Trippin' - Life with Triplets

We Are Learning

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 04:51:00 +0000

Today I served Sam his lunch. He looked up at me and said, "Can I eat this, Mama? Is it wheat free, soy free, dairy free?"

What?

Never forget that your kids are ALWAYS listening.

Sam didn't cry at a single meal today. He now also refuses to drink any milk substitute we offer, including chocolate varieties and regular varieties with Hershey's chocolate syrup in them.

I have heard that there's a potato milk substitute, so we're going to try that.

In the meantime, I have realized that Sam will need a calcium supplement if he's not going to drink "milk." And that led me to the realization that I probably really need a nutritionist to help make sure he's really getting everything he needs in the strange new world of allergy-free eating. Somehow I don't think apple slices and ham will do the job.

Tonight I've spent my usual blogging time reading through a bunch of gluten-free and allergy-free cookbooks. And my pasta roller/cutter attachment for my Kitchen Aid arrived today, so there will be some pasta making and baking going on this weekend!

The Pamela's bread mix we tried last weekend was pretty good. I made rolls and all of us ate them (except Dad, I think).

Friday we'll try pizza. I bought a crust and some rice "mozzarella," but I need to make some pizza sauce since anything I can buy has garlic in it. The reviews I've read about the "cheese" are really good, but the stuff smells, well, not like cheese, that's for sure. We'll see if it goes over. I know that the further he gets from the real thing, the more acceptable the substitutes will be.

I promise not to bore you to death with the allergy-free diet we've got going on here, but it's a pretty big part of life right now, so I'm sure it will keep popping up. And I do appreciate all of the support and ideas you guys have offered me, so thanks for that!

The Real Truth About The Chicken Limo

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:28:00 +0000

We have a novelty limo company in the area. Among other things, they have a limo with a large chicken on the top. We often drive by it on the street and from the first time Amelia saw it when she was about three, she called it the Chicken Coop Car and insisted that it was only used to transport chickens.

Well today we saw it on the move, and Amelia restated her position that it is only used to move chickens.

"Honey," I said. "I'm pretty sure that people ride in that car."

"No, Mom!" she insisted. "It moves chickens. Only chickens."

"Tell me why you think it moves chickens," I said, curious to hear her theory on the subject. She's never been willing to elaborate, but today she gave me the whole scoop.

"Well, Mom, it's like this." (I was already grinning and trying not to smile as she oh-so-seriously explained it to me.) "Say we lived on a farm. And say we had 100 chickens. But we didn't want 100 chickens. We only wanted 10, but we got 100."

By this point in her word problem, I was trying not to laugh.

"So we would have, like, all these extra chickens," Amelia said.

"Yes, we would have 90 extra chickens," I replied.

"Right, 90 chickens. And we didn't want those chickens. We only wanted 10. So we would call the Chicken Coop Car and they would come and get the 90 chickens we don't want and take them to another farm," Amelia finished.

I was trying so hard not to laugh at this point that I am pretty sure I popped something internally.

So there you have it folks. The real truth about the Chicken Coop Car, and today's word problem courtesy of my five-year-old.

Next time I'm going to ask her about the Hippo Bus...

Of Sister Alexius and Socks

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:54:00 +0000

Tonight I was folding four loads of laundry all at once, and tossing socks into a giant heap to be dealt with last.

Seriously, I do not need variety in the socks I buy for my kids. I do not want two or three different styles in one package. Make them all white with grey heels and toes. Don't make some white with grey stripes on the top and some without. And for Pete's sake, don't toss two variations on the white with navy theme into the mix. I'll never make that mistake again.

Anyway, back to the point.

When I turned to tackle the mound of socks waiting to be paired up, I couldn't help but think about my great aunt, Sister Alexius.

Sister Alexius was my dad's aunt, and she was in a convent a couple hours away from the town I grew up in. A few times a year, she'd hop on the bus and come visit us.

Whenever Sister Alexius came she always wanted to help in some way, so my mom always had her pair and fold socks. So she would sit at the table with a giant laundry basket full to the top with socks (remember, there were eight kids in my family) and fold them for a couple of hours while she visited with my mom and us kids. It was a good way to keep her busy and out of the way at the same time.

That was the only time our socks were ever paired up and folded. Ever.

My mom would just pull all of the socks out of the dryer and toss them in that laundry basket, which we creatively referred to as the Sock Basket, in the back hall. When we needed socks we went to the basket and dug out two that matched.

