Message From Santa Claus

How exciting! While the boys were napping this afternoon, we received a message directly from Santa Claus. Click here to watch the message.

Take care,

Visit(s) with Santa 2009

It's that time again! It's time for our second picture with Santa Claus. In an effort to get our picture taken before Thanksgiving to avoid the lines, we decided to try and take our picture at home with the Tallahassee Santa. The weekend before Thanksgiving, we loaded up the boys and headed down to Governor's Square mall.

Things started off well as there was no line and we got right in to visit with our local Santa. I proceed to place Wesley on Santa's right knee, Andrew on his left knee and then stood in front of Santa pondering where to place sweet Jared. Well, it took me a second to figure it out and then I tried to have him stand in between Santa's legs. I am not sure what actually caused his reaction but Jared FLIPPED OUT!!! He started crying and thrashing about. I comforted him and then tried again with Jared standing behind Santa on the chair... NOPE! We tried giving him things to distract him and he started to throw everything we handed him and he may have even hit Santa. Did I give up... no! I must completely torture my children for just one photo. Maybe he just needed a minute....

At this point there was another family waiting. We let them go ahead for their time with Santa and we waited. Santa's helper offered the boys stuffed animals to comfort them. Once the other family was done, we were trying again. This time we tried sitting the boys in the chair and Santa standing behind the chair... no go. Wesley and Andrew were now tired of this activity and did not want to sit still. With much reluctance, I submitted to my husband's pleas to end this public torture of our children. We loaded up the boys in the stroller without any photos being taken and were ready to roll out of the mall. Before we left the Santa area, the helper came over to whisper to me that the stuffed animals she had handed my three toddlers were not free. I then had to take the stuffed animals from each of the boys and hand them back to her because I was not in the mood to buy anything after admitting defeat. It was at this moment that Wesley began to cry. I could hear his thoughts... "Mom, I sat there patiently while Jared was have a fit and I don't even get this stuffed animal? Seriously?" That's right Wesley... I am one mean Mommy!

I was depressed and thought that I would not get a Santa photo this year. On the drive back to the house, we agree that we would try back near my Mom's house where we such success the year before with Santa and Mrs. Claus. We planned to arrive early enough on Wednesday to try prior to Thanksgiving. Well, this did not work. Was I (oops, we) going to get our picture??? Hope was fading...

As Mike was taking Veronica home on Saturday, I had one last opportunity. Grandma agreed to help me take the boys down to the mall for our second attempt. We stood in line very anxious yet slightly hopeful. It worked last year, come on... it can work again! We waited for about 15 minutes and then it was our turn. Jared was the first one out of the stroller and without any hesitation, I hand him over to Mrs. Claus and......... he was so happy!!!! Apparently, he remembered the connection that he made with Mrs. Claus last year and if she was not going to be in the picture, he was NOT taking one. Click here to read about our visit last year. I then hand over Andrew and Wesley to Santa. Here are the results....

While we were unable to get a smile out of Wes or Andrew, I love the picture because of the story behind it, Jared's face looks so pleased as if to say "Much better" and that no one is crying!!! I was so excited to get a picture of the boys with Santa! Needless to say, I believe we have solidified our tradition of visiting Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Brandon Town Center.

One more thing... When I was picking the boys up to put them in the stroller, Mrs. Claus asked if they had visited them last year and I replied yes. She said that she remembered Jared and the boys. See, the connection is special.... magical!

Take care,

September Posts are Finished!

I finally got focused for a little bit and finished the posts for the month of September (yes, September). These posts are not visible on the first page of the blog so if you want to read the new posts within the month of September, click HERE and it will bring to directly to the full month of September posts.

Enjoy!!

Take care,

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE....

This night was a night we had been looking forward to for a while!!! It was the So You Think You Can Dance tour!!! Woo Hoo!!!

So You Think You Can Dance is a wonderful reality TV show that is followed religiously by my family. My mom (in Florida) and her sisters (in Louisiana) watch the show and then immediately pick up the phone to call each other and compare notes about the highs and lows during the performance show. When the tour dates were announced, we were all excited to see that there was a tour date set right here in Tallahassee. As this is a great location within driving distance for the Florida and Louisiana girls, we all planned to spend the weekend together and take in the So You Think You Can Dance tour! In addition to the Giroir girls pictured below, we were joined by one of my dearest friends Mr. Tracy Little! If you want to ensure you have a good time.... add Tracy and you are guaranteed to LAUGH!!!

Those are some beautiful ladies!! The show was wonderful and we had great seats on the floor. This picture was taken at the start of the show when the group was introducing themselves...

We had a great time at the show!! Earlier in the evening, we enjoyed dinner at Ruby Tuesday's with Mike and the boys. After dinner, Mike headed home with the boys and we headed to the show.

Stay tuned for some more pictures and stories from our fun weekend in Tallahassee!!

Take care,

Andrew's Many Talents...

All the boys are learning and developing every day. Each of them are developing into their own very special personalities and developing their own talents. Andrew has the gift of joy and humor!! He enjoys to laugh and spends a lot of time trying to make others laugh.

In addition to his humor, he has many other talents. Here are a few clips of some of his other talents....

First, we have the ring walking. He first started this with a ring on one foot and slowly progressed to walking in the pair of rings. I hope this is training for wearing cleats and not training for wearing Mommy's pumps....

