Milk and cookies make it all better!

Our favorite photog was doing a little Santa shoot this year at a local museum. Since we hadn't done our usual mall Santa photos yet, and we have had to be in the pictures with the kids the last two years, we thought we would give her a try. We were hoping that seeing a familiar face and a less crazy atmosphere would help.
The kiddos checked out the little museum while Santa was getting ready.

I am so glad to say the trio did AWESOME this year...no tears and no need for Mom and Dad to be in the pics!!!

They love Amanda!

Not sure if it was the comfy PJ's we decided to have them wear this year. Or the milk and cookies we tossed in for fun. Or that it was a much quieter place. Or that they just outgrew freaking out on Santa, but they had a great time and I can't wait to get the photos back!!!

Back home...Percy chilling in today's spot. I have now realized he is a little bitty pain in the ass. I have almost forgot to move him twice. Both times I had to get out of bed in the middle of the night, when I somehow remembered I hadn't moved him, and set him up on a new perch.

The kids LOVE their new PJ's...they wanted to wear them the rest of the day. Then when we wanted to put them in something else for bed Hayden argued with us. She said "But little kids sleep in pajamas." We told her that's right they do. Then she said "And these are pajamas." We said yes, they are. So then she hit us with "We are little kids and these are pajamas, so we should sleep in these pajamas." We had to hand it to her, it was a good argument...so she won. 

We talked to the kids about what to do in an emergency a little today. Most of it I am sure just went in one ear and out the other...it is for sure a conversation you need to have like weekly so they can hear it often enough to grasp it.

We also started some new stranger danger talks and demonstrations today. We showed the trio how to sit down on their butts, kick and scream "Stranger Danger" & "call the police," if someone tries to kidnap them. Haddie and Lily were very interested in the demonstrations, Xan got very emotional and scared. Hopefully more practice will help.

I want to find videos of kids being taught this stuff to show them, so they can see how other kids do it...how loud they scream and how hard they kick.

 

Why was I on a safety and emergency kick you may ask, of course I know you should go over these things with your kids often but I also had a totally sleepless night last night thanks to me trying to watch The Walking Dead season 2. When will I learn there are some people who can watch Zombie shows, and there are some people who can't. I made it through season one, barely, but I just can't get through season 2. I hate that something so silly freaks me out so much, I think having 4 little kids is a big part of my fears. If it was just me and Jason I would be like bring it on....but to try and get 4 small kids through some sort of huge disaster just scares the shit out of me.

 

Hayden sure needs to work on not smiling so much when she is being kidnapped LOL. 

Fun with Great Aunt Julie.

A little fooling around this morning. Jericho thought Hayden's lap looked comfortable...Hayden didn't agree. Little did she know, later at bath time it was going to get a whole lot worse...I won't come right out and say it, but it has a 'T' and a 'bag' in it LOL. Jason saw the whole thing go down, and even though it was totally accidental he said it was the funniest thing he ever saw and wished he had a video camera.

The kiddos tried their first egg nog today...just a little bit. Xander was a huge fan, Hayden was too. Lily and Jericho were so so about it.

Jason and I got some time to finish up Christmas shopping today. Great Aunt Julie came over and hung out with the munchkins for a few hours. They had a lot of fun making some festive crafts. We got home to 4 very happy kids and, funny enough, a not frazzled in the least Julie :)

She brought some cute hats, water color coloring books and lots of fun crafty stuff.

Aww cute lil buddy.

They were so excited to show us all their cool new stuff when we got home.

They had so much fun...thanks Julie, hopefully we can do it again soon.

The infamous Santa pic!

The triplets are famous!
Our trip to see Santa 3 years ago, when the trio were 17 months old, did not go as I had planned. They totally freaked out as soon as they were sat in his lap, we managed to snap a photo and got the heck outta there. When we got back from that visit with Santa, and I got to really look at this one pic...which was all that we got, I was a bit upset. A few of my Momma friends loved it so much, they told me how awesome it is to have one 'crying with Santa' pic...that one day it would be one of my faves. They were totally right! Not only is it a fave of mine...but now it is famous. I am not totally sure where they got the picture from, but the trio's 'crying with Santa' pic is getting some new international attention. A Momma friend sent me a msg today that she ran across this article, recognized my kiddos and wanted to let me know my kids were famous LOL.
The article is actually kinda heartwarming...can't believe they used the triplets pic as their lead photo in the article, pretty cool! I don't think I gave any kind of permission for anyone to use the photo, just goes to show you...only make public what you are comfortable with making the front page, because one day it might LOL.