This is further evidence that my mom is a genius. Think of all the time she saved!

Of course, we were always free to pair and fold our own socks, and we always did Dad's dress socks. He needed the help, since he's blue-black color blind. Otherwise, we had to wait for Sister Alexius to visit.

I wonder if she ever realized that her special job of pairing and folding socks was a job no one else in the house ever did?

No matter. The thought of it put a smile on my face tonight as I dealt with my own pile of socks.

And it made me vow to install a Sock Basket as soon as possible.

Snickerdoodles To The Rescue!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:55:00 +0000

Day Two of Sam's special diet was a little better than Day One. He cried at supper because he wanted something he couldn't have, and he turned up his nose at the mashed potates I made with chicken stock and non-dairy and non-soy butter substitute. Everyone else ate them though, so I consider that a major win.

Then came snack time. The other kids wanted cookies. Sam can't have most cookies, but last night I picked up a package of completely allergen free snickerdoodles. Sam's never had a snickerdoodle, so I had high hopes that he would like them, since he didn't know the difference. He LOVED them.

And I assuaged my mommy guilt over struggling to feed my child by letting him eat the entire package.

(There were only 12 little 2-inch cookies, but still.)

It helps a lot to have Daddy here so we can give Sam some one-on-one attention at meal time.

I did throw a fit at lunchtime when the other kids were making special requests for meals. That was the end of that. Seems that once in a while it's a good thing for Mom to throw a fit.

Tonight a trip to yet another store yielded some specialty flours and a Pamela's bread mix, a brand my sister-in-law recommends. So tomorrow Sam and I will be mixing up some bread. I have my fingers crossed that it will be something he wants to eat.

In other news, the other day the boys were dipping wads of toilet paper in the toilet and throwing them at the wall. Where do you suppose they learned to do that?

It Was Ugly

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 04:27:00 +0000

I'm not going to lie: Our first day of removing wheat, soy and dairy from Sam's diet was ugly. He cried at every meal. And he cried for an hour after breakfast because he didn't get what he wanted (a bagel with cream cheese).

He kept begging me, "Please, mama! I promise I won't scratch anymore. I promise! I'm hungry." It went on for an hour while I tried futilely to distract him.

It broke my heart. It still is breaking my heart.

Instead of giving him what he wanted I served up three meals today that he didn't want to eat. And in an attempt to make it easier on him, made my other kids miserable too.

By the time he was refusing to eat supper I had to excuse myself to the other room so I wouldn't cry in front of the kids.

Before supper Sam had eaten a piece of ham, a piece of rice cheese (grossest thing ever, by the way), three pieces of apple and a couple sips of almond milk. I know he was hungry, but he didn't want the corn/quinoa noodles, which he couldn't have with Parmesan cheese.

Then Super Dad sat down with Sam and persuaded him to eat almost all of his noodles. It took chopsticks and making little "sandwiches" by wrapping a piece of ham around a noodle. But he ate almost all of it.

Then he had a lemon Italian ice as a treat and he was happy for a little while.

*sigh*

Surely tomorrow will be better, right?

Allergy Alert!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:07:00 +0000

Today we got the results of Sam's allergy tests. There's good news and bad news, but let me start at the beginning.

For a redhead, Sam had remarkably good skin from birth. He was a little prone to dryness, and we had to watch for diaper rash, but overall he had no real problems.

Shortly after he turned two, he got a dry, scaly patch on the top of his foot. It was the leg he had in a cast, so we didn't think much about it.

That was the end of February last year, and we couldn't get that patch to go away completely. Then it started on the other foot. By summer the tops of both of his feet were rough, scaly and itchy from the toes to the ankles. We saw the doctor and got a steroid cream that cleared things up, but as soon as we stopped using it, the rash came back.

By May, the rash was all over his feet, on the backs of his knees, in the creases of his elbows and on his wrists. It started to spread up his legs and from his wrists to his knees. At one point last summer, his legs looked so bad that someone asked me if he had poison ivy. And it itched so much that one day at the library he took his shoe off and rubbed his foot on the carpet until it bled.

The itching was waking him up at night, too, so all around, he was getting to be pretty miserable.

So, off to the dermatologist with us. The first round of steroid cream and an antibiotic for a possible secondary infection from all the scratching helped a little. The second round of a new steroid cream in August made a huge difference, but as soon as we stopped using it, the rash came back with a vengeance.

