my dog is extra cute. today was the first time i have been able to take her for a walk for a few weeks and she was a bit excited. i like to wind her up a bit before we go.

Four year old’s fall down a lot. Maybe not all of them do but mine certainly tend to fall all over the place (did they inherit my lack of grace and coordination or is this par for the course?). Last week, we were snowed in and the end of winter break turned into an extended four week winter break. By Thursday, I was going stir-crazy and decided to take all four of them with me to run errands. In the two hours we were out and about, the triplets fell a total of seven times. They didn’t trip on ice, slide on wet ground or tumble while running obstacle courses. No, they just tripped over their own feet and ended up splayed out on the sidewalk or linoleum over and over again. They never seriously hurt themselves and the tears were stopped with hugs and kisses (they truly believe my kisses solve all bumps and bruises which is awesome). Every time they fell, I automatically pulled my hand up to my forehead and shook my head as if to say to any strangers watching our spectacle, “My, these clumsy kids and their embarassing lack of coordination” but I wasn’t even intentionally making this gesture. After the fourth or fifth tumble, it was all I could do to not yell at them because who yells at a four year old for falling down? The oldest started couting off how many times they had fallen each time so together, we probably looked like the most unsympathetic family of all time with the Mom’s head buried in her hands and the boy flatly declaring “six” as a kid is face down in the shampoo aisle of Target. I don’t know, maybe it was because they had been stuck inside or perhaps the new snow disorientated their little bodies. I’m happy to report they remained upright today when I took them to the hardware store after preschool- loud but upright.

I know I’m a little late to report on our holidays (4 WEEK WINTER BREAK WITH CONSTANT KIDS) but all went well. The kids got too many toys for Christmas, we baked and devoured pounds of cookies, enjoyed our families, watched movies and played lots of Wii. It was perfect. We rang in 2010 by letting the kids stay up until midnight when we set off fireworks and ate chocolate ice cream. Most of our holidays were spent preparing to eat, eating and playing together. The kids and I truly enjoyed Mike being home for two extended weekends in a row and were sad to see him return to normal work weeks. It has been bitterly cold and snowy for the last week and I’ve been fighting my urge to climb under flannel sheets and hibernate until spring. Hope you are staying warm and cozy. XO

My oldest and I are watching the original Home Alone* because he’s only seen the inferior Home Alone 3 (they kept playing the third movie on cable over and over again. why? and why do these children kept getting left home alone? shouldn’t someone call DFS?). I realize while watching this how much Ethan looks like a young Macaulay Culkin so I’ll try to get him to do the hands on the face thing and take a picture. By the way, I don’t think I would ever forget my kid and get on an airplane but it does sound like a good anxiety dream. Why do my nocturnal anxieties still manifest in dreams of missing a final exam in college instead of nightmares where I leave my kid in the attic and fly to France?

I’ve been busy preparing for Christmas by doing the least amount of shopping I’ve ever managed in December. Some of this was budgetary concerns but Mike took on a chunk of the shopping by himself one weekend while I made cookies with the kids (between the sprinkles and the gingerbread dough, my carpet was sticky). I did some shopping online which is always nice as long as I make the free delivery dates. I probably forgot to buy some presents for at least one person and will have to make a last minute dash amongst the crazed shoppers.

Something else I cut back on this year was Christmas cards of which I usually send between 80-100 to friends and family. This year, I cut back to 40 cards and it was painful having to cut back to so few people. I find myself wondering if those who were cut from the list notice I haven’t mailed one yet and if they will cut me next year. I really enjoy getting non-bills in the mail so I hope they don’t cut me.

A holiday activity we’ve increased this year is driving around looking at lights and listening to Christmas music. At this point, I’m getting sick of the holiday music and am quick to turn off many songs.

These are the only songs that don’t make me quickly flip the station in late December:

Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian Christmas Song) by Bing Crosby which is not played nearly enough. How come Wham’s Last Christmas is blaring in every department store but there’s no love for Bing? Incidentally, George Michael seems the type to give his heart to someone “special” every Christmas so I’m not buying the sob story.

