Excerpts from Sunday's Journal

Two things parents of two year old triplets should know:  the terrible twos aren't ALWAYS terrible, and they're smarter than you think. 

I had an amazing weekend with my kiddos this weekend.  I'd had a pretty rocky week.  Home and work.  And I was short-tempered and exasperated with the kids.  I felt bad about it but couldn't seem to put on a good face.  However, I forget sometimes that my children are geniuses.  They saw I was at my breaking point (as proof of this, Bray looked at me Thursday night, half-jokingly, and said, "you're not going to have a nervous break-down are you?").  So they set their mind to be fabulous two-year olds instead of terrible two year olds, and we had a WONDERFUL weekend. 

It wasn't anything earth-shattering.  We went to the park yesterday morning with my best friend and her dog, both of whom they are in love with.  We rode tricycles.  We took a stroll.  This morning, because of an early morning disruption (4:30 a.m.), we ended up waking too late to get breakfast cooked and dressed for church so we just hung out.  The kids and me.  I had coffee and they swung.  We read lots of books.  They watched their favorite video on You Tube (for you parents with two year olds just introducing "tv/video" as I am, my friend told me about Barefoot Books - four fabulous minutes of entertainment, Driving My Tractor is our fav).  They're healthy.  They ate well.  They laughed hysterically.  My mom hung out with us, and when she arrived, the baby started laughing and clapping because he was so overjoyed.  (She's a fabulous book reader - they run to her upon arrival with book in hand and say, "lap, lap.") 

I am so happy tonight.  My spirit is quiet.  My life is still.  I have to give a big shout out to my sweet bible study group who had been praying for some "abiding."  So here's a few highlights of my observations of my funny kids:

1.  They've learned the word "mine."  It's so interesting.  They've never said it before.  But they go to school now two mornings a week and I think they picked it up.  They must think it comes in particularly helpful as a triplet.  Thing is, there's not much that is just "mine" in the playroom of a triplet.  The baby uses it the most.  Everything is "mine." 
2.  I've said it before and I'll say it again, the little lady is FEARLESS.  She leaps from the top of a single building (our couch) without a moment's hesitation.  They all throw the couch pillows off and start chanting, "jump, jump" and proceed to do just that.  She's the ringleader. 
3.  The eldest is the biggest, but he does not like to fight back.  While he will often be the first to steal a toy, he's only interested in what the others have, if the baby sits on him and pounds his back he will yelp for help. 
4.  They love each other and they love me.  They've started saying, "Wuv you."  Heart. Melts.  And since they're learning to count, this weekend when I asked each of them if I could give them ONE kiss, they would pucker up and allow me the one, but the baby would then say "two," "three," and once I got the kisses all the way up to "ten."  Fabulous. 
5.  They're so funny.  The eldest started crawling like a dog at the park.  I have no idea what brought it on but he, and I, thought it was so funny.  The little lady plays peek-a-boo under the changing table pillow each time we change diapers.  She gets so tickled every time I have a big freak out when she reappears.  The baby is amused by nearly everything, from silly voices to dancing like a maniac (I'm assuming that rocking out to You Shook Me All Night Long won't kill them at this age.  I was really sick of toddler tunes so when we turned on classic rock and that tune came blasting out I had to dance like a 21 year old around the room - they loved it and I'm pretty sure are immune to the lyrics at this stage). 

Also, as an FYI for anyone following the bed climbing thing, the boys have both figured out how to climb out even WITH the mattresses on the floor so I spend at least a half hour in their rooms at the beginning of nap and bedtime to ensure all go to sleep INSIDE the crib.  Fabulous weekend for them to master a new skill. 

I am so so so grateful to have these munchkins and can't imagine how dull life would have been with just one.........