1 year 24 days

It was a rough night last night, too much going on, and my alarm finally went off with sound today, at 8:50 am, so I could mix their cereal with milk up. I was pretty tired. After feeding them, I put them to bed for their morning nap. The boys are pretty good at falling asleep, but not Tammy, so I took her to bed with me and we both slept there.

After they woke up, I took them back downstairs to Randy. I had another half hour before it was time to get their lunch ready, so I lay back down. Then we fed them once again. Randy then stayed with them, while I cooked our meal. We both ate next to their play area where they could see us. After eating, I joined them in there. We were playing and having fun, and time just flies by. I also let them come out for a while, into freedom. Emmy now loves the balloons; three weeks ago on their birthday he was scared of them. They were playing with the two remaining balloons, and it amazes me that they have not popped yet, as rough as they're treating them. They also talked through the shelf again, which is so cute. It was also really funny when there were workers right outside our windows, cleaning gutters, and they went to the window to watch them, but the workers actually never saw them. I have too many great pictures to add them all to this post, so please look at the album.

I forgot to tell you three days ago about something I wished I had recorded. I was laying in bed, trying to get Tammy to sleep, and Emmy was just on the other side of the sliding door in his bed, where he was supposed to fall asleep. Tammy and Emmy were having a conversation with each other! One would speak, and then the other answer, and then the first one would speak again. It sounded like an actual conversation in a secret language! After a while they were done talking and each fell asleep.

At 2 pm they had their second meal, and then it was time for the afternoon nap. They were all tired, and the boys slept in their beds, while Tammy slept on me again. They slept for about an hour, and after they were up, my friend Charlotte arrived to visit us. We hadn't seen her in two months, and she pointed out how much they had grown.

After a few minutes we packed them all into the strollers to go to the playground; she had her two-year-old son with her. We saw the playground when we did the photoshoot, but have never been there. It's on the other side of the park, so it's a little walk to get there. It was already after 4 pm, but we went anyway.

When we finally made it there, the playground was full of dozens and dozens of kids. I was amazed how big it was, and how many different things it had for kids. Emmy does not like to go into the stroller, so I had let him ride on the stroller handle, which is hard work for my arm. Recently I have been feeling the muscles in my arm, carrying one or two babies a lot of the time.

We went straight for the little swing that was soon empty, and all three got to swing for the very first time and enjoyed it. Sammy just LOVED it.

I then walked over to the slide and wooden structure with Tammy and Emmy. Emmy was still scared of the grass and didn't care for the sand either. Tammy knows no fear. They were standing on the lowest platform, and Tammy simply climbed up to the next one, just loving it. She was watching the other kids, and considered going higher, but I wouldn't have let her. On the other side there was a wooden incline to climb up on, and she went right for it, climbing all the way to the top. Emmy didn't want to. I also let them slide down the slide - the very first time in their lives - and Tammy liked it, but Emmy did not like it at all. I don't think Sammy got to go slide.

So we had the greatest time at the playground - their very first playground visit - and we need to do this again soon. It was getting late, and it was time to go home and eat dinner (late) and go to bed (later than usual). My arms were really hurting holding Emmy on the handle with one arm, and pushing and steering the stroller with Tammy with the other.

Back home, our friend soon had to say her good-byes to get her own son home. I was already cutting up food for their dinner, which just takes a while. I could hear Sammy crying downstairs where Randy was with them. We then brought them all up to the dining room table and fed them. Sammy is not much into that cut up food at all, he'd rather have baby food.

Having been to the park and in sand, we decided to give them a bath. Emmy and Tammy enjoyed it more than ever, playing really hard, but Sammy still cried even though he had enjoyed the swimming pool yesterday. He was tired and fell asleep right away. Emmy drank a lot of milk and was really tired, but he still got back up and needed a while to fall asleep. Tammy always needs a while, so tonight it was just after 7 pm before they were all asleep.

Time to cook dinner, eat, and get to work for us. I have so many great pictures today, I knew it would take time to go through them, choose them, and edit them, but I got it done. My goal is to go to bed by 2 am again, though that does make the night short, now that I have to get up early. And it's not like I can sleep the whole time, as I usually have to get up at least once before 4 am to feed someone, and then help at 7 am as well.