Cats & Dogs

Okay.  I'm writing at the end of a day, so beware.  I'm tired.  But blogging is therapeutic for me for some reason!  My boys fight ALL DAY LONG every day.  All day.  Every day.  Someone is always the instigator, and when the other guys see someone else being naughty, they are naughtier, too. It's just like the crawling out of bed thing....if their brother can do it, then they should try it b/c they can probably do it, too.  Today, the instigator was Micah.  Sweet, chunky little Micah.  He's such a lover and gives me kisses all day long and tight hugs, but lately, he's been a trouble maker!  All day long (I'm not exaggerating, people.  This starts at 6:15 a.m. the second they get out of bed) someone is either hitting, or laying next to their brother on the couch kicking them over and over, or pulling that precious little blonde hair, or biting, or taking books or toys or something the other one wants (it's a major deal if someone takes your rubber band....let me tell you!!!).

This morning it was warmish outside (30), so by 8 a.m. I had everyone outside shoveling the driveway to burn energy.  Let me tell you about the getting ready to go outside process, though.  I start by taking 4 pairs of snow pants, 4 winter coats, 8 boots, 4 hats, and 8 mittens out of the entry way and laying them on the floor in the living room.  Then someone always (again...I'm really thinking about my usage of the word always....and it's not an exaggeration!) has their pants and socks off -- sometimes all of them, so I get them re-dressed.  Then, I start with snow pants.  While I have one of them on my lap getting snow pants on, Micah is usually crawling on my back and hugging me from behind and trying to go on a "horsey ride."  The other two are usually taking something from each other and screaming, and the one on my lap is screaming "too tight!!!!  TOO TIGHT!!! (something is always too tight -- boots, seatbelts in the car, socks, you name it.  It's too tight for someone.  Always).   Snow pants on for all four.  Then on to boots.  All four get boots on (even though they are "too TIIIIGHT" or "OWIE!!!"  They are the right size, just so you know).  Then winter coats.  By this time, we're all hot (especially mama....who is usually wearing a tank top by this point).  Now we're standing up by the door, and everyone is pushing to be closest to the door, with Tyler plowing everyone over usually b/c he "wants to be the leader."  "I'm always the leader.  I want to be in FRONT!  I AM THE LEADER!"  Derek screams b/c he wants to do whatever Tyler does, so he wants to be the leader, too.  Someone always falls down or gets pushed or something.  More crying.  Time to put mittens on.  Do you know how hard it is to put 8 mittens on and get everyone's little squirmy thumbs in the thumb hole when there is such chaos going on around you?  It's hard.  Now, usually Andrew is yelling that he wants owl to come outside, too, and I'm once again explaining that owl will get too cold.  So owl goes in Andrew's hood, and Micah's "B" (blankie) has to do the same.  I sneak them out as they're walking outside, and the whole thing is forgotten about, but it just needs to happen every time. 

Now everyone is so bundled up, that I don't trust the little guys getting down the steps on their own, so I lift 1, 2, 3 boys down the stairs in the garage and tell them to wait in there while I get my boots and coat on.  This takes 30 seconds, but a fight always breaks out...usually over who has the orange shovel.  Again, this is a big deal.  You have no idea how many times I come back from lifting them into the garage into a quiet, albeit crazy messy, house, and just wish I could lock the door, sit down on the couch and drink my coffee in peace.  Just for 5 minutes.  Maybe 10.  :)

By this time, it's only 8 or 9 a.m. (who knows, really?!), and we have a full day in front of us.  This life is exhausting.  It's full of constant cleaning up, cooking, feeding, peeling squishy food off the floor (like, a lot of food), scrubbing booster seats, cleaning up bodily fluids (we'll leave it at that), etc.  But I somehow still love it.  Not every part, and not all the work, and not all the fighting, but there's no where else I'd rather be during the day than with my boys.   Evan and I are seeing more and more every day that God really knew what He was doing by giving us triplets (go figure, huh?!).   Our eyes have been opened to the selfishness and desire for control among other things, that we were holding on to in our lives.  Our life now forces us to give up many things for the better. We're learning first hand that God desires our holiness, not our comfort, not our happiness, and I think He's putting things in our lives to refine us for that very purpose.  I'm thankful He loves us enough to purify us through daily trials....