You just gotta adapt

August 11, 2013August 15, 2013 ~ hunt2005 ~ Leave a comment

People ask me all.the.friggin.time…. “How do you do it?!”

It’s simple. We adapt. Constantly. I remember with older brother that we’d finally get in a groove, feel like we understood our roles and how to keep him alive through the day, and then he’d learn something new. First it was rolling. Then crawling. Then walking. You get the picture.

Now multiply that. Times three.

And now imagine them learning cooperation. I’m all for good play skills and life lessons and teaching them how to be team players. And our kids get to learn that early (how many 2 year olds do you know spend 24 hours a day with two other 2 year olds, and a big brother who can teach them all sorts of naughty things??). But they take it to a far greater level. They sit there and work together to climb tables, empty the pantry, open juice boxes… you name it, they can probably work together and figure it out.

So as such, we have to be innovative. And adaptive. And sometimes just down right tricky to keep them alive.

If you ask anyone who comes to my house at least once a month, our furniture moves around. A lot. If you ask my husband, it moves around too much.

First we had cribs. And they were awesome cribs. And then Jaina started learning how to hang from the rail and walk her feet up them. And the others started learning how to do jumping jacks. And pull things off dressers.

So we took off the sides. I’d prefer them playing to learning how to climb out and kill themselves or each other.

And that worked. For a while at least. No more lifting children in and out of bed. They didn’t scream incessantly when they thought it was time to get up (Even if it was 4 am), they just played. It was great.

Until they learned they could do this.

So now, we have game plan #47. Jace has the second half of Aiden’s bunk beds (which was always the plan). We had hoped to tide the girls over with the toddler style beds until we moved, and then get them their new gear on the other side of the country. So we put the cribs up for sale, thinking it’d take a while. They were sold in 24 hours. Drat, there goes that plan.

So we put the mattresses on the floor. Surely that will work!

And we learned, again, that triplets when put together are smarter than a grown adult.

So beds are ordered. Mattresses were bought (Sure, I forget to take a picture of that one, two mattresses on top of a minivan). Quilts that were planned for them just to have will double as blankets on their beds (No, Aiden isn’t left out, his is still in progress). At least it spurred me to finish them sooner than later!

And the moral of this whole story?

I hope our next house is bigger.

EDIT: We finally got the big kid beds in! The girls seem absolutely thrilled. And thank you, Circo, for selling coordinating bedding in Pink/Purple, that wasn’t “too” little girl so they can grow and keep it for a while! (too bad you can’t really see it in the picture because of their Star Wars quilts!)

Not babies, but… children??

June 25, 2013 ~ hunt2005 ~ Leave a comment

Wow. So we just had the 2 year well-check for the three little penguins. First off, I forgot that after turning two the kids no longer have to be weighed on the infant table, stripped down to diapers, and measured using pencil and measuring tape on the table. Holy crap. I’ve spent two years now dressing them in outfits easy to get on/off, limiting how many socks we have on so that I don’t have to deal with that, and dreading trying to keep them contained while I dress/undress the others. It was HEAVEN.

So we’re all there, I’m bribing the children with yogurt raisins (which I felt compelled to tell the nurse about lest she think I’m feeding them chocolate or something to keep them quiet), and Aiden is flitting between playing on the phone, taking pictures with the phone, and begging for more treats himself. Apparently I starve these kids.

The results, however, are in….. drumroll please…. (click on the links to view full growth charts)

Jacen: 34″, 26.8lb

Jaina: 32.75″, 25.4lb

Val: 34″, 23.3lb

The heights probably aren’t quite as accurate as I’d like, but mostly because what 2 year old can stand against a measuring tape, heels to the wall, and look straight ahead?? I mean, the 5 year old is still not 100% reliable at it.

I’d call it a successful two years, though. They’re happily on their curve (or exceeding it), and only time will tell where they end up. It’s said your height at 2 years old doubled is roughly what you’ll be when you grow up, but I’m not sure how to adjust for their 33 week preemie birth. Everything else we now throw the “adjustments” out the window and compare them to others their age (GASP! No more excuses if they get behind!), but for this one thing I might remeasure again in August just to see how it pans out 18 years from now 😉 I mean, really, can you imagine any daughter of ours growing to only be 5’6″?

The days are long, but the years are short

June 17, 2013 ~ hunt2005 ~ Leave a comment

People always say that. And I never believed it. Even with Aiden I didn’t really believe it. Partially because we were on sea duty with the Navy at the time, and between deployments and 18 hour work days, the years were long as well.

But with triplets+1 on shore duty? Each day lasts forever. I love my children, but I want even just half of their energy. I don’t know how they do it! But all of a sudden, I stand back, and I have three littles who aren’t even babies anymore. Technically, I guess as of Thursday, they’re “toddlers.” I don’t quite understand that term as they don’t toddle any where – they run full speed and jump off it – but none the less, they cannot any longer be called babies (at least not by anyone else. They’ll ALWAYS be my babies).

