One Flew Over the Pookie's Nest

Our little monkeys crossed the two year mark this month.  The skinny, bald little preemies that graced us with their collective presence two years ago have become three full speed toddlers.

We love our kids, and not just because the law says we have to.  I brag about them, show pictures of them on my phone to people I know don't give a shit, and think they are geniuses every time one of them learns a new word or puts both shoes on the right feet.  I think it's normal for any parent to feel this way, and believe this feeling is exaggerated for grandparents, and extremely exaggerated for great-grandparents.

The truth of the matter is that as angelic and gifted as my monkeys may be (in my opinion anyway), these kids are not always well behaved.  They're not Lindsay Lohan type idiots smashing up Escalades with a nose full of Peruvian Marching Powder, but they find new and inventive ways of taking "rambunctious" to a Dr. Phil "crying until there's snot all over my moustache" type level. 

A few examples....


Case in Point:  The Turd and the Register

Pookie:  "You won't believe what these kids just did!"

PapaJeff:  "Try me.  Almost nothing would surprise me."

Pookie:  "I think they threw shit down the heating vent.  Actual shit."

PapaJeff:  "My god."

Pookie:  "Their diapers were off and they were standing over the vent with shit in their hands, and the register cover was off.  I think they threw some down!"

PapaJeff:  "Call a realtor, we're out of here."

Pookie:  "I may just start walking into the prairies....(silence on the phone) "

PapaJeff:  "Uh, you may as well wait for the smell, it's pretty cold out there."

Pookie:  Sighs, hangs up phone.



Case in Point Two:  Reidster Has a Board With a Nail in it

This one happened almost a year ago in our old house.  The kids room was a regular sized bedroom with three cribs in it, and each crib was up against it's own wall.  The room had a border about 4 or 5 feet of the floor that ran along each wall.  The border wasn't just painted on, it was trim like a baseboard, so about two inches wide and a half inch thick.  Like baseboards, the trim was actually nailed to the wall using finishing nails, not just glued on (that would have been too easy).

One evening after Pookie and I put the monkeys down for a nap, we heard some odd banging and crashing, and the hysterical laughter toddlers make when they are up to some heinous shit.

Reid had managed to pry the wood border off the wall with his bare fingers, and was wildly swinging a four foot section of wood (nails and all) as hard as he could at whatever he could hit.  That kid must have been like Andy Dufraine chipping his way through the walls of Shawshank Prison.  He could barely walk, but had no problem standing in his crib and working trim right off the wall with his bare fingers. 

Who does that?  I've read a baby book or two in my day, and I sure as shit don't remember the chapter where the kid rips the nails right out of the drywall and then swings the board around like a crackhead trying to rob a hot dog cart.  At that point we started trusting those cute little smiles a little less every day.


Case in Point Three:  Baa?  Baa?

The monkeys love bath time.  Splashing, fighting, wrasslin', it's quite the spectacle.  A couple nights ago, the kids knew bath time was approaching, and started asking for a bath.  Their enunciation ain't what it could be, but they started pointing upstairs and yelling "baaa!!  baa!!  baaaaaa!!!", so they made themselves clear.  We explained that it wasn't bath night and that they were going right to bed.  They did not agree.

Half an hour after they were supposed to be sleeping, we started hearing odd banging noises.  Our first thought was that they had flipped a bed over and started throwing toys (or shit) down the vent, so I went up to investigate.

The kids were in the middle of a jailbreak, and they were determined to have a bath.  They broke through the child lock on their door (which is supposed to be good to age 4....F U Toys R Us), and were in our bathroom.  The kids broke into the cupboard, grabbed all their bath toys, and threw them in the tub.  At this point, the incident was still pretty cute.  Sadly, their little revolution, as so happen oftens, lost it's focus and became destructive.  Declan managed to get his hands on the container I use to wash their hair, and was dunking it in the toilet, and then throwing the water as high in the air as he could.  Toilet water.  While he was doing this, Reid was unravelling the toilet paper roll as fast as possible, and throwing the shredded paper in the puddles, making a nice soaked TP mess all over the floor.  Not to be outdone, daddy's little princess grabbed mommy's makeup and smashed it into the floor, her hands, and eventually the wall, turning it all a nice brownish red (looks great on Pookie).

