We are Serpents of The Lord
Those of you who know Chris and I know that we are not religious folk. We do not attend church. We do not say grace. Yet, Ava is in her third week of a church choir program where kids practice singing biblical songs, and then perform a concert in May.
Back in December Ava attended this church concert as a spectator watching her friends performing the songs and dancing. Ava LOVED it. Randomly, about a month ago Ava said “mom, do you remember that singing concert I went to where my friends were singing in front of all the people?” I said, “you mean the Christmas church choir concert?” And she said, “yes. I want to do something like that.” I told Ava that I think that was just a Christmas thing, but if she really wants to she could do it next year.
Very coincidentally, the very next day my friend Kari called and asked if Ava would want to participate in the “Good News Cruise” choir that is starting up again at the church. I told Ava about it and she was ecstatic and ready to sing her little heart out.
So Ava is into her third week of the Good News Cruise where they have to know a whole CD of songs and their hand movements. After the first practice session, Ava came home and said, “all they talk about is God, God, God. I get so tired of hearing about God.” I said, “well Ava, you are going to be hearing a lot about God and Jesus and the Lord, so if you don’t like it you may not want to do the choir.” But Ava was willing to overlook multiple mentions of God to continue singing and get herself to the ultimate prize: singing on stage in front of an audience. By the second practice session Ava knew all three songs perfectly, along with the accompanying dance movements; she is an enthusiastic participant in the Good News Cruise.
One of the songs is called “We are Servants of the Lord”, which Ava thinks is “We are Serpents of the Lord”. We haven’t corrected her because it is just so darn cute when she belts out the serpents part.
Well, it is official. Chris and I had a mini-conference in the bedroom today and decided that this age the triplets are in right now, turning two, is by far the hardest age we have experienced with them insofar. If we had any one of the kids singly life would be easy, but with three two year olds, we are dealing with a lot of rebellion and pushing the limits in the house.
For instance, If they are all in a bedroom, they climb onto the bed and start jumping around like three little jumping beans, just a misstep away from falling off the bed and getting a broken arm. Today I had the wrapping paper out in the bedroom because Ava and I were wrapping their birthday presents. Within a few seconds, they had worked as a team and unraveled a very long segment of the wrapping paper and were running and sliding across it like it was a slip and slide, and wrapping themselves up in it like three little presents. If they are in the bathroom they unravel the toilet paper, climb into the bathtub and throw toys around, and one time I found the girls playing in the toilet water like it was a warm summer day splashing around in the plastic kiddie pool. If they are in the kitchen they are climbing onto the kitchen table to get anything that was left on it, or trying to send emails on my computer. One time I left a big knife on the bread board and seconds later Preston was walking around the kitchen with it. If, heaven forbid, I leave the pantry door unlocked, they are helping themselves to raisins and other snacks, as well as opening up all the juice boxes and squirting them everywhere. If they are in the family room at the kid craft table, all three of them will climb on top of the table and start throwing crayons and colored pencils everywhere. I had to put all the coloring utensils in sealed containers. If one of the little kids is in the pack n play in a timeout, the other two come over to the pack n play laughing and taunting the person in the time out. Today we were sitting on the couch trying to relax for a few moments with a Baby Einstein when all three decided to make an Olympic sport out of launching themselves off the back of the couch. If you leave one of the doors in our house unlocked, Preston will let himself out and wander around the front yard by himself. So now we have to pay special attention that all the doors in the house are always locked.
It is hectic and dangerous around this house. It can never be underestimated how each of the triplets influences each other to do things that they wouldn’t necessarily do if they were a singleton. Elsa has been the instigator of all things naughty from the beginning, but now the lines are blurred as to who is starting the most mayhem in the household.
