ABC Triplets

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T21:45:00.003-05:00

We finished up our visit to Grandma and Grandpa's by opening up presents. The girls loved their custom-made "Scraps" doll from the Wizard of Oz. We then drove home, had dinner, and read Christmas stories before bedtime.

And then the kids left out cookies for Santa (and carrots for the reindeer).

Fun at the Science Museum

2011-12-23T21:43:00.005-05:00

Aunt Em Visits!

2011-12-18T14:12:00.002-05:00

The kids were quite excited to see Aunt Emily, even if it was only for the day to exchange Christmas presents for her. Though she's and her husband have been in China for the past year, she's often in the triplets' thoughts. Just the other day Arthur looked up from his lunch and said, "Aunt Emily is sleeping now." To which Nana said, "That's right. She's on the other side of the world, isn't that funny?" And then Arthur fully explained, "The sun can only shine on one side of the Earth at a time. It's like people talking. Only one person at a time can talk."

Cousins Cooking Christmas Cookies

2011-12-17T14:10:00.000-05:00

Coraline's Stocking

2011-12-14T21:41:00.002-05:00

Erin just finished Coraline's stocking. Every year she's knit one for the family, and Coraline was thrilled to finally have hers finished. (She even forgo having Erin read her books at night, and encouraged her to knit instead). Now that the triplets' stockings are done, along with Nana and Pop Pop's, I think Erin will start hers next year. It'll be strange to have "Mom" knit into the stocking.

A Christmas Pile

2011-12-13T11:16:00.000-05:00

After finishing decorating the tree, the girls piled on top of Arthur. When asked if he was ok, he said, "Yes, I'm fine, but one more sister would have been too much!"

Arthur's Rock Song

2011-12-04T11:16:00.001-05:00

We're not sure where this came from, but Arthur claims he created the song himself.

Picking Out A Christmas Tree

2011-12-03T11:13:00.002-05:00

Today we took everyone out to a Christmas Tree farm in order to find out tree. The kids thought it was hilarious when Pop Pop tried to cut down the smallest, scraggliest tree of the bunch.

And "monk-sock" helped pick out our actual tree.

And the youngest got to put the angel on the top of the tree.

Arthur's Favorite Place

2011-11-30T10:39:00.003-05:00

Arthur decided to draw a picture of his favorite place to visit. So he drew our family at Disney World. (His cousins are with us too, with their ages "4" and "7" backwards over their heads.)

Thanksgiving Rock Band

2011-11-25T10:36:00.001-05:00

The message of Thanksgiving might have gotten garbled. Arthur drew this picture of an indian with a sign above that reads, "BWAR INDN."

And then at night all the kids were thrilled to play Aunt Heather and Uncle Tristan's rock band.

Five Cousins for Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T10:32:00.003-05:00

We love when all five cousins get together and play. It's always amazing to see their collective imaginations run wild.

The kids had their own table for their Thanksgiving feast.

And then everyone then had fun dancing with Aunt Heather.

Over the River and Through the Woods...

2011-11-23T10:35:00.001-05:00

We're still working on learning the second verse.

First Birthday Party

2011-11-19T21:39:00.001-05:00

The kids were invited to their first birthday party, one for a girl in their preschool class. They had so much fun that Erin and I left them there for a few hours to play. Definitely a first for us!

First Snow Fall

2011-11-17T10:29:00.000-05:00

We hear we've got a warm winter ahead of us, so the kids were thrilled to run out and try to catch the first snowflakes of the season.

Christmas Card Photo

2011-11-11T10:28:00.001-05:00

Today we quickly took our picture for our Christmas card. We were quite pleased with how it turned out, and the kids loved wearing their Santa hats.

Three Superheroes!

2011-11-03T21:38:00.000-04:00

Halloween, Part 3

2011-10-31T22:24:00.000-04:00

Not to be held back from trick-or-treating, Coraline said she felt good enough to go out with us tonight (as a wounded dragon).

We met up with Miss Kristina (who used to be one of their teachers), and we had a lot of fun going around her neighborhood with her kids.