 It took the Allies 3 days to level Dresden, our kids destroyed a bathroom in less than 5 minutes.



Anyhoo, that was just a recap of a few of the funnier moments, I'll throw some pictures up next time.

Back to Bridge City

What the Hell?  They Renovated the Duke?

The Pooklings have landed (again), this time in the Windy City of Lethbridge.  Pookie and I have moved back to where it all started for us, the big little city, and we are wondering why we never did it earlier.  The kids miss their buddies in Calgary, but are closer to other great friends and making new ones all the time.  Its a huge change in lifestyle, and we're really enjoying it.  The only real downside is that they renovated my favourite pub from my University days, and it's now very clean and shiny, not the grungy old bar it was.  Naturally, I completely disapprove.

The last time we were here, the kids were a few days old and had been moved from the NICU at Foothills Hospital in Calgary down the the hospital here.  Pookie and I both commented on how nice is was to be in a smaller area, and how great it would be to move back here one day.  Funny how when you are casually talking about big moves they seem so difficult to put in motion, but when you get the wheels turning things happen so quickly.  We listed and sold our house in less than a week, found a new place and I started with a new firm before I knew it.  A few months of disorganization and settling in, and boom, you're a local.

We had a busy summer, but things have quieted down a bit this fall, and I thought we were well past due for an update on the ol' bloggy blog.

The kids are kicking ass.  Declan and Stella recently gave up their soothers cold turkey (meaning we took them away), and we are impressed with their willpower.  Couple nights of screamy whiny, and then on with their lives.  Reid is more of a thumb man, so we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. 

They're growing up so fast I might have to take "Diapertown" out of the blog's title.  (Sooner the damn better)  We've taken a couple stabs at potty training, and the results have been encouraging.  Stella is showing the most interest, I would be surprised if she isn't the first to start living sans huggies.  Reid and Declan are.......getting there.


Our monkeys are getting big, too big...

Stella, getting prettier every day.  She's got hockey hair Jaromir Jagr would be proud of.

Declan taking part in one of his favourite pastimes, walking around in someone else's shoes.  This will be one of the last pictures of him with a soother.

Reidster enjoying an orange and giving us a profile shot.

Stella and Reid, both sporting flash hairdo's.

Declan.  Other than looking relfective, I don't know what he's doing here.  Lookin' good though.

I've been less than motivated on keeping up the blog for the last few months, but have made a decision to start updating it more often instead of scrapping it.  The thing with writing is that it's like working out..... in that I haven't done shit for about four months!  I need to find a way to increase the anount of photo storage Google will let me put up here (without paying anything for it of course "McCrimmon" is a Scottish name), and as soon as I do I'll be sure to put their Halloween photos up.  They were hilarious this year, and made out like bandits on the candy circuit.

Merry Christmas from the McTrips!  If I don't get around to writing another blog before the 25th, we're looking forward to seeing as many friends and family as possible this year, and partaking in a celebratory non-denominational cocktail of some sort. 

Just Like George and Weezy...

Except We're Movin' on Down..

Lots of big happenings going on with the McTriplet Clan.  As soon as we can manage it, Pookie and I are moving the trips to Lethbridge, as I am starting a new job there this week.  We are happy as clams to be moving closer to so many of our family and friends, and I am very much looking forward to my new role.  Please bear with us if you are waiting for a call, the last two weeks have been banoodles. 

The transition would be pretty much impossible if not for Grandpa Leo and Gramma Tamma taking us in like stray cats, and the kids have been having a lot of fun in Pincher.  Sorry about the grocery bills Leo!

Summer has arrived (according to the calendar), but I swear we had better weather in November.  We have been trying to get the kids outside as much as possible, and have snuck in some fun days.  We are still looking forward to a summer of camping and drinking scotch from disposable plastic cups (I am, anyway), so don't be shy about giving us a ring.  Unless, of course, we don't know you.  In that case, go ahead and have yourself a great summer.

