Monday, August 14, 2006

Triplet Awe

We took the kids to the zoo yesterday.

Once again, they received more attention than any of the animals in the whole place.

It never ceases to amaze me the amount of attention we generate - each and every time we step foot out of the house with all of our kids.

I've become extremely accustomed to people stopping what they are doing and (sometimes literally) running over to see our children. And since I'm a ham for attention, I have no problem with the stir we cause.

Usually
, it's a lot of fun.

Me by myself - plain Jane.

Me with babies - instant celebrity.

Me with fellow triplet mom's and all of our babies - evening news worthy.

It didn't dawn on me just how much attention we attract, until I went to the store with one baby. For the first time, I "blended" with the general population and it was an odd sensation. Rather than appreciating the anonymity, I was surprised that at the first opportunity I had to talk with someone and they would comment on my "beautiful baby" I couldn't stop myself from quipping "They're a TRIPLET! I have two more babies at home that are just as beautiful!"

I love being out by myself and seeing a new mother with her baby. If an opportunity presents itself, I'll drop the *triplet bomb*. It's great entertainment to watch a new mother's face turn 20 different shades of color and then say "Sweet God in heaven ... I don't know what I'd do with THREE babies."

What's even more fun is when I see someone that has twins. Usually I'll comment "Aren't they adorable! How old are your babies?" and the parent, who is asked about their multiples all the time gives some canned response. Unable to contain myself (really, I've tried), I'll casually mention ... "I have toddler triplets."

And then I savor the triplet awe.

This makes me extremely obnoxious. I know.

What wasn't much fun is the time I was out for a walk around the neighborhood with all three babies (I think I've mentioned this encounter before) and a woman banked a u-turn in her Suburban and inquired if our babies were triplets. When I proudly exclaimed "YES!" she rolled down her tinted windows and introduced me to her QUADRUPLETS.

I've decided it's a lot of fun to trump. It's not a lot of fun being trumped.

Especially when she added "Triplets would be easy!"

Aw, shut-up.

I told her that quads wouldn't really be that much harder, because I'm already outnumbered. Charlie looked at me like I was an absolute fool. "Are you kidding me, woman? You don't think one more baby would be that much harder?! Where have you been for the past 22-months?!"

I love having triplets. LOVE IT. LOVE IT. LOVE IT. If we had quads, we could never fit all four of them in the front seat of the grocery cart at Costco. And, "Amazing Quads" isn't nearly as good of a blog title as "Amazing Trips." At least not in my opinion.

We never refer to our children as "triplets" except for when we are talking to absolute strangers. Being the parent of triplets is such an honor and a great conversation piece. It helps to always have pictures available of all three babies together, because 9 out of 10 times, people don't believe that you have triplets until you can flash a picture and say "Here's the proof."

My favorite picture to flash is our Santa photo.

When we are out with all three kids, we've heard just about every comment imaginable and most of them are wonderful.

Comment: "Wow - are those TRIPLETS?! You have been richly blessed!"

Response: Yes we have!

Comment: "Wow - are those TRIPLETS?! You have such a beautiful family!"

Response: We couldn't agree more!

Comment: "Wow - are those TRIPLETS?! You look fantastic!" (This is one of my favorites...)

Response: Uh, you wouldn't say that if you saw me in a bathing suit!

Of course we also get:

Comment: "Wow - are those TRIPLETS?! You must be exhausted!"

Response: No way, we are energized. Our babies have been sleeping through the night since they were 4-months old.

Comment: "Wow - are those TRIPLETS?! Do you have any other children?!"

Response: Not yet!

Comment: "Wow - are those TRIPLETS?! What kind of help do you have?!"

Response: Well, unless you count a dog that licks the floor after every meal, it's just me and my husband!

Sometimes, the "triplet awe" can attract negative attention. Usually the naysayers will comment:

"Triplets? *Scoff* Better you than me!"

"Triplets? *Scoff* I think I'd hang myself."

"Triplets? *Scoff* I'm sorry."

Depending upon where I am - and what I'm doing at the moment (i.e. dealing with three children that are in the midst of a temper tantrum, hence prompting the negative comment in the first place) I'll usually respond, "Not every one is lucky enough to have triplets. Now that I have them - I couldn't imagine my life without them."