Afterwards, Arthur spent a while counting his pieces of candy, shocked at how much he had collected:

Halloween, Part 2

2011-10-31T22:17:00.001-04:00

Meanwhile, this was supposed to be the day of the kids' field trip to the pumpkin patch. Running late, Pop Pop had to take Betty and Arthur to the farm. But when he got there, he couldn't find where the other preschoolers were. Asking for directions, one of the farm attendants suggested that perhaps the class had already taken the hay ride out to the pumpkin patch, and Pop Pop should just walk over to meet them. And so Pop Pop, Arthur, and Betty walked through the pumpkin fields. And walked. And walked.

Luckily, they did finally meet up with them, and they each picked out a small pumpkin (and an extra one to bring back for Coraline).

Halloween, Part 1

2011-10-31T15:43:00.000-04:00

Halloween morning started with a phone call from Nana, asking if she should take Coraline to the emergency room. Evidently all three of the kids had been watching the news (it was a segment on Halloween costumes for pets), and they had all leaned back on the back of Nana's recliner. Evidently they are too big for this, and the chair flipped over. Coraline ricocheted into a table, and now needed stitches. Five stitches and a brownie later, she's doing much better.

Pony Tails!

2011-10-30T15:38:00.000-04:00

The girls decided a long time ago to grow their hair out (similar to one of their classmates). Today we discovered it was long enough to put them in pony tails!

Halloween at Smithfield Plantation

2011-10-27T15:36:00.000-04:00

We took the kids to a Halloween celebration at the historic Smithfield Plantation.

Everyone had fun making corn-husk dolls.

Afterwards, Arthur and Betty made a witch's broom, and we all explored the haunted surroundings of the plantation.

Self-Portrait

2011-10-25T15:35:00.001-04:00

We had this self-portrait sent home from preschool. Evidently one 4 year old's drawing was different from the rest of the class's. Sigh.

Mr. Incredible

2011-10-24T17:24:00.004-04:00

"This is just a costume, you know. See - here's myself (showing his hand). It's my color. And I'm wearing the same socks."

He then went around in his secret identity. He lowered his voice to talk to us, but slipped up once. "Uh oh," he said in his deep voice, "I sounded like Arthur for a bit there. Strange, huh?"

Halloween at CVS

2011-10-23T20:26:00.002-04:00

CVS celebrated Halloween early, and when we went in, we managed to get goody bags for the kids, a free picture, 3 free Halloween costumes for next year, and 3 free bags of candy to pass out for trick-or-treaters. Not too bad, even though the cashier thought the girls were dinosaurs.

Our Princess

2011-10-21T15:34:00.000-04:00

Carving Pumpkins

2011-10-16T20:25:00.002-04:00

The kids had fun carving pumpkins today. Arthur made his look like Dracula (and made him arms and a cape). Betty decided hers would wear earrings, and Coraline's had a tiny square "robot" face.

Bug Fest at Virginia Tech

2011-10-15T20:27:00.003-04:00

We took the kids to the First Annual Bug Fest, sponsored by the Entomology Department at Virginia Tech.

There were bug activities everywhere, from loads of crafts, to bug tattoos, bug coloring pages, and even a flea circus!

Arthur even made a painting by having a giant cockroach, dipped in paint, crawl across his paper.

And then everyone got bugs painted on their faces.

School Pictures

2011-10-11T20:21:00.001-04:00

Today we got the proofs from the triplets' school pictures.

We've found that with the kids, always one of them is going to be different. 1 out of 3 will be crying, 1 out of 3 will be grumpy, 1 out of 3 won't want to wear their jacket, 1 out of 3 doesn't want to get dressed for school.

And 1 out of 3 won't smile for the camera. Luckily it's never the same kid, but perhaps it is some genetic survival mechanism that they each take turns with their tantrums, instead of ganging up on us all at once.

Playing at the Park

2011-10-10T17:19:00.000-04:00

After spending an exhausting seven hours at the State Fair yesterday, today we had a calm day of playing at a park before driving back home.