Declan and Stella have discovered that they are able to crawl up onto couches and chairs, adding another level of danger to their day to day lives.  They're getting a little better at not face-planting onto the floor, but not much.  Reid is days away from being able to pull himself onto the couch with them, although I think he is kind of enjoying having the floor to himself.


A few pictures of life around the ranch.

Little Stella Bella looking sweet.  She actually looks like she is trying to look sweet, which means she probably just threw the remote control in the garbage.

Reidster the Speedster playing on his toy slide in the front yard.  If there's a sweeter kid, I ain't met 'em.

Pookie, Stella and Reid.

Declan.  As you can see, he has tickets to the gun show.

Reid looked a lot happier when he had the slide all to himself.

My attorney and I chilling with Declan and Stella during a family trip to the park.  If you're going to have a few drinks in the early afternoon in a public park, having your attorney present greatly reduces your odds of being tasered.



Bella having a snack.  Love the chubby little fingers gripping the food.

High stakes soccer match.

The boys raiding the food spread. 

Is that a look of pure joy or what?

A group shot.  These pictures of all three on the couch really show how big they're getting.

Next update is coming from Lethbridge!

Not So Little...

Seventy-Five Pounds of Pooklings

The McTrips turned 15 months old today, and are getting bigger by the day.  I would be amazed at how much food they go through, but I remind myself that while they may be tiny, they're still McCrimmons.  This trend will no doubt prove to be financially devastating when they figure out where I hide my beer.

The house is getting louder and louder during baby hours, and then eerily quiet once they are down for the night.  About half their toys have flashing lights and make some sort of noise, and the other half are wood or plastic and are usually being slammed into the floor or a sibling's noggin.  No sense in turning up the TV, you still won't be able to hear it, and all the best entertainment is watching the kids anyway.

The best part about the kids getting bigger and more mobile is the welcome when I get home from work.  They're like tiny Wal-Mart greeter on uppers, but cute.  Toys are flying, little people in fleece pajamas are running around in all directions, and toys are covering the floor like a carpet.  Good times.

Speaking of uppers, Easter has come and gone, and the trips have found the joy of chocolate.  On to the Easter pictures.

The presents, waiting to be spread about the neighbourhood.

Declan showing Pookie his eggs.

Want another look at the egg?  BOOM!!!   Right there lady.

Reidster, double fisting chocolate in his jammies.

Little Stella Bella getting to the goods.

Great Grandpa Ziggy and Declan.  They're buds.

The weather has been pretty mild this winter (compared to Siberia), and we managed to load the kids in their wagon and take them to the park a few weeks ago.  These kids are getting way too heavy to pull around in a wagon, but once we got there they had a great time.  Dad needed the exercise anyway.

 Off we go.

Not sure what they're looking at, but it's never to early to get in the habit of shoulder checking when changing lanes.

Reid and Stella in a swing, loving life.

Still swingin'.

The big fella.

The kids try soccer.  Nobody scored a goal and they kept falling over after the slightest contact, so it was just like a real game.

Meatball taking five.  All the man needs is a blankie and his thumb, and he's relaxed.

On that note, time to watch some hockey.

A Year's Worth

Life's A Beach


For those of you keeping track, we have passed the one year mark since the Pooklings made our small happy family into our Big Happy Family.  It was a lot of work, and it wasn't all easy, but it has been the most meaningful and worthwhile year of our lives.  There have been lots of laughs, about three thousand dirty diapers, not much sleep, and too many big memories to count.  Pookie and I really wouldn't have had it any other way. 

To our friends and family that have been a part of it, we are glad you could be here with us, you made the year that much better.

Pookie and I read a lot of blogs and websites when we found out she was carrying triplets, and they were a big help in the beginning.  Once we got settled in and Pookie went into Supermom mode, I think we did a pretty good job of keeping the kids out of the emergency room and ourselves out of the nuthouse (or rehab,whatever).  We have great families, great friends, and Pookie has been nothing short of a wonder.  If she had time, Pookie could write the manual on raising triplets.

If you are like us, with trips on the way and reading up some blogs to try to get an idea of what lies ahead, I'll share a few things I have learned:

- There are a lot of "experts" out there that don't know rat shit from rice crispies.  As soon as some people hear you are going to have multiples, they start saying things like "Just wait until they all start....blah blah blah."  They have no idea what your experience will be like, so don't let it worry you. 

