Christmas with the McTrips

Wrapping Paper, Infinitely Better Than Any Present


The pooklings first Christmas has already come and gone.  Good times were had, wrapping paper was eaten, and pajamas were worn.  Nobody had a better time than the kids, they made out like little bandits.

We started the Christmas season off with a visit to the Twins and Triplets Association of Calgary Non-Denominational Winter Holiday Event (or whatever is was called).  This is a great group, and it was a fun afternoon.  It was kind of like a Chuck E Cheese without the pizza, and most of the kids came in duplicates.

Our kids naturally went right for the toy box and set up a strong perimeter.  Like the Guns and Roses song says, you can have any toy you want, but you better not take it from me.  I kid, they were pretty good at sharing, but not to the point of being pinko socialists.



Stella Bella with her present from the TTMAC party, chewing the corners off.

Reid with his present.  Also a tad unsure how this process works.



Declan making some headway.



Success.  The first presents of the season are open, and they are educational.....aaaand a hell of a lot of fun.

The Christmas caravan then rolled on down to Pincher for a continuation of the festivities.  Before the paper ripping / eating frenzy really got rolling, we had some visits from friends.  It seems like alot of our friends all had kids right around the same time we did, so it can be tough to get together to do anything, and it was great to catch up.  If we saw you over the holiday and you are not on here, we forgot to take your picture because the kids were getting into something.

Uncle Joe and Stella.



The trips with their buddy Denley.  Denley didn't get the memo that nobody around our place ever changes out of their pajamas before 4 pm.

Noreen and Stella Bella. 

Little Rome in her Elmo chair.  That's not her beer sitting on the box. 



Chilling with the Richter family, including Anna.  I know my socks don't match, and the classy thing would be to not draw attention to it.

Pookie and Jude.  I forgot babies came that small.  Or that quiet.

On to the present frenzy.  Like I said, the kids were absolutely spoiled, and thank you to everyone who sent gifts, they were very much appreciated.

Naturally, the presents will need to be inspected before they are opened.  Declan was the foreman on this job.

Happy baby.

The group picture. 

The boys opening presents with Dad and Funcle Dusty.



Stella trying to figure out what the hell Dusty is doing here.

Reidster taking five with his new blankie.

Declan chilling out in the kitchen.  Not really Christmas related, but he looks like such a little boy here I thought I would throw it in anyway.

Next up, the trips 1st birthday.



Rocky the Retriever

Pookie's Bird Dog

Rocky the Retriever has decided to relocate to Pincher Creek for a while, and I thought I would write a post just for him.  Rocky has been the best dog we could have asked for, and he has been a big part of our family for almost six years.  Rocky is very lucky we have family like Ryan and Julie to take him in, and we can't thank them enough for doing it.  He is a hairy bastard that only listens when he feels like it, but you can't help but love him.

The kids are getting bigger and louder every day, and it was a major adjustment for my bird dog just having them around at first.  Once they began to get around the room, we found that they were all over Rocky, and more into pulling hair roughly than petting nicely.  The poor dog would lay by the door, and Declan would yank a handful of hair out of his tail.  He would get up and lay in the hallway, and BAM! Stella is pulling his eyebrow off.  He would get up, try to move into the living room, and there's Reid, just waiting for him.

The old guy started getting grumpy over the last couple months, and finally (after hours of harassment), he snapped at Stella.  If he wanted to bite her, he would have, but it was still bad enough that we knew we had to make a change.  Rocky was such a happy, unaggressive dog before the kids came that I couldn't believe he would even dream of getting mean with one of them.  The poor guy was nearing the end of his rope and needs a break.

Rocky is now living in Pincher with Ryan, Julie and Archie the Retriever.  Archie and Rocko have been best buds for years, and Rocky is becoming reaquainted with being a very big deal around the house.  It all worked out, thanks to Ryan and Julie.

Now, the story of Rocky.

Rocky the puppy.  Our little family really started almost six years ago, when Rocky came to our crappy apartment.  I immediately began letting him get away with murder, you will notice that this picture was taken as he climbed up on the couch to have a nap with me.

They grow up so fast.  Rockstar enjoying a smoked pig ear.  This was still in the old apartment, he laid a bit of damage on that place.

Rocko at the dog park.  This is his favourite place in the world, other than the couch.



