We currently have dining reservations for two princess character meals so I decided that the girls needed princess dresses to wear specifically to those meals. (I like to dream big.) And because I know they will want to wear those dresses for longer than just the meal and because they are only 5 years old, the odds are against those dresses remaining clean.
3 girls x 2 meals = 6 dresses
Creating something new always involves some trial and error and I lost some time last weekend because of it. But I figured it out! (I'll share some pictures and tips/thoughts sometime this week.) If I seem to have disappeared, I haven't. I'm just sewing.
Speaking of our upcoming vacation, I am so excited to get away. It won't be restful but it will be fun. I have a to-do list that I need to start chipping away at though. We will be attending a wedding for Rich's niece days after we return from Florida and I need to find dresses for the girls to wear. I also need to make a final decision on a backpack for my camera and lenses and on driving time entertainment for the girls. Yes, we will be driving to Florida. And back. We were thinking of buying Leapfrog Leapsters for them but the reviews haven't convinced me that this is best purchase to make. (We don't have iPhones or iPads or any type of smart phone either and whatever we buy/use, we will need three of because I don't want to listen to the crying and the fighting.) Any suggestions?
I want to expand a bit on the sleeping situation as I feel like some may have interpreted my recent post as meaning that the girls are up and missing out on sleep throughout the night. We are fairly strict about the time that they go to bed. We make exceptions here and there but they are usually in bed and asleep by 7:30. On average, they wake up between 6:00 and 7:00 in the morning. We had a few 7:30s this past weekend. From everything I've read, they are getting the sleep that they need.
As for waking up in the middle of the night, that happens once (sometimes twice) per kid and they have no trouble falling back asleep. But there are three of them and they all want Mommy. We tried allowing them to share beds with each other last year and that didn't really work out. They were bothering each other rathering than providing comfort. I do bring them back to their beds but when they get upset/mad, I would rather just climb into bed with them than deal with three kids awake in the middle of the night because I have had that happen before and it is far from fun. Or sometimes I wake up and there's a kid in the bed with us and I have no idea how she got there.
Allie is in a phase right now where she is clamoring for attention and unfortunately, it can easily become negative attention. We are trying to work with her but part of her phase is seeking me out in the middle of the night. And honestly, in her defense, I kind of get it. Being a triplet is hard. Even when I spend time with her alone, I need to spend time alone with her sisters, which means time that I am away from her.
So that's partly why Allie was a problem sleeper last week. Well, problem to me sleeper. Anna, poor little baby, was experiencing some discomfort, which didn't allow her to sleep very well. This happens from time to time and we don't know exactly what it is (gas or pressure from fluid in her tummy area) but she rolls around a lot in her sleep and tends to wake up. (Her shunt drains excess spinal fluid into her abdominal cavity and we've been told that it can be uncomfortable. Her doctors believe this was to blame for her hernia when she was a toddler.)
I sometimes wonder if I would be a different parent if I hadn't lost a baby. I don't tend to label how I parent but with triplets, attachment parenting is pretty much impossible. Maybe how I treat the nighttime wake-ups could be labeled as attachment parenting. (Partially, maybe?) We talk to the girls about sleeping in their beds for the night and how Mommy and Daddy need sleep or we will be too tired to do things like go to the beach or go to Story Land. When they do stay in their beds all night, they proudly announce, "I slept in my bed ALL night," the next morning.
Saturday night was peaceful with all three kids sleeping in their beds for the entire night. Emily was really good last week and only came looking for me once when she had a bad dream. She had a repeat of the dream last night. Shark attack. I've learned that you should be careful when attempting to watch what you think is a news clip regarding the sharks off the Cape because it could contain clips from the movie Jaws instead and your kids will watch it in horror and then have bad dreams. You should also be careful when discussing other current events involving animals. Such as the bears that seem to be popping up in places they shouldn't be.
Okay, so someone is going to read my babble and say that I'm making excuses. Maybe I am but I'm doing what I feel comfortable with. Oh, we do plan on getting clocks (digital) for their rooms and doing the whole "you shouldn't get out of bed until this time" thing.
One of Allie's favorite alone time activities is going for a bike ride with me in our neighborhood. Well, she rides and I walk. It's hard finding alone time that doesn't involve shopping.
The girls surprised me the other morning by asking me to take their picture. Together.
It doesn't get much cuter than this.
31 comments:
They wont be coming into your bed or calling for you at night forever. My kids do it once in awhile. I say enjoy the cuddle!
