The Smith Six

When Mutsi's in Town...

2011-11-06T20:02:00.002-06:00

we all get a little silly.

A Few Photos To Share

2011-11-06T19:37:00.002-06:00

Mia broke one side of this crown so Shaun ripped off the other side to make it even. She cried and cried that Shaun broke off that one side so Shaun taped the crown to a pair of sunglasses and all is well...totally still wearable!

Cole "hewping" Shaun.

Anderson drew this picture of his two preschool teachers. Mrs. Debbie is on the left and Mrs. Angie is on the right. He explained that Mrs. Angie has a square head because she's Mrs. Robot Angie. Anderson likes robots. I like their toes.

Just a few school supplies.

Everyone riding the bedtime train. Anderson, Mia, Cole and Carter.

Lessons Learned On The First Day of Preschool

2011-08-30T13:19:00.003-05:00

1. Searching through piles of clean, unfolded laundry for children's clothing is not a productive way to spend your time in the morning the first day of preschool.

2. Everything that was in it's proper place the night before will mysteriously be missing the morning of the first day of preschool.

3. No matter how cute you think it is, do not let the kids hold their lunch boxes in the car on the way to preschool. They will open them up and eat the food, forcing you to make an emergency stop at a gas station for more lunch food on the first day of preschool.

4. Gas stations do not carry fruit. They do carry very expensive pop-tarts. You will not look like a star mom when your kid opens up their lunch box to reveal pop-tarts on the first day of preschool.

5. It will take 2 hours to get everyone ready on the first day of preschool.

They loved preschool and went right in with no problems. Their teachers are awesome and I think we'll do well at Creation Corner. Now, let's see what the second day of preschool holds!

"I Wobot"

2011-08-30T13:15:00.001-05:00

Potty Training Triplets

2011-08-30T12:57:00.003-05:00

First, I did not mean to potty train all three of them at the same time. That was not the plan, but as usual, the plan changed. I felt that Mia was ready, but Cole was the most persistent (meaning I could NOT keep a diaper on him). So we started with Cole, but Mia and Carter were not to be put off. I also did not plan on putting diapers back on them once I got started with one. Cold turkey was the plan. However, at one point, galoshes were necessary to walk around this house, so diapers went back on. It's been more of a transition from diapers to underwear and that has worked much better. This new stage, out of all the new stages we've gone through so far, has been most difficult. I didn't think I would live through this one. We're still transitioning to underwear but they're doing really well now. I don't think Carter would be as far along as he is with it if the other two weren't doing it also. I really should just let them make the plans from now on.

Not Sure Why We Even Own All of These Beds

2011-08-30T12:42:00.002-05:00

T-Ball is Over!

2011-08-05T20:20:00.004-05:00

A tropy AND a medal

Receiving his trophy from Coach Dan

We made it through our first season of T-Ball. It was fun and I saw a lot of improvement in the team by the end of the season. Anderson even slid into home base in the last game. He loved making new friends and was a really aggressive fielder. He enjoyed playing pitcher best and wanted to be where the action was.

And the award for first-child-to-receive-stitches goes to...

2011-08-05T19:49:00.003-05:00

MIA!!

She was climbing up some bleachers at one of Anderson's T-Ball games and slipped, hitting her lip on the metal stands. I was by myself with all the kids trying to corral Carter and Cole while at the same time trying to get Mia's lip to stop bleeding (and Mia to stop screaming). Lips bleed a lot! Shaun got there a while later and we discussed if she needed stitches. I didn't think so, but we texted a picture of it to Shaun's dad to see what he thought. He thought we should take her in and I'm glad we did. The doctor said she'd have had a droopy lip if we didn't. She got one stitch and a piece of candy. She had to be restrained with what Shaun described as rolling her up like a burrito. She was screaming and thrashing around during the process, but had calmed down by the time she got home. Her lip looks great now. Congrats Mia, on earning this prestigious award!

Kansas City

2011-07-28T13:18:00.003-05:00

We had a fun little 3 day trip to Kansas City with just our family. We loved it and will be making it a yearly trip. There was so much (free stuff) to do for kids!
Such as:
This is a view from our hotel room where we could look down onto the splash pad/fountain show. We didn't have time to do this but it sure looked fun. On one of the nights they showed Harry Potter on a big blow up screen in the grassy section. We watched it from our hotel room.

This is the lobby of the hotel. We fit right in at the Westin Crown Center...or not. Cole Anderson and Mia taking a break in the lobby.

This rainforest exhibit was just what we needed after a 3 1/2 hr drive. It was all hands on with a bit of climbing, coloring and dress up. Mia, Shaun, Carter, Anderson and Cole setting out to explore the rainforest.

For dinner we tried a diner that someone suggested to us. Fritz's is a train themed restaurant where a train actually brings you your food. Pretty awesome if you ask us. Cole is displaying his conductor's hat.

The next day we found the Independence Visitor Center. Again, another nice hands on area for the kids. That was the theme for this trip-everything we did had to be hands on! Carter, Mia and Cole driving the wagon.

Kaleidoscope was a lot of fun. This is part of Hallmark's Visitor Center and has tons of fun crafts for the kids to make and take home. The babies were a little young for this, but Anderson had a good time. I think they'll be ready next year. Anderson is in the glow-in-the-dark painting room here.

Last, we made a stop to Science City. This also was a ton of fun. We spent a good half day there. We were having so much fun that we didn't get too many photos of this. Anderson's learning all about helicopters here.

Carter at 2 Years

2011-07-03T22:28:00.004-05:00

Here's Carter's stats at his 2 year appointment:

33 3/3 inches tall
24 lbs 8 oz

Carter is a man of many moods. I'm never sure what I'm going to get from him at any given time. He's very quick and can out run all of us. He usually keeps pretty close to me in new situations but sometimes surprises me by breaking loose and trying something new. He seems to love water and water activities. Carter also loves to color and can entertain himself with an art project for a good amount of time. Carter has a spunky side that has left me flustered at bed time. He leads the war on anti-sleeping and can demolish a room quickly. He's an early riser and likes to make sure that Cole and Mia are up too. Carter has a great laugh and smile that are very infectious.

Mia at 2 Years

2011-07-03T22:16:00.002-05:00

Mia's stats at her 2 year appointment:

33 3/4 inches tall
25 lbs 9 oz

Mia has turned into quite the little mother. For instance, Cole wanted to play outside and was heading toward the door when Mia yelled across the room, "Cole! Shoes! Shoes! Cole!". She loves her baby dolls and likes to carry all of them around along with her blankie, sippy cup and whatever else she can fit into her arms. She likes to change clothes often and gets excited to wear bows in her hair. As girly as she seems to be, Mia can also play rough with the boys. She's often running full speed into someone or something. In fact, she was the first one to get stitches.