Rock Lobster.  This dog puts up with a lot of shit, some of which is humiliating.  This was a couple years ago.

This sums up Rocky right here.  Providing moral support as I chop up some beef for a raclette dinner.  Look at the focus on the meat.  If he stared at your food any harder it would burn right through it.  Yes, that is a Lululemon hoodie, dudes wear those now. 

If being good looking was people, Rocky would be China.



Rocky may be getting old, but I always tell him he's still good looking.  Partly because it's true, and partly because I'm fishing for him to say it back.  So far, no good.

Thank you again Ryan and Julie, it means the world to us that he is so loved and so happy.

The Lion, the Monkey and the Strawberry

First Halloween, in the Books


Halloween may be my new favourite holiday.  We didn't take the Pooklings out trick or treating, we just put them in costumes for as long as they would tolerate it and let them bomb around the house.  These costumes are supposed to be for babies that are 18 months old, but our kids are bit ahead of the old growth chart.  Declan's noggin is so big we could barely get his monkey hat on.

Reid the Lion, giving us a roar.  Or squeal, whatever.

Declan the Monkey.  Big Monkey.

Dad's little Strawberry.  Too funny.

A little happier in this one.

These kids haven't even figured out the candy part yet., and look at the enthusiasm.  Troopers.

The Pooklings, Oct .31, 2011.

This picture really sums up what life is like around the ranch.  People can stop telling us how crazy it is going to be when they can get into everything, because they are getting into everything now.  One day they are sleeping peacefully in their little swings, then next they are trying to pull dishes out of the washer so they can smash them on the floor and roll around in the glass.



Bath time for Meatball.  If it's worth doing, it's worth supervising. 



Even binky time is smily time.  We are lucky to have such happy little people.  Most of the time.

More updates soon.  Promise.

Thanksoween

They're Not Going to Get Teeth One Baby at a Time?  Oh.............. Shit.



Lots going in Diaper City, as usual.  The kids are changing every day, and Stella continues to cut the trail for the boys.  Basically since the rolling over stage began, Stella has been about a month ahead of the boys for pretty much every development.  This month, Daddy's little sweetie has learned to pull herself up on things and stand.  She has also learned to faceplant, which nobody enjoys.  She is already starting to threaten to walk along the couch, or whatever fixed object she is clutching. 

Stella Bella in the 'ready' position.  The key is to look around and make sure everyone is watching.

Once Stella stood up for the about the third time, she discovered that her noggin still weighs enough to high-centre her fairly easily.  This picture probably disqualifies us for any sort of safety award.



Reid sporting what was left of a black eye.  My little meatball was lying on the floor enjoying a liquid lunch when Rocky the Retriever jumped off the couch and bonked the bottle into his eye.  He looks fairly happy here, but he was not impressed at the time.  Once again, not counting on any safety awards showing up in the mail.

The Pooklings ready for a bite in their travel chairs.  Ryan and Julie had the whole clan over for Thanksgiving (which was lovely), and nobody had more fun than the kids. 

Declan chilling in his jump jump.  Good lookin' dude.

We also had a little outing with the kids to the corn maze and pumpkin patch near Calgary.  Basically there is a corn maze (which makes sense), a petting zoo, and a lot of pumpkins.  We decided to forego the maze, because two out of three of the adults in our group are navigationally challenged (the other one is me), and because the kids never know where the hell they are anyway, so there better be more to look at than some dead corn stalks.  We got a few great pictures of the kids with the pumpkins, and managed to make our retreat before anyone got too cranky.

You can look at their faces and just tell they are thinking "Why are we sitting in a pile of pumpkins?  What is the point here?" 

Stella Bella.

Reidster having a big laugh over something.  Having the pumpkins behind him makes for a nice background, but really they were there to keep him from tipping over onto his face.  Clever, I know.

Declan, also pretty pleased with whatever is going on behind the camera.  The older these kids get, the cuter they is.

The kids in their new stroller.  This bad boy is 4 1/2 feet wide, at least that long, and neon green.  Two hand brakes, a foot brake and retractable awning.  This is not just a stroller, it is a Triple Infant Transportation System, which is a term I am considering trademarking.

