We have definitely been enjoying ourselves getting ready for Halloween this year. This time next week I am sure Curtis and I will be hounded every second to go trick or treating. Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. I know one of the reasons is because it was my dad's favorite time of the year. He loved to hand out candy to the kids and see all of the Halloween costumes. I remember the first time we went trick or treating, we went to my parents house and visited a couple neighbors of theirs. It is one of the fondest memories I have of the boys and my dad together.
Curtis and I took the boys to a pumpkin patch close to the house to pick out some pumpkins. When we were kids, I think we just went down to the corner store and got a pumpkin for less than 5 bucks. These days every holiday is an event! Not only was it a pumpkin patch but it also had huge slides, mazes, bungees, tractor rides, face painting, etc....I'll remember next year to set some savings aside for all this fun! Of course the boys wanted to ride the tractors, over and over and over again. They also rode the ATV's which were attached to the larger ATV that was pulling them along. They slid down the fire truck slide and went through the rat race maze. At the end, we picked some pumpkins and headed home.
Of course the boys wanted to carve the pumpkins right when we got home. The boys each picked a large pumpkin and then they picked a pumpkin for Curtis and I. They also got small pumpkins from their pumpkin patch field trip from school so we had a total of 8 pumpkins to carve. Yes, 8. Needless to say, I was drowning in pumpkin goop for the rest of the evening. We had a lot of fun carving the pumpkins. The boys wanted me to carve a spider on mine and Curtis carved a grumpy face on his. The boys wanted good old fashioned pumpkin faces on their big pumpkins. On the smaller pumpkins, Jack wanted a car, Grant wanted a bat and Nolan wanted a kitty. At the end of the night we lit them all up in the garage and ooh and aaahhhh'd over them.
Friday is the boys Halloween party at school. There will be a costume parade and then some yummy treats after that. I am definitely looking forward to seeing all the kids dressed up. I hope everyone has a safe and Happy Halloween!
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
A Bit Too Close For Comfort
Fire! Fire! Where is the fire?! That was the big question at noon yesterday. I went to pick up the boys from school and once I got out of my car, I immediately smelled smoke. I turned around to face the parking lot and saw that a hill near the golf course was on fire. There was a big plume of smoke but from where I was standing I couldn't tell whether or not it was near our house. I called my neighbor who is a fire fighter and asked him if he saw the fire. Yep, he saw it but it wasn't too close to our house. It was on the north side of the golf course and we are on the south side of the golf course. Whew! (or so I thought)
I got the boys in the car and was telling them where I thought the fire was. I said "The fire is over by the park I take you to". The next thing I heard was Grant yelling "Our park is on fire!" I chuckled and assured him that the park wasn't on fire. We drove over to the other side of the golf course to see where it was and there was a lot of smoke. I couldn't see any fire because at that time it was on the other side of the hill. We went home and turned the tv on and I kept my eyes glued out the window to our backyard. At times it seemed that it was going to be put out quickly but just as I said that to myself, I would see another big black plume of smoke. I was on the phone with my friend who was on the phone with her husband (the fire fighter) getting the details of what was going on. I was assured that it wasn't likely that the fire would get to our house but it was pretty scary seeing flames shooting up off the hill behind your house! Watching the fire was pretty nerve racking but it was also pretty awesome to watch the fire fighting efforts. These planes and helicopters flying so low that you think you can touch them. It was amazing.
The fire had initially started on the north side of the golf course and then moved it's way to the south side where we live. There are two hills we can see from our backyard and both of them were on fire. The wind kept pushing the fire south and last I heard, no homes or structures where burned. After dinner we walked up to the end of the cul-de-sac to see what was going on up there. There were 2 fire trucks, a sheriff and 2 Channel 7 news vans covering the fire. We watched the helicopters dropping water on the hot spots on the hill. It was pretty cool!
So that was the excitement for the day! Here are some pictures and 2 videos from the day.