The next talent is the ability to stand on one leg. Daddy started teaching all of the boys to put "one leg up." Andrew caught on quickly and has been able to balance longer and longer on one leg. At one point, I see the Heisman pose......

I have included video previously of all three boys jumping in their crib. Well, Andrew has taken it to a whole new level. Check out the pointed toes and then the side to side moves.....

Lastly, it is the gift that we wake up hearing most every morning. When Jared wakes up, he rolls around quietly in his crib. When Wesley wakes up, he is not always in the best mood. However, when Andrew wakes up, it's like the birds chirping as they sing in the morning sun... ba ba ba ba ba! I love to lay awake listen to him singing over the monitor. Here is a short video of him leading his brothers through some of his favorite lyrics.... ba ba ba baaaaa!

I am continually amazed by these boys.....

Take care,

Giddy-up horsey!!

It will not be long before the boys are riding Murray around the house!!

Take care,

This Year's Pumpkin Patch Adventure

It is finally starting to feel like fall!! We have had our first cold spell of the fall and we spent the day with the windows open and the crisp cool air felt so refreshing. As it is finally feeling like fall, it is time to get the boys out to the local Pumpkin Patch to pick out some pumpkins and get some pictures (of course). Last year, getting the boys to the Pumpkin Patch was a challenge because I had to do it alone due to our different work schedules. This year was wonderful as we were able to experience the pumpkin patch as a family.

Last year, the challenge was getting the boys to sit up in a spot with pumpkins and take a picture. This year, the challenge was getting the boys to sit still in a spot with pumpkins to take a picture. The boys were all over the place. It was a lot of fun to see the boys explore the pumpkin patch but very nerve racking because the pumpkin patch is near a very large intersection. There is a fence between the pumpkins and the street but I was still not comfortable letting the boys run free.... maybe next year!

I would hold the hands of two of the boys while we would let the third explore with Daddy following closely. There was an area with a ton of little pumpkins that was a good distance from the road so all the boys were able to walk around and pick out their very own little pumpkins. It was nice to experience this as a family and we were also able to get a picture of the five of us. Here are some pictures from our outing....

Here are the little pumpkins...

Team Darnell's family pic...

The boys were more interested in the display than taking a picture...

Jared spent a little time exploring pumpkins but was not as interested as his brothers...
Jared was more interested in just running....
Daddy thwarts Jared's escape attempt....
Andrew remained suspicious of the strangers as usual....
The boys start hunting for their perfect mini pumpkin....
Daddy assists with the search...

The boys must have thought the pumpkins were a big ball pit because the started tossing the pumpkins but they eventually found the ones to call 'their own'....
Andrew was so very proud of his selection...
Wes could not make up his mind. There were so many pumpkins...
The problem was Wes is more suited for the big pumpkins.....
Then he finds a wheelbarrow full of big pumpkins. This is more Wes' speed....
Immediately after Wes' discovery, Andrew 'discovers' the same! In the "Monkey See - Monkey Do," Andrew is definitely the "Monkey Do"...
However, still proud of his choice. He was truly beaming with pride once he found this pumpkin...

Wes, on the other hand, really wanted a big pumpkin...
Wes must have wanted the big pumpkin to impress the ladies. He is seen here trying out his best "How you doing?" line on this lovely lady! This sounds a lot like "hi, hi, hi, hi." After wooing her with his amazing charm, he proceeds to prove his worth by handing her father not one, not two, but three pumpkins. What exactly is the price (in pumpkins) for a lady's heart these days??? Oh Wes, the lady's man....
After the evening at the pumpkin patch, we headed out to Outback for dinner. When we arrived, it was about a 20-25 minute wait. Well, this was the time for the first available table. The time for the first available table that could accommodate two adults and three high chairs was about an hour. However, our patient little guys were little troopers and survived the wait. We had to break out the milk and cheerios after about 45 minutes but we made it to our table unscathed. Here is Jared trying escape again before we broke out the emergency cheerios....

Once at the table, we were all very ready to eat. I was reluctant to look at my watch as I knew it was well past the boys' 6pm dinner time and we were even passed their 7:30pm bedtime. Jared was visually tired and at one point we thought he was going to put his head down on the table to close his eyes. At this moment, he reached over and pointed to my watch as if to say, "Do you know what time it is lady?" The boys made it through dinner and ate until their tummies were very full. Andrew was even leaning back in his high chair with the look of someone who was uncomfortably full. If their pants had buttons, I would have unbuttoned that top button to provide him some relief.

We arrived home and dressed the boys for bed. At 9pm, their day was finally done! After collecting the books from the boys, they all laid right down to go to sleep. No jumping needed to burn off extra energy, they were spent! Maybe they will sleep in tomorrow since they had a late night... wishful thinking I am sure!!!

Take care,

Good Idea Gone Bad...

The boys are little sponges and are continuously learning new things all the time. It really is amazing at how fast they are learning new things these days. One of their most recent acquired skills, is to put their sippy cups in the sink when they are done with their milk. Here is a video of Wesley demonstrating his new skill....

We were so very proud of the boys but then... we probably should have thought about the consequences of teaching this skill a little more. The boys caught on very quick to putting their sippy cups in the sink. However, they have also learned that it is very fun to put almost anything in the sink. Check this out...