Cole at 2 Years

2011-07-03T21:43:00.004-05:00

Here's the stats for Cole at his 2 year appointment:

34 1/4 inches
27 lbs

Cole is a crack up these days. He's speaking and repeating words a lot. He likes to yell "NO WAY!" and "WATCH OUT!" or "BAGEL!" He's kind and cuddly and still likes to be rocked but is quite the bully at other times. Cole loves to clean and organize and can be found vacuuming or wiping things down. He also enjoys reading books and having them read to him. Cole takes control of most situations and is very adventurous. He and Anderson are still good friends and seem to have the most in common.

Joplin MO Tornado

2011-05-28T22:19:00.006-05:00

Our stake was asked to travel to Joplin, MO to help with the ongoing tornado relief efforts. Around 250 men from the Rogers Arkansas Stake, with shovels, rakes, wheel barrows, chainsaws and other tools, left Bentonville at 5:30 a.m. and arrived in Joplin by 7 a.m. The remainder of the day was spent helping the residents of Joplin continue to deal with one of the deadliest tornados in the US since 1950. We put tarps on damaged roofs, sifted through rubble for personal belongings and cut and cleared tree after tree. The work was hard, but very gratifying.

It was really humbling to talk to the residents who had just lost all or many of their worldly possessions and now had begun to, both physically and emotionally, sort through the aftermath. Many of them wept as they described their experiences. We introduced ourselves to one lady who was walking around the neighborhood down the block from her demolished home. A few seconds before my work group approached her, she looked in the rubble and found a childhood picture of her son who is now in his thirties. Her joy in finding this treasure was evident as the tears started to flow. Something that may not have meant as much to her before the tornado was now a priceless gift.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to lend a hand to these people who are going through so much. I know it has influenced my outlook on what is important.

Below are some pictures I took throughout the day.

-Shaun

We're TWO!!

2011-05-16T22:53:00.004-05:00

I've decided that we will celebrate my kids' birthdays on the day I get their cakes done, which hasn't ever coincided with the babies actual birthday. This year I was one week and two days late. Not bad. Luckily for my kids, we had family visiting on their birthday and Aunt Jeck stayed up all night making them a banner and wrapping presents, so they had two celebrations. They don't seem to mind and have never questioned me about it.

Actual birthday: Here they are trying to put up 2 fingers.

Birthday night: Mia, excited about not having to sit in a high chair because she thinks she turned 4 instead of 2.

Cole, playing peek-a-boo with his balloon.

Carter, enjoying his sundae.

One week and 2 days late birthday: Carter and his cow cake-he turned 2.

Cole and his train cake-he also turned 2.

Mia and her strawberry shortcake cake. She turned 2 as well.

Cole's, Mia's and Carter's cakes .(Can you tell I'm a little worried that I won't remember what cakes I made for who and for which year? Label, label, label! )

Grandma Powell

2011-05-16T22:29:00.003-05:00

Grandma Powell passed away on April, 24th 2011. It also happened to be my parents wedding anniversary and Easter. The Thursday before, Grandma told my mom that she was excited to move on and that she wanted to go on Easter. I think some people are allowed to choose their day of passing and Grandma was one of them. I took Cole and flew to Utah for the funeral. I got to conduct the opening and closing hymns. The common theme of the funeral was Grandma's loving heart. Grandma was blessed with the gift of charity, or the pure love of Christ. She absolutely was able to look at someone and see them the way Heavenly Father does. She could immediately see your potential and I think every grandchild would claim to be her favorite.

A funeral always initiates a little family reunion. All my siblings on one couch. Left to right: Angie, Mike, Devan, Jeff and Grandpa Powell.

Easter Saturday

2011-05-16T20:50:00.005-05:00

We spent Easter Saturday with our Arkansas "family". There was a great lunch, provided by all, and then a fabulous Easter Egg Hunt with over 300 eggs for 9 kids. We are so grateful to have been adopted by these great friends.

Mia needed a little direction at first.

She's got it down now.

Cole and Carter were distracted by the cat right out of the gate. They didn't know if they should be excited or scared by it.

Anderson had a good thing going for him.

All the hunters. Carter's about to lose it and then does lose it when cute little Callen taps him on the head with those plastic soccer balls.

Funny picture of Cole.

Go Reds! Game 1-Confusion, Crying and Chaos

2011-04-09T20:59:00.009-05:00

After searching in three different stores for gray baseball pants small enough to fit Anderson, we finally found some that won't fall off. Whatever happened to jeans and tennis shoes? Every kid had cleats on (except Anderson) and 75% of them had their own bats (not Anderson). When I heard Anderson tell his coach "I don't have a bat, I need to borrow one" I was ready to screech out of the parking lot on my way to buy him one. Then I remembered that he's 4 and he doesn't need a bat to have fun in t-ball. The game was super entertaining for me, but I think kind of boring for Anderson. It was hot and the wind was blowing dirt in their eyes and it took quite a while for 12 kids to bat through the line-up every time. About half way through he asked if he could go home. Uh, no buddy, you're staying...this is fun! He did have fun, he just didn't realize there was so much waiting involved.

This first picture illustrates the complete focus these kids had... Anderson's the one standing on second base.

Can you guess where he is here?

He's so cute! Little does he know that he could ask me for anything at this moment and I would give it to him.

Conversing with the enemy.

I finally told him he could run after the ball and I think he had a little bit more fun.

Running to go hit.

Running to 1st base after he hit.

Made it!

Goooooooooooo

REDS!!!!

Sunscreen...it's not just for kids.

We Have A Four Year Old!

2011-04-02T20:16:00.003-05:00

April 2nd, 2007, 7:38am, after 2 hours of prep time and 8 minutes of surgery, they showed me Anderson's face for the first time and I thought, "Hmmm, yep, it's a baby." I was surprised that there wasn't an instant bond that everyone talks about. Maybe it was the fact that I couldn't hold him, or that I was still being surgically put back together or that it would be nearly three hours later when I would see him again. I don't know. All I know is that it took a little while to bond with him. Not too long though. In fact, that very night I didn't want to take him back to the nursery because I just knew that nurse wouldn't take care of him the way I would and that other crying baby in there would prevent him from sleeping well. Mama bear had kicked in. There's nothing like that bond with your first baby. I think he'll always be my baby. Sorry Anderson. We love you and are so glad you are in our family. Happy Birthday!

Here's the result of the fondant. Batman has now entered our lives.

T-Ball!!!

2011-04-02T20:01:00.003-05:00

Anderson's 1st t-ball practice fell on his birthday. Talk about major excitement! What a gift! I was excited and a little nervous for him. He's pretty good with a bat and a ball but I wasn't too sure about how he'd handle the structure and focusing part of it. He did great! He listened and did everything his coach told him to. Anderson quickly made friends with a little boy who only answered to spider man. Four year old t-ball has got to be the most entertaining sport around. Can't wait for games to start!