It's the honest truth.

I don't know how we got so lucky and even though they are our children ... we undoubtedly stand in awe of them the most.

18 comments:

  1. Enjoy it now!!! The attention eventually wanes...which means you can carry on your own merry way.

    Then the kids get old enough to tell people they are multiples...that is when the real fun begins!!! At least no one has ever asked mine if mommy took fertility drugs.

    Not yet anyway.

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  2. Aaawww, that was a beautiful post. Your kids are absolutely beautiful, smiling or crying. I commend you on doing such a wonderful job.

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  3. You should write a newspaper column. I laughed all the way through.

    I think you have earned the right to trump. You have got me beat by a mile! :)

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  4. Awww.... that is a great post! I love how Elizabeth is so good at sharing her chocolate treat! That last picture of the Trips could be an advertisement for Costco!

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  5. OMGosh! I Love love love the Santa picture! Made me laugh out loud! We'll have to try the three in a row in the cart...looks like fun!

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  6. OK - I love the two little knees goign through the same hole in the grocery cart.

    And you deserve to drop the triplet bomb any ol' time you want. I think I would.

    And if I had a Santa picture like that, I would enlarge it to about 17x23, put it in a guilded frame and keep it up all year round!

    LOVED this post.

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  7. oh my gosh i love that santa claus picture!!!! ellen degeneres had a santa photos thing last christmas and if she does it again this year, you should DEFINITELY send that one in! that is a great photo :) and by the way--you trump me a million times over! i have one and am everyday EXHAUSTED by her! i really really really admire you :)

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  8. The santa picture is hilarious! Also the Costco cart trick is wonderful.

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  9. I've had computer issues and haven't been able to log in for a while....weird how you get addicted to other people's lives and don't realize it until you're CUT OFF!!!

    I really don't know how you do it with THREE in the front of a shopping cart. I've only tried once (at Target...their baskets are smaller) and they screamed b/c they were TOUCHING each other. How dare I?

    I can only imagine the attention you bring out in public. I have to admit that I would probably stare too.

    I love to try and "one-up" with the toddler twin thing too, but I have NOTHING on you! You're my IDOL. You're doing a great job!!

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  10. Just wanted you to "catch-up" on the website that led me to your wonderful little blog.

    These people are friends of a co-worker of mine. We liked to check in on her while she was pregnant.

    http://guinntriplets.blogspot.com/

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  11. I think it's wonderful that you have such a positive outlook on things. I always wanted multiples. I got 4 single births in 4 1/2 years!! I love 'em, but we often have crazy times.

    By the way I wasn't trying to trump you :)

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  12. I LOVE the Santa picture. I called my husband into the room just so he could share in my laughter over how perfect it is.

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  13. Your post cracked me up, and that Santa picture is awesome!

    Incidentally, the number of kids that seem easy to handle will always be (n-1), with n being the number you have :)

    Jenny

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  14. UM, yeah, I don't know how you do it either. But good for you!

    I didn't realize that you weren't medically 'helped along' somehow?!?!?! Isn't that rare? (sheepishly naive here)

    you're awesome!

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  15. Ok, I've been trumped...I've only got twins but they're the greatest! :) I think the worst thing I've ever said to someone with negative comments (after they said "Double trouble" ooh, that was creative) was "your kids may have been trouble but mine are a blessing".
    I loved your posts and now I have another blog to add to my list of "I'll do my reading before I get work done thank you very much"! :)

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  16. What a great post! Our triplets are the same age as yours. I loved the pictures! Could've been ours at Costco. Beautiful children!

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  17. As a fellow mother of triplets (4 years old) I can so relate to what you've written. I have to say I appreciate the santa photo. It had me laughing!! Enjoy them and believe me the attention does slow down as the get older. And, a good answer. I love the triplet trolley too we don't have them here in Australia!!

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  18. What a fantatsic site you have made.
    I laughed just about the whole way through.
    We try to ignore those negative comments .. but always easier said than done.
    You are doing a fantastic job & you have adorable children.. Well done.

    P.S The santa photo needs to be enlarged and framed. :)

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