We made an appointment with a pediatric dermatologist. But by this time I knew that the problem was more than skin-related. I had voiced my suspicions about allergies to more than one doctor, but no one really grabbed on to it. I just felt like it must be something he was ingesting or being continuously exposed to, because of the way the rash was spreading.

By the time the boys were three, I had tapped into the homeopathic community and we started using calendula as a moisturizer. I highly recommend it. It's a natural moisturizer and has made a world of difference in Sam's skin, making it far less rough and scaly. California Baby makes a calendula conditioner that has completely cleared up the scaliness on Sam's scalp. We also found a homeopathic anti-itch ointment that includes aloe and comfrey that helped with the itch.

I finally got Sam in with an allergist at the end of the year for an IgG/IgE blood screen for allergies. And today we got the results.

The good news is that he is not outright (IgE) allergic to anything -- no foods, no grasses or trees, not even cats, which put me right over the edge. He also has no sensitivity to gluten and does not have celiac disease.

However, he is moderately sensitive (IgG) to two biggies: wheat and soy. And he has very low sensitivity to everything in the dairy family except casein. And he has three things he is very highly sensitive to: salmon, peanuts and garlic. Random, I know.

The upshot of all this is that the doctor wants us to eliminate all wheat, soy and dairy for six months, and steer clear of his high allergens, too.

I know this won't be easy, but there are a lot good resources out there, and we'll figure it out. Tonight I bought almond milk and bread that is wheat, dairy and soy free, as well as a non-dairy, non-soy butter substitute. I just have my fingers crossed that Sam will eat any of it. He is a pretty picky eater, and carbs are his favorite thing.

We have talked with Sam about how some foods are making his skin all rashy and itchy and how the doctor told us he can't eat them anymore. He, in turn, informed his brothers and sisters of that fact, so I know he understands.

Understanding and accepting are two very different things, though, so I'll be holding my breath.

More to come on this subject, I'm sure.

Ahhh, Sleep!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:01:00 +0000

It's been a long time since I talked about bedtime with the boys. I am beyond thrilled to tell you that we have FINALLY reached the point where the three of them (mostly) stay in their beds at bedtime and all night.

When we first moved them to big boy beds in May, it was sixteen kinds of crazy. CRAZY! That room was like a frat party out of control for two hours or more every night. We had to sit on top of them to get them to settle down, and even with us right there, they'd goof around until they earned a time out or were sent to the pack and play in our room for exile.

When we hit their third birthday, four months into this everlasting "transition," and were still dealing with shenanigans every night I thought I'd never be able to get rid of the pack and play in our room, even though they were almost too big for it.

Long about Thanksgiving, a full six months after we first moved them out of the cribs (which they were climbing out of anyway), they finally got the hang of bedtime.

At Christmas time, I took down the pack and play so we could move a chair and side table to our room to make way for the Christmas tree.

And I haven't had to put it back up. Yay!

We were pretty settled by Thanksgiving, but Isaac was still struggling to fall asleep at night. He was mostly good about hanging out quietly, but as soon as his brothers were asleep he'd start coming out of the room. Or worse, he'd go take his brothers' blankies or move their beds around and create his own brand of quiet chaos.

Then the miracle of melatonin came into our lives. It has made a world of difference for Isaac, and also for Amelia. Amelia falls asleep pretty well now, but when she was Isaac's age she followed the same pattern of spending up to two hours in bed awake. It was frustrating for the kids and for us!

Our pediatrician told us to try melatonin, and wow! What a difference! I think it helps them settle down enough to realize they are tired. We give it about 20-30 minutes before bedtime most nights. But we never give it at naptime, and the boys have gotten pretty good about laying down with a minimum of chaos and going to sleep. So maybe they really have learned?

Isaac still comes to our bed some nights to snuggle. But now it's more the exception than the rule, and it mostly happens when he's not feeling well. Since it's the exception, I can snuggle up with him and enjoy it. That was not the case when he was interrupting my sleep every night!

Of course, now that I've written this I've probably jinxed myself. But if you are struggling with kids who have trouble falling asleep, I highly recommend the miracle of melatonin!

Overheard

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 02:56:00 +0000

On Sunday I made homemade carmel rolls.

I know, I know, that's completely counter to the idea of losing the holiday weight, but I did tell you that I exercise so I can eat. But I digress.

The boys couldn't wait to eat them, and then eat them again later. As I was putting them down for nap Isaac and Sam were talking about eating more carmel rolls.