It's That Time of Year Again

2011-03-20T22:54:00.003-05:00

In the Smith household all of our birthdays fall in four consecutive months, the last month ending with a triple celebration. Anderson's birthday is coming up next and I'm starting to gear up for birthday cakes.
Something exciting will be sculpted from this fondant. Any guesses?

Opening Prayer

2011-03-20T18:21:00.002-05:00

Anderson said his first prayer in Primary today, all by himself! Great job!
"Please bless the teachers.
Please bless us not to get hurt in our chairs.
Please bless Cole, Mia and Carter.
Please bless me to get older."

Every Now and Then

2011-03-06T21:35:00.002-06:00

These boys snuggle up together under a blanket and act like they like each other.

Irony

2011-03-06T21:32:00.002-06:00

I find it ironic that Cole beat up 3 kids for this necklace.

Valentine's Day

2011-03-06T21:26:00.002-06:00

Note to self:

Never

Give Candy

To Kids

For Breakfast.

The Big Snow Blizzard of 2011

2011-03-06T21:10:00.002-06:00

18 inches in 6 hours. Bentonville was shocked into a stand still for about a week with this downpour of snow.
We had to get creative with our entertainment. Watching birds eat the bits of bread we threw out to them was fun for a little while.

It was pretty, but we were glad when it melted all away.

One Liners

2011-02-15T22:28:00.003-06:00

My kids, as I know them, right now.

Anderson= He's kind, loving, and social with a streak of hellion.
Cole= When in doubt, feed him.
Mia= The sass don't last, cause she's sweet behind it all.
Carter= He's a wonderful, mystical creature.

Snow Days and Love Notes

2011-02-04T19:31:00.002-06:00

It has been snowing, NOT melting and then snowing again. We've had negative degree temperatures and the roads are slick. Shaun's been mainly working from home since Tuesday, which by the way, isn't all that fun. I have the belief that if you work from home due to large amounts of snow and ice you should a) take a two hour lunch b) take 20 min. breaks...every 20 minutes and c) knock off at 5pm. Shaun does not agree. So, he's home, but not really. We usually don't go too many places, but after almost a week, the kids and I are sick of being stuck inside. Finally, on Thursday there was a slight break in the temp. and we bundled up for outside fun. Mia was our snow bunny. She loved it and stayed out the longest. This could have something to do with the fact that both Cole and Carter refused to wear hates, gloves, or coats. Snow's no fun when you're cold! She's holding a big icicle...and a bottle of water.

Since we're inside so much, Anderson and I decided it was time to make a Valentine's Day craft. We made this love notes box, which turned into the "all things I love" box, by Anderson.

I Try, I Really Do

2011-01-15T17:41:00.003-06:00

Where are the kids that belong to these pants?

And these diapers!?

Running wild.

3 Going on 13

2011-01-15T17:23:00.003-06:00

Anderson has the eye-roll down pretty well. He knows how to push every one of my buttons and he does it with a smile on his face. Recently he's been asking me, "What's your damage?". I have no idea what that means. He's also startled us with the use of his first swear word, only he doesn't pronounce it quite right. It's more like Dum-it. He sure makes things interesting (and colorful) around here.

What Cole Does Best

2011-01-13T00:13:00.003-06:00

He's an organizer, a liner-upper. He puts things in neat rows or lines. I've seen him do this with VHS videos (all the white circle sides up), chairs (at the library, nursery, home) shoes, books, and toy cars. The biggest surprise is that he really doesn't mind when someone comes by and messes it all up. And there's always someone that comes by and messes it all up!

5:15 pm

2011-01-12T23:49:00.005-06:00

Dessert comes before dinner, right?

Clean Mama

2011-01-11T13:12:00.003-06:00

I'm doing a deep clean of my home during the month of January by following along at a blog called CLEAN MAMA. You do the daily regulars and then add one deep cleaning job to it each day for a month. It's been over a week now and here are my observations.

1) I don't do the regulars as regular as I should.
2) Washing the floor on my hands and knees gets me up close and personal with the dirt. Memo: Get hazmat suit next time I mop under the babies high chairs.
3) The blinds above my kitchen sink are easier to clean while still on the wall, because even after taking them down to wash off in the tub, I still have to scrub each and every blind.
4) I have to do more than one load of laundry a day to keep up.
5) I'm enjoying throwing things away in an effort to de-clutter.
6) You need to be in shape to clean a house, it ain't for sissies.
7) I now know what window casements and window treatments are.
8) My vacuum has cool attachments that are actually very useful.
9) Cleaning the baseboards really does make a difference.
10) Sweeping everyday is necessary.

That's all. If I keep it up, I'll probably be back with another week's worth of observations.

Sunbeams!

2011-01-09T23:33:00.003-06:00

Anderson made it to Sunbeams! He seems pretty excited about the transition to primary and his teacher is great. I think he'll face this new phase the same way he's faced everything else in his life. Full Steam Ahead!
PS-That crown used to bear a jewel. I found said jewel in Carter's dirty diaper the next day. Glad it passed, I had no idea he'd eaten it!

New Sleeping Arrangements

2010-12-30T22:27:00.019-06:00

We moved Mia to her own room. Poor, poor Mia. This was heart wrenching for many people. Mia wondered if she'd get to see other people ever again. Cole wondered where Mia was being kept. I wondered when I'd sleep again. Anderson wasn't sure he wanted to share a room with Cole, who "cries all the time". Oh so sad. There have been a few funny things about it. Whenever Mia gets up in the middle of the night she runs straight to the boys room, not our room. One night Shaun found her sitting on the floor of the boys room with crayons and a coloring book just coloring away, in the dark. Oh, and the reunion every morning is pretty enjoyable to watch too.

Anderson's bed, moved into the boys room.

Mia-so lonely and sad. Thank goodness for Dressy Bessy.
She occasionally needs to come out and make sure she's not alone in the world.

Carter, unmoved by the loss of his sister as a sleeping companion.

Grandma Smith's Visit and Gingerbread Houses

2010-12-30T22:27:00.015-06:00

Grandma Smith made a quick weekend visit so we decided to put her to work making gingerbread for Gingerbread Houses. This is a tradition for Shaun's family and is something I wanted to try while I had the expert in-house. It was really fun and the Houses smelled so good every time I walked by them. I can't believe they survived until Christmas.

Christmas

2010-12-30T22:27:00.013-06:00

First off, I think the best Christmas present we got was for the babies to turn 18 months old. Nursery! They officially started Nov. 7th, but it's been a process and they're still figuring out if they like it or not. Cole usually walks right in and plops down at the table to do a puzzle. Mia looks worried, cries a bit, but eventually lets go. Carter cries when I drop him off, is crying when I check on them through the window and is crying when I pick them up. They say he doesn't cry the whole time, but I think it's safe to say that Carter hasn't learned to appreciate nursery yet.
On to Christmas...
Santa came (and ate all our dang cookies!)

Nothing like starting the morning with a ring pop!

