Daddy's Back

In the years past, my dad would go crazy on outside Christmas stuff. It was awesome. He lived around the corner from Nate & I. We would all go down to dad's & he would turn the lights on just like they do in the movie Christmas Vacation. One year, his whole roof was a humongous peace sign. It was amazing!

Sadly, dad's huge train was stolen out of his yard. Then, his crazy ex wife turned crazier (she'll probably take me to court for saying that), and dad's love of Christmas crazy lights & decorations started to fade. Sniff, sniff. BUT....DADDY'S BACK! In the words of Jefferson Airplane, "Nothin's gonna stop me now!" He called me on Tuesday & wanted to know if the kids & I wanted to come to he & Rhonda's (the not so crazy new wife) house to see the lights since we wouldn't be there on Thanksgiving for the big reveal. Heck yes we wanted to go!

Check out that Santa!

Dad & the kids
Gotta incorporate a peace sign!

Jonah by one of the trees

Now comes the creepy part....talking & hip shaking Santa. As soon as we walked in the house, this thing was standing there. I said, "No offense, but that Santa is creepy." Dad & Rhonda agreed & had apparently been trying to pawn him off on one of us kids. Apparently my step sisters did not want him & neither did Ash or Lee. Rhonda said I was there their last hope. I think they were slightly disappointed when hip shaking Santa did not leave with me. I did, however, contemplate on taking him home & putting him on the front porch for Nate to see when he got home from band practice. I was going to try & hide outside & push the button as soon as he walked up. MERRY CHRISTMAS, NATE! Now go change your pants.

Jasper had several looks on his face while he watched scary Santa. He wasn't sure what to think. But I do know that none of them wanted to take him home with us.

Squirrels & Funny Stuff

Fat squirrels = Cold Winter

Did you know that? At least that is what my father in law told me this weekend. I've been seeing a lot of squirrels in our front yard & I took a few pics while I waited for the kids to get off the bus last week. They (the squirrels, not the kids) looked a little on the chubby side. I'm not judging...I understand their pain. Then this weekend, we were at the in laws we are constantly seeing squirrels int heir back yard. Mark (FIL) is an ex-farmer & usually knows the in's & out's on what our winter is going to bring. I found out that we may be in for a pretty cold & snowy winter. Oh joy!

In un-related news, here's a funny for ya. Every once in a while I will braid Isabel's hair after they get done with their bath at night. In the morning, I take it down before school & she will have a groovy wave going on. So last week, I did this. After I got her ready, the boys looked at her & said, "Mama! Her hair looks like french fries!" How observant those boys are!

~ A few more funnies: While sitting in the drive up at the bank, the kids were singing, "Days of Elijah", a song we sing sometimes at church. One of the lyrics is, "There is no God like Jehovah". Jonah was belting out, "There is no God like Jehoah" and then Jasper belted out, "There is no God like Yoda."

~As I stated before, we went to the in laws this weekend for Thanksgiving & we stayed 3 nights. Mark & Wanda (in laws) both had to work on Friday. Nate & I decided to get out & go to the mall with the kids. C R A Z Y! Black Friday! We survived though. So, Iz is sitting in the back seat while we were driving & she said, "Where is Grandma?" Nate said, "She's at work, honey." Isabel said, "Girls don't work!" I said, "Oh, Isabel, mama needs to teach you some things." And then I said, "So what do girls do?" She said, "They go shopping!" Oh baby Jesus, help me.

Let me give you some multiples advice

For those who are pregnant with triplets (or multiples of any kind) or those who have infant multiples, let me give you a little advice...teach them Independence!

This is coming back to bite me in the butt, BIG TIME! If you have multiples, you probably understand where I'm coming from. It is about survival. You do what you have to do to survive & get thru the day. Anything to make it easier, I would/will do. And there's the problem; my kids don't do anything on their own, because I have always did things for them. I still do most everything for them.

I can remember them being in Occupational Therapy (at the age of 2 1/2-3 years old) & the therapist said (after painting one day), "Lets go wash our hands." My kids really didn't know what to do. Crazy, huh? This is because I would get a rag with soap on it & go down the line, washing their hands & face. They never really got up on a stool, turned on the faucet, put soap on their hands & washed. Mama did it for them. And to be honest, I sometimes still do it.

Now to present day. Jasper is the only one who can get himself fully dressed. Jonah & Isabel don't really have an interest in it. And it infuriates me! I now realize I have created monsters. They whine & barely try anything. Izzy will "try" to put on her boot & she will barely pull at it & then just look at me & whine, saying, "I can't do it! You do it!" Jonah is the same way.

This morning, I received a call from Jonah & Isabel's teacher. She wants to move Jonah in to a class by himself. This means they all would be in separate classes. She said that Jonah does nothing on his own & will follow & copy what Isabel does. I think separating them is a great idea. I know I've mentioned Jonah's sensory issues before, but he was diagnosed this summer as having Autism Spectrum Disorder. He is high functioning which means he will be able to function on his own, but for now, we need to work with him on his quirks & rituals. That being said, I have always poo pooed things with Jonah, because I KNEW something wasn't quite right and I suppose I felt like I needed to protect him & baby him. And I now realize, it hasn't helped. Now he is struggling.