I got the boys in the car and was telling them where I thought the fire was. I said "The fire is over by the park I take you to". The next thing I heard was Grant yelling "Our park is on fire!" I chuckled and assured him that the park wasn't on fire. We drove over to the other side of the golf course to see where it was and there was a lot of smoke. I couldn't see any fire because at that time it was on the other side of the hill. We went home and turned the tv on and I kept my eyes glued out the window to our backyard. At times it seemed that it was going to be put out quickly but just as I said that to myself, I would see another big black plume of smoke. I was on the phone with my friend who was on the phone with her husband (the fire fighter) getting the details of what was going on. I was assured that it wasn't likely that the fire would get to our house but it was pretty scary seeing flames shooting up off the hill behind your house! Watching the fire was pretty nerve racking but it was also pretty awesome to watch the fire fighting efforts. These planes and helicopters flying so low that you think you can touch them. It was amazing.
The fire had initially started on the north side of the golf course and then moved it's way to the south side where we live. There are two hills we can see from our backyard and both of them were on fire. The wind kept pushing the fire south and last I heard, no homes or structures where burned. After dinner we walked up to the end of the cul-de-sac to see what was going on up there. There were 2 fire trucks, a sheriff and 2 Channel 7 news vans covering the fire. We watched the helicopters dropping water on the hot spots on the hill. It was pretty cool!
So that was the excitement for the day! Here are some pictures and 2 videos from the day.
Monday, August 10, 2009
The Big Day - Kindergarten!
Excited does not adequately describe how the boys felt about going to Kindergarten. Saturday I broke out their new backpacks and school supplies that they would need for school. Ever since then, they would ask about every hour if they were going to school yet. Today could have not gotten here fast enough for them. But for me, I wanted to hold onto every last minute before we took this big step into Kindergarten. Last night they kept asking me "Are you going to miss us very much mom?" Yep, I sure will.
We got into their classroom this morning and they got a name tag to wear for this first week of school. It will be interesting to see next week if the teacher can tell who is who without their name tags. The teacher and I talked about their differences and maybe how to tell them apart but most people who ask me that still get them wrong. Today was a minimum day at school. It was only supposed to be an hour but it lasted about 2 hours. The parents talked to the teacher while the kids went outside and played on the playground a bit. Then the kids came back in the room and took some time to explore the room. They had several projects to make and also just play in different learning areas of the classroom. As we were getting in the car to leave Jack asked "Mom, why did you stay with us?" Ouch! I had talked to them about how mom's and dad's don't stay at school but that they will be with their teacher during the day. I guess they didn't want me there today :( Like I said, they are ready, I'm not.
Did you know that in Kindergarten you get homework?! It seems kind of crazy but it is true. We get a packet every Monday and that packet needs to be done by the end of the week. So this afternoon we broke out the homework. That was just weird to say the least. My babies are doing homework and they love it! Grant almost did his whole packet and that was supposed to last him the whole week. It's kind of chaotic trying to help 3 kids at once with their homework. "Mom, what about this? How do I do that? What's the next page?" Then if their brother is doing a page they already did, they try to help him out. It's pretty funny. I want them to learn on their own at their own pace. The school also has you commit to reading a book everyday for at least 15 minutes. You have to log the book on a sheet they give you and turn it in at the end of the month. So of course our book choices were "My Truck is Stuck", "If I Could Drive a Tanker Truck" and "If I Could Drive a Crane".
It was a fantastic day. They are looking forward to tomorrow and I guess I am too. It will be my first day with 4 hours to myself! What will I do......
I've had this song stuck in my head for the last week. It's a song that I used when I did a photo montage for the boys 4th birthday. The words are so appropriate for how I feel right now. The song is called "Let Them Be Little" by Billy Dean.
I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand.
You felt so good in it; no bigger than a minute.
How it amazes me you're changin' with every blink.
Faster than a flower blooms, they grow up all too soon.
So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give 'em hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.
I never felt so much in one little tender touch.
