The Reason Why

As we are in the middle of last minute "seriously, we gotta pack NOW" frenzy..a little reminder why we are doing this.



Got milk?



pudding face



Daddy's socks are the best



What? This ISN'T a chair?



Reading with Auntie

I know they can't/don't understand why Mommy and Daddy have been stressed out lately. I just hope they know that, in the end, we are doing this for them. Ok, ok, and my sanity.


Eek! Next post the movers will be here!

Loves

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Are we there yet?

I swear, John thinks I ask this every day. Where are we with the move? Well. We have a move coordinator assigned, but this move is 2 weeks out and we don't have any specifics yet. As you can imagine our stress level is through the roof!

*quick amaretto sour concocting break*

We are doing pretty good, in spurts, at getting things kinda cleaned out. John had to take his truck to the shop today (read: Fairbanks) so he dropped off multiple years of sharps containers, two old hibachi style grills, and some clothes to donate. Truly, the grills and needles was a huge relief. Not that I've been wanting those gone for years or anything. We've had a few friends over. I've sold some baby stuff to include one carseat, one high chair, two bumbo-style chairs, and a few random other items. Of course, I've got more to put out there. I think I will always have more to put out there...there being the garage, our current holding area for items we would prefer be gone.

But, I'm sure you could care less about us selling old items no longer in use. Ok. To the specifics. Our move date is still June 30. If it changes, it would be the end of the next pay period, which would be July 14. I will do everything in my power to make that NOT happen, simply b/c I believe our vacation time would be taken away if that is the case. However, we have a quirk in the whole move process in that we are actually PCSing (permanent change of station) to Huntsville, AL...where we will move permanently. From there we TCS (temp change of station) to NY for 18 months. Due the the PCS we technically have to spend one pay period 'in Alabama'. We are hoping to use various forms of leave to avoid physically landing in AL when there is truly no need. We will see if it works. It seems the first true, in person, hash this junk out phone call between our coordinator and John is Monday.

This coming Monday.

June 17!

No pressure.

For part of that two week leave we *hope* to get one last quick trip to Anchorage and then a longer trip to Portland/Vancouver in. Again, that is just what we hope. We shall see how this all works out. And it will work out. It must work out. In fact, I discovered tonight we MUST be in NY by July 17. Why you ask? Because I just 'joined' the Multiple MoMs Mingle (the NY multiples group) meet up at My Gym in Syracuse. Assuming I don't get lost on the way, we are GOING! Part of the whole reason for the move. To have more opportunity, to meet more MoMs (moms of multiples), and to get my kids out more. Now, to just get there.....



Loves!
No worries, I will keep you updated as we are updated.



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ELMO!

Seriously, I cannot even type out how my kids say this, but all day every day it's Elmo, Elmo, Elmo! Tonight Zach and Addie were cracking themselves up saying Elmo was outside so that I'd look. So you can only imagine when it was posted that the USO was putting on a Sesame Street mini-show featuring Elmo we were there!



Doors opened 30 minutes early. Little people. Elmo. We were there early.


Mind you, our three little rock stars WALKED from the house to the gym to get there. A simple 5 minute (?) walk for you and I. I'm pretty sure they thought we were trekking through the Mojave Desert. But the did it. Both ways!



can you spot us? On the almost far right??

In between, our resting period, consisted of Elmo, Grover, Cookie Monster, characters that I don't know, and Katie -the little girl moving to a new base who needs reassurance she WILL make new friends, WILL keep in touch with her old friends, it's ok to be sad, and it WILL be all ok in the end.





















The pics don't do the show, or my kids joy justice. At least 3 times characters came into the audience to greet the kiddos. who would have ever guessed Katie would be the most outgoing when this happened? at the end the kids could go up to the barriers to see them. There was lots of jumping and booty shaking. The closest I came to capturing their amazement and joy was with this blurry picture.



That smile says it all. "Look mommy, Elmo!"

Thanks to the spinner toys all kids were given we get to relive "Elmo!" All the time now.

In all seriousness, kudos to the USO for putting on a great show. And double kudos for putting it on at our little base. As much as the message was way beyond our kiddos understanding, I have to pause and wonder if the message was meant for this mommy and daddy while the pure joy of seeing Elmo was meant for the littles.

Loves!


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C

I get a C. 77%. 😢
I only blogged 24/31 days.

I blame illness, forgetfulness, exhaustion, and being the mom of triplets.

But we have come a long way. John traveled. I traveled (best weekend EVER!). The kids got sick, got well, and got sick again.

And in bigger news, you all know that we're moving. If the calendar stays as planned it will look like this:
Current weekend, John had Friday off
Upcoming weekend, Helayne and Mady visit
Following weekend, John has Friday off
Following weekend, Kim visits
Following weekend WE MOVE.

That's how quick this could come about. If course, it could change. It is the govt we are working with and they can't decide if we are allowed to move straight to New York or not. It's all in the technicalities of the job(s).

I hope that this experience has helped me grow. I know I want to keep blogging about our daily activities as well as bigger, broader topics. Of course, my next blog must be Elmo. The greatest of all time. At least according to three very special people I know. :). Until then, I leave you with a teaser.







Loves!

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If I only Had a Brain

My word! I used to pride myself on being smart. I used to be a problem solver. A think-outside-of-the-box-er.

Then I had kids.