My point is this: Teach them independence, let them try things on their own. While it may make it frustrating on you, it will help them. I have to learn this myself, as I still get Isabel & Jonah dressed in the morning. Since I'm the only one here in the mornings & the bus picks them up, I do everything to make sure we are on time. I'm making a promise to myself that I will make them help themselves. And this means making them try things on their own.

Sniff, sniff..my babies are growing up.

Chalk dirty to me

Lets talk about things that are happening around the Wright household....

It has been an awesome week of weather. We're talking 70 degrees. That is how the weather is around here. A couple of weeks ago we had snow & last week it was 70 degrees. This week it is supposed to be back to "normal" fall weather. Blah!

We've taken advantage of it & played on our neighbors humongous play set. A few weeks ago, they had a big truck & I noticed there was playground equipment in it. Turns out, a couple that they are friends with were getting rid of this play set & told our neighbors they could have it for free if they came & got it. So, they did. And now my kids are reaping the benefits. Their two girls are in school full day & the parents are usually working. So after my kids get off the bus at 10:40 am, they run to their backyard. Now, they did tell us we could use it anytime.

Nate & I aren't so generous. We're the bitter old people who don't like when kids are at our house. Why is that? I have no idea. I don't know if it is that we already deal with three 4 year olds daily & we don't want to have to babysit anymore. There is one set of neighbors who are always outside with their 2 boys & we don't ever have problems. The kids play awesome & we get to talk to the mom & dad. I think our problem is when parents just let their kids com over & then don't even check on them. It's like they are thinking, "YEA! Our kids are at the neighbors house & we can get go inside & watch TV or get freaky or whatever." And I'm thinking, "Ummm, no! I don't have any more patience to babysit your children".
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The kids are going thru a "story telling" phase. I wouldn't call it lying. But for real, these stories can get pretty elaborate. It almost always involves them getting hurt. For instance, Jasper told me the other day that something was hurting on his body (I can't remember what it was) & it was because we was hit by a car in front of our house. Come again? I don't seem to remember that. But, he did an awful good job at trying to convince me.

I have a video that I can't seem to get posted of Jasper telling me an elaborate story about peeing his bed. I went in one afternoon & he rolled over & said, "Mama, you need to change my pants. It rained on my bed." I said, "It rained? In your bedroom? And it just rained on your crotch?" He says, "Yep." I said, "Are you sure it isn't pee?" He said, "No...it is rain." I said, "How come Jonah isn't wet?" He said, "It just rained on my bed. Didn't you hear it?" I said, "No, how did it get in?" He said, "There is a hole right here in my wall & it got in through there."

Isabel will tell me that she fell while she was at Pa's house last night & hurt her head. Hmmm? You guys haven't been to Pa's house since Halloween & you certainly didn't hit your head.
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Nate & I were flipping thru channels when he stopped at that movie, "Baby Mama". It was the scene where she is having her baby. First off, let me mention that it showed nothing. It is a comedy. But, she was doing the whole screaming thing. The kids said, "Why is she screaming?" Nate said, "She's having a baby." And then the questions began. "Where did the baby come out of? Where was the baby? How did it come out?" I wasn't ready for this. I thought I still had a couple years left. I said, "It was in her belly" & tried to leave it at that. It didn't work. They wanted to know where it came out. I said, "It just comes out down here (pointing DOWN THERE)". And Nate says, "It came out of her whoha". I looked at him. He said, "I didn't say vagina." Speaking of, I think I need to start teaching the kids the real names of their body parts...not whoha & willy.

A few minutes later, Jasper got on the floor underneath my knees. He said, "Pretend I'm coming out of your whoha mama & that I am a baby."
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In other news, I painted a chalk board wall. I've kind of wanted to do this for a long time. And then Jasper's teacher sent home a letter that said he needed to work on wrist extension and that writing on a chalk board could help because it forces the wrist to extend. So, I got some leftover paint from my sister's work office & painted this week. I think it is a success. And it even got Jonah drawing. That is a HUGE plus. Jonah doesn't color. He doesn't even really know how to hold his crayon properly. But, he had a great time drawing smiley faces on the wall. Hopefully this will help Jasper & Jonah!

Pay no attention to her candy faced mouth...

Fall & Leaves = Fun Times For Kids

Did you notice I said, "Fun times for kids"? I LOVE watching them play, but I think everyone knows that fall is not my favorite. I'm just sayin'. Come to think of it, I think we've only had about 2 weeks of fall. It snowed here today! No accumulation or anything, but it was still the white stuff coming from the sky.


It is hard to be a parent to toddlers...let alone 3 toddlers. But to have to endure the winter time with those 3 toddlers makes it even harder. There is no getting out & going swimming or going for a bike ride or going for a walk or running through the sprinkler or jumping on the trampoline. It's me...and them. And sometimes, we all get a little bit of cabin fever. Sometimes, a little bit of the "Jack" from the movie, The Shining wants to come out.


Enough about the winter that is around the corner. Now look at these oh so cute photos of the kids playing outside in the leaves.

Both of their faces crack me up

Come and get me

Worn out