At the end of the day, this is what the sink looks like...

This makes it pretty easy to pick up the toys at the end of the day as they are all in one place. However, we have to make sure we are keeping the sink clean of dishes.

Take care,

18 Months Smacks Us in the Face!!

Yesterday the boys turned 18 months-old, and we started the day out with a bang. Wesley tripped and landed on his sippy cup, busting his lip in the process. Later on, Andrew ran full steam into a door frame. He now has a bump and bruise on his forehead. Poor guys...they play hard and fast but haven't learned yet how to use the brakes. We have joked about who would be the first one to visit the local emergency room. My money is on Wesley. Why? Because it only takes a second for him to do this.

Fortunately the rest of the day was without incident, or hospital visits.

Today we had our 18 month doctor's visit. Mommy was called out of town for a meeting, so I was faced with taking the boys by myself. I am not as confident as Kellie taking the boys places, for fear of misplacing one. We found someone to help out but they couldn't make it at the last minute. So there I am in the parking lot, airing up the tires on our triple decker stroller, stressing about how I am going to get this thing through the front door of the doctor's office. With the help of the office staff, our visit was actually not bad at all. I used to dread sitting in our room waiting for the doctor. They understandably keep it warm in there, and the boy's curiosity had them getting into everything. Today the boys sat in chairs and were flipping through some books. We also played with the paper from the examination table, and I entertained them by making small pieces float from the ceiling. Andrew has become increasingly weary of strangers, so he was upset when the doctor came into our room. Everyone did great, and checked out just fine. Oh, and we had to get shots. I am surprised at how fast they recover from someone holding them down and stabbing them with needles. There were some tears, but the nurses were great helping me calm the boys down. Here are the stats for each of the boys.

Andrew:

Height 34 inches - 90th percentile

Weight 27 lbs 15 oz - 75th percentile

Head circumference 47.3 cm - 35th percentile

Jared:

Height 34 3/4 inches - 97th percentile

Weight 27 lbs 3 oz - 65th percentile

Head circumference 49.7 cm - 93rd percentile

Wesley:

Height 34 1/2 inches - 96th percentile

Weight 25 lbs 4 oz - 40th percentile

Head circumference 47.3 cm - 35th percentile

Its funny to see those numbers on paper, because Jared doesn't seem like the tallest, and Andrew seems 5 pounds heavier than his brothers because he is so stocky. The differences in their body types, personalities, and mannerisms make each one unique. It is amazing to watch them grow and interact with each other. Even the way they play is unique from each other. I have been home with them for over 6 weeks now, and everyday we discover something new. One day I overhear Wes say "dog", the next I see Drew sign "banana" as I am making his breakfast. They never fail to amaze me. We have good days and bad, but the rewards far outweigh the challenges of being a stay-at-home dad. I put together some video taken over the last week or so, and set it to music. My fantasy of being a rock star is being realized through the videos I create for them. Also, here are some photos!

Stick a fork in me, I am done.

I love this picture. Wes normally only shares his veggies.

We put on our big boy clothes for the doctor visit.

I make this look goooooooood...

The boys enjoy a post-doctor beverage.

Jared is in the 100th percentile for flexibility!

And finally, here is the video. Its about 2 1/2 minutes long, so it may take some time to buffer. Enjoy!

Our New 'Big Boy' Room

It feels like just yesterday that we were deciding how to decorate the nursery for our three babies that we had only seen through many different ultrasound photos. Once we learned that I was carrying Boy, Boy and Boy, there was very little discussion. Everyone knew that the room would be Sports, Sports and more Sports!

My wonderful friends Debbie and Tracy traveled up one weekend to visit, watch some Game Show network with me since I was a complete baby blob and paint our nursery. After that weekend, I blinked and the room was filled with three beautiful babies. I have some of my most special memories in the nursery during our nighttime feedings. I loved being alone with music playing and rocking with my boys while they ate. It feels like from that point until now, our lives have been on fast forward and the boys just keep growing bigger and stronger. The nursery was conveniently located in an adjoining room to the master bedroom. This was perfect for a while but it was time for the boys to move into their new room.

I think it took us longer to decide exactly how to decorate this room than the nursery. We wanted a room that boys could have as they develop from toddlers into little boys. The boys' new room has high ceilings which provided great opportunity. However, since we are not artistically talented like Ms. Debbie, we had to be a little creative. Mike and I worked together on the decorating decisions but he gets all the credit for the execution. Here is a glimpse into the boys new 'big boy' room....

This is the wall above the main wall in the room. Jared's crib is right below the phrase "In The Zone"....
This is the right corner wall. Wesley sleeps directly below the Catcher and the word "Score"...
This is the left corner. Andrew sleeps below the Running Back and the words "Think Tough"...
The wall across from the boys' cribs has the Basketball players. The football and baseball guys are about 3.5 feet tall and the basketball players are 6 feet tall.....
For a little perspective, here are a couple photos of the boys in their cribs getting ready for their nap. They now sleep under the protection of the ball players. These pics were taken before the inspirational phrases were added. Here is Andrew already gaining inspiration from the ball player as he winds up to throw Curious George....
Don't worry, the nursery is still the boys' room. We have turned this very special room into our new play room. We were unsuccessful in baby proofing the closet doors so we just took them off. We painted the inside of the closet and added a curtain. Ta da.... it's part of the room. The boys will even hide in there. Mike also added a mirror at the boys' height and they love playing with these new friends. The boys also enjoy gazing into the master bedroom. Don't worry, we still have privacy curtains over the doors....

