Reclaiming Our Living Space (well almost)

So having a lot of children means we have a lot of toys. And a lot is really an understatement. We have way too many. We often go through what we have a weed out the things we know they don't play with, and things that are babyish, since they are toddlers now and don't really need teething rings!! HA! Basically the toys have taken over our living space.

When the littles were itty bitty, we had a playroom. But then we separated Lyla from the boys, so we lost that playroom. Recently we decided it's time to reclaim our living room from the hurricane of toys. We moved Emmalee in with Lyla, she's got a "big girl bed" (twin mattress/box spring on the floor), and we started going through the toys in what used to be Emmalee's room! For a couple months, it's just been a mess. We are quite the procrastinators, and really, there's just not enough hours in the day. So my mom helped me out yesterday, and we got it done!

They went in after nap, and were just amazed at being allowed to enter that room, it's been off limits for so long!



Of course they brought toys out to the living room, but mostly they played in the play room, and were even interacting with each other, which they rarely do! It was trashed in 15 minutes, but the best part is, I can close the door! It feels great to see my new carpeting in my living room, which is normally covered with toys!

Before: This is all I could find, and this is MILD compared to what was usually on the floor:


After: Of course it probably won't stay this clear, but it won't be anything like it was!!


Now to keep my counter space clean...that's another battle! I am a piler...I just keep adding to the pile, and occasionally weed the pile, but it always comes back!

To the Zoo!

Today we took our first trip to the zoo!

I often see pictures of friends with their kids out and about and wish I could get mine out more. It's a problem when I constantly talk myself out of going everywhere. Having three 1 year olds is not-so-manageable on my own. We take walks around the block, and they go great. But packing everyone up to leave the house and be out in a public place with many other people is very intimidating to me!

Today my niece Nicole accompanied us on a trip to the zoo. She's 16 and all of my littles love her, and I knew it'd be a lot easier to have her around to keep her eyes on Emmalee while I pushed the triplets around in the stroller. Everyone loved it! Emmalee loves the zoo, and goes often with Nicole and her mom (Emmalee's Aunt Heather). This was the triplets first time at the zoo! I was worried about that "seeing past the fence" problem I remember Emmalee having her first time at the zoo. Lucky for Owen & Noah, the stroller was a decent height so they could see over most barriers! Lyla, well she's always in her own world, and today was no different. My favorite part was seeing the sea lions. We saw them from above, and I think even Lyla saw them, and then we went into the building below where we can watch them swim. Owen LOVED it!

There were many stops to strap Lyla back into her seat, she's mastered the Houdini escape method! And graham crackers kept the whining at bay. It was quite hot, even at 10am, but they really did well! We even had an early lunch because Emmalee was so hungry from burning all that energy!




I would say this was a successful trip to the zoo, and I even have confidence that I could take them on my own if I wanted to! (They wouldn't be getting out of the stroller at all!)

Stroll for Strong's Kids

We walked for the NICU on June 1st! Without the NICU my babies may not be as healthy as they are! This walk is done by hundreds of people for such an amazing cause.