Isaac said, "We have to eat carmel rolls."

"Yeah! So we can get big and strong!" said Sam.

Then Isaac replied. "Yeah! So we can drive cars!"

Really?

I'm all for growing up (can we get a shout out for being potty trained?), but at three they are talking about driving cars?

At this rate I guarantee I'll be gray before they ever get their driver's licenses.

Exercise Is Not The Enemy. Exercise Is Not The Enemy. Exercise Is Not...

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 03:36:00 +0000

Confession: I do not like to exercise. In fact, I only exercise so I can eat.

Alas, I did plenty of eating over the holidays, and clearly chasing four small children around wasn't sufficient exercise to keep the fat fairy away.

So off to the gym with me.

But what to do? I like being active, chasing kids at the park, hiking, gardening, etc... But actual exercise? Blergh.

The bonus of me time sweetens the pot a bit, and I realize that if I don't step up my game, keeping up with these kids is going to drive me into the ground.

Solution: Zumba!

I know people who rave about Zumba and how fun it is, and I learned Latin Dance in college. (Though I did take it as a required PE credit, again avoiding actual exercise.) I can keep a beat, so how bad can it be?

As it turns out, the real question is, "Exactly how white are you?"

Answer: Really, really white. Really.

The instructor in my first class was African-American, and she was shaking things I didn't know you could shake. My German-Irish heritage gives me genes that dance with a minimum of hip movement, and absolutely no movement from the waist up (to ensure you don't spill your beer, you know).

Shake my booty while moving my arms and turning in a circle? I can't even figure out how to shake my booty like that, let alone add two more movements to the sequence. And those arms? Hip and pumping on my instructor. A grand mal seizure on me.

I was feeling as white as could be until the third song when a white guy in his mid-forties came into the class and joined in. For those of you are fans of the show Friends, I have only this to say: Phoebe running. (If you're not a Friends fan, follow the link and you'll see what I'm talking about.)

I still think I'd be much better at Polka-size, but hey, if he can do it. I can do it!

Wordful Wednesday: LOVE This Photo

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 19:06:00 +0000

This year I had a shot at getting my Christmas cards out early.

Early as in before Thanksgiving.

But I'm a realist and I knew that wouldn't happen. Especially not when I was busy putting all the magic in Christmas -- you know, playing Santa, moving the Elf on the Shelf, having four extra sets of hands in all my holiday baking.

I had hoped to have them all out before Christmas, or at least by New Year's.

Nope.

I got the last cards out on Jan. 9., which means I can finally share these great photos on the blog. They were on our Christmas card and I didn't want to spoil the surprise!

We didn't even try to get a picture of them all together with their letters. I just planned from the beginning to frame four individual shots.

I LOVE these photos, and those little people in them, too!

Play along with Wordful Wednesday over at Seven Clown Circus.

She Says "Don't Carpe Diem." I Agree

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:45:00 +0000

Today I read a blog post that a fellow triplet mom linked on Facebook. It was an epiphany for me, the kind of thing that had me laughing, nodding and saying, "Yes! Exactly!" It was a post that banished some myths and abolished some of my mommy guilt.

I want you to hop over to Momastery and read Glennon's post titled, "Don't Carpe Diem." She says it all far better than I can.

I appreciate Glennon's honest perspective that this parenting gig is hard work, and it's just not reality to enjoy every moment of every day. Like today, for example, when kids didn't nap and Candy Land became a full contact sport. But it is possible to enjoy some moments of every day. In fact, it's almost impossible not to.

Thanks, Glennon, for voicing the honest truth that so many of us live.

Christy

We Want Mama!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:19:00 +0000

The boys are suddenly very, very attached to mom. I don't really understand this phenomenon, though someone will probably assure me that it's developmentally right on target. But holy cow! I can hardly leave the room long enough to pee and when I come back it's like I've been gone for a month!

It's been a long time since the kids got upset when I left, until recently. Now they go crazy when I leave, even when Jeff is here. And they want mama to do everything, which drives their daddy and me up the wall. He wants to pitch in and give me a break, (and I want to take it!) but the boys throw fits and make this difficult.

We both just ignore it and try not to cave, but it makes the going a bit rough around here at times.

One day I ran a quick errand, maybe 15 minutes. The boys all cried the entire time I was gone, and when I got home they piled on me like I'd been gone a month.