The room also has twin beds that the boys use for jumping, rolling around, hiding under pillows and for overall play. We opted for slip covers over the mattresses so we do not have to make these beds everyday. There are a pile of pillows for the beds including a football and baseball pillow. However, the boys like to toss them around so they are not in the picture below...

I am so pleased with the way the new room has turned out. It is a shame that the room is almost always dark because the boys use it for sleeping only. However, I am confident that this will be a room that they will be able to grow into as they grow into little boys. I also think they already like the room because they point to the ball players. We now say good night to everyone. Just like the book, Goodnight Moon, we go around the room and say "good night football players," "goodnight baseball players" and "goodnight basketball players."

I almost welled up with tears the first time Wes stood in his crib and pointed to the football player above his crib and said "fu-bol."

This post would not be complete without sharing some of my husband's humor. It's not a secret that I am the sports fanatic in our family. Mike is a very good sport and is learning to accept a Sunday of Buccaneer football. I am confident that he will learn to love it when the boys are running around on the field. Until then, he is still learning. The shadow figure decals come with mini decals to help with positioning and testing the wall. I wanted the basketball shooter and blocker to be interacting. Mike used the mini decals to confirm what I was requesting. Here was his first example.....

Oh my.... the blocker is like Superman. No honey, try again... .

Sigh..... my silly husband! As you see with the finished product, he eventually got it right. I love this man for his humor and for putting up with me during this activity. You are a very patient man!!! I am sure your boys will love the effort you put into this room one day!

Take care,

Temper Tantrum vs. Hiccups

As the boys are approaching 18 months, the symbol of approaching 2 is definitely appearing.... temper tantrums! The boys are starting to get frustrated when things do not go exactly their way. Andrew is, by far, the most dramatic and intentional with his tantrums. His favorite move is a full arch of his back into almost a complete back bend. You can clearly tell the difference between his real cry when he is hurt and the cry of his dramatic expression.

We are doing our best to ignore the boys when they have their baby fits so that they all do not learn the way to get our attention is thrashing about. Tonight, Andrew was having a fit for an unknown reason. What made this fit blog-able was the pesky hiccups that definitely interfered with his performance. It is very hard to convince your parents that you are experiencing great trauma when a hiccup creeps up. As the fits do not last long, I was only able to grab the camera and catch a few seconds of the temper tantrum vs. hiccup moment. Oh and as you will see in the video, these moments end as quickly as they begin. Enjoy.....

This gave us a good laugh! Hopefully Andrew will see the entertainment value in this moment one day as well.

Take care,

Monkey Business

After lunch today, the boys demonstrated their skills once again. They express themselves with mostly vowels, so Daddy taught them to parlay that into a monkey imitation. Here are the results. The video is kind of dark at first because of the sunlight coming in the window behind their table.

More September Moments...

September rang in the official start of football season, our last month with our water toys outside, first words, Grandma's birthday and the boys continuing to get older and older. The following are a few memorable pictures that did not make another post during the month.

This picture of Jared perfectly captures his personality. Jared is by far the most introverted of the boys. He is frequently found playing by himself while Andrew and Wes are screaming and running around the house. He likes to build with blocks and has an amazing focus while trying to figure out how things work or fit together. His new obsession is trying to get the end of the strap into the clasp. I can already see him working on 'projects' with his Daddy...
Now, this picture captures Andrew's personality. He is definitely the clown of the bunch. He loves to be loud and funny! His laugh and giggle is infectious. Jared may wake up first in the morning but you would never know it. However, the second Andrew wakes up, there is no mistaking, it is time to start the day. He will sing, chatter and laugh over the monitor. Hearing him in the morning is the best way to start the day. Here he is getting stuck under the table... silly boy...

This picture shows off Murray's personality. He is so laid back and really lets the boys do whatever to him without complaint. The boys love Murray...

Last but not least, Wesley. Wesley is our wild child that has no fear but is also very mischievous. He loves to dance, laugh but don't worry he is not all tough. He loves to drink his milk and cuddle while I am running my fingers through his hair. He is becoming our responsible little boy by helping out. He acts like he is older and he is helping out with the 'babies.' I love his mischievous little face in this picture...

September marked the end of our backyard water times. The bathing suits are getting retired until Spring. I love this pic that Daddy took of the boys during one of their last wet backyard adventures. We sure enjoyed our summer outside with the boys!!! However, the joy of living in Florida, we can still play outside all Fall and Winter but just not with water.

Our creatures of habit! Our lives can best be described with a comparison to the movie "Groundhogs Day." Our routine and schedule is the key to our smooth lives with the boys. The routine and schedule is the same no matter where we are but the events in between may change. Each night, we put the boys into their jammies and then they get their evening sippy of milk. Sometimes if we do not serve the milk fast enough, the boys like to remind us of what comes next. This picture shows the boys gathering at the fridge and trying to get their own milk...

The end tables remain our main nemesis. The only real thing that gets the boys into trouble is climbing on the end tables. It seems the more we tell them no, the more they love the tables. Here is Jared showing exactly how much he loves the glass end tables...