While Ava and I were at the grocery store today Chris was feeling ambitious and he laid out a big mat and put stamping materials, a few washable markers, some safe pens and paper down to let the little kids do some arts and crafts. We really haven’t done this before, but we figured since they were a day away from the big #2 that they may be ready to advance their art skills. Before they even got started on their project, Preston was eating the markers and Violet had stamped her entire face and Elsa had taken one of the markers and was doodling all over the windows. Then Chris took all the markers away and as he puts it, each one of them through a ginormous tantrum. Then Preston took a poop so big that it filled up the feet of his pajamas, and arts and craft time was over before it began.
They have also learned to say no, and it is very popular. Elsa started it of course. Elsa, can you please bring me that toy. Noooooooooooo. Elsa, please get off the table before you hurt yourself. Noooooooooooooo. And it is a very precocious no, long and drawn out. Then Preston got wind of the word no and all of its power and he began to assert his refusal all around the house. Violet just shakes her head at us all day. So now instead of having our authority simply ignored, we are flatly told, noooooooooooo, by our 2 year olds.
Lastly in the kid updates, Elsa has taken to stripping completely down to nothing when she wakes up from her nap, every single day. Every day I walk in her room and she is totally naked, hopping around her crib delighted with the freedom of her nude body. Her diapers and clothing are strewn about the crib as if she were stripping one item at a time and flinging them carefree and haphazardly about. I shutter every day to see if there is a fun little surprise awaiting me on the mattress; something that should perhaps be in her diaper that should be on her body, but so far she is just an innocent nudist. Today Violet and Elsa woke up at the same time and so Violet got her first glimpse of Elsa’s random nudity and she let out a little chuckle. Elsa chuckled back.
Where I used to say that all three little kids put together are easier than Ava, the tables have quickly turned. Ava is still demanding and high maintenance (because that is her personality), but she is also self sufficient and she listens to what I say (most of the time) and isn’t spending the better part of the day performing dangerous stunts.
I have a feeling that we have a challenging year ahead of us in the twos. Well, at least we are serpents of the lord. We do have that going for us, which is nice.
Tomorrow I will do a post for the kids on their birthday. I can't believe that they are two already.
Until next time, the mothership is signing off.
Back in December Ava attended this church concert as a spectator watching her friends performing the songs and dancing. Ava LOVED it. Randomly, about a month ago Ava said “mom, do you remember that singing concert I went to where my friends were singing in front of all the people?” I said, “you mean the Christmas church choir concert?” And she said, “yes. I want to do something like that.” I told Ava that I think that was just a Christmas thing, but if she really wants to she could do it next year.
Very coincidentally, the very next day my friend Kari called and asked if Ava would want to participate in the “Good News Cruise” choir that is starting up again at the church. I told Ava about it and she was ecstatic and ready to sing her little heart out.
So Ava is into her third week of the Good News Cruise where they have to know a whole CD of songs and their hand movements. After the first practice session, Ava came home and said, “all they talk about is God, God, God. I get so tired of hearing about God.” I said, “well Ava, you are going to be hearing a lot about God and Jesus and the Lord, so if you don’t like it you may not want to do the choir.” But Ava was willing to overlook multiple mentions of God to continue singing and get herself to the ultimate prize: singing on stage in front of an audience. By the second practice session Ava knew all three songs perfectly, along with the accompanying dance movements; she is an enthusiastic participant in the Good News Cruise.
One of the songs is called “We are Servants of the Lord”, which Ava thinks is “We are Serpents of the Lord”. We haven’t corrected her because it is just so darn cute when she belts out the serpents part.
Well, it is official. Chris and I had a mini-conference in the bedroom today and decided that this age the triplets are in right now, turning two, is by far the hardest age we have experienced with them insofar. If we had any one of the kids singly life would be easy, but with three two year olds, we are dealing with a lot of rebellion and pushing the limits in the house.