Suckers were shared

New clothes were donned

Toys were played with

A picture for Mutsi was taken
Great day!

Carter's 1st Hair Cut

2010-12-30T22:27:00.010-06:00

Dec. 4th, 2010
Carter's hair was so long it was in his eyes. The back was even longer. It was time. With sucker in hand, he did pretty well. And I think he looks pretty handsome. I got "after" photos but I can't find them. So here's one I think he'll enjoy looking at in his later years.

Thanksgiving

2010-12-30T22:26:00.005-06:00

We had another great Thanksgiving Day with our Arkansas Family. We love the time we get to spend with them and are grateful to know them.

Utah

2010-12-07T21:55:00.004-06:00

While deciding how to get to Utah before Shaun gets more vacation time in May, I came up with the plan that I would drive the kids across country by myself. No big deal, we'd take it nice and easy etc, etc. Surprisingly, this plan came to an abrupt halt when I informed Shaun of it. "As the protector of this family, there is no way that's happening," I think were his exact words. So, I quickly revised my plan to include Shaun in a 20-hour car drive and turn around flight for him and vice versa for the way home. Perfect! The kids and I had a great two week vacation with Mutsi and Papa that involved, cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Grandparents, Jumpin' Jacks, a birthday party, BYU, Spanish Fork Cemetery, the Big Red Barn, Diamond Grill, the Farm, D.I.'s, cake plates, the Institute, Costco, parks, IKEA, games, movies, and so much more. The babies slept upstairs across the hall from Mutsi and Papa who got them up and fed them breakfast every morning! A true vacation for me! We had such a great time and hated to go, but we sure loved meeting back up with Shaun.

Mom and Aunt Gwen

Great Grandma and Grandpa Powell

Grandpa Anderson's Headstone in Spanish Fork Cemetery

Smith Family Living Courtyard at BYU

Cake plates! This one is mom's.

And Angie's

Happy Halloween!

2010-12-07T21:14:00.003-06:00

Wizard of Oz style! I had a fun time with these costumes but I'm sure it's the last year I'll get to pick for Anderson. I had to keep reminding him that he wanted to be the Tin Man and not a bat or a spider-man or...etc.
Before Trick-r-Treating at dad's office.

After Trick-r-Treating at dad's office.

Cole's hat kept finding itself on the floor, Mia just wouldn't keep those ruby red slippers on and Carter had to be held the entire time. Pretty typical. We convinced Anderson that he didn't need an ax because he needed both hands for candy grabbing. Luckily, he readily agreed. He was so very surprised that people recognized his costume. He would look up at me with wonder and exclaim, "Mom! Everyone knows who I am!" Poor kid has never seen the movie.

Ralphie!!

2010-10-17T23:01:00.002-05:00

This picture reminds me of the movie The Christmas Story, where Ralphie slips an ad about the coveted Red Rider BB Gun into his moms magazines. This is a look at my book table and I think Anderson is trying to casually slip in some gentle reminders that he'd like some story time.

Parenting Pay Offs

2010-10-17T22:53:00.002-05:00

Not that this has anything to do with my parenting, it's just one of those many things I get to witness because I'm their parent.

Eating Habits Over General Conference Weekend

2010-10-17T22:37:00.005-05:00

Look away if you can't stand the mess. It's what I do.

Apparently, 7 layer bean dip is a hit among the 18 month-3 year old demography. We had about 5 minutes of frenzied eating activity and then it was all over.

So Much Undone In So Little Time

2010-10-17T22:26:00.003-05:00

Do NOT let these little angelic faces fool you. They are NOT sitting here shooting the breeze. They are plotting, PLOTTING I say! I'm pretty sure they communicate through telepathy to conspire against me.

For example...this panoramic view of Anderson's room.

I'm still amazed at how fast it all happens.

Clippin' Coupons

2010-10-17T22:15:00.002-05:00

I have a habit of clipping coupons. Anderson sees this as an important part of every Monday morning so he wants IN. After scouring the ads he found a few "coupons" worth clipping. He cut them out by himself and told me he wants to buy the football and these stuffed animals. The lady bug could be for Mia, the dog would be for Cole, the bee would be for Carter and the purple unicorn would be for him. He went so far as to take these "coupons" to the grocery store with us and he walked around the store with them in his hands. Luckily, he's never questioned why we haven't actually used them.

A Little Hobby

2010-10-11T00:01:00.004-05:00

I've enjoyed creating these and want to remember the day that I drove myself (and my courage) down to a local market and made a deal with the owner to carry my dessert stands in her shop. I had all the kids in the car as the owner and I stood beside my minivan and talked about my little creations. It was an exhilarating and terrifying moment.

Just a few...

Ya Gotta Work It Out

2010-09-29T22:43:00.002-05:00

I came up with a new workout program. It involves sweating, grunting, stretching, exhaustion and even a little blood and tears. I call it--Take All The Kids to Three Different Grocery Stores On The Same Day. It even involves an emotional work out because of all the comments! If I continue to follow this routine I should be all around more fit in a week.

My Competitive Issues

2010-09-09T21:42:00.002-05:00

Ebay sucks me in every time. It's that search option: "Time Ending Soonest". I sort my listings by it and when the first one that pops up says 38sec remaining (in RED!), I jump on it. I don't even read the fine print. The next thing I know I've won this thing that I've now got to go back and research. I cross my fingers and hope that shipping isn't outrageous and that the item is stated to be in good condition, etc. Oh, and reading the seller's reviews? That hardly happens. The thought of beating someone to the punch makes me do irrational things. I slap myself good for it every time though. But...that doesn't seem to be working. My new item should be arriving in 3-10 days.

TAAAAA!!!!!

2010-09-07T21:00:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure where Cole learned this but, today he was plugging in the computer cord and then, once done, throwing his hands up and yelling TAAAA!!! Which, I think means TA-DA!

Got.to.plug.in!

Keep trying. I can do this.

TAAAA!!!

Eye Protection

2010-09-07T20:53:00.002-05:00

My future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.

Nonexistent Personal Space

2010-09-07T20:38:00.003-05:00

There's no such thing as personal space here. We're all used to it...sort of. I occasionally burst out with a "No More Touching Mommy!!", but the kids all seem OK with it. Mia doesn't even mind Cole exploring her belly button.

Octopus Hair

2010-09-07T20:31:00.003-05:00

I think Anderson came up with a great name for Carter's hair do today. This was after I tried to wipe dinner out of Carter's hair.

15 month stats

2010-09-05T21:14:00.002-05:00

Cole, Mia and Carter a 2 days away from turning 16 months old, but here's their 15 month rundown.