I live for those kisses, your prayers an' your wishes.
An' now you're teachin' me how only a child can see.
Tonight, while we're on our knees, all I ask is:
Please, let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.
The so innocent, precious soul:
You turn around, an' it's time to let them go.
So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give 'em praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let them sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.
Let them be little
We got into their classroom this morning and they got a name tag to wear for this first week of school. It will be interesting to see next week if the teacher can tell who is who without their name tags. The teacher and I talked about their differences and maybe how to tell them apart but most people who ask me that still get them wrong. Today was a minimum day at school. It was only supposed to be an hour but it lasted about 2 hours. The parents talked to the teacher while the kids went outside and played on the playground a bit. Then the kids came back in the room and took some time to explore the room. They had several projects to make and also just play in different learning areas of the classroom. As we were getting in the car to leave Jack asked "Mom, why did you stay with us?" Ouch! I had talked to them about how mom's and dad's don't stay at school but that they will be with their teacher during the day. I guess they didn't want me there today :( Like I said, they are ready, I'm not.
Did you know that in Kindergarten you get homework?! It seems kind of crazy but it is true. We get a packet every Monday and that packet needs to be done by the end of the week. So this afternoon we broke out the homework. That was just weird to say the least. My babies are doing homework and they love it! Grant almost did his whole packet and that was supposed to last him the whole week. It's kind of chaotic trying to help 3 kids at once with their homework. "Mom, what about this? How do I do that? What's the next page?" Then if their brother is doing a page they already did, they try to help him out. It's pretty funny. I want them to learn on their own at their own pace. The school also has you commit to reading a book everyday for at least 15 minutes. You have to log the book on a sheet they give you and turn it in at the end of the month. So of course our book choices were "My Truck is Stuck", "If I Could Drive a Tanker Truck" and "If I Could Drive a Crane".
It was a fantastic day. They are looking forward to tomorrow and I guess I am too. It will be my first day with 4 hours to myself! What will I do......
I've had this song stuck in my head for the last week. It's a song that I used when I did a photo montage for the boys 4th birthday. The words are so appropriate for how I feel right now. The song is called "Let Them Be Little" by Billy Dean.
I can remember when you fit in the palm of my hand.
You felt so good in it; no bigger than a minute.
How it amazes me you're changin' with every blink.
Faster than a flower blooms, they grow up all too soon.
So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give 'em hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.
I never felt so much in one little tender touch.
I live for those kisses, your prayers an' your wishes.
An' now you're teachin' me how only a child can see.
Tonight, while we're on our knees, all I ask is:
Please, let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.
The so innocent, precious soul:
You turn around, an' it's time to let them go.
So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give them hope, give 'em praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let them sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.
Let them be little
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Super Fair = Super Time!
Yesterday Curtis and I took the boys to the Orange County Fair. There were many "firsts" which were really unexpected. The first "first" was that we went without a stroller! The only time we use our jogging stroller is when we take the boys to Disneyland, and I really do think they are getting too big for it. But, it's a way to keep them all together and from not getting so tired walking around all day. Curtis and I were really impressed with how well they did. It was pretty hot and we walked around quite a bit.
We entered the gate where all the rides and games were. The boys wanted to play the games but didn't want the prizes at first (I know, weird!). I have to say that the people working at the booths and rides were really generous to us. They would give us extra darts, rings, rides, etc. for no extra charge. So it was a "first" to play carnival games. Another "first" was riding the carnival rides. To my amazement, they rode a roller coaster by themselves! It was hilarious. I think Grant really liked it but Nolan and Jack had enough by the first couple times around. One of their favorite rides of the day was the mini bumper cars. I think we must have rode that ride 10 times. Jack really just wanted to drive around and not bump into anyone. He was very serious and determined to drive the car around. Grant loved to bump into people (definitely his personality trait coming out!) and Nolan liked to drive around and bump into people. The boys also rode bumper boats which was fun but not as exciting as the bumper cars. The last ride they rode was the big slide that you ride down on a potato sack. Nolan kept asking to ride the slide but I wasn't sure about it. It was really high! I let my motherly fears go and sent Curtis and the boys off to ride the slide. There were 3 lanes so each of the boys had their own lane. I watched them go down so fast and I couldn't stop smiling. I was so proud of them.