Don't worry, he was swiftly removed after the picture and reminded of how inappropriate this behavior is. After this reminder, he quickly forgot again... and again... and again.... sigh!

Well, this officially brings September to a close on the blog. Bring on October!

Take care,

Grandma's Birthday Weekend

It's time for Grandma Sally's birthday celebration. The best gift we can really offer is to bring some Darnell toddler fun to Brandon. So, we loaded up the truck and we all headed down to visit Grandma for the weekend! We had a wonderful time visiting with Grandma and other family as well as cheering on our favorite football team, the Bucs! Our pictures really tell the story of our weekend so without further adieu....

We have mentioned before that Jared looks just like his Daddy but what should also be fully expressed is how similar his personality is as well. This little apple did not fall far from the Daddy tree! Here are the "Two peas in a pod" enjoying some Popular Science...
On Saturday, we had a visit from my grandmother, Pooka, and her friend Al. I love watching Pooka (age 90) playing with the boys. Here she is playing on the stairs with Wes...

On football Sunday, we all woke up and got ready for some football!! Grandma has season tickets to the Buccaneer games and she attends them with my Aunt Joan. Aunt Joan was on a cruise in Greece so Grandma had a spare ticket. When we told her we were coming, we initially discussed leaving for home when she was leaving for the game. She countered and offered to give Mike and I the tickets to the game so she could spend more time with the boys on her birthday. So, on her birthday, we got tickets to the Bucs game.... ok.... Happy birthday to me... oops, I mean Grandma!!! Here is Grandma introducing the boys to Mickey Mouse...

Grandma gets a call from her sisters, Aunt Connie and Aunt Sue, to wish her a very Happy Birthday...

Jared sitting in Grandpa's seat. It just doesn't feel the same visiting without Grandpa sitting in his seat...

Wes points and says "HEY YOU!!!" We miss you Grandpa! I wonder what Grandpa would think about the mess the boys are making of the living room. Seriously, look at the toys in the background of this pic....

Andrew being silly...

The boys are getting better at navigating the portion of the stairs we can't block off with a gate. They can climb up with ease but are still working on the backing down. We had a couple tumbles but nothing we could not shake off and try try again...

Daddy + one...

Daddy + two...

Daddy + three...

My turn - Mommy + one...

Oh well, that's all we got... Mommy + one...

However, we were able to get a family shot, Mommy & Daddy + three, all watching Yo Gabba Gabba...

We departed, leaving Grandma alone with all the boys and we headed out to take in some Buccaneer football! Note - we were not planning to leave her alone with the boys but her 'helpers' did not arrive until the boys were napping.... how convenient!

At the stadium...

We were playing the NY Giants on this day. We actually managed to achieve a first down in the THIRD quarter! It was not an enjoyable game to watch but we enjoyed the stadium experience. I think my mother knew that Eli Manning would have his way with the Bucs and decided to fore go this pain by staying home with the boys... hmmmmm.... Don't I look happy...

Why is he smiling????

The good thing about the game was the Giants took mercy on us and ran the ball most of the game making it a very quick game. Also, because the majority of the Bucs fans did not stay until the end of the game, it was very easy to get out of the parking lot and we were back at Grandma's in no time flat!

When we arrived, Uncle Lance and Aunt Kim (the helpers) were there.

Aunt Kim and Jared...

Grandma and Andrew (aka - Mr. Cool)...

Grandma and Jared...

We all had a nice dinner and then we got the boys dressed in their jammies for the ride home. As we undressed Wesley, this is what we found. Can you see what is wrong with this picture???

Take a closer look....

Yep, your eyes are not deceiving you... his diaper is on backwards! It is so hard to find good help these days.. ha, ha!! This is an Aunt Kim special!! I still can't even figure out how she managed to get it on backwards. Wesley is quite the squirmer but this is very special.

Knowing what Aunt Kim did to his brother, Andrew watches Uncle Lance very closely to make sure he is doing the right thing...

Still concerned, he glanced up at me to get some reassurance. Don't worry honey, it's on the right way...

After the boys were dressed for bed, we loaded up in the truck and headed back home to Tally. We had a great weekend and I hope Grandma enjoyed her birthday weekend! I have said it before and I will say it again, I wish we lived closer...

Take care,

The Bucs Game at Beef O' Bradys

The Buccaneers were playing the Buffalo Bills today. Even though we live in Florida and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a Florida team, we do not get regular Bucs coverage on our local channels. They are typically not on TV because the Fox channel chooses to air the Atlanta Falcons but today, Fox chose a Movie.... seriously, a movie? Oh well, we wanted to see the game so we loaded up the boys and headed out to our local Beef O' Bradys. It was an exciting time with the boys but having to keep my eyes on the 6 little hands grabbing at everything left little time to actually watch the game. Also, the main game that they had sound for was not even the Bucs. Sigh.... Oh well, we had fun anyway! Here are some pics....

This is Andrew watching the game...
I think this picture says enough about how the game was going....
Wesley was a trooper and tried everything to help out our Bucs which included keeping his fingers crossed....
When I told him that it did not look like we were going to be able to pull this one out, this was his response.... I love my little die hard fan...

Jared on the other hand found playing with diaper wipes much more exciting than watching the game. He truly is his fathers "mini-me"...

