Virginia

We drove overnight (with the help of Uncle Raymond) to come to Virginia to visit with family. We are staying with Nanna & Poppa and are having a wonderful time with everyone. Here is the first photo of all the cousins together. And another cousin is on the way - Ann and Abby have a little sister or brother arriving this summer!
Top: Ann (6), Abby (4) and Liam (4 months). Bottom: Charlie, Wesley and Winston (17.5 months)

A closeup of Liam


We played outside with cousins Ann and Abby. The near 40 degree weather was balmy for us, and arctic for them. This was the very first time the boys have played outside and not put everything (and I mean everything) in their mouths. Hooray! This is a huge milestone (and relief) for us.
Wesley tossing

Charlie tossing (Abby looks on from below).

Winston (in red) with a huge pine cone from the magnolia tree. (Hmm....can it be called a pine cone if it doesn't come from a pine tree? This is foreign to a New Englander like me!)

Starting early! Wesley loved playing with the football

Traci caught this great photo of Charlie

Ann playing catch with Wes

Story time

This scene actually occurred without my creation or intervention. I came into the playroom and found Winston sitting in one chair, reading a book. And Charlie and Wesley in another chair, each with their own books.
Winston reading "Jesus Loves Me"

Charlie reading to Wes. Here he's pointing out the moon in their Big/Little book. Wesley seems enthralled.

Happy 2009!

Rob and I stayed in for New Year's Eve (which also marked the 9 year anniversary of when we met). On New Year's Day, Grammy & Poppy came over to watch the boys OVERNIGHT! So we went into Back Bay (Boston) and checked into our room at the Westin. It only took us 20 minutes, door to door - such a good reminder that even though we now live in the burbs, the city is not that far! We got ready and headed out on the cold, snowy roads. And when I say cold, it was a whopping 15 degrees - when the wind wasn't blowing! We didn't realize how many restaurants would be closed on New Year's Day, but found Fleming's (steakhouse). We cozied up to the bar and had a phenomenal meal. We then went to see one of our favorite comedians perform: Joel McHale, host of the tv show The Soup. I laughed so hard I literally cried. We finished the night with dessert at Finale. We spent the next day walking through the bitter cold streets of Boston to see the ice sculptures left over from First Night. We finally found one in the Common, only to notice there was a crowd surrounding it to watch it be destroyed by a fork lift. The potential lawsuits of kids climbing on the sculptures and hurting themselves destroys the fun for all!

It was such a perfect getaway. Though, we were so excited to come home and see the boys. It seemed as though they aged 3 years in the 24 hours we were gone. I guess you really don't notice the changes when you see them 24/7. And to show us how happy they were to have us home, they stood by the door and cried for 30 minutes after Grammy & Poppy left. Thanks, boys.

Christmas

Better late than never...

We had a wonderful Christmas. It was the very first Christmas where we have woken up in our own home, as opposed to the homes of our parents'. We set our alarm for 6am, so we would have time to shower, eat breakfast and open a few gifts before the boys woke up. We made our favorite breakfast (bagels, cream cheese, smoked salmon, lime, red onion, capers and mimosas - reminiscent of a trip to Napa years ago). Yes, mimosas. Our first unsupervised Christmas and we were drinking before 7:15am.
Meeting their new friends Brobee and Elmo - they were mesmerized by how they talk, move and dance!


Wesley wondering what this Brobee guy is all about. You can see that Win, on the far right, thinks it's funny. And Charlie, on the left, is doing the "more" sign for more Elmo!

Charlie and Elmo blowing kisses to each other

Our 5 children: Elmo, Wes, Charlie, Win, and Brobee

Yes, Win is standing on a present - apparently more fun that opening it!

Wesley takes a break and sits on the dog's bed. Yes, we gave them their own personalized comfy chairs, and he chooses to sit on the dog's bed.

After the boys opened their gifts, we headed over to Grammy and Poppy's. Jim, Mi Jung, Alexandra and Christian were up from Dallas - it was so special that we could all celebrate together.
Cousin Christian - he is exactly 7 months younger than the boys (and approximately the same size...)