Later we went to the kid zone where they had a reptile display. If you know me, you know I don't like reptiles! They had huge snakes and geckos on display. Then they also had a place where you could take a picture with a huge snake. Curtis encouraged them to take a picture with the snake so up they went to sit by the snake. The handlers started to wrap the snake around their neck and they kind of freaked out (or maybe that was me!). Then they tried to lay the snake in their lap but Nolan started yelling "get me out of here!" and then Grant started to freak out too. I got both of them down but Jack hung back. He was up there petting the snake and making friends with it! It was hilarious. We also watched the pig races earlier in the day. At the end of the show the boys took a picture with "Strawberry" the swine.
We stopped and watched the family circus they had. I couldn't encourage them enough to ride on the elephant. They liked the juggling, disappearing of birds, and they especially liked watching the ring master stack up 7-8 chairs and doing a handstand on top of them. We talked with him after the show and the guy told us that triplets (especially identical ones) can make a good living in the circus. I guess they will always have something to fall back on?!
At the end of the evening we watched the BMX riders. I love watching the stunts these kids come up with. The youngest rider was 15! It was around 9pm by this time and the boys were getting tired. We had never intended on staying that long but we were having a blast. After another round on the bumper cars we headed home.
One very sweet moment we had early in the day. We met this group of seniors who were having a day out at the fair. A lady stopped us and asked us if the boys were triplets. Then she introduced the lady that she was pushing around in a wheelchair. Her name was Alice. Alice was 103 years old! She had the biggest smile on her face looking at the boys. The boys introduced themselves and we chatted for a bit. It was just an awesome moment.
So here are some pictures from the day. Unfortunately they were all taken on my camera phone so the quality is a bit lacking. The darn battery on my camera was dead!
We entered the gate where all the rides and games were. The boys wanted to play the games but didn't want the prizes at first (I know, weird!). I have to say that the people working at the booths and rides were really generous to us. They would give us extra darts, rings, rides, etc. for no extra charge. So it was a "first" to play carnival games. Another "first" was riding the carnival rides. To my amazement, they rode a roller coaster by themselves! It was hilarious. I think Grant really liked it but Nolan and Jack had enough by the first couple times around. One of their favorite rides of the day was the mini bumper cars. I think we must have rode that ride 10 times. Jack really just wanted to drive around and not bump into anyone. He was very serious and determined to drive the car around. Grant loved to bump into people (definitely his personality trait coming out!) and Nolan liked to drive around and bump into people. The boys also rode bumper boats which was fun but not as exciting as the bumper cars. The last ride they rode was the big slide that you ride down on a potato sack. Nolan kept asking to ride the slide but I wasn't sure about it. It was really high! I let my motherly fears go and sent Curtis and the boys off to ride the slide. There were 3 lanes so each of the boys had their own lane. I watched them go down so fast and I couldn't stop smiling. I was so proud of them.
Later we went to the kid zone where they had a reptile display. If you know me, you know I don't like reptiles! They had huge snakes and geckos on display. Then they also had a place where you could take a picture with a huge snake. Curtis encouraged them to take a picture with the snake so up they went to sit by the snake. The handlers started to wrap the snake around their neck and they kind of freaked out (or maybe that was me!). Then they tried to lay the snake in their lap but Nolan started yelling "get me out of here!" and then Grant started to freak out too. I got both of them down but Jack hung back. He was up there petting the snake and making friends with it! It was hilarious. We also watched the pig races earlier in the day. At the end of the show the boys took a picture with "Strawberry" the swine.