And the other day I left and the boys were here playing with Miss Ellen, who is one of their favorite people in the whole world. Still, Isaac was upset when I got home. I tried to talk to him about it.

"It's OK if Mommy leaves for a little while. I always come home to you," I said.

Isaac crossed his arms and gave me his mad face. "No, I want you to stay here forever!" he growled.

It was funny, but not funny all at the same time.

Today I went to the Y to work out during nap time and Sam informed me that it was not OK for me to leave, even if I left while he napped.

The problem is that if I don't get out of here once in a while, I'll go crazy and then they'll be begging me to leave!

Oh, Christmas Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 03:05:00 +0000

We are live Christmas tree people. (Well I am, and Jeff goes along with it.)

Yes, it's a hassle. Yes, it bothers my allergies. Yes, today when we took the tree down it rained a million pine needles that I will still be finding come spring. But still, I love a live tree.

I understand the convenience and ease of a pre-lit artificial tree. I just can't bring myself to do it.

Especially now that we get to take the kids to choose the tree. That was one of the highlights of the season for us.

But all good things must come to an end, so after the kids were in bed the tree went out and the stockings came down. I left the nativity up since tomorrow is the Feast of the Epiphany when the wise men arrived to honor Jesus. I thought it might also cushion the blow for the kids.

Being kids, there's no predicting them. There will either be tears tomorrow morning that the decorations are gone, or a week from now someone will finally notice and ask me where the stockings are.

We've been enjoying unseasonably warm weather and we got our first garden catalog, so the kids are already talking about spring. Next weekends temps in the teens will be a harsh reality for all of us! But for now, we're just glad we'll have 50 degrees tomorrow to get the Christmas lights down.

The Snowman Is Doing What?

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:42:00 +0000

Last week while Jeff had a few days off for vacation, we had just enough snow to make a snowman, throw a few snowballs and do a little sledding.

I was inside getting my cold weather gear on and resting up from getting four kids bundled up, so I missed the actual building of the snowman.

When I went out, I found a rather unusual snowman, which Sam was happy to explain to me. Jeff, on the other hand, refused to answer for this.

The snow was gone the next day, so I was glad we got out and played in it. The snowman mostly melted in the next couple of days, though a small part of his potty remains.

2011 In Review: Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 03:35:00 +0000

Ready for round two of our trip down memory lane? Here it is!

July

What color is your poodle?

The wedding: Let them eat cake!

Isaac sings, in costume!

August

Amelia rode the "chool" bus for her first day of kindergarten.

We went to the fair where we fed the animals and fished.

The one about testicles.

Bus 52? I'd like my child back.

September

Amelia and I took a girls' only trip to see Aunt Judy.

I caught the boys on video playing their version of Duck, Duck, Goose.

My park pooper finally started going on the potty.

October

Capice?

My kids are giving me ADD.

I had to deal with a dress-up dilemma.

The boys turned THREE!

It was a swirly, more or less.

I added an Absentee Mom to my $%#^ list.

November

Halloween costumes, crafts and more.

I showed off my asymmetrical prom dress, circa 1989.

Isaac cut his own hair.

The kids helped me make Thanksgiving dinner.

December
A new rule to add to the list.
Isaac finds a monster under his bed.
Our Elf on the Shelf got out of hand.
I made some homemade Christmas gifts.

Ahh, 2011 was a good year in many, many ways. And we're starting out 2012 with the boys fully potty trained and having learned how to lay down and sleep in their beds with a minimum of antics. Amelia's loving school, and Jeff's got no business travel on the horizon. I have no idea what adventures this year will hold, but I'm looking forward to it!

2011 In Review: Part One

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 03:40:00 +0000

I want to admit right up front that I'm writing this post sheerly for my own entertainment. It was fun to write last year, and even more fun to go back and read this year. So, here are my favorite posts and most memorable happenings in 2011. Join me for a trip down memory lane, won't you?

January:
Isaac shows off his daredevil moves.
The boys learned how to make their own breakfast.
The day I fired myself.
Amelia and I had a conversation about the birds and the bees.
Sam explains how he broke his leg.

February:
Isaac takes a serviceman to school.
Maybe their first year wasn't the hardest.
It's a "dinking party!"
The one about the child-endangering handbags.
Who is in charge here?

March:
The day I accidentally taught my boys the farmer's blow.
The kids gave up their pacifiers.
I had to get out the pooper scooper...for the boys.
Amelia had a hair-raising experience with a remote control car.
The poor man's jacuzzi video.
The kids' first pet: Elizabeth.
The (mis)adventures of Potty Boy, The Bandit and Mr. Footprint.

