Baseball + Birthday = BRILLIANT!

My Mom's birthday was last month- it just happened to be the same weekend as my Vegas trip. She really wanted to celebrate with an Armada baseball game (it's our Golden League team in Long Beach) so we found a date that worked for everyone at the end of June. The weather was perfect, the company was great and the baseball was entertaining!

My mom and her brother, John.

Aunt Sara and Uncle Rich share a moment with Madeline

Grammie explains the finer things of baseball to Ashley

Uncle Mike and Madeline

Madeline, Emily and "T". The girls are so excited because they are going to the same school as T next year!

Grandpa and Ashley

We made and brought in cupcakes to enjoy!

For the girls the highlight was seeing Arby I- the Armada mascot- again. You may remember their run-in with Arby I last year? If not- you can click here to see that post!

Maddie doing the YMCA

The whole gang! Thanks for coming out to celebrate with us!!!

Disneyland Blues!

I mentioned in my last post that we went to Disneyland last week. We love summer- and summer vacation- but those things also mean no Disney for us! Our annual passes are blocked out all of July and part of August (and for good reason because of crowds and heat), but we are always a little sad when we know its our last trip before summer.

We actually got to go to Disney twice in June- the first time was early June and it ended up sprinkling on us! They have a new Ranch area set up near Big Thunder Railroad with a petting zoo (mostly goats). The girls loved it (especially Emily)!This is set up as the Santa area at Christmas- Santa's house was set up as a coloring area- and who should join us but Dale! The girls were very funny talking to him- and he asked their opinion on colors to use for his drawing. We sat there for about 20 minutes just hanging out.Chip was outside posing for pictures.Much excitement (mostly on my part) when we discovered this sign announcing the birth of three sets of triplet goats!Ashley on the Pooh rideRiding the Casey Jr. trainI always try to do something new with the girls each trip (makes for a challenge for me some days)- but this day we were lucky and the Storybook Land line was short. I love this picture a nice man took for us.We also got to meet our friends The Morgans and ride a few rides with them.

Because of Maddie's surgery and the way things were so crazy the last few weeks of school, our last chance to go was last Thursday- I waited until last minute to decide if we were going, based on Maddie and how she was feeling (she could have gone on Tuesday the way this girl recovered!) I made the girls understand that we were going to do a "lazy" Disney trip. That Maddie was going to be the only one to ride in the stroller and when I said enough- it was time to go home. Everyone agreed and off we went.

The girls did great- we got right on the train and took it to Small World- rode on Small World (I made Maddie ride in the stroller through the whole line- ignoring the stroller parking- and folded the stroller and had it on the floor of the boat). We sat and had lunch in the shade near Small World and then headed down to Main Street to have some ice cream and get a spot in the shade to see the parade. Settled into our seats, the Ragsdale triplets joined us for the parade! We love meeting our friends at Disney!

The girls had not seen this parade yet (our something new this visit)- so we waited, and waited, and waited for it to finally come. The parade was good- but the kids were kinda done by the time it got there- oh well- best laid plans right?

Maddie was READY to go on more rides at this point- and I was READY to go home. We compromised on the Tiki Room (would allow the Main Street crowds to go away) and enjoyed the birds and air conditioning. (I will be able to say too that I was in the Tiki Room at Disneyland when I heard about Michael Jackson's death).

It was a fun day at Disney- we will miss it this summer- but we will be back! Rick and I have already decided that in August I will take each girl for a one-on-one date to Disneyland and let them choose the rides and events of the day~ can't wait!!!

Sweet Madeline

Our vacation started with the type of excitement you'd prefer to not start a vacation with. We've known since March that Madeline was going to need surgery for a double hernia repair. She was so brave and did wonderfully!While there seemed to be chaos all around us, Madeline was the calm in the storm in the recovery area. She listened to music on my ipod and we waited to be given the all clear to get the hell outta there go home!

Once home we sacked out on the couch (it was an early morning) and started to push fluids into her. We watched movies and read new books. Emily and Ashley came to visit for a bit (they stayed the night before and the night of at my parents' house) right when Maddie started to ask for them. After their visit I got Maddie to sleep for a couple hours.Uncle Mike came by to visit on his way home (Aunt Chelle came with us to the hospital and sat with us) but we didn't want to wake her up so we took this picture to show her that he was there.By the next day she was getting up and walking around like nothing happened. It was a challenge to keep her calm (and from breaking out into dance!). Her sisters returned and all was right in the world. Surgery was on Monday and on Thursday we hit Disneyland for the last time before our summer blockout of our passes. Ice Cream on Main Street U.S.A.! I did make Maddie ride in a stroller the entire time and we only went on the train, Small World and the Tiki Room. We also watched the new Celebrate Parade. Maddie was wanting more- but we didn't push it! One week post-op and you'd never know she went through what she did! We want to say thank you to everyone that sent us a note/email/comment. That came to visit or called. While we know this was a "routine" procedure- it still was our baby that it was happening to! Her follow up appointment today went great and we are officially done with that doctor (we did love him!). She's been cleared to start swimming this weekend! Seaside "Gagoon" here we come!!!!