Well, the Bucs lost the game 20-33 and this is Jared already kissing the season good-bye with 0-2 start. It's early in the year kid-o, don't give up hope just yet... .

One positive note of the day was a nice group photo of the boys. It is so hard to get one of them sitting still these days and I was pleased with this pic. I got the 'boys' these shirts when I was at Universal Studios for a work conference. I actually got the biggest Darnell boy a "Thing 4" shirt but I can't seem to get him to put it on....

It appears that it is going to be a long football season for both our NFL team, the Buccaneers, and our favorite college team, the Florida State Seminoles. The silver lining of this is the boys will learn to appreciate a win because it doesn't look like they are going to come easy for us!

Take care,

New Additions to the Toy Box

With Summer coming to an end, we are met with rainy days and inclement weather. That creates a new challenge of keeping the boys busy while we are stuck in the house. They like to jump, so we need a trampoline of some sort. While browsing Amazon.com we found the Jump-O-Lene, and the tunnel. The Jump-O-Lene is huge, and pulls double duty as a "bounce house" and ball pit. We tried adding 200 balls, but they barely covered the bottom of the JOL. They suggested using at least 600 balls, but the boys enjoy throwing the balls out of the pit, so we might hold off on that for now. The tunnel is a big spring covered in parachute material, and it collapses flat for storage. There are velcro strips on each end, and can be attached to more tunnels or even a tent.

Jared was the first one to jump in.

Getting back out was more of a challange.

Wesley takes a break from jumping.

Jared crawls through the tunnel.

Pictures can't really illustrate how much fun the boys have with their new toys, so here is a video of Team Darnell in action!

Individual Outings

We are enjoying our new lifestyle with Daddy assuming the job of Stay At Home Dad. He is doing a wonderful job with the boys. Mostly, I really enjoy having our weekends together as a family. An added benefit to being together on the weekends is the ability to spend some one on one time with the boys.

Daddy does the shopping for our family and he has started taking one of the boys with him to the store. So, the boys can now add Publix to the list of their experiences.

This is a picture of Mike and Andrew leaving on their morning adventure to Publix. Look at how thrilled Andrew looks. The boys know that when they put on shoes, something big is about to happen. The hardest part of these individual outings is to redirect the other two that were not taken out.
Here is a picture of the actual outing. Now, this is the face of a child who is having too much fun...

This is so typical Andrew. When he is out in public, he becomes expressionless. It is quite interesting because he is so expressive and humorous at home but once in public... stoic... he doesn't fuss but he does not crack a smile!

Don't worry, everyone gets a turn to go out on an outing. We rotate the boys so everyone gets a fair shake. Life is good!

Take care,

17 Months Old!!!

We are 17 months old!!!

Andrew - Our Silly Clown....
Jared - Our sensitive tenderheart....
Wild Wesley - Our confident dare devil....
Don't be in too much of a hurry to grow up! These days are so much fun and flying by way too fast.

Love,

Mom & Dad

Our Bed Time Reading...

When you have triplets, some things have to be done differently. With a single child, a parent has the privilege of scooping up their child and holding them while reading a book and jointly flipping through the pages before putting them to bed. I don't have that luxury but the boys get a bedtime story every night.

The boys have a bookshelf in their room that holds all of their books. Each evening, the boys run to the bedroom as soon as we say "bed time." One of the primary reasons they are so excited is the ability to get their hands on some good books. The first thing each of them get to do once inside their room is "grab a book." They stand in line at the bookshelf which each picks their book. Once a book is in their hands, I put each one in their crib. It's actually funny to watch their decision making process. Some times they dig to find the 'perfect' book. They have their favorites!

They proceed to 'read' their own book while I read a story to the group. Once the story is over, the boys hand over their books and it is time for bed. I hope the boys always have a joy for reading.

Here are some pics of the boys 'reading' before bed...

Jared...
Wes - very typical that he is reading it upside down... so his personality!...

Andrew - I love the look on his face. It's like he is saying... "could you leave me alone, this was just getting good!"....

We are still very lucky that the boys enjoy their bed time routine. No matter how wild the day gets, we know it is all quiet by 7:30pm!! But, it starts all over again at 7:30am...

Take care,

First Words

It's exciting times! The boys are actually starting to say some real words. I bet it will not be long before we are longing for the days when they were not saying any words but until that day, woo hoo... we are starting to talk.

Wes was the first to really start saying an actual word other than Ma-ma-ma or Da-da-da. He made is mother so very proud by saying "Ball" as his first word. It almost brings a tear to my eye.

Andrew was the next one to spout an official 'first word.' He was probably saying this word before we actually realized what he was saying. We started to notice that he would notice Chewie, our Yorkie, he would make the sound of "shu." I started to think he may be trying to say "Chewie." How exciting to see he was going to say "Chewie" as his first word. Well, after paying a little closer attention, I realized the truth of the matter. His first word was actually "HUSH." Seriously, hush???? How much do we really say this that he picks it up as his first word????

When the dogs bark, we issue a gentle "hush, Chewie" or "hush, Murray" or a general "hush." It's not an angry "hush" but still a "hush." Well, our responsible eldest male, decided to step up and help us issue these directives at appropriate times. When Chewie barks, he runs to the gate to Chewie's room (aka. the living room) and proceeds to tell him to "ha-shhhhh."