For instance, If they are all in a bedroom, they climb onto the bed and start jumping around like three little jumping beans, just a misstep away from falling off the bed and getting a broken arm. Today I had the wrapping paper out in the bedroom because Ava and I were wrapping their birthday presents. Within a few seconds, they had worked as a team and unraveled a very long segment of the wrapping paper and were running and sliding across it like it was a slip and slide, and wrapping themselves up in it like three little presents. If they are in the bathroom they unravel the toilet paper, climb into the bathtub and throw toys around, and one time I found the girls playing in the toilet water like it was a warm summer day splashing around in the plastic kiddie pool. If they are in the kitchen they are climbing onto the kitchen table to get anything that was left on it, or trying to send emails on my computer. One time I left a big knife on the bread board and seconds later Preston was walking around the kitchen with it. If, heaven forbid, I leave the pantry door unlocked, they are helping themselves to raisins and other snacks, as well as opening up all the juice boxes and squirting them everywhere. If they are in the family room at the kid craft table, all three of them will climb on top of the table and start throwing crayons and colored pencils everywhere. I had to put all the coloring utensils in sealed containers. If one of the little kids is in the pack n play in a timeout, the other two come over to the pack n play laughing and taunting the person in the time out. Today we were sitting on the couch trying to relax for a few moments with a Baby Einstein when all three decided to make an Olympic sport out of launching themselves off the back of the couch. If you leave one of the doors in our house unlocked, Preston will let himself out and wander around the front yard by himself. So now we have to pay special attention that all the doors in the house are always locked.
It is hectic and dangerous around this house. It can never be underestimated how each of the triplets influences each other to do things that they wouldn’t necessarily do if they were a singleton. Elsa has been the instigator of all things naughty from the beginning, but now the lines are blurred as to who is starting the most mayhem in the household.
While Ava and I were at the grocery store today Chris was feeling ambitious and he laid out a big mat and put stamping materials, a few washable markers, some safe pens and paper down to let the little kids do some arts and crafts. We really haven’t done this before, but we figured since they were a day away from the big #2 that they may be ready to advance their art skills. Before they even got started on their project, Preston was eating the markers and Violet had stamped her entire face and Elsa had taken one of the markers and was doodling all over the windows. Then Chris took all the markers away and as he puts it, each one of them through a ginormous tantrum. Then Preston took a poop so big that it filled up the feet of his pajamas, and arts and craft time was over before it began.
They have also learned to say no, and it is very popular. Elsa started it of course. Elsa, can you please bring me that toy. Noooooooooooo. Elsa, please get off the table before you hurt yourself. Noooooooooooooo. And it is a very precocious no, long and drawn out. Then Preston got wind of the word no and all of its power and he began to assert his refusal all around the house. Violet just shakes her head at us all day. So now instead of having our authority simply ignored, we are flatly told, noooooooooooo, by our 2 year olds.
Lastly in the kid updates, Elsa has taken to stripping completely down to nothing when she wakes up from her nap, every single day. Every day I walk in her room and she is totally naked, hopping around her crib delighted with the freedom of her nude body. Her diapers and clothing are strewn about the crib as if she were stripping one item at a time and flinging them carefree and haphazardly about. I shutter every day to see if there is a fun little surprise awaiting me on the mattress; something that should perhaps be in her diaper that should be on her body, but so far she is just an innocent nudist. Today Violet and Elsa woke up at the same time and so Violet got her first glimpse of Elsa’s random nudity and she let out a little chuckle. Elsa chuckled back.
Where I used to say that all three little kids put together are easier than Ava, the tables have quickly turned. Ava is still demanding and high maintenance (because that is her personality), but she is also self sufficient and she listens to what I say (most of the time) and isn’t spending the better part of the day performing dangerous stunts.
I have a feeling that we have a challenging year ahead of us in the twos. Well, at least we are serpents of the lord. We do have that going for us, which is nice.
Tomorrow I will do a post for the kids on their birthday. I can't believe that they are two already.
Until next time, the mothership is signing off.
Duct tape. A's diaper is duct taped shut every night now. Works like a charm.