Baby It’s Cold Outside by anyone but in particular by Zooey Deschanel from the movie Elf. I develop these musical tics from time to time where I can’t get a segment of a song out of my head and this one has been entrenched in my brain all week. This has been the year of “Elf” in our house and we’ve watched the movie multiple times and just the song segments more than that. Lily doesn’t like when Buddy’s Dad, James Caan, acts mean and she gets upset when he appears on the screen but the boys seem to approve of the film. My other favorite Christmas movies are “Love Actually” and “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Every year, I rope Mike into watching “Love Actually” with me which isn’t even much roping because he likes the movie as much as I do and by the end, we’re both cheering for Sam to jump the airport turnstile. I haven’t watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” yet this year but I’m on the look out for when it appears on the DVR schedule.

Blue Christmas by Elvis. This is one of the older songs that is still played constantly on the Christmas stations and I just can’t help but love it. I think it is a combination of the way he says the word “blue” and the soulful background singers. Plus, I have a bit of a soft spot for Elvis and fond memories of almost getting kicked out of Graceland for using a flash on my camera.  I’ve been to Graceland twice, once for the mansion tour and once to see the airplanes (his plane had a full bed with a seat belt). Graceland is weird- it is crazy expensive and the house isn’t even that nice. The common areas are frozen in late seventies decor with all its dark cabinets, shag carpet and unfortunate olive greens and orange combos. After taking the tour, you can get an overpriced fried peanut and banana sandwich with coke in a bottle in the snack shop.

“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/We Three Kings” by Bare Naked Ladies & Sarah McLachlan because I like my Canadians and Christmas in Hollis because I like Run DMC. I also find myself leaving “Home for the Holidays” on when it shows up because something about the lyrics, “Met a Man who lives in Tennessee and he was headin for Pennsylvania and some home made pumpkin pie. From Pennsylvania folks a travelin’ down to Dixie’s Southern Shore, From Atlantic to Pacific, gee the traffic is terrific.” that appeal to me. I think it is the frequency of P words with pumpkin and Pennsylvania.

I’m sure there are more but I need to watch Joe Pesci get his butt kicked by Kevin in Home Alone. Hope you have a wonderful holiday XO.

*Did you know that Home Alone is the highest grossing live action comedy of all time in the United States? Now you do.

We’ve been icked. Jack started first with a fever on Tuesday and has been downright pathetic ever since. I took him into the new pediatrician* yesterday while he moaned, “I wanna go home” the entire time. He was so miserable, he wouldn’t walk but managed to summon the super human strength needed to fight off the evil otoscope. I have perfected my little kid ear check hold so the doctor was able to ascertain his ear tubes were okay, his tonsils enormous as usual, his throat raw and his nose stuffed. She swabbed his throat and the back of his nose with long q-tips which is just what a sick kid wants. I peeled him off the ceiling in time to find out his screenings were negative for flu and strep.

The doctor told me, “Well, he looks like C-R-A-P (She spelled out crap which I found amusing. If E was with me, he probably would have memorized it and walked around singing “C-R-A-P”) and has all the symptoms of the flu.” She said the screening is only 70% accurate and she was fairly sure he had H1N1 since A) He was exposed and B) symptoms and misery not explained by anything else.

