Happy Halloween!

Thought I'd share a piece of our Halloween craziness.

So it was chilly this year for Halloween, though not freezing like last year, so we dressed in layers, especially the boys, who don't run particularly warm.  Here's layer 1, onesies:

Layer 2, socks and long underwear:

Ed

Ben

Layer 3, leg and armwarmers:

Ed

All Together!

Layer 4, actual costume:

Ben the tinman, and Ed the scarecrow

Then, of course, you need to get your makeup done:

Lexi's green face

Adding Ed's scarecrow nose

Ed's not so sure about this

Ben is sure that this is not a good idea

"Aw, c'mon mom"

I should note that the makeup process took about 10 minutes total (for all three kids).  Then we attempt a picture on the couch.  It does not go well.

Our friend Julie came to see us off.  Julie is much better about wearing the tinman hat than Ben.

Outside we got a picture of both boys with hats on for exactly 0.01 seconds.  This is the best you get folks.

 The cutest little witch ever.

And the whole family!

Everyone's hat is ALMOST on here.

 Then we finally get one with both boys' hats on, and Ben steals Lexi's hat.

We had lots of fun trick-or-treating though, then the boys got put to bed while Lexi handed out candy and headed out to a Halloween party.  My little social butterfly! Happy Halloween to everyone!

Halloween preview...

Here are a few pics of the costumes I made for Halloween this year.  I'll post more details (and pics of the costumes on the actual children, I hope!) later.

Edward the Scarecrow

Benjamin the Tin Man

Mama the Cowardly Lion

Life is an Adventure...

So, we're hosting a little party for some of Kelly's friends today.  I decided that I'd take the kids to Walmart to pick up a few things that we needed while Kelly finished getting the house together.  It is usually easier to shop with the kids than do housework with them, ironically.  Plus they are lately in LOVE with the carts at Walmart that seat 3 kids.  So, I load everyone up, head across town, and score a 3-seater cart already out in the cart corral.  Lexi decides she's sitting next to Ben in the big blue seats, and Edward gets to ride facing us in the cart seat.  We go in, get the first half dozen or so things on our list, and are just discussing the merits of pink vs purple witches' brooms when the store goes dark. 

Apparently a transformer went out somewhere on the East Side.  None of the stores had power, including walmart.  After 20 minutes or so of circling my cart around and trying to keep two infants and a preschooler entertained, we learned that they did not expect the power back for at least 3 HOURS.  Not ok.  So, we unloaded our cart, had a chat about how we could come back to buy our things later with Lexi, and we got all re-loaded in the car.  Of course, the other 150 cars full of people who were inside Walmart (it was Saturday afternoon around 1pm) were all doing the same thing.  And our Walmart parking lot is under construction and terrible for high-volume traffic.  And I take about 10x longer than most people to get in the car since I have three children to buckle, one of whom is an "I can do it!" preschooler. So, I was last in line to get out, and starting to really get stressed out.  My plan at that point - go home.  Forget whatever we don't have. I'm sure we don't actually need plates.

Then an excited little voice pipes up from the back seat.  "Mama?  Are we on an adventure?"
I pause for a moment, and realize that yes, in fact, we are. 

So, Lexi and I start re-doing the list as we drive, paring down to the essentials.  Paper Plates. Forks. Soda. Beer.  Meanwhile I watch for stores with the lights on. 

We end up at Big M.  I'm sure Big M will have all the things we need, but what it doesn't have is big carts.  Or big aisles.  I explain the problem to Lexi.  I can't push the cart and the double stroller in the tiny little aisles at Big M.  I can't carry both boys and push the cart.  She says, "It's okay mama, you can push the brothers in the stroller, and I will push the cart."  pauses and thinks a minute...  "only, mama, I think the grownup drinks will be too heavy for me." 

So, Lexi pushes the kiddy cart.  I push the stroller.  We get our paper products and put them in her cart.  Then we get the beer and soda and put them in the stroller basket.  Lexi drives her cart up to the register and very solemnly unloads the cart onto the belt.  Then we pay, put everything into the stroller, cart it out to the car, load stuff & kids back up, and come home. 

I have one proud little adventurer today.

Painting on the Porch

Just a few pictures of Lexi painting on the porch while the porch was being painted. This kid could paint all day every day!

An awesome day at the zoo!