- Women run on minimal sleep much better than men do.

- For dads, the real fun stuff starts when the kids begin to recognize you.

- You will wonder what you did with your time before they came along.  How could we have ever been rushed, or behind schedule?  What the hell were we doing all day?

- Hangovers and triplets do not mix.

- Babies R Us is actually a criminal organization run by the mafia to screw you out of every dollar you earn for the next three years.  There are a lot of great deals out there if you look, take some time and save your cash for fun stuff.

- Skip the parts in the baby books that talk about potential health problems that are beyond your control.  There just isn't any point, you'll be an expert in no time if something does come up, and if it doesn't there will be other things to worry about.

- Make sure you have a good camera, things move pretty fast.

- Fight the urge to say "No shit, Captain Obvious"  when someone makes a "you must have your hands full" comment.  People comment because having trips, twins, or even one baby is a big deal, and they just feel the need to make some sort of acknowledgement.  You will hear comments far ruder, save your zingers for those people.  They deserve it, and they'll never expect it from happy smiling parents with three kids in a stroller.



Enough preaching, on the the fun stuff.  We had the McTrips One Year Birthday Extravaganza on Jan 14th, and it was a great time.  You will notice in the pictures that Pookie and I have a lot of friends, and a lot of our friends have kids the same age.  It was babies from wall to wall.

You can't have a birthday party without balloons.  Shit, I should have put that in the preachy instruction manual part above.

Notice how clean the chairs (and the wall) are here.  Not for long.

Declan's cake.

Stella Bella's

Reidster the Speedster's

Pookie's Rice Crispie Snowman Army.

Now, messy babies and lots of friends and family.

Just like his dad.

Declan loves him some cake.

Stella having a pizza appetizer.

I think we counted 15 babies in the house at one point.  Good thing we live in a palace on 40 acres, it could have gotten crowded.

Babies.....

How was that Broncos / Patriots game Jay? 

My Grandma Elva, my little Meatball and I.

Reid the next day.  Still loving the balloons.

The pictures weren't from the party, but I thought I'd throw them in anyway.

Stella and Big D in their tunnel.

Reid looking thoughtful in front of the tunnels.  He is finishing off a short novel at present, and this is the picture I think he should put on the dust jacket.  He looks like a guy who knows what he's talking about.  Or something.

Declan and Stella.  They're buddies.

The Trips and their best buddy in the ball pit / living room.

Shortly after the kids' party we packed up and went to Hawaii for a couple weeks.  Somebody had to.

Pookie, Papa Jeff, Declan, Stella, Reid, Gramma Tamma, Grampa Leo, Funcle Dusty, Julie, and Funcle Joe all loaded up and flew the unfriendly skies with Air Canada all the way to beautiful Oahu.  We rented an awesome house, had a ton of laughs, and were joined on week two by our friends Andy and Celine.  The kids loved it, and nobody wanted to come back. 

The back yard.  Damn right.

Pool time.  Dusty wore that hat voluntarily, in case you were curious.

Dad and Bella.

 Pookie and Declan.

Stella taking me for a walk.

The kids' tent in the back yard.  They love that thing.

Dusty doing some baby dunking.  This proved to be a very popular game.

Lunch by the pool.  The ants never had it so good.  Food literally rained from the sky.

Speedster playing in the mirror.  Pass the windex.

Me doing some lifeguard training runs, not unlike Baywatch. 

Stella having a popsicle and a stretch.

Pookie and Declan chilling in the pool.

Killing time at the mall in Honolulu on our last day.  Boo.

Everyone had a great time on the trip, it was a great chance for all of us to get away for a couple weeks, take a pause and enjoy the end of a crazy year.  Thanks again to Tammy and Leo, you are far too generous and we appreciate all you did to make the trip possible for everyone. 

The best part of the trip was finding out that the Pooklings will soon have a cousin!!!  Congratulations Ryan and Julie, we couldn't be happier for you!  I can't wait for my kids to teach your kids all the swear words they have heard around our house.


Keep fit and have fun kids.