no chocolate milk today

while waiting for the elevator matty was poking my abs and i told him they are "abs of steel." without missing a beat he said,

"that's not steel, it's rubber."

refreshed and disinfected

thank goodness for lysol wipes.

as our runny noses started to dry up, we got a beautiful two days of spring-like weather.

 yes matt, i am sure it's ok your shoes got muddy. it's great actually.

we've been having fun with some bath pellets we found that tint the water if someone pees.

around 10 months  these two started to "play" with each other. now when they can not find big brother, they look for each other.

 attention boston friends: never, ever go to chuck e. cheese in everett on a weekend. when we left, there was a line out the door and security. ben could not get comfortable there at all. 

 the big one had a lot of fun crawling around the ceiling tunnel while mom frantically tried to keep an eye from below.

 we did discover sub-suburban target. they have carts for families with three kids! i will never miss the days of chasing matt while jack is strapped to my chest and ben is hanging out of the cart by the broken safety strap.

 and when we went to buy matt's new bike, jack checked out a new caddy.

 i think he was happy with it. especially after riding his old trike up and down the esplanade on friday.



good ole vitamin D

this was not our best week. and i'm pretty sure it started last friday so today starts a new one. and after a very mild, almost warm, day yesterday (and a week's worth of drugs). we are re-charged!

my sickly guys were still able to play. don't you just want to snuggle all three at once??

 the start of the big thaw.

and after a great workout, i am donning a pair of my sister's jeans (which she likely gave me because they are out of style now, but hey, she is a teenager and i am middle-aged) and bringing my babies outside to explore the sandy, salty paths and snow covered grounds that make up our backyard.

please spring.**

this mama can not take it anymore....three kids and one mom with colds, followed by three sick kids with eye infections, lots of gooey eye ointment (which they really love) a trip to ED, more meds, three sore throats (thankfully jack seemed to miss it), lots of infant/child motrin, two dripping noses, one child who coughs/hacks ALL night long, a call to pedi, one fever, possibly two, a trip to pedi, a double ear infection, more meds and now a sick pops.

**edited to add a huge ray of hope: a gigantic box of spring/summer clothes for our three guys from our personal shopper gigi!! thank you thank you thank you! hopefully we make it to FL next week so we can try them on!

content

legos make both mom and matt happy.

i love watching his big, clumsy hands connect these little pieces.

she's pregnant and cranky

but she yelled at me for more pictures, so thank nicole (who is 33 weeks!!) because i would be plopped on the couch right now.

little climbers at the natick mall playspace. it is really fun going to a fabulous mall and spending two hours here and 12 minutes shopping.

 my early riser. maybe because it's the only time he can play with "the cars"

 the other three like to sleep in....yup, say what you will but this is how it works some nights. just don't say it to us because we don't care. we have not been this rested in 10.5 months.

 it is hard not to snuggle this face when he is eating. by far his favorite time of day. favorite foods: anything.

 this guy. the harder one to feed now. least favorite foods: most anything.

he went bonkers because he wanted the spoon.

 really, really bonkers.

 thank goodness for the indoor playground we discovered today. like really on my knees, thanking goodness for this place.

 matt wants to do a "road race" with mom. so he trained a little.

and whatever matty does...

 this place was awesome.

 mom went a little crazy. jack actually pushed him all around.

 and whatever the brothers do....

little guys were fast asleep 3 minutes into car ride after 2.5 hours here.

but now they are all crashing and smashing around so we must end here. been a tough week so if anyone is interested in art and baby-wrangling, join us sunday...there will be sparkling cider!

thank you groundhog

we are very excited here about the groundhog's prediction. jack getting into the cookie box. he is going to be, what do say these days, spirited. like his big brother.

 meanwhile ben is honing his medical skills.

 mom brought us three to the science museum yesterday. it was way more chaotic than last time. jack liked digging for bones.

 matt took ben for a swing

 and then ben found a handsome friend. 

 showing off his two new teeth.

 perhaps working on a new tooth...

 and matt brushing his teeth. it is his latest way to drag our bedtime ritual out by another few minutes.

he even wanted to make a movie "for the computer"...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S88lMsqchmY



crazy

the night our kitchen renovation began...

 why would we do this with three wee ones?

 ha ha, because we would never do that!

we were put up in one of the building penthouses and did a whole lot of this...

 and after four glorious days of kiddies tuckering themselves out lapping the huge apartment and sleeping like logs, we came home to this:

 new counters, floor, appliances....ahhhh. they even repainted and upgraded all of the closets.

we assume our cost is about the same and vic and joan are paying for their new kitchen, or patty and todd, about $100 a month in rent.