The Virginia State Fair

2011-10-09T17:17:00.000-04:00

Iron Man

2011-10-05T08:27:00.000-04:00

We left Arthur home with Pop Pop, and took the girls to the store to have them pick out pants and shirts (that they'd actually wear). When we came back, Arthur was no where to be seen. Instead, Iron Man stood in the driveway waiting for us!

Lion King in 3D

2011-10-01T17:15:00.001-04:00

Today we took the kids to their first 3D movie. And yes, we were the family whose kids kept shouting, "It looks real! I can see it!" every five minutes.

Apple Picking at Peaks of Otter

2011-09-25T17:12:00.000-04:00

Winter Clothes

2011-09-18T08:29:00.001-04:00

Today we got out the tub of winter clothes to try to find long pants and shirts for the girls. We managed to find a few outfits that we think they'll wear, and Coraline picked out this sweater that used to be Erin's.

Gymnastics Open House

2011-09-17T10:49:00.001-04:00

There was an open house at the local gymnastics (where the kids spent some time over the summer), so we signed the kids up for a free class. They all had a lot of fun (though Betty was a bit shy).

Grandma and Grandpa Visit

2011-09-16T08:30:00.000-04:00

Grandma and Grandpa came to visit, and the kids had a lot of fun!

The Princess and the Dragon

2011-09-15T20:20:00.000-04:00

Coraline finally got a dragon costume for Halloween that actually fits her. So of course everyone had to play dress up.

Dancing After Movies

2011-09-11T10:51:00.000-04:00

At the end of movies, the triplets always break out into a lengthy dance session while the credits roll.

Rocketry Launch

2011-09-10T10:48:00.000-04:00

Today we took the kids to a model rocketry competition. We were amazed at how loud the big rockets were!

Nathan's Kun Fu

2011-09-05T10:47:00.001-04:00

Evidently Nathan felt the need to teach Coraline some Kung Fu moves.

Luray Caverns

2011-09-04T10:36:00.000-04:00

Fishing in Luray

2011-09-03T09:46:00.001-04:00

We drove up to Luray this morning to go camping with our cousins. Our lunch stop was at a small pond with a dock, so we decided to let the kids go fishing.

It wasn't long before everyone had hooked small sunfish!

First Week in the Jade Room

2011-08-29T08:32:00.000-04:00

We finally got around to taking our "First Week of School" pictures with the kids, and their new teacher Tanya. We can't believe that this time next year they'll be in Kindergarden!

Heritage Day

2011-08-20T23:56:00.002-04:00

We always love our town's small Heritage Day celebration. We explored all the exhibits, and Coraline worked hard to turn corn kernels into corn meal.

We then had fun playing with lots of old-timey toys.

Miss Sharon's Music Camp

2011-08-11T23:54:00.000-04:00

This week we enrolled the triplets in a music camp, run by the music teacher from school. They had lots of fun, and it was a nice transition for them, as school starts in just a few weeks.

Halloween Costumes

2011-08-10T23:47:00.000-04:00

Today we tried on our Halloween costumes. We decided to have the girls be dragons, and Arthur would be a knight. We're still working on his costume, and Coraline decided her dragon costume was a bit too small, so we had to take it back to the store. Luckily we still have time.

Great Road Encampment

2011-08-07T23:43:00.003-04:00

The kids and their cousins had fun witnessing a recreation of 18th century life along the Great Road. Axe-throwing and seeing the flint-lock muskets fired were their favorite activities.

The Big Birthday Party

2011-08-06T23:37:00.002-04:00

The kids' first real birthday party was quite a success! The pirate theme was a lot of fun.

Face painting turned the guests into scary pirates, monsters, and a pumpkin.

The kids then followed a map and searched for buried treasure in the two sandboxes.

Fun at Gymnastics

2011-08-04T23:29:00.002-04:00

Throughout the summer, Pop Pop's been taking the kids to open playtime at our local gymnastics.

The trampoline is their favorite.

The kids love it, and run around frantically trying to play on all the equipment at the same time.

And Arthur learned how to "skin the cat."