Cole-
Height: 31 1/4" 50th%
Weight: 21 lbs, 12 oz 10th%

Mia-
Height: 29 1/2" 25th%
Weight: 20 lbs, 5 oz 25th%

Carter-
Height: 30 1/2" 25th%
Weight: 20 lbs, 4 oz 5th%

Now, these stats show Mia weighing more than Carter, which is a first. I don't know if this is accurate as Mia was screaming and flailing about during the weigh-in. However, Carter is very good at putting every last bit of food in his mouth and then spitting out the chewed up pieces and re-eating some of that. He could be tricking us about how much he's really getting down. Either way, all are doing well and seem big and healthy to me!

Kansas City

2010-08-31T14:16:00.002-05:00

While Carolyn and Jessica stayed with the kids, Shaun and I went to Kansas City! I love that town. There's so much to do. I kept finding all sorts of things the kids would love. We'll definitely be back with the kids in a few years. We went to a Royals ball game the first night that got rained out after half an inning. The next day we went to Parksville in North West Kansas City for their festival days. I loved the part of the trip. We'll be back to Parksville too. Saturday night we went back to the ball park to redeem our tickets from the night before. It went extra innings and was so exciting, especially since the Royals ending up winning. It was a really nice break for Shaun and I.

The rain delay that turned into a postponed game. The next night we had seats straight across, one section before the yellow pole about 5 rows back. This is one of the last pictures I got before my camera died.

Fishing Guide

2010-08-31T14:10:00.004-05:00

Glade, Shaun and Trenton went on a guided fishing trip while they were here. They caught their limit of 12-15lb stripers in two hours! Good thing we like fish...and have a freezer.

Cliff Jumpers

2010-08-31T13:57:00.003-05:00

We found a cool cliff to jump off of while at the lake. I jumped once and then decided I was done when Shaun said he could touch the bottom. Bottoms should not exist when cliff jumping.

Trenton and Jessica.

Shaun's back flip

I'm pretty sure I'm about to do some awesome trick here, the camera just didn't catch it. Yeah, that's it.

Shaun's pose.

Glade even jumped!

Shaun's gainer.

Beaver Lake

2010-08-31T13:32:00.002-05:00

We had Glade, Carolyn, Jessica and Trenton visit for a week. Beaver Lake was the place to be! The water was warm and the weather was perfect, besides that little stint of rain on day one with the jet skis. Who knew rain drops could hurt so bad while zipping across the lake at 753,572 RPMs? That didn't last long though and we had a great couple of days at the lake. The babies had a blast on the shore line. We had to keep an eye on Cole. He would crawl out further and further unil one of us had to save his life. Anderson wasn't too sure about the jet ski, so after his first ride he opted for the shore line also. The next day we had a boat for wake boarding and tubing. Lots of fun was had.

Walking Times Three

2010-08-08T22:13:00.002-05:00

The babies are walking! Mia and Carter decided a few weeks ago that they preferred walking over crawling and Cole took another week longer before he thought that walking was a good idea. We always thought Cole would walk first. He's stronger and has taken more steps than Mia or Carter, but didn't have the enthusiasm for it I guess. They love being chased and Mia even gets into a little run. It's so strange to sit in a room and watch them walk by one after another, down the hall. I thought this would give me new freedom with little distances, like from the car to the doorway of the church or someones house. I envisioned them following me up to the door like little ducklings. Not so. Boy do they get everywhere fast. On to new adventures!

Corn on the Cob

2010-07-23T13:44:00.002-05:00

I loaded up the kids and headed out to pick some corn. Only after heaving the triple stroller over the electric fence and then carefully buckling the babies in did I realize that the electric fence was not on. Good thing, because I grabbed it with my hand to test it and Anderson got tangled up in it about 3 times by the time we got out of there. The corn was delicious! We picked 50 ears of corn and I froze half of it. The corn I left on the cob is already gone. Everybody loved it.

Cole the Entertainer

2010-07-23T13:35:00.003-05:00

The limitless fun of an exersaucer.

Above.
Below.
Above.
Below.

Tortilla Party!

2010-07-23T13:21:00.003-05:00

I was only gone for a few minutes!

Cole's 1st Hair Cut

2010-07-23T12:58:00.004-05:00

I've never cried over a haircut--mine or anyone else. It's just not something to cry over. But, a buzz for Cole's first hair cut proved to be too much for me. I didn't cry but, like a sunburn, over time I felt the pain. Maybe a few inches off the side would have been a better idea, at least for my nerves. No buzzes for first hair cuts!

Before
During

After

Good thing he's so naturally handsome.

Slip 'N Slide

2010-07-23T12:50:00.001-05:00

The best $5 ever spent.

Brave Anderson

2010-07-23T00:34:00.003-05:00

First Fridays at the Square have become our favorite family activity. Last time we went they had this cool bungee jumping thing. Anderson said he wanted to do this instead of the inflatable slide. He has a reputation for saying he wants to do something and then backing out at the last minute if it's a little scary, so...
I thought he'd chicken out at this stage...or surely when the stranger man came to get him...
and this is when I thought he'd say to the nice man, "no thanks" and back out...
I still didn't believe he'd do it, even at this stage...
but he did! My camera died right after this last picture, but I tell you, that boy jumped and jumped and jumped the full time allotted to him. Good job!

Electricity

2010-07-23T00:23:00.004-05:00

We haven't covered electricity yet in preschool so I blame myself for this one...that and I was asleep the whole time.
I knew Anderson had snuck some coins into his room and I wanted them picked up before the babies swallowed one. Shaun asked him where the coins were and he pointed to his nightlight and then covered his ears. Apparently there was a loud noise when he placed the coin in between the nightlight and the outlet...and a little fire. He tripped the circuits in two rooms and I had no idea any of this happened until that evening. I never knew I slept that soundly.

Carter's Secret

2010-07-23T00:17:00.003-05:00

Carter has secretly known how to eat with a spoon this whole time! Who taught him? Because I didn't! I gave the babies a bowl of oatmeal and a spoon and let them go at it.

Look at this kid!
Good form.
Amazing! And if you think he's a little sloppy....check out this kid
or this one
I'd say Carter gets the prize.

Garden Delights

2010-07-23T00:14:00.002-05:00

For preschool, sometimes Anderson and I just go harvest veggies from the garden.

Fashionista

2010-07-22T23:49:00.007-05:00

Mia turns ordinary, everyday items into something of fashion, namely, bracelets.

Here, she applies the layering technique.
She's even been known to turn Anderson's underwear into arm fashion. She's a true visionary.

Visitors

2010-07-22T23:29:00.002-05:00

Preston and Lindsey were passing through on their way back home. It was a fun, short visit that involved singing happy birthday to Lindsey and presenting her with a half eaten birthday cake. We show our guests a good time.

All I can say is, I'd better not hear another red neck joke again.

Duncan

2010-06-27T21:04:00.004-05:00

Grandpa Lunt's grave site.
Cotton seed!

Milking cows.

Baby cows.

