Mad About Multiples!

We Love the Trifecta Loft Bed for Three!

 


By Daphne Close

Trifecta (dictionary's definition) - a bet in which the person betting forecasts the first three finishers in a race in the correct order.

Trifecta (my definition) - a bed in which the parent buying hopes the hyper three children will fall asleep in any order.

Our older daughter used to sleep in her own room. One year ago exactly, when I was away for a couple of days, she decided to move into her sisters' room. No problem! Why? Because her bed is a futon. When she outgrew her toddler bed, we never got around to purchasing a bed. She was quite content with a futon. It's easy to make your bed when you have a futon - just roll it up. No fear of hearing a loud *thump* in the night because she rolled off the bed. The song "No More Monkeys Jumping on the Bed" is a moot point.

But every once in a while she would ask for a real bed. Not complaining, just kind of wanting one. However, there was no way we could replace the futon with a twin bed and keep them in the same room.

What's a mom of three to do?

Never fear, Berg Furniture is here! They recently came out with a really nice triple bunk bed. We have a solution! (An added bonus - the middle bed can be turned into a stand-alone twin bed.) In the Bay Area, Berg Furniture is only sold at Kiddie World (search for Trifecta bed). My oldest daughter's interpretation of "Kiddie World" is to put a kitten in a basket with some play items. Ba dum bum! Tonight's the first night with the new triple bunk. It's taken toooooo long for them to settle down and snuggle up with their new sheets, comforters, and plenty of leg room.

Good night, sleep tight, don't wake us up in the middle of the night...or at dawn's first light!

 

This is an original post to Mad About Multiples.

This is NOT a sponsored post but mom Daphne hopes that Kiddie World will give her commission on any new business generated by this post! But she warns that making these three beds is quite a workout!

Double Click Tuesdays: Angelina and Madeleine

Angelina "Angel" and Madeleine "Maddie" (age two) are all smiles in their new rain boots!

Thank you to Gemini Crickets club member Daphne Close for this adorable picture.

This is an original post to Mad About Multiples and is part of the Double Click Tuesdays photo series.

Carry Me!

Helplessness may be the worst emotion a parent can feel. When you simply can't help your child. When their desperate request is impossible to fulfill. Given that it's the Christmas season, I'm not talking about your son asking for a Red Rider BB gun a là A Christmas Story; or your daughter begging for every single Disney princess come over for breakfast. Nor am I referring to any heart wrenching situations because I don't want to depress everyone.

My helpless feeling that makes me wish I could multiply myself is when both of my twins are crying and begging to be carried. Of course this isn't an isolated situation for parents of multiples; you can have children of any age all crying and wanting to be held by their parent at the same time.

Drowning In Clothes

Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends.... Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.  ~Henry David Thoreau

Easy for him to say. He didn't have three preschool daughters (twins plus one)!

Since October, I have been surrounded by my children's clothing. Correction, I have been drowning in my children's clothing! There are dirty clothes, clean clothes, summer clothes to store, fall/winter clothes to pull out, too small clothes, too big clothes, even Christmas seasonal clothes. Where are the fits just right clothes? My procrastination does have its payoffs, like when it hit 78°F in November.

My friends commiserate with me. After complaining on FaceBook, here's what some of them said:

"I know the feeling! Good luck! :-)"

"Story of my life!"

"Oh man I know what you mean. I'm so in charge of all the clothing around here it's ridiculous. And with 2 little ones who are constantly growing, it's an ongoing challenge, especially between seasons!"

"I am soooo with you. Hey maybe I should come by one day and help you and you come by another day and help me. Easier to stay motivated and on track with a snooper-visor helping."

It seems that drowning in your children's clothings is a universal dilemma. It prompted me to investigate and understand this phenomenon.

The Convenience Factor of Preschool

My twins, Angelina and Madeleine, go to preschool. But they stay in the car. Their older sister attends Challenger. Challenger is a circle pick-up and drop-off. This is a life saver. It would not be fun to strap three children into the car, park, take all three out, walk to the classroom, drop off one child, walk back to the car, strap two in, then leave. Not to mention doing the same routine in opposite order for pick-up time! (Doesn’t just thinking about it exhaust you?)

 While I don’t have experience in having multiples in preschool, I have learned two practical factors to consider in choosing a preschool:

Topic Week: Back-to-School (recap)

Legions of multiples have headed back to school this month. Some went to preschool. Others to kindergarten. Others to grade school and beyond. Some are in separate classes while others have been kept together. From parent participation schools to public schools to catholic schools, our multiples are out there learning. It's been a learning experience for us parents as well. Some of us can't bear to be without our children at our side, while others are doing the "drop and flee". We're learning the ins and outs of new schools. Some of us are in our childrens' classrooms, poking around and staying involved. Others of us are working full time. A few of us public school kindergarten moms are shocked - shocked! - that as soon as we arrive with our children at school, the doors slam shut and we have no idea what's going on inside that classroom. Some children recount their entire day, while others remain mute. Some children divulge information in fragments.

So this week on Mad About Multiples, since our children are back in school, we're using those precious extra hours to talk about back-to-school.

We are hoping to get a new post up every day... we'll see!

Original post to Mad About Multiples.

Recap September 22, 2009

Whew - We got through back-to-school! Some of us sent twins off to preschool while some of us sent twins to kindergarten. Either way, It's nice to be back into a routine!

Here's what we discussed:

Pam loves her co-op preschool, worms and all: Back to preschool, Yeah or Boo.

Amy isn't sure who loves preschool more: Who Loves Preschool More, Me or Them?

Akemi second guesses her every move: Making the Least Bad Choice: 4-year-olds in Kindergarten.

Daphne quickly gets use to curbside drop-off: The Convenience Factor of Preschool.

Amy M. likes to be busy: Two Parent Participation Preschools? Call me crazy.

Linsey looks back: Ben and Lily's First Few Weeks of Kindergarten is a Mixed Bag.

Linda is relieved: One Year's Reprieve.

Nora LOVES back-to-school: Back to School? Back to the Museums!!!

Original post to Mad About Multiples.

Escalators, Baby Banger, and 1-2-3

I was alone with Jubilee the other day and we were running errands together. At one store, we took the escalator. Suddenly, my heart became wistful. As far as I can recall, Angelina and Madeleine have yet to ride an escalator! When Jubilee was their age, riding escalators was one of her favorite pastimes. Our trip to NYC involved many an escalator ride as part of her tourist experience. And it’s not simply because she’s the oldest and the oldest always gets to do more things or do them first. It’s because she was a singleton. I just don’t walk around stores with my children anymore; Angelina and Madeleine are always in a stroller or cart. The most I’ve walked in grocery stores is from the car to the closest shopping cart so that I can “cage” the toddlers before going shopping.

It’s not just escalators. Every once in a while I would let Jubilee play a computer game called “Baby Banger.” It taught her that if she pressed a key, then a picture would pop on the screen. But how can I play that with two toddlers? I’m sure it’s possible, but it’s not easy because they already fight over toys. Nothing is easy when you’re raising multiples... and an older child!

Another game that they’ve missed out on is “1-2-3” where each parent is holding the child’s hand and you lift the child up into the air. Kind of difficult to do when you’re outnumbered by your children. We did manage to play 1-2-3 with Angelina the other day. We were both holding her hands, David was carrying Madeleine with his other arm, and Jubilee wasn’t with us to get jealous. Needless to say, Angelina loved it. Thankfully, Madeleine didn't seem to care.

I guess a lot of this comes down to being more diligent in giving Angelina and Madeleine these experiences.

Original post to Mad About Multiples. Cross posted from The Close Family Blog.