April:
The day the boys started a small fire in my kitchen.
Here's what bedtime stories look like in our house.
Things that are giving me gray hair.
The end of an era and the return of furniture!
Splishin' and splashin' in the spring puddles!

May:
Isaac turned into Great Aunt Edna.
We made the move to big boy beds. Oy!

June:
The boys had a funny bedtime conversation.
I "twapped" Isaac in the pack and play after he wouldn't stay in his bed.
Pooping (sadly, NOT in the potty) became a team sport.
Our Father Who AREN'T in Heaven.
The boys had a lot of fun with body art.
The boys found another use for my Tupperware.

Hope you enjoy this trip through the archives as much as I did! Part two coming soon!

Christmas Show and Tell

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 03:43:00 +0000

I made a few gifts for Christmas this year, which really cut into my blogging time, and now it's time for show and tell!

Amelia, Isaac, Daddy, Alex and Sam ~ Christmas 2011

All of the kids got these cozy fleece blankets. Amelia helped me make the boys' as her gift to them. I chose to sew the two layers of fleece together and not tie the fringe in knots since the boys would be sleeping with them. It doesn't feel good to roll over on those knots!

Jeff continued his tradition of wanting nothing, which makes him hard to buy for. So, I made him a date book. It's not a calendar date book, but rather a book of 12 suggested dates for us to go on, one for each month. I included some gift certificates or a little cash where the decision was up to him, so most of the dates are at least partly prepaid.

I made this from cardstock, used a hole punch, and tied the whole thing together with ribbon.

Inside, each pocket is made from two pieces of cardstock, embellished with stickers or clip art.

I wrote a note to go with each one, giving details on the date. This one is for a round of golf, but I wanted Jeff to be able to choose the course. The note also explains that this date includes lunch and a beer at the clubhouse or the location of his choice.

The date book was fun to make, and both of us are looking forward to using it!

I failed to take pictures of this project, but I made two photo booklets out of cardstock. I folded the cardstock and attached photos of the kids each holding a letter to spell out the word "LOVE." (It's on our Christmas card, too, but those are just going in the mail, so I won't share that photo here, yet!) I framed a set of those pictures as a gift, too.

I always enjoy making a few things, and it is always time well spent. Even if it is spent at midnight on Christmas morning!

Happy Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 04:31:00 +0000

Today was my birthday. I am now the same age my mother was when she had my twin sister and I. When she called she said, "Just think, you could be having twins right now."

I said, "And I'd be having a heart attack at the same time." I think I've done my duty on the multiples front, thank you very much.

Since it was my big day I got to sleep in until 8. I got to eat a hot meal without getting up once. And I was absolved from all "wiping" duty.

That alone made it a great day.

But on top of that, I got a plate of hugs and kisses pancakes for breakfast:

How cute are these? Amelia helped Daddy make them.

Later I got flowers and we had ice cream cake. I'm sure in a few years one of those cakes won't last 15 minutes around here, but I had to share this one with the neighbors!

Jeff and I celebrated with a nice meal out last night, so I really got to celebrate twice.

I finished the day with a phone call to my twin sister and a relatively peaceful bedtime for the kids.

All day there were happy birthday calls, cards and Facebook messages from friends and family.

All in all it was a pretty nice way to usher in a new decade of life.

House Headaches

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 04:27:00 +0000

My advice to you at 11:26 on December 29 is this: Never, ever have anything in your house fixed. Ever.

That is all.

Thank you.

Christmas Favorites

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 04:37:00 +0000

Christmas with a five-year-old and three three-year-olds was LOUD!

It was magical and fun and crazy, but mostly, loud.

Really, really loud.

All day.

With no nap. (Unless you count the one I took when I laid down on the living room floor for a minute and fell asleep. Santa's elves need their rest the day after Christmas, you know.)

These are the kids' favorite things about Christmas 2011:

I hope your day was as wonderful as ours!

Whew! Santa's Magic Is Hard Work

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 05:36:00 +0000

The magic of Christmas certainly is a lot of work!

It's all done now, thank heavens.

The kids went to bed with a minimum of over-excitedness about tomorrow. Although Isaac did tell Daddy he didn't want to snuggle, "Because I'm falling asleep so Santa can come."