We stopped and watched the family circus they had. I couldn't encourage them enough to ride on the elephant. They liked the juggling, disappearing of birds, and they especially liked watching the ring master stack up 7-8 chairs and doing a handstand on top of them. We talked with him after the show and the guy told us that triplets (especially identical ones) can make a good living in the circus. I guess they will always have something to fall back on?!
At the end of the evening we watched the BMX riders. I love watching the stunts these kids come up with. The youngest rider was 15! It was around 9pm by this time and the boys were getting tired. We had never intended on staying that long but we were having a blast. After another round on the bumper cars we headed home.
One very sweet moment we had early in the day. We met this group of seniors who were having a day out at the fair. A lady stopped us and asked us if the boys were triplets. Then she introduced the lady that she was pushing around in a wheelchair. Her name was Alice. Alice was 103 years old! She had the biggest smile on her face looking at the boys. The boys introduced themselves and we chatted for a bit. It was just an awesome moment.
So here are some pictures from the day. Unfortunately they were all taken on my camera phone so the quality is a bit lacking. The darn battery on my camera was dead!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Our First Camping Trip of the Season - Solvang!
We finally made it out camping this year! We had several trips planned but they either got canceled because of weather or someone feeling under the weather.
We headed out to Buellton/Solvang which is approximately 4 hours from home. As most of you know it has been in the 95-100's here but up north it was really nice in the 80's. The first full day we spent, of course, in the pool. My fishes (the boys) love the water. There was a small jacuzzi next to the pool and the boys wanted to go in it. They had never been in a jacuzzi before so it was pretty exciting for them. They loved the warm water and the ability to stand up without the water being over their head. Even better was when we turned on the jacuzzi bubbles. Oh, that was so cool for them. After the jacuzzi the boys wanted to go back in the pool. Have you ever been in a jacuzzi then jumped into a pool right after? BURRRRR....After the pool we headed back to the trailer, changed and went to go feed the ostriches. There is a place called Ostrich Land which is a ostrich farm where you can feed ostriches and emus. It's lots of fun and the boys have a blast. Those ostriches are crazy!
We met up with our friends and neighbors , The Kohl's, on their last leg of their 2 week trip up and down the coast. Their girls and our boys play together a lot. Curtis made a fantastic spaghetti dinner for all of us to enjoy.
The next day we headed to the pool early before it got crowded. After the pool we ate lunch and then headed to town for some ice cream. After cooling off with some ice cream, we headed back to our trailer to hang out for awhile. The boys and the girls rode bikes and flew a kite. Then all 11 of us headed to dinner at the very famous Pea Soup Anderson's. I hear the pea soup is great but you aren't going to get me to try it! After dinner, the kids rode bikes again and the adults were recouperating from dinner. We ended the night with margaritas and poker! Apparently when you have 3 of a kind and 2 of a kind, it's a full house :)
The next morning we headed back home. The boys didn't want to leave but it was time to go. Once we got home, Jack hugged the wall and said "I missed our house!" It was very cute. Of course the dogs were very happy to see us. They were well taken care of by Grandma and Papa.
Oh, we also made a quick trip to Neverland. The only thing you could see was the entrance but it was filled with flowers, letters, posters and balloons. On the way to Neverland we saw a church banner that said "Foreverland". I got a big chuckle out of it.
We have another trip planned in a couple weeks in San Diego. It will be our last trip before the boys start Kindergarten!
Here are some pictures from our trip!
We headed out to Buellton/Solvang which is approximately 4 hours from home. As most of you know it has been in the 95-100's here but up north it was really nice in the 80's. The first full day we spent, of course, in the pool. My fishes (the boys) love the water. There was a small jacuzzi next to the pool and the boys wanted to go in it. They had never been in a jacuzzi before so it was pretty exciting for them. They loved the warm water and the ability to stand up without the water being over their head. Even better was when we turned on the jacuzzi bubbles. Oh, that was so cool for them. After the jacuzzi the boys wanted to go back in the pool. Have you ever been in a jacuzzi then jumped into a pool right after? BURRRRR....After the pool we headed back to the trailer, changed and went to go feed the ostriches. There is a place called Ostrich Land which is a ostrich farm where you can feed ostriches and emus. It's lots of fun and the boys have a blast. Those ostriches are crazy!