So we went to the zoo today!  This is always exciting around here.  It was a little cold and rainy, but as usual the animals were extra active in the cooler weather.  We managed to catch penguin feeding time, then we got to see the Tiger cubs (triplets!) who were wrestling with each other nonstop.  The red panda who we NEVER get to see was actually out and about.  While we were watching, the lion and both lionesses got up and went to different corners of their pen and started roaring simultaneously for no apparent reason.  It was something else to see!!  Lexi was enthralled, but the boys were mostly frustrated that they couldn't climb through the glass.  We all had lots of fun though.  Lexi even got to "play" with one of the tiger cubs through the glass.  The cubs seemed really interested in the boys. 

First thing in the morning...

A couple weeks ago we had to start putting the boys to bed in separate cribs, because they kept waking each other up.  Not by crying or anything, they can totally sleep through that, but whichever one woke up, usually crawled over to say to the other one... and it just became a mess.  Anyhow, shortly before putting them in the cribs, I came in one morning, about 3:30am to give them bottles, and found them totally ready to play.  I stayed with them for about half an hour, and by then they were ready to go back to sleep.  Meanwhile, they crawled all over the room, and got into any mischief they could find.  I found it challenging to take pictures of this mischief, because as soon as either of them saw the camera, they both came charging right at me, trying to eat it.

Ben climbing on Ed, after Ed oh so graciously rolled / fell out of the bed.

Ed playing with the musical light up frog.  The camera flash hides it, but this thing puts stars and moons on the wall, which the boys try to catch, eat, etc.

Edward climbing into the bookshelf.  He is the reason we removed that shelf.

Lexi's New Favorite Hairstyle

Lexi's hair is finally starting to really grow out (she's only 3 1/2 afterall).  I actually think some of the hair on the top of the boys heads is at least as long as hers.

Anyhow, I get distracted.  Her new favorite hairstyle is to have several small pony tails.  Its good because it keeps her bangs out of her face.  But when you ask her how many she wants, her answer is always 10, i.e. the number of fingers when she holds out both hands.  Its what she always asks for, no matter the context.

Playing around the house

So the other night I was home alone with all three kids, and I took some fun pictures of all of them playing together, isolated to a portion of the living room courtesy of the super yard.

Ben chillin' in the bouncer.

All three playing

Ben cheering as Lexi and Ed "wrestle"

Lexi and Ed wrestling.  He liked it... sort of.

All 3 running amock, especially Lexi.

Ed chillin' in the Tigger jumper, happy that Lexi wasn't wrestling with him anymore.

How to Roller Skate by Painting on Your Feet

Disclaimer... this post includes pictures of undressed, paint covered, toddlers.  Not for the faint of heart.

So, a few posts ago, Angela described a conversation with Lexi about roller skating by putting paint on your feet.  I found these pictures from the event, and thought you all would appreciate them.

Lexi was isolated to a portion of the kitchen, newspaper put down under butcher paper, she was stripped, and told to go have fun.  She started by only painting with hands and feet until she fell and her butt got involved in the action.  :-)

4 days, 4 nights

That's how long Kelly was gone when she went on business travel this past week.  It's the first time she's been gone that long since the boys were born, and the first time I've been responsible for all three kids at night for several nights running. 

It actually went really well, I think.  Probably because the boys took the opportunity to give up their night bottles.  They even slept through the night one night (the other nights we had a couple of back-patting sessions, but nothing major).    We went to the mall on Monday, visited friends on Tuesday, went to a meeting on Wednesday and hung around the house on Thursday.   Thankfully I did have a sitter for a few hours on Tuesday and Thursday, which helps my sanity immensely (and allowed me to get groceries done on Tuesday). 

The worst part was definitely bedtime.  I think I need a separate post on what bedtime looks like when you are trying to get three little kids to bed by yourself.  It's special, let me tell you. 

Footie Pajamas

So we have now officially moved into warm PJ mode in our house, since it has been so cold.  Tonight, Lexi picked out a set of fleece footie pajamas and proudly put them on herself.  Backward.  With the soles of the feet around her ankles.  And the zipper in back.  WIDE open with her little naked bottom hanging out (she opted for no underwear, of course).   She marched herself into the bedroom like this, and very proudly announced that she was ready for bed!  Then she commented in a little voice "but I can't move very much in these 'jamas.  They are a little too tight."  

It was all we had to not literally roll on the floor laughing.