Grandma Lunt's house

Grandma Lunt
We were in Arizona a few weeks ago for Preston's wedding. One of the few times I got out the camera was on our trip to the Lunt Dairy in Duncan. What a great place! We had so much fun. We first had a picnic in Grandma Lunt's yard. Then we walked through the house that's been vacant for a while. After that, we drove down to see the baby cows. Next, we timed it just right to see the cows get milked. Anderson watched the whole process, then turned to me and said, "Mom, I need a drink." We went and played in the cotton seed that they feed to the cows. This was my favorite part. You'll have to ask Cole, Mia or Carter how the cotton seed tasted. They had their fair share of cow food. Last, we went to the Virden, New Mexico Cemetary to visit Grandpa Lunt's grave. It also happened to be his birthday on that very day. It was fun to listen to Carolyn tell us about her childhood growing up in Duncan.

Whole Milk and Sippy Cups

2010-05-23T21:20:00.002-05:00

Goodbye formula. I'm glad you exist, you fed my babies for a year and gave them the nutrients their little bodies needed. Bottles, thank you for being here. You made it possible for these babies to drink the formula. And now, I must say goodbye to you both...forever. Goodbye to two Sam's Club sized cans of formula a week and bottles overrunning my dishwasher, hello to three gallons of whole milk a week and sippy cups! YES!!!!

Swimming School

2010-05-23T21:10:00.003-05:00

Anderson has been taking swimming lessons for the past two months. He has one more lesson tomorrow and I think he will be very sad when he says, "I ready for swimming school!" and I'll have to say, "Sorry, bud, they're over!" I'm sure there will be tears. This has been an exciting adventure for Anderson, something he gets to do just by himself and he has loved every second of it. When I ask what he learned at the end of each lesson he always tells me, "I quack and ribbit". I'm not sure what this means, but he's happy so I'm happy. I think I had high expectations when I put him in this class because I envisioned him actually swimming by the end of it. He's not, but he had fun jumping in the water, kicking, splashing and seeing his "friends" every week.

Six More Months

2010-05-23T20:45:00.004-05:00

The babies have six more months until NURSERY, because they turned 1 on May 7th!!! (I'm really excited about nursery.) My grandpa's funeral was on May 7th, so we cancelled the little party we had planned and sang happy birthday and ate cupcakes a week later. It's hard to believe that it's been a year since I was lying on the operating table with a room full of about 20 people all talking, yelling and running around, orchestrating the arrival of these three. Cole, Mia and Carter had many people working together to bring them into the world and have had many more people in their lives since, helping them grow and be happy over this past year. We are so very lucky. Happy Birthday Cole, Mia and Carter!! I love you and I'm so glad you are each a part of our family.

Grandpa Anderson

2010-05-23T20:00:00.005-05:00

I was in Utah with Mia a few weeks ago to attend Grandpa Anderson's funeral. He's the first of my grandparents to pass away and I can now say that it doesn't matter if they're old, sick and ready to go, it's still shocking. I'll miss him. I'm grateful for the legacy of honesty, fairness, hard work, gentleness, a "be tough" attitude, and the wisdom he's left me, along with a slew of memories that make me smile every time I think of them. I'm so glad that I was able to go to the funeral and be with my siblings, I truly left happier than when I came. I'm grateful to know that grandpa is still working hard on the other side.

A few memories about grandpa that were shared at the funeral-

My grandma had made a pie for her little brother's scout bake sale. A scout leader came to pick up the pie and after looking it over told her that they couldn't use it. It looked pretty bad. My grandpa asked the man if he'd like to step outside. He was loyal.

My aunt remembers sitting in the car watching my grandpa pick up huge rocks and boulders and bring them to the car for my grandma and her rock garden. He was strong.

My uncle remembers sitting in the basement crying because a few boys were picking on him at school. After learning what was bothering my uncle, my grandpa shook his head, got up, turned around and said, "You know, there are worse things in life than getting your butt kicked." My uncle asked, "Like what?" Grandpa said, "Like crying in the basement for the rest of your life." He was wise.

My other aunt remembers hauling hay with my grandpa while another farmer just looked on, not helping. After a while my aunt started grumbling about it to grandpa. Grandpa just shook off her complaints and kept working. She said it bothered her because she knew if the situation was reversed her dad would not have stood there watching while someone else worked. He would have helped. He was a hard worker and never said unkind things about other people.

One of my own memories...
My brothers had attended baseball camp at BYU and grandpa had helped pay their way. When he found out I was going to volleyball camp he offered to help pay my way also. I've always thought that this was very fair of him. I'm not sure if he even knew girls played sports, but he offered me the same deal as the boys. He gave everyone a fair shake.

All the grandkids, minus Scottie, with a few great grandkids.

Cousins L-R: Zack, Samantha, Brock, Ali, Devan, Sarah, Mike, Cheramie, Dave, Angie, Jeff

Two Thoughts

2010-05-02T22:59:00.002-05:00

After looking back over some home videos and photos I've come to two conclusions. First, it's LOUD at my house. And second, pants are completely optional here.

How To's

2010-05-02T22:37:00.005-05:00

How to organize a pantry.

How to unload a dishwasher.

How to potty train a child with three curious younger children.

How to watch General Conference.

How to fit into small spaces.

Feeding Some Babies

2010-05-02T22:25:00.001-05:00

Anderson is turning out to be quite the helper! Cole and Mia kind of look like gerbils.

Easter Saturday Egg Hunt

2010-04-11T22:44:00.005-05:00

We had the best weather, the best company, and the best food for Easter Saturday.

Cole was a lucky guy to have Alyssa hold him. Don't worry, that's his normal scowl.
Mia was lucky that Madi wanted a little sidekick. She stuck with Madi a lot.
And Carter was just lucky Melissa put up with him all afternoon.
Anderson was lucky that there were over 200 eggs hidden around the yard.

Easter egg hunts are so much more fun with friends...especially if you're the only boy!

Happy Easter!

Hotels

2010-04-11T22:41:00.003-05:00

I thought I'd share this one little photo with you. It's how we do hotels.

This was taken in Oklahoma City on a temple trip weekend. Poor Carter got the unlucky draw this time and had to use the hotel crib.

Happy 3rd Birthday Anderson!

2010-04-11T21:47:00.005-05:00

It's really not a secret that Anderson loves balls. His first word was ball. So, for his first friend birthday party I decided to go with a baseball theme. He wanted a basketball cake for weeks and then it turned to baseball...and then soccer, football and back to basketball. Usually he told me he wanted all of these balls on his cake. I told him I'd surprise him.

So we started off with a baseball pinata filled to the brim with candy. Anderson cracked it open and the kids took two pieces of candy and were done. I strongly encouraged them to take more.

Then we have the baseball field cake. Anderson runs the bases at a local ball park and so he was excited when I pitched him the idea of a baseball field cake. Pun totally intended.

And here are the cake pops. These suckers took forever! Pun intended. (Ok, I'll stop now.) They were pretty and tasted good though. I made them with red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting.