What about the immunizations you ask? The triplets were not immunized against H1N1 flu because their pediatrician’s office only got the flu mist which is a live, weakened version of the virus and isn’t supposed to be given to kids with respiratory problems like Lily. We could have taken a chance and given it to the boys but we didn’t like exposing Lily by giving them the weakened virus. We consulted with three different doctors, including the pediatric pulmonologist, about the live vaccine and got three different opinions ranging from “Do NOT give anyone in the house the live virus vaccine.” to “Give it to the boys, the chances of transmitting it from Flu-mist are low.”. We debated and cancelled the appointment for the mist and decided to wait for the shot (dead virus). Our pediatrician’s office still does not have the shot. Other doctor offices in the area are giving it out to “normal” kids and our high risk child still cannot get it. We are at the largest pediatrician’s office in our county- one that is afilliated with the large hospital where the triplets were born- and they still don’t have it. One pediatrician I spoke to at another hospital scoffed when I told him our pediatrician’s office only has the Flu-Mist. He is the same one who said absolutely do not give them the live virus and he said, “I thought only the schools were getting the mist. We only have the shot.”. So, what happened? Who can I blame? Which administrative snafu resulted in our pediatrician’s office lacking in a vaccine other Dr’s have available? Can I find the weak link and make him or her babysit three 4 year olds with the flu?
While I construct an effigy of a bumbling office worker who messed up the vaccine delivery, I have to hold the kids and give them Tamiflu, etc. Lily needs extra oxygen, nebulizer treatments and constant vigilence (She wound up in ICU two years ago with flu. I don’t like her having the flu with her scarred, fragile, prone to pneumonia lungs.). Jack is still miserable and doesn’t want Ethan to look at him, pretend to touch him or talk. Jack is a little irritable. Ethan is still fairly healthy but has started running a temperature nd is crying that Lily isn’t being responsible for some reason (Preschool focuses on being responsible. I don’t think they know what it actually means but they sure like to say it.). Right now, I’m sitting on the couch while each of the triplets are touching one of my limbs but not each other and the dog is laying on my feet while I peck this missive on my Blackberry listening to Sesame Street** I hope they actually have the flu so the Tamiflu kicks in and makes them feel better. Until then, wish me luck.

*This was our first time meeting the new pediatrician since out beloved Dr defected to another practice. I wanted to cry when I saw his art was gone from the walls. The new Dr is nice, spells out C-R-A-P and seems thorough but I still miss our old pediatrician. I may start stalking him. Do you think he would look at my kids if I followed him around the grocery store with a stethosocope?

** I prefer PBS to every other kid station because NO COMMERCIALS to send the kids into greedy fits of toy lust and because the shows are just better. For example, the Sesame Street we’re currently watching has a segment called “Bring Out Your K” which is a play on Monty Python’s “Bring Out Your Dead” and dammit, that’s funny to me. Because I’m also a geek. So yeah, Sesame Street RULEZ!

Things I’m Out Of: Coffee, Laundry Detergent, My Mind. These are not good things to run out of on a Monday morning after a four day period of everyone being off school and work. When I’m not looking, the dirty laundry increases exponentially until the oldest is yelling, “I have no pants to wear!” early Monday morning while I also have no coffee. Bad combo. I’m still on a make my own laundry detergent kick so I just boiled up a batch and soon shall be able to wash with abandon. If only I had my own coffee plants, my morning would rock (I know that coffee beans need to be cured, roasted, etc but in my fantasy they are instant coffee beans that don’t taste like instant.).
I failed National Blog Posting Month in the last three days. I think I did this last year as well so double trouble. This failure must be directly related to my husband’s birthday during the last week of November so I’ll blame it on him. We had a busy weekend celebrating Thanksgiving and the end of Mike’s twenties (he’s a young one). I am tired of eating and feel the need to take up jogging. A nap would be nice too but that is probably not happening today since it is the 1st day of Lily’s new preschool schedule where she only goes two days per week. She thinks we’re going shopping. Hope you had a great extended weekend. I must go extract four year old’s from the refrigerator.

We put up the Christmas tree tonight. The kids want it to be Christmas now and don’t understand why they have to wait. I tell them not to wish their December away or they’ll miss out on looking at lights, building gingerbread houses, baking cookies and singing Jingle Bells. They still want Christmas now. It seems so far away for them and so close for me.

The Thanksgiving Song

Turkey for me
Turkey for you
Let’s eat the turkey
In my big brown shoe
Love to eat the turkey
At the table
I once saw a movie
With Betty Grable
Eat that turkey
All night long
Fifty million Elvis fans
Can’t be wrong
Turkey lurkey doo and
Turkey lurkey dap
I eat that turkey
Then I take a nap

Thanksgiving is a special night
Jimmy Walker used to say Dynomite
That’s right
Turkey with gravy and cranberry
Can’t believe the Mets traded Darryl Strawberry
Turkey for you and
Turkey for me
Can’t believe Tyson
Gave that girl V.D.