Happy Fourth Birthday!

2011-08-02T15:45:00.003-04:00

Though we're having the big party on Saturday, we couldn't resist celebrating the triplets' fourth birthday today with cupcakes in ice cream cones.

And Betty wanted to show off her new piggy bank and her cupcake necklace.

And then everyone got playmobil pirate ships for their birthday, putting them all in the mood for their pirate-themed party this weekend.

Another Hot Day

2011-07-30T15:45:00.000-04:00

It was another hot day, so after playing for a bit outside we came in to watch Aladdin.

Bowling!

2011-07-29T15:42:00.001-04:00

On our second trip to the bowling alley, we discovered that the kids have their own way of watching their balls (slowly) advance upon the pins.

And of course, when music plays, we all have to dance.

The Science Museum

2011-07-24T15:37:00.003-04:00

In Richmond, we stopped at the Science Center, where we picked up a year-long membership. The kids loved exploring levers, pulleys, and blocks.

We all worked together to build a giant arch!

And then at the touch tank we got to feel all sorts of sea creatures.

The Super Birthday Party

2011-07-23T15:29:00.001-04:00

The main reason we were at our cousins' house was to celebrate their cousin's fourth birthday party, which was superhero-themed.

They had lots of fun playing in the water, and even though it was an extremely hot day, Coraline and Arthur (above) both managed to get quite cold.

And then everyone had lots of fun running around in their super hero masks.

Washington DC Trip

2011-07-22T18:30:00.006-04:00

It was still horribly hot outside, so we decided to spend the day at the air conditioned Smithsonian Natural History Museum.

After staring at the "Neanderthal Burial" exhibit for quite a while, Arthur turned to me and asked, "So....why did she kill him?"

We then had fun in the science lab, coloring butterfly pictures and exploring with microscopes.

We loved the human origins exhibit, but were a bit concerned when one of the videos showed a leopard savagely killing a hominid.

And everyone was so tired that they fell asleep on the train ride back.

Swim Time

2011-07-21T17:32:00.004-04:00

We couldn't believe how long it had been since we took the kids swimming, so when we were visiting their cousins in Maryland and it was almost 100 degrees outside, we immediately hit the pool. Everyone was as comfortable in the water as when we had last gone swimming.

Arthur even learned how to swim 5 feet without his floaters on! (though this was the last attempt that we took a video of...it was not his best try)

And then afterwards, we were all tired and watched a movie before dinner time.

Working in the Garden

2011-07-20T17:31:00.000-04:00

Working in our garden again, picking blackberries, tomatoes, green beans, and zucchini, Coraline decided to take a break on the picket fence.

Match Match!

2011-07-17T17:30:00.001-04:00

When the triplets were young, they used to always point at matching items and declare, "Match Match!" Today we heard it again when we noticed Pop Pop and Arthur accidentally coordinated their attire.

Tree Climbers

2011-07-16T08:34:00.001-04:00

Our kids love climbing trees!

The Go Anywhere Bus

2011-07-13T17:28:00.002-04:00

Since our minivan is in the shop, and since no other car we have fits 3 carseats, we had to take the bus today in order to see "How to Train Your Dragon" at the movie theatre. The kids thought the bus was almost as fun as the movie.

Picking Wine Berries

2011-07-12T17:26:00.001-04:00

On the road by Nana and Pop Pop's house there are a bunch of wine berry bushes. We love picking the sticky berries in the summer, and every few days trot down to the bushes with our buckets in hand.

But the berry bushes had prickers, and more than one sun hat became trapped.

Chick-Fil-A

2011-07-11T16:17:00.003-04:00

Today was cow appreciation day at Chick-fil-a, so the kids dressed up as cows in order to get a free meal.

New Carseat!

2011-07-07T16:16:00.000-04:00

We've decided to start upgrading the kids' carseats to booster seats. Betty's the first to get one, and she loves being able to sit like a big kid!

Happy Fourth of July

2011-07-04T10:47:00.006-04:00

We got up early and drove out to a blueberry farm.
Even though Pop Pop got stung by a bee, we had a lot of fun.