As soon as the kids were snug in their beds, this Santa laid down on the couch for a power nap. Ahhh! Gave me the boost I needed to finish making one last gift.

Then Santa came, stuffed stockings, ate cookies, and left presents.

Now for a semi-random sidebar. (Since it is after midnight, I think I'm allowed. It can be your gift to me.) Tonight I realized that one of the ways I know I'm turning into my mother is that I was surprised to find the occasional new gift bow in my box. Most of my bows have no sticky back on them because they've been re-used, probably more than once. Don't worry, I'm not planning to save the wrapping paper tomorrow!

We had our festive meal tonight, which means I can relax on the big day. The beef tenderloin and burgundy mushrooms were amazing. The Milky Way cake which we made for Jesus' birthday didn't quite live up to the hype, but it was still good.

My fellow Clausian has wandered off to bed, and so I go, too. I wish you all a very merry Christmas. Count your blessings today, and don't forget the greatest blessing of all: The birth of the Christ child, who came to save us all.

Homemade Gifts Are The Best Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 04:36:00 +0000

Homemade gifts really are the best gifts.

But they eat up all the blogging time. Mine AND someone else's, the way things are going around here.

I can't spill the beans on the best gift right now, but the teachers and the bus driver got hot chocolate truffles (recipe to come) and people in Jeff's office got some gorgeous goodie boxes.

Clockwise from top left: Crockpot candies, peppermint meringues, spritz cookies, and gingerbread carmels.

The kids are each getting an easy-to-make-but-still-takes-time fleece blanket. Amelia has helped with the boys' blankets, so that's her gift to them. She helped pick out her fabric, so it won't really be a surprise...except that it is actually done and under the tree.

I'll post pics of all the projects later.

For now, it's off to bed to rest up for the big rush tomorrow!

Sweet Christmas Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 03:54:00 +0000

Sunday we decorated our graham cracker "gingerbread" houses with friends.

The results? SWEET!

We all had a blast, the kids ate entirely too much candy, and the final creations were real works of art, some of which weighed a good five pounds. (I'm looking at you, Taylor!)

Check out the pics of all the fun we had:

This is a great activity with the kiddos. I wasn't sure the boys were ready to be turned loose with a bag full of icing, but they managed pretty well.

I made the graham cracker houses in advance using royal icing. My tip is to build the house right on the underside of your paper plate. It's easier to keep things square and together.

Give them a couple hours to dry, and turn the kids loose.

Have fun!

Merry Almost Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 03:50:00 +0000

See, Santa, we HAVE been nice!

Sam, Santa, Isaac, Amelia and Alex ~ Christmas 2011

This is the first year that Sam hasn't screamed in terror. And actually sitting on Santa's lap, as opposed to trying to claw your way out of your mother's arms while she stands next to him is REALLY big progress.

Fortunately no one asked for anything that surprised mom and dad, except Alex, who has upgraded his request for a stuffed turtle to a request for a live one. That's not going to happen.

(If a live turtle comes to our door because I wrote this, I'll hunt the giver down and we'll have something else stuffed--and mounted--in this house.)

One week and counting!

From My Kitchen: Peppermint Meringues

noreply@blogger.com (Christy AKA Trippin' Mama) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 02:17:00 +0000

If you're looking for an alternative to all the chocolate and nuts that dot the holiday baking landscape, (not that I have anything against nuts and chocolate!) check out these peppermint meringues. They will add a little variety to the goodie platter. These are light and crisp, but melt in your mouth. The recipe came from epicurious.com.

These are fast to make, but slow to bake. It takes two and a half hours at 200 degrees. But a great treat for minimal effort.

Here's the recipe:

Peppermint Meringues

3 large egg whites, room temperature

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract

12 drops red food coloring

Preheat oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt on medium-high speed until white and foamy, about one addition. Beat until firm peaks form, about two minutes longer. Add powdered sugar and peppermint extract; beat to blend, about one minute.

Dot coloring over surface of meringue; do not stir (the coloring will form red and white swirls when piped). Spoon meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2" tip. Or, if you're like me, you'll spoon it into a plastic freezer bag, then cut off one corner. Twist top and pipe one-inch rounds onto prepared sheet, about one inch apart.

Bake meringues until dry, about two and a half hours. Let cool completely, about one hour (meringues will crisp as they cool).

Meringues will keep about two days. Store in an airtight container at room temperature between sheets of parchment paper or waxed paper.

Enjoy!