White meat, dark meat
You just can’t lose
I fell off my moped
And I got a bruise
Turkey in the oven
And the buns in the toaster
I’ll never take down
My Cheryl Tiegs poster
Wrap the turkey up
In aluminum foil
My brother likes to masturbate
With baby oil
Turkey and sweet potato pie
Sammy Davis Jr.
Only had one eye

Turkey for the girls and
Turkey for the boys
My favorite kind of pants
Are corduroys
Gobble gobble goo and
Gobble gobble gickel
I wish turkey
Only cost a nickel
Oh I love turkey on Thanksgiving

(Adam Sandler)

saw this outside of the dollar* store and thought calling someone a $5 turkey sounded like a good insult. also, i don’t trust dollar store meat. they always have really cheap bacon wrapped filet mignons that i think are made of donkey.

happy thanksgiving eve ya’ll. i have baked four pies. where do you stand on the sweet potato vs pumpkin pie? i was only introduced to sweet potato pie a few years ago after a lifetime full of pumpkin pie. i like them both but i think sweet potato has more substance and is less custardy. i made sweet potato tonight as well as 2 apple with crumb topping. crumb topping because i suck at double crust pies. pie crust in general frustrates me. my grandma is bringing pumpkin pies as well as blackberry cobbler. we’re going to be rollin in desserts.

my grandma is an incredible baker. she used to make pumpkin, cherry, apple, gooseberry (!), pecan and lemon meringue when she had thanksgiving at her house. she also makes this scrumptious chicken and noodles dish with noodles made out of the leftover pie dough. i have actually video taped her making it and tried to replicate the recipe but it never tastes the same. i don’t know how she does it. no, wait! i do know how she does it but still can’t make it the same so it is even more frustrating. luckily, she’s still around to make it for me. everything she makes is perfect in appearance but she always questions some small aspect of her dish. for example, if she makes a lemon meringue pie and the peaks of meringue are not perfect or it starts to bead, she will say she shouldn’t have brought it and look at it with disgusted pity. it is ridiculous because her pies are otherworldly good and no one would ever notice the drooping meringue that isn’t there in the first place. we always tell her the pies are perfect and devour them with gusto. have i mentioned she is 85 years old and has such bad arthritis that she is in severe pain most of the time yet still rolls out the perfect pie crusts? and here i am using store bought pie crust because i don’t have the mat to roll out the dough and no matter how i try, it always sticks to the rolling pin or cracks when i transfer it to the pie plate. oy.

besides the pies, i made stuffing in the crockpot (i also cooked sweet potatoes for pie in the crock pot earlier. i’m all about using the slow cooker to make things easier) but it may have too much sage. i think i need to step away from it and re-evaluate in the morning. i don’t have to cook anything else since the rest of the family is handling the rest of the thanksgiving lunch duties. we eat at 1 in the afternoon which is kind of silly but works out for naps and a dinner of leftovers. i don’t know why we eat so early except maybe because my grandma doesn’t like to drive after dark but my brother is picking her up so she isn’t driving. um, we’re just odd. have a great holiday- may all your dishes be tasty and relatives well behaved.

*guess it technically isn’t a dollar store when they go and sell things like turkeys for $5 but that’s what i always call it.

national blog posting month, you’re killin’ me. well, not so much as killing me as peskily reminding me to post when i only want to lay here and read bad celebrity gossip. i think i’ve posted every night this week around 11 pm which goes to show what a truly excellent procrastinator i am.  there’s not much to report other than the details of my day:

cooking: baked salmon, jasmine rice, broccoli with cheese, bowtie pasta with marinara & chicken nuggets for the picky eater friend of the oldest who is spending the night followed by four trays of promptly and  devoured chocolate chip cookies. bonus: we made homemade playdough scented like pumpkin pie. i tried to make it orange but didn’t used enough food coloring so it ended up looking like fleshly tissue. making playdough is really easy and uses common household stuff except cream of tartar. i started wondering about cream of tartar because that’s what i do- i wonder then research inane things- and found out it is an acidic salt that is a byproduct of grapes or wine production. i also learned the only non-acidic foods are egg whites, milk and baking soda. the more you know (ding).