Afterwards, we went to Smithfield Plantation to see their historic Fourth of July celebration. Arthur and I learned about guns.
We then took a hike and explored an old cemetery.

And since it was such a hot day, we made sure everyone wore their hats.
And this was only the start of our Fourth of July. We then went to see Cars 2 at the movie theatre, had a barbecue, and shot off some fireworks, before heading to bed, exhausted.

Construction Workers

2011-06-30T10:44:00.002-04:00

This morning city works came over to fix the leaking water main in the front of our house. We spent over 3 hours watching them cut through the street, dig a giant hole, and replace the broken pipes. It was quite exciting!

First Time Bowling

2011-06-23T19:30:00.004-04:00

Today we took the kids bowling for the first time.

Everyone loved it, and we all took turns.

Though it was very, very slow going.

Betty especially loved dancing in her bowling shoes on the slick floor.

Afterwards, we all had ice cream, and Coraline decided she wanted to eat a cookie the size of her head.

Cascades Hike

2011-06-21T18:41:00.003-04:00

The last time we took the kids to the cascades, we carried them the four miles on our backs. This time, they jogged ahead of us on the trail.

We spotted many strange creatures, like large salamanders and creepy centipedes.

And then we had lunch on the rocks by the stream.

We had tons of fun, and though we only made it halfway, we can't wait to hike the whole trail next time.

Blackberry Picking

2011-06-14T18:38:00.001-04:00

Today we took the kids to our garden to pick the piles of blackberries that have ripened. Everyone was a great help. Betty picked her whole basket without eating a single one (since it isn't on her list of "edible" fruits - pears, bananas, and peeled apples). Coraline ate all of hers.

Graduation

2011-06-09T15:23:00.002-04:00

Today was the last day that the kids were in Violet Room. Next year, we think they will be with their friends in Jade Room, for a five day preschool program. We think they did better this year with their graduation song (last year Betty had to be held the whole time).

Betty's Necklace

2011-06-05T13:07:00.001-04:00

Betty wanted a picture taken of the necklace she made. She used her scissors and carefully cut it out of an activity book, and she was so proud of her accomplishment!

Richmond Greek Festival

2011-06-04T13:02:00.002-04:00

We went to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Richmond this weekend, so that we could attend the Greek Festival. Beforehand, we played at the children's museum, and then headed out in the heat to try some Greek food for lunch.

Cora liked dancing (with a Greek donut-filled mouth), but we were so hot afterwards that we had to stop and share a glass of lemonade.

Gymnastics!

2011-06-02T12:45:00.001-04:00

Pop Pop signed up for some open gym classes for the kids. They love going each week and playing with all of the various stations.

(unfortunately I took the video sideways with my cell phone)

Up, Up, and Away!

2011-06-01T11:27:00.000-04:00

Bike Riding

2011-05-29T11:25:00.000-04:00

With the cousins visiting, we decided to take the five kids to the end of the road with their five bikes to practice riding. Our kids tried training wheels for the first time!

Ingles Farm

2011-05-28T11:22:00.002-04:00

Today we went with the kids and their cousins to Ingles Farm, representative of life in the area in the late 1700s. The baby lambs that the triplets ran around with last year are now grown, and were being sheared.

Everyone had a lot of fun learning about the past.

Preschool

2011-05-27T11:20:00.000-04:00

We're nearing the end of the preschool year, and the kids are looking forward to summer. But after that, we'll be enrolling them 5 days a week instead of 3.

Rainy Days!

2011-05-18T18:00:00.000-04:00

It's been raining each and every day here, and while we can't yet plant our garden, we can at least enjoy a nice walk in the rain!

Doctors!

2011-05-14T17:57:00.001-04:00

We're all excited that Aunt Allison was accepted into medical school!

"Crack an Egg on Your Head!"

2011-05-13T17:56:00.000-04:00

Fun at the Strawberry Patch!

2011-05-08T17:54:00.004-04:00

Children's Museum

2011-05-07T16:02:00.002-04:00

We love the Children's Museum in Richmond. We went to the smaller branch this time, and decided that we're probably close to outgrowing it.