We met up with our friends and neighbors , The Kohl's, on their last leg of their 2 week trip up and down the coast. Their girls and our boys play together a lot. Curtis made a fantastic spaghetti dinner for all of us to enjoy.
The next day we headed to the pool early before it got crowded. After the pool we ate lunch and then headed to town for some ice cream. After cooling off with some ice cream, we headed back to our trailer to hang out for awhile. The boys and the girls rode bikes and flew a kite. Then all 11 of us headed to dinner at the very famous Pea Soup Anderson's. I hear the pea soup is great but you aren't going to get me to try it! After dinner, the kids rode bikes again and the adults were recouperating from dinner. We ended the night with margaritas and poker! Apparently when you have 3 of a kind and 2 of a kind, it's a full house :)
The next morning we headed back home. The boys didn't want to leave but it was time to go. Once we got home, Jack hugged the wall and said "I missed our house!" It was very cute. Of course the dogs were very happy to see us. They were well taken care of by Grandma and Papa.
Oh, we also made a quick trip to Neverland. The only thing you could see was the entrance but it was filled with flowers, letters, posters and balloons. On the way to Neverland we saw a church banner that said "Foreverland". I got a big chuckle out of it.
We have another trip planned in a couple weeks in San Diego. It will be our last trip before the boys start Kindergarten!
Here are some pictures from our trip!
Monday, July 6, 2009
The 4th of July
We had a really fun 4th of July this year. We headed to the park for a picnic with the entire Coombs family. There was a lot of food, fun, parade and water balloon fight. Ah, one of the best water balloon fights yet! I think the boys enjoyed the water balloon fight the most. Someone had brought a couple of plastic balls and bats to the park and the boys really took to them. Nolan kept throwing the ball in the air and was hitting it a fair amount of the time. I was really impressed with them because they had never picked up a baseball and bat before. After the picnic we went home and rested for awhile. About 8:30 p.m. we headed out to the Norco Community Park for a fireworks display. We were really close to the fireworks. You could see them shooting off from the ground. The boys were oohing and ahhhing at them but it was a bit loud for their liking.
All in all, it was a great holiday. Here are some pictures from the day.
All in all, it was a great holiday. Here are some pictures from the day.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Father's Day Weekend
We needed more than a day to celebrate Curtis this year! We decided to take the boys to their first ever racing event at Perris Speedway on Saturday night. We got there when the gates opened at 5pm but the races didn't start until 7pm. We had a chance to watch a motorcycle and ATV exhibition which the boys really liked. We also watched the qualifying races before the actual races started. Each of the boys would pick their favorite car or truck for a particular race and cheered them on. My favorite race was when the 8-12 year olds came out in their little trucks that went 50 mph. Those kids were awesome! I love that there were girls also racing along with the boys. We had a fantastic time and would definitely go back.
Sunday was Father's Day and we started the morning off with some homemade gifts and breakfast. Then we decided to go to Papa and Grandma's house to celebrate Father's Day with Papa. The boys and I made cupcakes for Papa and enjoyed the special treat with him. We came home and I cooked dinner for everyone (that's a special treat in itself!) and then Curtis and I ended the night with some ice cream from Dairy Queen.
We had a great weekend celebrating Father's Day. It's a very special day to celebrate Dad's. Our weekend was filled with things that I knew my dad would enjoy. It made me miss him even more this weekend. He would have loved to go to the races with us and would have gotten a kick out of the boys watching the races. He would have enjoyed the tacos I made for dinner because that was his favorite meal to eat. I was able to visit the cemetery last weekend to honor him for Father's Day. I miss you dad.
I hope everyone enjoyed their special day with their dad's!
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