I will kiss you."

Grampa and Colton

And Hunter

Pouty McPout.

THIS kid knows how to throw a tantrum.

We're working on that.

All boy..climbin the rails!

Uncle Jim trying to convince Hunter that squats are fun!

These next few are from Auntie's Cell phone!

I can't get enough...

Hello? Anybody home?

He just stood and stared at the door.

Yep. My brilliant idea to walk on the wall.

How amazing does that sky look??

Thanks for the ice cream date everyone!

Now let's talk about my crazy kids for a moment.

Yesterday, after the kids had been up for about a half hour, I was in the kitchen cleaning up from breakfast. I could hear Hunter repeating the same phrase over and over and over and over. I honestly ignored it because it was repetitive. Until I turned the corner and saw Hunter, holding naked Ethan's diaper. And then it hit me what she'd been saying.

"Etan dapper on. Etan dapper on. Etan dapper on."

Always lookin out for her brothers.

Ok, well maybe not always.

******

Today, at bathtime, Ethan was driving her crazy by pouring cups of water over hers and Colton's heads. She was getting so frustrated that finally she stood up, pointed her little finger at him and said, "Etan Bunch, NO!" OMG. She first and last named him all by herself!!!" Hilarious.

********

I guess the actual bloody nose itself is not funny. Just the fact that a concerned Hunter reports to me that "Coco Bunny Nose." Let me translate. "Colton has a bloody nose." Yep he did. And the face he made when I let him see himself in the mirror was cracking me up.

Brian says he looks like Ramona Quimby.

I say he looks adorable.

Happy Friday everyone! Enjoy the weekend!