The Anema's: Week at Grandma's!

My mom (bless her heart), said she wanted me and the boys to come to Platte for a few days. So we went last week! She might be regretting that she ever asked us as we definitely disrupted their usually peaceful evenings at home. But we had a great time, and my parents were a huge help. I didn't have to plan meals, grocery shop, change every dirty diaper, and I even got a nap in about every day, I think. It was fabulous!

First, here are a few pics from before we went...

Tyler in his sandbox. The sandbox has gotten tons of use so far! Tyler especially is in it a lot of the time we're outside.

Derek on the swings. He sits forward on the swings, and I know this sounds crazy, but he is actually learning how to pump. He sees Tyler learning, and understands how to lean back to get yourself going. It's pretty amazing! He rarely wants to swing like he's doing here on his tummy...usually he says "bee boy, bee boy" which means he wants to swing like a "big boy".

Andrew swinging...they all love it!

Derek sometimes seems like he's 1 going on 4 years old. One morning Tyler was eating a pancake and got up to go to the bathroom. I came into the kitchen to find Derek sitting in Tyler's chair finishing his entire pancake and drinking all of his milk out of a regular cup. He had already eaten his own pancake and drank his own milk, but he wants to do everything Tyler does.

Tyler is in the stage where he asks "why" about most everything Micah's way of copying Tyler right now is that he asks "why?" almost every time Tyler does, and then he gets a big smile on his face b/c he knows he's being cute. He's like Tyler's little echo. I explain things all day long around here!

Micah...

The babies are 21 months old now (how long will I be able to call them "the babies?!"), and talking like crazy. This weekend at my parents my dad taught them to say "delicious." They all have their own way to say it, but it's so adorable. They're putting words together like Derek says, "I need more" often at meal time, and they're all saying "mommy's shoe," etc. Tonight they were in the living room and I said, "I'll go get you guys some water," and walked into the kitchen. Out of the living room I hear a little voice from Andrew saying, "ice, ice!" He asks for it every time I get him a drink. They definitely are getting opinions. It's the most fun thing ever to watch three very different little personalities come out of my little men.

Lots of times while Tyler is eating a bedtime snack we research something on the iPad. He's been very in to learning how things work lately. Some of the very interesting things we've learned about lately are: the sewer system, man holes, ant hills, jack hammers, water towers, ferris wheels, and sky scrapers. When I say "we," I mean me and Tyler are learning (specifically about the sewer system. Really....he is interested in this?!?)

This is very interesting stuff, people! Tyler, Evan, Andrew, Derek

Here are the boys watching Grandpa Marv's mustache move while he talks like Donald Duck. It never gets old!! ha ha!

And here we are on our way to Grandma's house.
Sweetie pie Derek...I kiss those chunky cheeks as many times as he'll let me every day!

My little honey Andrew with his beloved owl. He doesn't ever let Owl get too far out of sight! He always sucks his thumb and with his other fingers on the same hand he feels Owl. Sweetest. thing. ever!

I just need to document this. This is how we roll down the road. Three babes in back with diaper boxes stuffed between their seats so they can't harass each other. They're low enough that they can see each other, but they're high enough that they can't get their hands all the way over and reach their brothers. The stuff you come up with when you have triplets! We kind of think we are geniuses!

Mom and I took all the boys out to the river. One of the widest points on the Missouri river is about 15 min. away from where I grew up. It will always be one of my favorite places on this earth to be! It was the babies first time swimming in something besides a pool, and they loved it! Andrew especially was really brave, and kept running as fast as he could straight into the water! Evan and I took the boys out a few days later again, and that time Micah was a little fish, and didn't want to get out. Tyler is learning to love the water, too. He is getting really brave! T, M, D, A

M, D, A

Mom and I played zone defense the whole time. We'd both stand a few feet out where it started getting deeper and keep running, splashing, crazy babies close to the shore. As usual, it was a crazy experience!

Okay. How sweet is this?! Micah, Andrew, Tyler, Derek

It's so beautiful there. Notice Andrew (closest to me in this pic) has Owl even on the beach. Owl did get a bath and a little sandy, so that was traumatic for a minute, but we got him cleaned up.

Here is dad and Tyler putting together a bar stool. Notice Derek (blue shirt). When he only has a diaper on, at least one, but usually two of his hands and half of his arm(s) is down his diaper. He gets it so lose this way that it slides right off of him. This is a normal sight at our house!