This was a cold wet weekend in Houston, Texas. The weather, combined with two fevered boys and one double-ear-infection girl, led to creating a lot of desperate indoor activities.
I actually used to be a nanny. I started babysitting when I was 12 and then babysat, nannied, and taught church nurseries until after I graduated from law school. You would think I would have a limitless supply of indoor activities at my disposal. But I think half my brain dropped out when the triplets popped out. Plus, I suit up and work all week as an environmental attorney which means I, usually, don’t have to remind people to go pee-pee, drink their drink in the kitchen, give sissy back her toy, eat your green beans, play fair, and be a good sport. So on the weekends I have to dust all that off. Here’s what I came up with for three three-year olds – hope you enjoy the wacky Vincent triplets spin on the random activities:
1. Simon Says – this is a house favorite. Cool thing about this is that you can really incorporate activity into a sedentary weekend with Simon “Saying” race over to the door, skip back to the play room, hop like a bunny, and so forth. The winner, that person or persons who does every activity right, gets a treat (usually 2 M&Ms or a gummy bear). The kids favorites: growling like the meanest Lion, chomping like a crocodile (they get this from their current obsession with Peter Pan), doing the boogie-woogie (y’all, we got some moves over here in the Vincent house), and spelling/shouting our name. Sunday I incorporated stretching because mommy needed it.
2. Cat and the Hat – this is such a cool, low maintenance game I stumbled upon. I bought it for Christmas. There’s a “Cat” hat and some cards you turn over. You get to fill the hat with any item from the house, and the kids pick up a card on their turn to ask a question about the item and whoever guesses what’s inside the hat wins. But they are three. So one round takes FOREVER. I can’t tell you how many times they each guessed toothpaste after finding out the item was small, in the bathroom, and used on their teeth and started with a T. C’mon friends – what ELSE do you use on your teeth? Little bit finally did get toothbrush, ten seconds before I put my head through the wall.
3. Hokey-Pokey – How many of you have taken a group aerobics, Tae-Bo, yoga, or similar class? Don’t you have to think a millisecond before remembering that the teacher in front of you is holding out her right leg which is OPPOSITE of your right leg? That means, if you put the leg out on the same side as the teacher, you’re going to be the one idiot in class holding out her left leg and you’ll probably cause a collision. Well imagine three-year old triplets facing you doing the hokey-pokey. It’s mayhem I tell you, happy funny collision-inducing mayhem.
These were the most memorable lines/moments of the weekend:
Little Bit: Mommy, you’re my best friend. Daddy is the boys best friend, and you’re mine. (Heart melting away…)
Mommy, can I color? {Five minutes later} Here’s a spider, can you hang it up? (This is the most incredible likeness of a spider I have ever seen, child is going to be an artist like grandmother.)
The eldest: I ate all my boogers. Mmmmmmmm. (Seriously, who decided we’d have two boys?)
I Captain Hook, arghhh (while brandishing a Curious George kaleidoscope)!
The baby: I driving my tractor, and there are snakes on the ground. I will smash all the snakes with my tractor. (Bray’s been telling them about his snake bite as a kid.)
Mommy, I so sick, I can’t eat dinner. Can I have a cupcake? (The answer was no in case you were worried.)
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