How in the world did we get here? People always say it must have been so hard as infants. They are wrong. Sure, we were tired. But we still are! And sure, we had no time to ourselves. But we still don’t! Now? They don’t stay where they’re put, they yell and complain about everything, and they already think they know the best way to do something (even though it likely will take twice as long).

Last night Jaina wanted in the high chair at dinner. So she climbed up and in. And then got frustrated it wasn’t where she wanted it. I swear she would have climbed out, fixed it, and climbed back in had we let her.

And Valerie chooses her own shoes now. There is no amount of persuasion capable of convincing her that one pair is better suited for a situation.

And Jacen? He finished his dinner. Went to his sister’s chair (the pink one), finished hers. Went to his other sister’s chair (the purple one), finished that. Went to his brother’s chair, finished that. And asked for more. What word is most important to a 2 year old boy? MORE.

Aiden? He’s realized his babies can play with him now. And he gets them to do everything he’s not supposed to, joins in, and then argues “But the babies are doing it!” Well played.

Now? We’ve got 3 (almost) 2-yr-olds, a 5 year old, and craziness ahead with heading back to the “real” world of Navy submarine life. I’m sure the stories will get more interesting, and the adventures more exciting. This will be an exciting next year! But I may pretend, at least for today, that Thursday isn’t approaching as fast as it is!

Origins of Darth Hulk

March 11, 2013 ~ hunt2005 ~ Leave a comment

So I realized that I should explain how a child this adorably sweet

could get the nickname of “Darth Hulk.”

Well, there are a variety of reasons. First, when he gets mad, he gets mad.

Like, fist shaking, yelling, throwing things mad.

He also seems to use force powers to try and electrocute people when he is very angry at them.

Not the best photo of it, but it gets the point across. He extends a hand, shakes it at them, and you can imagine him trying to use his mental strength to cause them to choke or something.

Bam Bam could also be an apt title for him, as, well, he likes to bam things.

But overall it’s best when he’s really mad. Like the other day, he had a paper crown on his head (from Aiden’s party). Got mad at something. Took the hat off and threw it. Then tried to kick it. It got stuck to his foot. That didn’t help the situation. Kicked and kicked and kicked till it came off. And then he proceeded to stomp on it for good measure.

I’ll have to video one of these outbursts for prosperity’s sake some day. Or maybe for a future girlfriend. But mostly just because it’s so darn funny. And laughing at him just makes him all the more angry.

19 and 59 months…

January 20, 2013 ~ hunt2005 ~ Leave a comment

Wow, how did that happen?

One month from yesterday, big brother will turn 5. FIVE. FIIIIIVEEE. Holy goodness. It’s funny looking back – when he turned one, it was cute and adorable, and a celebration of fewer sleepless nights, more interaction, and the toddler years to come. When he turned two, it was a fun party, still mostly for the adults, but he actually enjoyed ripping paper off of toys. Turning 3 he started to get it – he knew he’d get cake, and that birthdays were fun. Four was his first “real” party – he looked forward to it for weeks, actually blew out his own candles, and fully enjoyed himself.

But 5??? 5 makes me realize he’s not a baby anymore. He’s a kid. A big kid. I mean, he’ll be in school here in just a few short months. And he asks profound questions (ranging from the simplistic “why” with a deeper meaning than just waiting for mommy to say “because” to full out requests for the mechanics of a given object or the biological/chemical process behind something – just not in such terms). He is smart (too smart), funny (or at least he thinks he’s funny), emotional (sometimes to a fault, but also has an abundance of love and care and empathy), kind (or at least not intentionally mean), and has fully developed his own personality. He doesn’t do things for the sake of being like mommy anymore. How did this happen?!?! We joke about where my baby boy went, and then joke that Aiden ate him.

And on top of that, I have three 19 month olds in the house. 18 months didn’t seem like a big deal. Sure, they could walk, and they started saying things. And they definitely had opinions (with the shaking of the head as “no” being their favorite). But they were cute and tiny back then. You know. 30 days ago. But now? You do something or say something and can see the look on their face while they contemplate whether or not they like that idea. They look at you and laugh. Jacen will drag a pot or pan down the hall and hide in the room, peaking out to see if you caught him. Jaina will run away from you laughing (cute in the yard, not so much in a parking lot). Valerie will run up for a hug and after 40 milliseconds then squirm and throw a fit until you put her down. They gauge reactions. They plan their temper tantrums. I can almost read their thoughts:
“If I throw myself on the ground, right here, will I hit anything? Are there sharp toys in the way? Yes, yes there are. SO Now I’m going to turn 20 degrees to the right and then do it. *throws self on floor* Hmm, is she looking? *stops crying and looks up to gauge reaction* No?? Why in the world is she not taking pity on me?!”

They sometimes team up. Sometimes gang up. Sometimes play separately. Sometimes want nothing to do with each other. Other times throw a fit if one isn’t where they’re supposed to be. They talk to each other, play with their brother, run from their brother. They’ve got this “toddler” thing figured out. Lord help me when they realize what the terrible twos are and how to most efficiently use it to their advantage.