The tablescape.

Birthday Boy!

It was a fun filled (one-hour) party. Thanks to all who made it a special day for him.

Free Photo Shoot

2010-04-07T17:00:00.001-05:00

I so want/need this giveaway! http://vivafullhouse.blogspot.com/2010/04/sweet-moments-design-photography.html

Anderson, Anderson, Anderson

2010-03-21T21:01:00.002-05:00

Say the above title while heaving a big sigh and shaking your head back and forth and you'd have me on the night this happened...

I may have laughed little bit too, but out of Anderson's eyesight!

Lil A got into the lotion while he was supposed to be sleeping and decided to empty it's entire contents onto his head and the floor. Shaun tried to get the excess out of his hair before I put him in the shower. Our carpet cleaner/friend said, "That was some expensive lotion, wasn't it? It's pretty thick." Yes, yes it was expensive lotion. He had it everywhere, I was wiping it off the wall across the room! My camera died before I could get a shot of the carpet. He packed most of the lotion into the floor in one spot. It piled up to about two inches in thickness when I tried scraping it up with a sturdy spatula. Luckily our friend got it all cleaned up and it looks great. Anderson, Nick is your new best friend. He may have saved your life!

Teeth- I Hate 'Em

2010-03-21T20:36:00.002-05:00

But, I only hate them when they're causing pain to my little people. Once they're in, I love them.

Mia still just has her two on the bottom. There is one breaking through on the top-side. No fun.

Carter just recently cut four teeth all at once across the top. Six total. No fun.
(Well, he looks like he's having a little bit of fun.)

And Cole has four, with the two middle coming in right now. No fun.
Couple all of these teeth with two ear infections and no one is sleeping much. Which equals--No Fun!

Bentonville Half Marathon

2010-03-21T20:18:00.005-05:00

No, I did not run half the distance of a marathon. That's just what the race was called. I ran a 5K last Saturday that started and ended in downtown Bentonville at the square. It was fun, and I'll most likely do it again. I ran the whole distance so I'm happy with that. Although "run" is definitely too strong of a word to use. Next time I'll work on "running" faster than those who speed-walked the whole way. I only had one injury. Those dang time tags! I obviously decided on the wrong place for it. I knew at about 100 yards in that I should stop and move it, but I didn't want to stop. So I didn't. Over the course of 3.1 miles it slowly bore a hole in my leg. Good thing it was about 30 degrees and my body was too numb to really feel it.

Library!

2010-03-11T23:01:00.004-06:00

We made it to the library a few days ago! I took all of the kids and we had the best time. I credit Anderson for this successful trip. He waited while I first, figured out how to open the stroller, then he waited while I got all the babies out of their car seats and strapped into the stroller. As you can imagine this takes an incredible amount of time. He was so excited to go, but he stayed right by my side until we were ready, and there were no tantrums when it was time to go. When I asked him if he wanted to go to the library he had to take a minute to remember it. Then he shouted "Puzzles?!" and "Big Fish!". It was very interesting to watch him strain to pull out some memories of the library. And kind of sad. It was like watching him vaguely remember a former life he had. One that involved leaving the house. Well, I hope this marks the beginning of our little family getting out and about more often.

Mia

2010-03-11T22:39:00.003-06:00

She's cute.

And...
She knows it.

11 Years

2010-03-09T22:12:00.003-06:00

For our anniversary this year we went to Lokomotion. We started off with a little go-kart madness. Shaun was so ticked at the girl who lapped him. I think he even bumped her! I told him, "Hey, I'm not mad at that punk-kid who lapped me--TWICE." I don't think he bought it. Then we moved on to laser tag. This was the ultimate game of laser tag because Shaun and I were the only players. We spent the next few minutes, running around shooting each other with little laser beams. And yes, a shoulder-roll was involved. I won, but Shaun swears he was distracted by my white, glowing teeth running straight at him. I was smiling a lot. I like laser tag. Next, we went out to the miniature golf course, where Shaun flagrantly cheated and kept referring to Roon. We had a lot of laughs. Then we finished up with some arcades. We had so much fun and it didn't involve food or movies! Who knew?! This was the perfect anniversary date for us!

See these smiles? This was taken as we were pulling away from our house with our first EVER paid babysitter inside. Yes, the babies were already in bed before she got there but still, what a great feeling!

Taxes and Birthdays

2010-03-09T21:44:00.002-06:00

For my birthday this year we did taxes, which was really ok by me. Oh, and the trick to a really huge tax refund? Have triplets! Happy Birthday to me!

Anderson informed me (on the day of) that Shaun's birthday cake should be a football. So, I quickly cut the 9 x 13 spice cake in half, tinted the cream cheese frosting brown...and there you go. I didn't dare cut cake away to form a football because I knew Shaun was looking forward to every crumb. Not my best, but Shaun could tell what it was and it was fun. It felt like it was Anderson's gift to Shaun.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes this year!

Accidental Paci Weaning

2010-02-27T11:03:00.004-06:00

The drive home from Utah produced an unexpected reward. The babies no longer needed their paci's to fall asleep! With all the time in their car seats, they had to get themselves to sleep if their paci's fell out. As soon as I realized this, I went with it and got rid of all them. It's been a pretty smooth transition and I think was the perfect age to lose the paci's. It sure is nice not having to crawl under cribs in the middle of the night to retrieve a pacifier! And that heart-stopping moment when you can't find one? GONE!

This isn't even all of them!

A (not so great) Poem

2010-02-26T10:05:00.002-06:00

Cheerios, oh, Cheerios
Thy roundness is so sweet,
But why oh why do you always wind up beneath my feet?

Thy crunch is so satisfying,
For this reason I'm always buying.

The babies eat you with much flair
But why are you constantly swinging from my hair?

Your presence on the carpet is quite disturbing,
Even more so, that the kids find these the most deserving.

Your convenience is what I like best,
But if you can't contain yourself, you'll soon be laid to rest.

The Impossible Task

2010-02-23T21:30:00.003-06:00

Getting all three babies looking at the camera while they're playing is no small feat. It usually requires bottles or food. Neither of which I had.

"Boys, look at mama!"

"Mia, Mia!!"

"Caaaaarterrrrr!"

"Anderson! Get out of the picture!!!"

"Oh, Cole."

"Never mind."

On Being a Triplet

2010-02-23T21:02:00.002-06:00

I don't know what it's like to be a triplet, but I know that it's pretty rare and unique. I want the babies to know this. I want them to embrace it and celebrate it. I know they're individuals, but they have an uncommon link with each other that I would never want to diminish. I'm excited for them as they journey through life and discover the reasons why they came together. Here's to being a triplet!