We started with the Leapster when my youngest was 3.5, but truthfully at 5 they're close to outgrowing it IMO. My older DD had a Nintendo DS that she didn't play with much, and my then almost 6 yo DD kept asking to play the easier games on it. We finally bought her a DS of her own for Christmas. If you do go for the Leapster, it requires AA batteries, so have extra on hand, and I highly recommend headphones for your own sanity, lol. I'm not sure of the techno part of it, but multiple DS in close quarters can play together on a single game. Mario cart is the game that comes to mind, they play that one together here, when the middle DD is willing to put up with her baby sister, and they're sharing one game cartridge when they do it. The DS is rechargeable, and a car charger is available too.
Oh, and I forgot to add, I've been seeing Grammy's creations on FB, and they're really cute! Your girls will love wearing their customs on your trip. My girls do, even the older two, who are now 15 & 20, though they go for t-shirts and not the princessy dresses now. :-)
I'm constantly amazed at just how identical your girls are!! I did notice this time that one parts her hair on the left, one on the right and the other in the middle! They are SUCH sweethearts.
Yes! The days of them waking you will soon be over and they'll be grown and gone from home. Love every minute of it!
We got our twins the nabi tablet and they love it. It is a full tablet with parental controls. They just came out with the second version. I like it because you don't have to pay for the games like with the Leapster. Hope this helps.
I am the same way with special Disney dresses! We're going at the end of the week and I made my daughter a dress for each day too :) granted they are all pillowcase dresses and we'll only be there three days, so I'd say you have much more work to do than I did. The work is totally worth thier happiness now and the awesome memories later though :)
You are a super mom with so of energie.
I am impatient to discover dresses.
maybe not have them share a bed, but let them share a room? theyre all in separate rooms so if they wake up theyre fully alone, which might be why they come to you. i think you are too lenient with them, maybe have a quick cuddle. but put them back in their rooms and go back to bed
I feel for you with the sleeping. My twins (4 yeårs 4 months) sleep much the same way and noone ever gets it. You're not "lenient" in my eyes - it's a guilt thing (they never have your undivided attention and all that) plus people who say they'd rather take the crying at night must be extraordinarily well-rested to even suggest that IMHO.
I feel for you with the sleeping. My twins (4 yeårs 4 months) sleep much the same way and noone ever gets it. You're not "lenient" in my eyes - it's a guilt thing (they never have your undivided attention and all that) plus people who say they'd rather take the crying at night must be extraordinarily well-rested to even suggest that IMHO.
I feel for you with the sleeping. My twins (4 yeårs 4 months) sleep much the same way and noone ever gets it. You're not "lenient" in my eyes - it's a guilt thing (they never have your undivided attention and all that) plus people who say they'd rather take the crying at night must be extraordinarily well-rested to even suggest that IMHO.
I know I'm a different parent for having lost a baby. Well I don't know I guess, but I'm pretty sure I'm doing things much differently to how I would have had Hope lived.
I feel for you having kids who aren't great sleepers. It is hard enough with the grief in the early years, without the terribly disrupted sleep as well. I thought good sleepers was the least I could get from my living kids! I think you're doing a fabulous job. And yes, parenting labels suck. We all just do our best.
xo
I have a Lowepro Backpack for my camera. Granted mine is probably 10 years old, so they do not sell my version any more, but they do sell similar stuff...
http://www.amazon.com/Lowepro-Fastpack-250-Camera-Backpack/dp/B000YIYQ30
I like having the bottom half be able to hold my camera and lenses and having the top part be an actual backpack for snack etc.
I know you have the book with the Feliz dress in it, have you tried the Manhattan Party Dress in that same book? I just finished making it and while I was cussing it out the whole time I LOVE how it turned out. Everyone says it looks like a Princess dress, I changed it up a bit from the pic's in the book and had it lace up both sides. It's gorgeous, but takes a lot of time. Please feel free to Email me if you would like to see some pic's of the dress.
It doesn't get much cuter!! Great job! No judging here!! You rock!!
Those pictures of them together are so precious! I can't wait to see the Disney dresses. You definitely inspired me to start sewing clothes for my twins and I just got my first sewing machine a couple weeks ago. So far all I've made is a blanket, but I'm excited to start making (simple) clothing for my babies!
Betcha the most judgmental people on the sleeping are not speaking from experience, don't have kids or are at a different stage of their kids lives.