You can read it here...http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...all-Santa.html

In other, less dazzling news, we have been picking paint colors for the new house. I can't wait to get to work on it!!!
We have master bed and bath, 2 pinks for the girls room...their pick, and yellowish pink for the bonus room, an olive-ish green that Xan picked for the boys room, the other bathroom, living room and hallways and the kitchen all picked out! Hope they look as good when it is all done, as they do in my head LOL.

It's not just any circus!

Sometimes the converstaions that go on in my house just make me crack up. Today the kids were jumping on the couch, in their defense with it being so cold they haven't gotten out much lately. As they jumped they were acting like they were a circus act, they would say "Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages...welcome to the circus" followed with some jumping "tricks" and a "Taa Daa." When Jason got home Lily, naked mind you and still jumping up and down on the couch, says to him..."Daddy come see the circus!" Jason says "I see this circus every day." Without missing a beat Lily says "But Dad this is not just any old circus, this is the triplet circus!" LOL. 

Of course as often happens in a circus...or when jumping off the couch over and over...we had a minor injury. Floor- 1  Hayden- 0 :(

Xan was worried about his sister...aww.

 

I got a couple more of my canvas prints today. I am so glad they are running all kinds of sales for the Holidays right now!

An old fave of the trio out picking Blueberries.

Haddie loved this one of herself...so do I :)

I love great quotes.

I have found the center piece to my future canvas wall! My fellow triplet Momma friend, and very talented photographer took this amazing picture, I found a quote that I love on so many levels and fits so amazing with the beautiful photo. Thank you Kristi Michelle...can't wait to get this one made...it is gorgeous!

When Jason went in to check on the kiddos before we headed to bed he found three of the four like this. LOL silly kids. I'm not sure what is more awesome, Jericho trying to share a twin mattress with Haddie or Xander not even close to his own bed on the floor.

Lily Bug, of course Princess is up in her bed...nice and comfy.

Thankfully no one woke up when we moved them to their proper stations.

Percy has been having a great time moving from place to place, haven't gotten too crazy with him yet...soon. The kids look for him first thing, and they actually talk to him often...even tell him goodnight. I hope they won't be too sad when he goes home after Christmas.

The trio had a quick little check up today...Xan and Haddie are 44 lbs and 44"...Bug is just a smidge behind them. Dang, they are some big kids! Then there is my small wonder, Jericho is a whopping 26 lbs LOL.

Meet our new friend, Percy!

Jericho had a little extra go today, he was even more of a wild man than usual. He tormented played with the trio all day. This morning he was wrestling with Hayden, and chasing both of his sisters all around the house for a good 2 hours. Then when the girls decided they wanted to take a nap today, Jericho turned his attentions to his big brother. They played so hard that Xander ended up taking a nap today too. Who didn't nap today...Jericho, and Mom.
 
Hayden and Xander are usually really good sports...Lily not so much.

This is their 'aww but Mom we are having fun' face.

My little monkey's!

Jericho is so competitive...anything they can do, he can do better LOL. And yes, all of them get themselves up and down...with zero help! Pretty amazing for a not quite 2 year old!

Gotta try to get all 4 lined up here LOL. Silly kids!

Wearing big brothers hat. I can't wait to get them to some snow this winter!

An unprompted hug...wub!

Haddie was in such a huggy kissy mood...she was actually asking for me to take pictures of her and Jericho.

Even had to have one of me and her...and me with no makeup, I tried to take one of just her but it wasn't good enough LOL.

At bed time tonight we introduced a new special friend. The kids were all excited...they didn't even know what was going on.

My little day time party animal, lil boy crashed hard and fast Hehehe. Don't mind the missing sheet, Jericho will not leave it on for some crazy reason.

 

The triplets enjoyed the Elf on the Shelf story, and even though there was a couple seconds that I thought Hayden was going to freak all went well

Story time!

Lily was super quick to say Hi and want to be friends...she did want to test the 'No touching' rule. Lots of "I'm just going to touch the box."

It took us forever to name our Elf. Finally we got the kids to agree on Percy...since he is from a snowy place like everyone's favorite penguin...Go Percy, Go Percy, Go Percy Go!

Percy's first night...the trio will find him up here in the morning!