The climbing boy strikes again

December 19, 2012 ~ hunt2005 ~ Leave a comment

And today is brought to you by the letter c, for CLIMB.

Apologies for the camera phone quality photos!

And now he’s being a bad influence too. Luckily the littlest triplet is more concerned with her parent’s approval than with climbing. For now.

Update to add:

This is a story…

September 20, 2012 ~ hunt2005 ~ Leave a comment

Of a boy name Jacen.

He is such a very happy little boy.

He also likes to climb. Now, I’ve never had a climber before. Aiden was cautious (overly so). He didn’t jump until he was like 3 because he didn’t want to fall. And climbing? Out of the question. This boy, however, has guts. Now, he has no desire to walk. But climbing? Oh yeah, that’s totally his thing.

And it’s not just the couch. High chair on to dining table? Yes please. Try to climb out of my carseat and out the back of the car? Absolutely. And the wagon is not very hard either. No matter how tightly mommy straps him in, he can manage to get up onto his feet and some how slide out. And you know that remote you put on top of the couch so we couldn’t play with it? Yeah, you’re funny.

Before

After

Oh, and you know those pesky things called door knobs? Those aren’t so hard either. And they lead to fun places like my brother’s bedroom. Oh, and his bed? That’s a piece of cake.

Guess I don’t have to worry about him getting in and out of a big boy bed when the time comes…

And another one takes off…

August 23, 2012 ~ hunt2005 ~ Leave a comment

I didn’t get the good video of her walking across the room because apparently I turned it off instead of on (mommy duh moment there!) But here is a montage of the newest Val clips 🙂

Val Walking

and some photos just, well, because I think they looked pretty darn cute today!

Jaina running away from me:

This one was actually taken by big brother. The girls had escaped down the hall way to wreck havoc on any room with the door open and I got them to walk back with me. Thankfully the camera was near by and Aiden has become a pretty good photographer!

The eldest daughter thinks she’s a puppy dog and likes to carry things by her mouth. Today’s toy was the circle from the shape sorter. She likes to breath in and out quickly to make a loud breathing sound while doing so.

And big man got his hair trimmed today. The curls were getting so long in the back that the poor boy would wake up with them matted and sweaty. He was a champ and so far is my favorite child to get hair cut on – he sat there and didn’t move. At all. It was heaven compared to taking big brother who acted like I was chopping off a part of his body and scream like he was in excruciating pain. He’s better now. We just have to bribe him. Jacen was just enjoying time pretending he was an only child, I think.

On that note, Jacen got to pretend like he was an only child tonight for an hour. We play that game by taking a child out in public by themselves where we can take the Rav4, load in and out through the door rather than the trunk, and carry him around like a king.

He gave the strangers funny looks as they passed us. I think he was curious why they weren’t assaulting us when it was just me and him and they do when it’s the Hunt Horde walking down the sidewalk…

Latest and Greatest

August 9, 2012 ~ hunt2005 ~ 3 Comments

Sorry for not posting much recently!! On a daily basis I run out of time and then get overwhelmed by the twenty bajillion things I want to post about, and with no clue where to start I just don’t.

I did however manage to update the site with a page for each kid with their yearly photos (birth, and then each birthday).

Life is fun around here. The babies are getting to be so hillarious. Jaina almost has hair (finally!). Val is still bald. Jacen is my loveable little teddy bear who needs a haircut but I cannot bring myself to get it done.

Recently the babies turned 13 months. How did that happen!?! Here’s the montly photo of me attempting to hold all three. Not sure how much longer we’ll make it!

The babies pull up like champs now, and *can* walk with assistance (but normally don’t want to). Val will let go of the couch/chair/etc and stand by herself, for prolonged periods, but has no interested in walking.

Jaina, on the other hand, loves the concept of walking. She walks with only one hand holding on now, and managed to take her first step yesterday. She’ll only do it towards the couch, and only when she wants to, but it’s hillarious. We finally managed to get it on video today!

Jaina’s first steps

Currently their favorite food is, well, everything. They especially like blueberries though. They’ll eat a flat of them at a meal if I let them.

We’ve been watching the Olympics non stop and I swear that Jaina is trying to do backflips already! She’s hillarious.We’ve banned her from watching diving and gymnastics because she thinks that we should include couch diving as an Olympic sport and I’m tired of her practicing her 3 1/2 reverse.

She also likes to play with mommy’s hat.

Courtesy of Georgetown Cupcake. Yes, the one in D.C. Did you know they ship across the country? Yes. Yes they do. The sticks are just from shipping, don’t pay any attention to those.

We are 100% off of bottles, they drink everything from sippy cups now. We wash a total of three sippies a day (just refill it as needed) and it is miraculous. I almost couldn’t remember what it was like to have the top of the dishwasher mostly empty at night!