It's easy to talk. Not so easy to put into action. My 2 older kids I could reason with when they were 5. My now 5 yr old cannot be reasoned with. He climbs into bed with us most nights.
I console myself by reminding myself that it won't always be this way.
Keep parenting the way you feel is best. The moment you feel it's not best, you'll make the appropriate changes. Simple as that.
I second the Nintendo DS comment. I don't have any kids of my own yet, but I see even toddlers with them on occasion in the airport. According to my elementary-aged nephew, the kids on his bus would play theirs on the long ride to school and interact with each other. And you can switch up games according to age/interest. The only issue is that they can get expensive, esp for three, but there are many generations of DS; they don't really need the newest, most expensive 3DS (with 3-D games). I think a DSi has all the interconnectivity bells and whistles, and those have been out for a few years; you might be able to get cheaper used ones from Gamestop, etc.
I also agree with the Nintendo DS for the kids. You can buy them used at Game Stop.
Then they can have them for a few years. They are too old for the Leapster. Especially if you have to buy 3.
And good luck with the sleeping thing. I guess eventually it will all catch up for you, right?
I would say go with the DS. My son loves his. There are so many games to choose from and when they are close together, they can 'pictochat' where they draw pictures and send them to each other. So fun! You will absolutely need headphones for them, though.
I would say go with the DS. My son loves his. There are so many games to choose from and when they are close together, they can 'pictochat' where they draw pictures and send them to each other. So fun! You will absolutely need headphones for them, though.
Leapsters are great! My 5 year old niece played hers all the way down from New York! She never made a sound except when she needed new batteries once.
I hoped you wouldn't feel attacked or anything by the comments in regards to your sleeping post. (I didn't comment b/c I have no children so no advice!) But I think that everyone here genuinely loves you and your family and thinks you're doing an amazing job, as are Rich and Grammy. I think people saw that it seemed like you were having a tough time with the girls and sleeping, and wanted to help by sharing their own stories. So I think it's awesome that you are incorporating some suggestions from your readers! I also thought it was interesting that you mentioned what type of parent you might have been if you hadn't lost Abbey. I don't think there's anything wrong with noting that that experience and her life changed your forever, and if it maybe gave you a bit more patience that you would have had otherwise, and able to live on a bit less sleep, then that's how Abbey is with you now. I hope that makes sense. As always, the girls are absolutely adorable.
I honestly think you do not need advise. You are doing it all right, because you follow your gut feeling. It is only because you have 3 kids that you are exhausted and nobody can blame you for that! Give yourself some credit...you work, you sew, your play, you clean up, you shop and you are a wife and super mum! Sometimes you need to take a step back and see what you actually achieve on a daily basis!
I wish I could figure out how to respond to comments under the comment without installing disqus or whatever that is called. (Not allowed at work.) Someone had a tutorial on how to change the comments but I couldn't figure it out.
So here it goes...
Thanks to those who suggested the Nintendo DS - I wouldn't have thought of that. I did see that they were borderline for the Leapster things in terms of age.
I am looking at Lowepro backpacks and slings. I like the concept of the sling better but my back needs a backpack.
As for the sleep thing - Blogging is hard. You only know what I share and it would be impossible to share everything. I don't mind suggestions - there may be something that I hadn't thought of. I guess based on the comments, I felt like I needed to share more. Explain more. No one was mean so it's cool.
And there are educational games for the DS. Look at Gamestop you can buy used systems and games for a lot less then new. They also warranty the used products. We are big Gamestop fans. My daughter has a DS and has had one since about 5.
I love that the teddy bear has band-aids on his head. My daughter is constantly putting band-aids on everything. I found one on the remote control because the batteries died.
I drove with my (at the time) 4 year old over 1100 miles. A friend of mine wrapped 26 dollar store presents and I gave my girl 1 every hour we were on the road. I had a bag of presents and a bag for trash (important). She loved it! Not every present kept her occupied for an hour, but there were things to look at, talk about and she slept for part of it as well! Some of the gifts were books, necklace making kit, bubbles (you have to wipe down the car when you get home anyway, or to play with when you are filling up with gas), pool toys, coloring books and crayons, so on and so forth!
Awesome pictures of all three girls! My girls rarely ask me to take a picture, but when they do, I jump on the opportunity!
And on the sleep note, I read your post a few days ago, along with the comments. You do what you have to do / what you want to do / what you feel is best for your family. 'Nuff said.
Love those group shots! How cute are they?
I can´t stop thinking how lucky you are everytime I see your little and beautiful girls
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