But we still had fun playing on the train, and getting creative with art projects.

Dentist Visit #2

2011-05-06T15:59:00.001-04:00

Our second trip to the dentist went much better! (i.e. Coraline didn't throw up this time)

Making Rice Crispy Treats

2011-05-05T15:57:00.000-04:00

Everyone seems to love cooking these days, and there are a number of projects (like Banana pudding) that the kids can make with little supervision. Here they mixed together and colored rabbits they made out of rice krispie treats.

Wild Animals!

2011-05-01T16:19:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it seems like we're running a zoo.

Waiting for Her Prince

2011-04-30T15:46:00.001-04:00

The triplets loved watching the royal wedding on tv. Arthur loved seeing the knights on horseback, and the girls took turns playing princess.

Triplet Zombies!

2011-04-28T17:53:00.000-04:00

A Hike with Sabine

2011-04-25T17:51:00.001-04:00

Today Erin took the kids on a hike with Sabine, and Grandma and Grandpa, who were visiting for Easter. It was a hot day, but Coraline loved the chance to walk the dog by herself.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T17:49:00.003-04:00

Easter Celebration

2011-04-23T15:44:00.000-04:00

We went to our town's Easter celebration, and the kids loved playing the games and finding Easter eggs. A local photographer snapped this shot of Arthur, which later appeared in the newspaper!

And everyone got their face painted for the occasion!

Decorating Easter Eggs

2011-04-22T15:33:00.000-04:00

The kids had tons of fun decorating their Easter Eggs, and each managed to fill their entire egg carton with their creations.

Trip to the Movie Theatre

2011-04-17T17:29:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we took everyone out to the movies to see "Rio" at our local movie theatre. While everyone had tons of fun, Arthur thought the coolest thing was the giant hammer in the lobby.

Learning to Write

2011-04-16T17:28:00.001-04:00

The girls have finally shown an interest in learning to write, so now I'm working with them every day on their letters. They've been quite proud of their accomplishments.

My Birthday

2011-04-11T16:59:00.002-04:00

With Erin's help, Arthur wrote out a shopping list for my birthday. It reads, "Superman, Cake, Present, Frame, Daddy, Balloon." And for my birthday, the girls gave me bookmarks they had made, and Arthur gave me a framed drawing. I didn't get a picture of it yet, but it looks similar to this one - Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman with a cake at my party.

A Toad Day

2011-04-10T16:58:00.002-04:00

Today we found a toad by the creek. Everyone loved watching it jump around. And miraculously, no one got peed on!

Coraline's Art Gallery

2011-04-08T16:57:00.000-04:00

Coraline loves drawing (especially small figures), and upon finishing a drawing, she often tapes it up on the wall in her own art gallery.

Giant Tower

2011-04-05T16:56:00.000-04:00

Arthur decided to see if he could make a tower of blocks that reached the ceiling. With a bit of help, he accomplished his goal.

Our Family

2011-04-01T15:46:00.001-04:00

Arthur made this drawing the other day. It shows our entire family - Nana, Pop Pop, Erin, myself, and the triplets. I'm second from the left - evidently the whiskers aren't Pop Pop's beard, but are mine on a day I didn't shave.

Science Investigation

2011-03-27T10:49:00.000-04:00

The kids love watching the tadpoles, and today they brought out their magnifying glasses to get a better look. Evidently they have been learning about science from watching Sid the Science Kid on tv.

Tadpoles!

2011-03-24T10:47:00.000-04:00

A colleague of Erin's gave her a container with 20 tadpoles for her classroom. Since they weren't on the SOL tests, Erin decided they'd get better use at home with the triplets. I'm just hoping they survive long enough to turn into frogs.

Bird Watching

2011-03-21T10:45:00.000-04:00

Now that it's Spring, we've all been watching birds at the bird feeders, and watching them build nests. Coraline especially requested a birdhouse kit to build and paint (pink), and now we're waiting for a bird family to discover it.