Carter-9 Months

2010-02-10T23:58:00.003-06:00

Carter's stats really don't do him justice. He's thick all the way around--belly, feet, hands, cheeks. He sure feels heavy to me!
Height: 27 1/2" 25th%
Weight: 17# 13oz 10th%
Carter's so quiet and undemanding. He waits his turn, plays quietly by himself and is always the last to demand to be fed. He's easy on me. For the first few months of his life I was really worried that he didn't have vocal chords. He never made a peep! Now, however, he lets me know that he doesn't like to go to bed. Then, out come these deep, loud cries that would startle you if you knew Carter. He's not a follower, he doesn't care what the others are doing, or if they're even in the same room as him. Carter has an easy smile for everyone, even for his siblings who don't always notice. He'll let anyone hold him and is pretty easy going. Carter's got 2 teeth on the bottom in the middle. He doesn't like chunks in his solid foods and gags on carrots or pasta or whatever is mixed in with the puree. He's figured out a way to suck all the puree in and spit all the chunks out. Maybe it has something to do with the thumb tack he tried to eat about a month ago. We were in the clerk's office at church while Shaun was getting set apart for a calling. During the prayer Carter found the tack and stuck it in his mouth. I was driving home when I heard him choking on something. I stopped the car, took him out of his car seat and swept his mouth. The site of a thumb tack coming out of my child's mouth made my stomach drop, but Carter wasn't even crying. It's almost scarier when they don't make a fuss. But now, he may never eat solid things again. Carter has the army crawl down. He's good at it and he's fast. I don't know if he feels the need to crawl on his hands and knees. He's just starting to explore and has the bruises to show for it.

Carter-Man, Carter Barter

Mia-9 Months

2010-02-10T23:26:00.006-06:00

Mia is still pretty petite, but that's comparing her to boys.
Compared to other girls, she's doing pretty well...
Height: 27" 30th%
Weight" 16# 13oz 30th%
She's got a great smile and will usually flash you one without too much coaxing. Mia is so determined to keep up, the poor girl drags her body around the house chasing her brothers. Her crawl is quite hypnotic to watch, almost like watching someone row a boat. She puts her left arm down across the front of her and pulls and then switches and does the same with her right arm. Back and forth, back and forth. She's very coordinated and has been able to pick up finger foods with her thumb and index finger from the first day I introduced them. She's pretty feisty and knows what she wants, especially when it comes to toys. Mia likes to be where the action is and that usually means following Cole around who's following Anderson around. She's got two teeth on the bottom middle and I'm sure more are on the way. Recently she's become a momma's girl, which is surprising. I wasn't sure she even knew who her momma was. She'll drag herself over and stop right in between my feet and cry until I pick her up. She likes to be held, which doesn't really go hand-in-hand with being a triplet. Mia seems to be a social butterfly and definitely chooses people over toys, movies, books, etc.

Mia-Pia, Mia Tortilla, Missy Mae, Baby Doll

Cole-9 Months

2010-02-10T22:53:00.005-06:00

This guy is climbing, crawling and cruising. He's so strong and pulls himself up to standing using whatever he can grab. Cole just had his 9 month check up today and still holds the title for height and weight among the triplets.
Height: 28 1/2" 60th%
Weight: 18# 6oz 30th%
He's got 4 teeth, two on the bottom in the middle and two on the top, one on each side. He knows exactly how to use them too. I went fishing for something he put in his mouth and his bite broke skin on my finger. Now I just let him eat the paper. He's pretty independent and seems to be the leader of the pack. He's still a little on the cranky side, but has really cheered up since the crawling started. He can be cuddly but also likes to be on the go. He's a super fast crawler and is hard to catch sometimes. Cole can often be found playing with Anderson in Anderson's room. These two are good friends. He loves to eat. Usually, Cole will eat as much as Carter and Mia combined. He needs it! He's a growing boy! And he's got a title to uphold.

Cole-baby, Colipokes, Pokie, Coli

Anderson

2010-02-10T22:30:00.003-06:00

I can't believe he's almost three. He's talking a mile a minute and running even faster. His imagination is pretty impressive sometimes and usually involves monkeys or robots. He frequently yells, "Mom, there's a gorilla behind you!" as I walk into his room. This always get my heart racing for about a half a second. Or, "Mom, you have a robot on your head!" Not as scary as the gorilla that's behind me. He likes to throw pretend snowballs at us and, daily, he offers me pizza or hot dogs that look suspiciously like marbles. I really love it when he talks baby-talk to the babies, it cracks me up. He can be soft and gentle with them but he prefers to play rough and tumble. He treats them a lot like a stuffed animal-cuddles them and then tosses them aside when he's through. Potty training is still going well, candy and Chuck-E-Cheese are great motivators. All in all, he's just a lot of fun!

A Snowman!

Another snowman, only this one is made from the entire contents of his dresser drawer. During nap time.

Blog Books

2010-02-07T21:05:00.002-06:00

I have a new reason for blogging. For Christmas, under some major stealthy operations, Shaun went and turned my blog into two books. I love the books. It was so fun to look through them. It did, however, make me realize that I haven't chronicled the triplets lives like I did Anderson's. I let it slip by for 9 months for obvious reasons, like--NO TIME, and--THERE'S THREE OF THEM! But, I do feel that Cole and Mia and Carter should know a little bit about what they were like as babies, so I shall do better.

Anderson's Not-So-Secret Admirer

2010-02-07T20:45:00.002-06:00

Cole has appointed himself Anderson's new BFF. The little guy is down right cranky most of the time, but when Anderson walks in the room his face lights up. Cole watches his every move and follows him around. I'm just glad Anderson seems to like it still. Really, all the babies love it when Anderson entertains them but Cole takes it to a whole other level.

Wherever Anderson is...Cole will be there too.

I just hope the mutual adoration lasts.

Potty Rewards!

2010-01-19T15:51:00.002-06:00

Anderson has been doing so well with potty training (besides the underwear he's flushed down the toilet). He gets stickers every time he goes and then can cash those stickers in for something fun. Last Friday he cashed in and we went to the movies! It was just me and him and we saw Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. It was his first time to the big screen and it was so fun to watch him watch the movie. The first time the chipmunks came on he stood up, with both arms raised and yelled "The Chipmunks! WooHoo!" Luckily, it was a young crowd and movie etiquette didn't really apply. Good job Anderson! You're growing up so fast, I can't believe I've changed your last diaper!

2009 Utah Trip-The Rest

2010-01-12T21:25:00.003-06:00

After the holidays we just played and relaxed and enjoyed being with family. Here are some of the things we filled our time with.

Papa push-ups with Anderson.

Papa push-ups with Anna.

Eating puffs.

Mia gets a little frenzied when the puffs come out. She's as effective as a vacuum.

Indoctrinating our children with the help of the BYU Bookstore. It's going well.

Sledding at the farm with Uncle Jeff, Anderson and Brooklyn.

Petting Angel.

Thanks Mom and Dad, I can't believe you let us stay for so long. I hope you (and your carpets) have recovered by now. We sure had a great time!