Pookie had a lovely weekend away this month, finally getting out of the house for some Pookie time.  My parents came up to lend a hand, and between the three of us we actually managed to hold the whole operation together without any visits from the fire department or visits to the emergency room.  It's only been 18 months or so since she could cut loose for a couple nights, I think she was due.  I don't have any pictures from her weekend, which is odd now that I think about it.  Probably better we don't know, there were a lot of Multiples Moms on this trip, and I am guessing some of these ladies cut pretty loose.

The kids are all teething like mad, which is screwing up their sleeping (and ours), but they are still very happy babies and we are getting through it.  Hopefully they get it taken care of soon, it is not a lot of fun for them.

Next post.....Halloween pictures.

PJ

September

September is already upon us in Capital City, and the days are flying by faster than ever.  Pookie continues to do a great job keeping the Pooklings clothed and fed, and I seem to be managing keep most of the other essential things in order.  In our little way, we have managed to keep the ship afloat without running the bitch into the rocks.

Nothing really happens normally when triplets are involved, and a good example is bath time.  Bath time comes every other night, and I love it and hate it at the same time.  The great part is that my little people love the water, and the time they are in tub is pretty special for mom and dad.  The downside is that bath time falls right in the heart of "I get bitchy when I am tired or hungry, and I don't like waiting, and you are going to hear about it, you big jerk" hour.  Some days are better than others, but a few of the babies' epic meltdowns have come right after their baths.  On an angry scale of 1 to Chris Brown, I would say they average a 37.

They are pretty cute after bath time, makes it more than worth it.

The big fella, our number one splasher.

Dad's little meatball.  Reid is the most likely candidate to lose his shit after bath time, but he's too cute to bust his chops about it.

Like most things here, bathing 3 babies requires a little organization.  You have to do each baby one at a time since they can't sit up in the tub yet, and I have a feeling that by the time they can, the boys will be too chubby to fit in the tub together.

Step One: 

Take the boys upstairs and put them on the bed, then go get Stella.  You have to leave Stella downstairs until last because she will roll off the bed the second you turn your back, and Social Services has no sense of humour about that sort of thing.

Step Two: 

Undress the kids down to diapers, make stupid faces at them, etc.

Step Three: 

Pookie brings either Stella or Declan to me at the tub for the aforementioned ass-scrubbing and bald head shampooing.  When the first baby is done, Pookie comes with a little hooded towel and takes the clean baby. 

Step 4: 

While Pookie lotions and clothes the first baby, I grab the second, take the diaper off and hope I don't get whizzed on as I rush back to the tub.  Baby number one has probably started getting pissed off now, the screaming is coming.

Step 5:

Baby number two is cleaned and picked up by Pookie.  Pookie is now dealing with one baby that has already been put in his jammies and is getting impatient for a quick bite before dinner, and a baby that would have preferred to stay in the tub.  Meanwhile, I am scurrying back to the tub with number three.  Eventually, the third kid is going to get grossed out by being the third kid in the the same bathwater, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there.

Step 6:

I get the last kid out of the tub, lube them up with lotion, and enjoy the window between their last baths and their first pukes.  It last about twenty minutes.

Step 7: 

Get everyone downstairs and feed them.  There are usually two kids crying now, and nothing short of a huge bottle of formula will calm them down.  Either Pookie or I will feed two kids at once with the feeding pillows, and the other grabs the third.  As soon as the bottles hit their lips everything goes quiet, and you can relax a bit.

Step 8:  Bedtime. 

The Pooklings are the rock stars of bed time.  You put them down, they fall asleep, it is really that easy.....unless you are Uncle Joe (the Godfather).  Then it is slightly screamier, and much more stressful.  That might end up being another blog entry I think I will title "The Day Joe Reconsidered Ever Having Kids, Thanks To Reid"

Pictures!

Reidster.

Declan chilling outside.  A touch bright out for the big fella.

Aunt Joe and Aunt Julie back in June.  Joe always wears a tux, the dude's like James Bond.

Stella Bella having a visit.

Pool time.  The Pooklings are getting some chubby little legs.

Dad's boy is a bit of a brute. 

The mat is where the kids (and Pookie) spend the majority of their time.  It is about 10 X 8, but at least two of them are always right on top of eachother, usually fighting over a toy.

Keep fit and have fun!

PJ