This past winter during a play date, it was lunchtime. My mom friend helped get the kids in their chairs and promptly scooted the chairs to the table. Mind blown! What?!? Chairs straight to the table? No trays? Halle-freaking-luah! Something I had NEVER even thought of, she saw right away. She honestly believed that's how we had been doing it, chairs to the table. Well, let me tell you it's how we do it now! In fact, I've got new booster seats on order hoping to get rid of the bigger high chairs all together.

Today I was Skyping with my mom. I had the nongenius idea to pull the kids toddler chairs over to try to keep them off the dining chair and further from the table/computer. (If you are wondering, no, it didn't work). I then turned the computer to show grandma all three little standing on the now bare table. She then asked why the table wasn't in the basement - something I threaten often. Then she said "why don't you just turn it upside down?" Are you kidding me? Upside down? As in no longer a scalable object?? Mind blown!



This afternoon we had one scuffle if the kids trying to move the chairs and such, but no more climbing. None.

So, what else ya got for me? Clearly I am no longer a see-the-big-picture kind of thinker. I'll take any and all grand, basic, usual, or crafty ideas you got. And you know I mean clever crafty 'cause I sure as heck ain't got time for Martha crafty! 😉

Further proof I have no brain? I swear there was another example I have that I canNOT for the life of me remember.

Loves!


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The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The weekend started off in such an ironic way for us. Friday night my cough was so bad I couldn't sleep. I posted on FB and the responses had me concerned just in that Katie was sharing my 'cold'. Saturday dawned with the kids sleeping until almost 10 am(!). That right there should set off alarm bells. During breakfast Katie's cough was pretty bad so we decided to go to Fbx for a visit to First Care.

Not being ready to go until lunchtime, we choose to go picnic style at the Drive In on the 70+ degree day. As we pull up at 12:20 I realize we are just in time for the Imagination Library's birthday story time. As Daddy waited for food, three little people and I walked over the field to the bday celebration. I'm proud of the trio for sitting through a rather long story about a horse trying to get a bday cake for his cowboy. Once over, our food had arrived. Truly perfect timing.

We got to Fairbanks, picked up our dining room bench and chairs that had been repaired (no more loose seats/dropping screws!), and discovered Alaskaland (Pioneer Park) has no admission. Seriously!? A great little park and NO admission. How did I never know this?!? So we went.

The Good.














The kids loved it! The ice cream cone and friendly beagle after sliding didn't hurt either. Then we were off to First Care. John dropped Katie and I off while he occupied the other two. Still good: we only waited maybe 5 minutes before getting called back. There was nobody there.

The Bad.
We were both diagnosed with 'developing pneumonia'. Katie played photographer for a while during the waiting for the dr.














I may have 100 similar photos on my phone at the moment.

The Ugly.
The dr said my right lung sounded coarse and Katie's he couldn't really hear at all, so chest X-ray time. Not ideal to have my not even 2-yo get a chest X-ray, but do I wait until pneumonia is bad enough that they can finally hear it? It was a lose lose decision so I made the best one I could. I thought about posting a pic of the machine they use to get a toddler to hold still enough, but I just can't. Lets just say its not easy on anyone involved.

I know not everyone would make the same choices I did. I just made the best ones I could in the moment, with our circumstances, for our family.

The even uglier. The dr sent us to the wrong pharmacy with 8 minutes to spare before they closed. No prescripts. I called our usual pharmacy, yes, we have them. Over we drive..only to find out they too close at the same time. Imagine the feeling of driving 100 miles AWAY from the medicine for your child as we went home empty handed. Yes, me too but I don't care about that as much.
Side note: at the first pharm John also discovered he had LOST the insurance check from Feb that we had finally remembered to bring/cash. Seriously, by this point we were all over what had started as a good day.

Overnight John, Addie, and Zach all erupted into full blown congestion, cough, etc. We may be back in Fairbanks for them later this week. John did go yesterday to get our meds, but what guy will go to First Care on their own?

So, in short, we are all sick. Again. But..for sickies, my kids wear their new pj's pretty darn well!








She's waving to Auntie Kim, who I said the pics were for. 😀


Loves!

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This and That

Another random Thursday post.

~ Have you ever seen this before? I hadn't.



~ Juanita's chips should be outlawed. If I never lose weight they may be why.

~ Gap 2T capris fit. H&M 2-4yo shorts/t's will fit when they are 4.

~ The trio is obsessed with Elmo. They don't understand that Murray is not Elmo.

~ I'm trying to be profound with John right now and he's blowing me off. Erg!

~ My profoundness: since most of his friendships did not change post-kids he has a hard time accepting those that did. Since all of my friendships changed, maybe I got over the hurt long ago?

~ Back to the easy and lighthearted: Addie blew her daddy's mind putting the groceries away. She handed him the hot dogs and when he asked for the queso she said 'no!', walked to the fridge, pulled on the door and looked at him. When he opened it she put the cheese on a shelf.

~ Both Katie and Zach fell asleep today about 11:30. That never happens. :( I had to wake them for dinner.

~ The trips slept for 3 hours at nap time today.

~ We're getting great use out of our lightweight bamboo swaddled blankets right now. They are the new crib blankets. The perfect weight.

~ No, still no news on the move.

~ I found maybe the jackpot website for finding a NY rental when needed. Thanks to the local MoMs group that has already added and welcomed me.

~ Knowing I'm going to miss this daylight soon. Sigh. I love the loooong days. Currently at 19h 21m of official sunlight.

Loves!!

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