I have tried to catch video of him issuing his edict but I have not been very successful. Here is a little video with two clips. In the first clip, he hears Chewie bark and I catch him running to the gate and if you listen closely, you can hear the soft... "haaa-shhh." In the second clip, he says it at the start and then I beg for him to say it again but no luck. Enjoy....

I am so proud! During our efforts to get Andrew to say "haa-shhh" on video, I accidentally caught a hysterical moment. Let me set the scene. My mom is visiting and we had just arrived home from dinner at Sonny's. We are all working to get Andrew to say "haa-shh" on video. This involved several of us (mostly me) barking like a dog in the hopes that he would issue a "ha-sh" to me. Well, while trying to do this, the video was running. In the following video, you can see the challenge we were having with Andrew and then see how Wesley decided to jump into the act and help out...

Jared is still the strong silent type but I am sure he will be telling his brothers to be quiet very soon!

Take care,

GRANDMAMA VISITS

Before the boys were born, Kellie and I discussed how they would address her mother as they got older.  What we came up with was "Grandmama" as a joke and it has stuck.  I believe it was said it in a stuffy British accent.  So Grandmama came for a visit this weekend, and of course we took lots of photos.

We wanted to take the boys back to the big park since we had two extra hands.  It was easier last time because they were in a state of shock and didn't move around too much.  Jared didn't move at all and I ended up carrying him the whole time.  So we assigned Grandmama to Jared, thinking that he wouldn't be too hard to follow.  He ended up running around more than anyone.  Poor Wesley had gotten some suntan lotion in his eye, so we cut our trip short.

Anxiously waiting for the gate to open.

Jared and Grandmama at the park.

Team Darnell invades the playground!

"Walky Mouse" is a game that Grandmama plays with the boys.  Using only two fingers, she will send the boys into giggling fits.  Just saying the words "walky mouse" is rewarded with laughter and smiles.

Walky Mouse is gonna get you!

Andrew is helplessly pinned on the couch.

Wesley saves the day!

Jared flips the cushion looking for the elusive mouse.

We finally finished painting the boys room, and it was time to move them out of the nursery.  So while Daddy was moving cribs and furniture, everyone else went outside for some fun in the sun.  Daddy opened the bedroom window which attracted the boys like moths to a flame.  Of course we had the camera ready.

Jared's curiosity got the best of him.

Nice hair, kiddo.

Kilgore was here.

"Excuse me, is this where we rent the surfboards?"

Andrew and Wes at the activity table.

The following evening we all went out to dinner at Sonny's BBQ.  The boys have been pretty good at restaurants, and they get the opportunity to try new things.  Instead of ordering 3 child's meals, we gave them a little bit of everything that we ordered.  They ate BBQ pork, baked beans, garlic bread, coleslaw, french fries, and chicken. 

Andrew's baby blue eyes complemented his baby blue shirt.

Jared has perfected the over the shoulder pouty look

Grandmama and Wesley share a moment.

Pardon me...which wine pairs well with the pulled pork?

Andrew is paying close attention to the daily specials.

Jared is putting it away like a pro!

Andrew is just getting warmed up.

Sometimes Wes only uses his fork for balance.

Soon after we headed home and the boys had their baths, then off to bed.  We had lots of fun with Grandmama, and hope she visits again soon!

Spoons...

The boys have improved with their use of forks and have become pretty proficient at keeping food on their plates. The next big hurdle is.... spoons!! I know the day would have to come when we needed to tackle this so I figured to bite the bullet and start today. When we started using forks, the food they were trying to stab is solid and they could grab with their hand if the fork would not work. Food eaten with a spoon is much different... it's messy. But, alas no pain no gain!

I started by passing out the spoons and letting the boys take turns taking spoonfuls of chocolate pudding. I have to admit, they were much better than I expected and the mess was much less than I expected. There were some moments when they scooped up the pudding and turned the spoon the wrong way on the way to their mouth... plop. It was a good step in the right direction... utensil independence....

Andrew...
Jared - He grabbed the spoon way down by the scooper so his hand was covered with chocolate...

Wes...

I enjoy watching them experience new things. This experiment convienently occured on bath night. After the experiment... straight to the tub!

Take care,

TODDLER TAILGATING

Ahhh, football season. The boys are quickly becoming fans, and they like to show their support in different ways. They applaud and cheer when people around them do, they know the hand gestures for "touchdown", and of course they wear the appropriate apparel for their favorite teams. In this house that would be the Florida State Seminoles, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers!

Grandma came for a visit this weekend, and she brought the boys Tampa Bay shirts. We put them on that morning to get psyched up for the big preseason game against Houston that evening. The following photos will illustrate how the boys are becoming fanatics in the making.

In anticipation of the game in 12 hours, we started tailgating that morning.

Andrew practices his touchdown celebration with some "air guitar".

Wes ponders, "Chics dig this, right?"

Andrew on the edge of his seat.

I have this funny feeling that someone is sniffing my behind.

Jared has his game face on.

Well, this is how they wear it for the European League.

Look guys, I'm the Pope! No, I don't know what a "pope" is, either.

I don't think this is right, but I am starting a trend!

C'mon people, I can't hear you. MAKE SOME NOISE!!

Oh, well, it was only a preseason game. We have another shot with the Cowboys next week.

More August Moments...