Here is the recipe if interested:

Playdough

• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 tablespoon cream of tartar
• Food coloring
• 1 cup flour

Directions

Combine water, oil, salt, cream of tartar, and food coloring in a saucepan and heat until warm but not hot.

Remove from heat and add flour.

Stir until combined, remove from pan then knead until smooth. If you want the playdough to smell like pumpkin pie, sprinkle it with some pumpkin pie spice. I’ve also heard you can make it smell like chocolate if you add unsweetened cocoa powder.

Store in an airtight container. Or, if you are like my family, smash playdough into the carpet and cracks in the table, stick it in your toys until it hardens or smush it in your sibling’s hair. Also, try to eat it even though Mom told you it tastes terrible then spit it out all over your shirt.

laundry: the triplets are potty trained but still having some night accidents so lots of stripping the beds and washing everything. i have been averaging three loads per day. that means i wash, dry and lay out three loads of clothes on top of the dryer so they don’t get too wrinkled per day. i save up most of the laundry putting away for a once a week clothes-put-away-a-thon.

cleaning: i discovered the sink in the front bathroom was leaking into the cabinet and was growing black mold. fun! i sprayed the shit out of it with tilex mildew cleaner which has got to be the most caustic cleaner made. i refused to breathe in the mold/tilex fumes so i almost passed out while cleaning. i probably lost a few more brain cells in the debacle. i also mopped the kitchen floor for the second time in three days because someone had an apple cider slip and slide party in the kitchen (the triplets hid the padlock that goes on the fridge and spilled the cider then tried to hide it with a beach towel. you think i’m kidding?).  oh! then a pyrex lasagna dish slid off the counter, slammed into the ceramic kitchen tile and shattered. that was fun to clean and i’m sure i missed a random shard that will end up in my foot. to finish off the cleaning, i picked up the same toys three times each then yelled at the kids to pick them up another three times.

napping: i’m fighting a sinus thing that’s been making my ear throb so i took an antihistamine and a one hour nap this afternoon while the kids were at school. sleeping makes me believe time is relative because i swear i was out cold and dreaming for a few days in that one hour nap.

that’s a snapshot of my day. it was rainy, cold and windy so there wasn’t much outdoor activity (much to the dog’s dismay). tomorrow, there will be more fun to be had with thanksgiving prep and the last day of work/school for the rest of the clan until next monday. this, of course, means more work for me but also more fun.

yesterday, mike cleaned the gutters and put up the christmas lights. last year was the first year we had christmas lights at all because we had awning/gutter issues that had to be fixed and they were definitely not out before thanksgiving. part of the reason they are up so early is because it was unseasonably warm last weekend but the other, more compelling reason is that the triplets LOVE christmas lights. they have held onto the memories of last year’s christmas lights all year which is a lot for a four year old. they have been asking for months when the lights would be back and literally squeal with delight when they see decorated houses and yards. in their eyes, the more stuff the better and there is no such thing as tacky. the houses with inflatable snow globes, santa clauses and lit up reindeer are their favorites and the biggest displays aren’t even out yet. there are quite a few people in our area who go ape shit with their displays. one house has its own radio station you can tune into when you get close and animated light displays that coincide with the music. people line up in their cars across the street and stare at the display- it is that impressive. their neighbors must really hate their holiday zeal but my kids love it. we’re going to try to go to a few new displays in the area parks this year and see as many lights as possible. it is a lot of fun for me to drive around listening to holiday music and the kids laugh and shout when they see the displays. yes, they love toys and the other things that go along with the christmas season but for them, being together and looking for lights is their favorite. i’m more into christmas because it is so fun for them and even though the holidays can be stressful or a hassle, it is worth it to see the season through their eyes. i can’t wait for the rest of it!