We have Kindergarteners!

We are a week into summer vacation and my head is still swirling with the events of the last few weeks! I will slowly post on the happenings over the next few days as I have lots to tell you- but summer is calling as well as 3 stir crazy kiddos that are getting tired of being inside!

Last week we had the girls Pre-k Graduation ceremony at school. They were very excited but sad to say good-bye to their teacher, assistant and classmates. The girls will be attending a different school in the fall that is close to home and the same school that Rick and I attended!

Ready for the big day!The program had awards presentations, music and food!

Here Ashley is coming down to receive her award in Art!Emily received an award for Reading!Madeline received the Principal's Award for her class for academic and citizenship excellence- she is so proud of her trophy! We are so proud of her! She is reading at a 4th grade level!!!! WOW!They sang a really cute song about the woods- Maddie got to be the tree (Ashley is in the back row, opposite corner of Maddie- she was grass).Emily filled in last minute for a student not there and got to be the nest.They also sang a song with the 50 states and one about going on a bear hunt. Very cute!The O'Connors in front of the school mural. We are so proud of our girls and all that they accomplished this year! They have grown so much academically and socially- they never cease to amaze us!

How old will YOU be in 2022 when the girls graduate from High School??We finished the day off with dinner at Hoff's Hut with Grandpa, Grammie and Aunt Susie.

Ready for summer to begin!!!

Words Can Not Describe...

Imagine if you can your 13 closest friends. The ones who totally get you. You've known some of them for over 3 years. You've laughed, cried, cheered and celebrated every moment of their lives and they yours. You can tell them anything and they will not judge, just support. I spent a weekend June 12-14th with 13 ladies just like this, my support network, my rocks, my cheerleaders, my shoulders... it was amazing! Want to know the most amazing part- more than 1/2 of them I had never "met" before that Friday!

I've been a part of an online/email triplet group for some time now (many of their blogs are linked in my sidebar). From this group I have built a life-long friendship with these amazing moms of multiples and we email often. A few months ago we started to discuss meeting up and well- what better place than VEGAS? Plans were set in motion- soon we had hotel rooms and travel plans booked and it was a reality! We were actually going to be able to give more than a virtual hug! The anticipation began to build as the weekend got closer!

June 12, 13, 14, 2009 will forever be in my heart as the weekend I got to hug and HEAR my closest friends. We have shared 1000's of emails (literally!) and yet some of us had never spoken to each other and we laughed over the fact that we didn't know how to pronounce some last names!

I was one of the last to arrive in Vegas Friday night, with Tanya M (we have 3 Tanyas!)- we drove in. We surprised the group by arriving early- only to find they had all gone downtown! We took the chance to get settled into our room, change and sample the Mai Tais we brought (delivered to me by Eve the day before). When at last word came that everyone was coming my heart swelled and I was so excited! The first person entered our room and well, words just can not describe the emotion and feeling I went through to finally see these women in person, who mean so much to me. I know I screamed in excitement, there were lots of hugs. (and yes- security was called- BOO!) We were like old friends just picking up conversations where we had left off online. 14 moms of multiples- 57 kids between all of us (some have more than the triplets!)-on our own in Vegas and we hit the town running from there and had the most amazing weekend! We'd gather as one and then part on to do separate things through out the weekend. The only thing on our agenda- to enjoy each others company and have fun. Mission accomplished!

Where were all the kids you ask? Our wonderful husbands, and extended families in some cases, all took the reigns at home and held it all together so that we could have this much needed weekend. We were sad that 2 of our friends were not able to join us and thought about them all weekend. We hope that our plans next time will be able to have them join us too. Oh yes - there WILL be a next time!!!
Our shirts say, "M.O.M. of Multiples: Ditched the Kids for Vegas" (we weren't too excited about leaving everyone at home now were we?) To the ladies that journeyed to Vegas and the 2 that did not, thank you so much for your continued love and support all these years. It was wonderful to finally see some of you face to face, talk without waiting for a delayed answer and laugh out loud without the virtual LOL's. We were brought together by this amazing thing that is having triplets and yet- it is the bonds that have formed as a result that will keep us friends forever!