The month of August has been a memorable month for the Darnell family. The biggest change is that Mike became a Stay at Home Dad and we are finally getting to experience our weekends together as a family!! In addition, we turned 16 months old, started using forks, started to 'help out,' fell in love with Yo Gabba Gabba and most of all spent a lot of time playing outside in the backyard. The following are some photos that did not make their own post but could not go without posting. Enjoy....

As mentioned previously, August was a month in which we spent a lot of time playing outside in our backyard. The boys have a small pool, a water table, a sprinkler ball and usually just love playing with the hose. When we come inside, I get the boys out of their wet bathing suits, wrap them in their towels and then they get to spent a few minutes drying off - 'in da buff.' Here is Andrew walking around..... (photo edited to add the red bow for modesty)
Jared decided to spend his 'naked time' playing in the toy box...

Taking a picture of the boys sitting together has become darn near impossible. This picture was not staged. Wesley was first sitting on the ottoman, then Andrew and then Jared climbed up. The magical force that drew them all together was none other than the great show "Yo Gabba Gabba!"...

No explanation needed for this one - silly Andrew...

Daddy and his "mini-me" Jared.....

Every night we put all of the toys away. For the past couple months, I started to believe that toys were disappearing. Tonight, we could not find one of the puzzle boards and it was too big to misplace. We looked all over and then last place we looked was under the stove. Well, we found it and many of the other "disappearing" toys. The next day, we also watched the boys slide the toys under the stove....

Jared, our thinker....

As the boys are growing taller, we needed to add another layer of baby-proofing on the door knobs. When the boys woke up the next morning, they were immediately drawn to the new cover on the door handle. They spent a while trying to figure out this new contraption...

As the boys are becoming much more self-sufficient while eating and eating in their presence is not pleasant for any of us, I have started to join for meals. Their table is made for them and not for company. In an effort to expand the table, I used a stool with a TV tray on top. This is my expansion so I can eat at the table with the boys....

Our new favorite toys are the diaper wipe containers. There are so many different ways to play with these. Jared is showing off the container as a hat...

Since we have been playing outside all the time, it is very sad when a rainy day keeps us trapped inside...

Don't worry, we just bring the summer fun inside. How about a little beach ball basketball? Please note we have already raised the goal up one notch and are ready to move it up another level....

Daddy just can't sit still!! His new project is building a small deck for the area between our patio and the fence. The boys sure look up to and LOVE their Daddy.....

Dogs, like children, learn the rules and learn how far they can push the limits without actually breaking a rule. Murray is not allowed to sit up on the couch or the ottoman. He knows he is not allowed to get up on the ottoman but he has learned that he can lay on it as long as he keeps his feet on the floor. Here is a pic of Murray relaxing.....

During the month, Uncle Lance and Aunt Kim came for a visit. We had a great time and during the day on Saturday, they took the boys for a walk. This picture makes me laugh because of Wesley sitting straight up as if to show them around the neighborhood. He definitely has natural leadership potential....

The following series of photos show of Wesley and his silly personality:

Here is his "I make this look good" look....

Say "oooooooooo".....

Wes - what do you think of the Gators? BLAH....

Funny kid....

Each morning, Andrew loves to dump the blocks over his head. Once the box is empty, he will wear the box on his head...

Everything goes on the head....

Murray takes a moment to rest while the boys are napping....

This is our time out spot. When we put one of the boys in time out, he is quickly joined my his bros. Which one do you think is the offender in this photo?

All clean, lotioned up, jammied up, relaxing with our last milk of the evening and watching Wheel of Fortune. The day must be drawing to an end....

Wes looks so sweet in this photo! He is hanging out in his pillow pile in what will become their new room. ...

August was a month full of a lot of fun times! Bring on September...

Take care,

A Day at The Park

Early in July, we decided as a family that we needed to make a change. Our decision was to take the leap and Mike was going to become a SAHD (Stay at Home Dad). We had originally planned for this transition to occur on October 1st but I had some work things come up that required me to be in the office 5 days a week and then a week of travel. Because of this, we opted to move up the transition and Mike has officially been a SAHD for one full week.

If either of us were nervous about our decision, those concerns are gone after today. The most simple act of going to the park was something we were unable to do before today. Up until today, it was always a 1:3 parent to child ratio in our house. Because of this, it would be too dangerous to go out to the community park that is just a couple minutes away from our house.

So, the first chance we got, we were both excited to pack up the boys and head to the park. The boys were a little overwhelmed by all of the people and it took them a few minutes to loosen up. Once they were comfortable, Wes and Andrew were running around. In opposite directions of course....
Here is Wes getting ready to take a big step onto the bouncy bridge....
Jared was a little more cautious and ended up in Daddy's arms for most of the morning....

Wes thought he was one of the big kids. He was trying to do anything he was not big enough to do...

I was surprised that Andrew was as outgoing as he was. Typically, he freezes in public and tries to become invisible. Once he relaxed, he started running around the park. Here he is contemplating which direction to go....

Then.... he was gone..... wait up Andrew.... .

He was so funny. I am not sure what he was looking for but he just kept running around the sidewalk for the longest time. Here is a little video of Mommy chasing him. He was a man on a mission. The only thing that slowed him down was a pretty girl that walked by....

Going to the park is such a simple activity. It was a big milestone for our family and I look forward to many more outings and time spent together as a family!!!

Take care,