Language of Love

When the triplets were small, I was often asked if they had their own 'language', like many multiples do.  There wasn't a special verbal language between them, it was an unspoken connection that prompted them to move and work as a unit, almost like they could read each other's minds.

There have been a lot of cute variations on the English language, though, that have been spoken in our house, by all 5 kids.  For example:

• Cellaphone - cell phone
• Backaround - the background on my computer screen
• Limbo - short for limousine
• Bled - lead used in mechanical pencils
• 3 Stitches - a new movie about the Three Stooges, which is right up the triplets' alley
• Fat Jackets - winter coats
• Hanitizer - hand sanitizer, located in each of our vehicles, their snack and lunch boxes, and my handbag, because I never give up the battle of fighting germs
• Eye-tacts - contact lenses
• Magic Milk - milk and strawberry Quick, so named because it was the only way my first born would drink any milk at all, still the only way Triplet A drinks milk
• Blue-Eyed Buddies - the special club formed by our only 2 blue-eyed children

I'd love to hear some other families' favorites, if you'd like to share!

Look on the bright side...

Last night my daughter asked me, "what do you call someone who always looks at the bright side of things?"  I said, of course, "an optimist".  "And what's the opposite?" she asked.  "A pessimist."  I asked her, already knowing the answer, "what are you?"  "An optimist!"  Thinking I knew what she'd say, I also asked, "what do you think I am?"  She answered honestly, "it depends".  Ouch. 

My mantra is, "it could always be worse", so I definitely consider myself an optimist.  But as a dear friend of mine often responds when I say that, "but does it have to be this bad?"  Sometimes, I think it does, for us to appreciate the good.  The more blessings we have in life, the more responsibilities, and the more potential for things to go wrong.

I truly believe I look at things from the "glass half full" perspective, rather than "half empty", but it'd sure be easier if my glass stopped getting knocked over!

Yay Me!

Last night was our PTA's annual tricky tray fundraiser, the social event of the year in our town.  I've been going every year for the past ten years with my mom and before last night, I had only won one prize.  Free religious ed classes - I was thrilled, but my oldest was plenty disappointed that he waited up til 11:00 for that big news.

We have some pretty impressive gift baskets - tickets to Disney, tvs, Ipads, Ipods, designer handbags, spa treatments.  I won a 10 piece Cuisinart Cookware Set.  I'm pretty sure my mom and I were the only one who put tickets in that box, and she may have given the cookware to me anyway if she had won, because that's how she rolls.  Crazy generous, my mom is!

Anyway, it may have been the white wine, but I was pretty excited!  I texted my daughter:  "Tell everyone I won a ten piece cookware set!  Yay me!"  An hour later I hadn't heard back from her so I texted again:  "Did you get my text that I won pots?"  Her response:  "Yeah nice!"

When we got home, my husband was a little more excited, at least he opened the box and had a look at them.  Over breakfast I asked the other kids what they thought of my prize.  Triplet A - "Can I have the bow?"  My oldest - "You could've at least won a Coach bag".

Yeah, not me.  Just a set of pots.  Pretty much sums up who I am.   But at least I won SOMETHING!  Guess I'm easy to please.

What Was That Noise?!?!?

There is constant noise in my house when the kids are home, kind of like a beehive.  But sometimes the noise is a little more urgent, and I can tell that something's been broken or someone's been hurt badly.

Here's a list of some of the things my kids have accidentally broken:

• a brand new 60" TV, just out of the box and hooked up - weapon of choice, a Wii remote
• a beautiful ceramic tile, a souvenier from a loved-one's trip to Spain - weapon of choice, a softball
• a seatbelt in our truck - weapon of choice, a silly band (green, so we think we know who did it)
• a CD player - the triplets were babies and one of them pulled it down, causing it to spark, while his brother happily shouted "more more fireworks!"
• too many picture frames to count
• too many window blinds to count
• a laptop
• 2 DS's - one belonging to their old brother, one not even 24 hours after Santa delivered it
• an antique vase of priceless sentimental value
• my nose - weapon of choice, our back door

Now before you judge, please keep in mind that there are 5 kids in this house, so this much damage is more likely than in other houses, and this is over an 8 year period.

For the most part, the culprit is usually caught and punished.  But sometimes we just can't get them to rat on the offender.  They either say that none of them did it, or the dog did it, or the big brother did it.  Never the sister though, no one ever blames her.  Too afraid of feeling her wrath, I believe!

Most of my precious breakables are safely (fingers crossed!) inside a glass curio, while the rest are still packed away, like my wedding China.  Maybe I'll finally unpack it when I have grandchildren - I probably won't be as mad when they break my things!