Grammy & Poppy gave the boys a large piano - like from the movie Big. You can see from this photo that Wesley is fascinated with the speakers, Charlie with the pictures and Winston with the fire.

Alexandra, Jimbo and Christian

And then out came Twister


Winston helping Grammy with the spin wheel

Wesley and Charlie worked out on the trampoline while Jim and Grammy played Twister

Our family Christmas photo with the only child (Winston) that would sit through the 3 seconds it took to take it.

Merry Christmas!

Cookie Monsters

Brought to you by the color green and the number 3.

This morning, I stepped away from the kitchen for one minute to bring the laundry downstairs. When I returned, this is what I found.

The crime scene: two freshly iced cookies missing. Fingerprints visible in the remaining cookies.

One guilty Wesley with green icing and crumbs on his chin and shoulder and hands. (And therefore we now have green icing all over the chairs in the playroom from when he fled the scene...)

A guilty looking Winston, with a beard of green icing.

And a Charlie on a sugar high.

Let it snow!

We are in the middle of our first major snow storm of the winter. The snow started falling around 2pm yesterday and has yet to stop. I think we have over a foot on the ground already. After breakfast, the boys watched Daddy snow blow the neighbor's driveway.
Wesley, Winston and Charlie. Charlie's arm is around Winston, heads touching. How sweet!


They all turned around when they heard the camera!


We then had our dear friends Ellie, Kevin and kids Lucy and Owen over for brunch. They braved the snow - thankfully they only live 2 miles away! What a great day.

Boxes are better than gifts

I am not able to shop in stores (perhaps you've noticed we have triplets), so all of our Christmas shopping has been done online. Which means that our house is now filled with large boxes. And we have discovered that boxes are often more fun than the toys they once contained. It was so sweet to listen to their giggles as they played peekaboo with each other, or as they banged on the box like a drum while their brother was inside.




Charlie & Winston discovered the camera

Then the boys decided it was time to hug one another...Charlie & Wes

Win & Charlie (as Wesley hides in the box)

Photo fun

A friend posted this on her blog, and it looked like fun. So here goes!

Here are the rules:

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.

2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.

3) Explain the picture.

4) Tag 4 people to do the same - NO CHEATING! (cropping, editing etc.)


Here is my Grandma, niece & God-daughter Alexandra and brother Jim celebrating Alex's one year birthday and baptism. It was such a wonderful celebration in Toledo. She is even wearing her own Korean hanbok for the occasion. My favorite part of the photo, though, are Jimbo's devil red eyes. Hooray for blue eyes! (Taken sometime around November 2005.)

Sniff sniff cough cough

Our family of 5 has spent the last week+ sick as can be. Thankfully it did not effect our tummies or give anyone fevers, but there have been many runny noses, coughs, lost voices and all around exhaustion (yet sleepless nights). There is nothing worse than being sick and trying to care for your sick children - and not being able to give them any medicine! But thankfully we're all on the mend.

In spite of all this, the boys have provided a few moments of comic relief. We sing the boys Christmas carols at night. We were singing "O come let us adore Him..." and Charlie points to the closet and says "DOOR!". We couldn't continue the song, we were laughing so hard.

Because we have been housebound, I have been trying everything to keep the boys amused. I brought out a bag of cardboard boxes (the ones that look like fake bricks), in different colors and sizes. Without any hesitation or argument, the boys divided the blocks. Winston took all the large red blocks and stood on them like he was surfing. Wesley took the medium yellow squares and would stack them and carry them into the kitchen. And Charlie took the small blue blocks and stood them all up on their ends, creating his own little Stonehenge. It was too funny to watch them!

We are so blessed!

Wesley, Charlie & Winston

Nanna & Poppa!

We have had a wonderful visit with Nanna and Poppa. Life will (unfortunately) return to normal after they leave tomorrow. The boys will miss their playmates and Rob and I will miss all of their help!

One of the many highlights of their visit was going to see the How the Grinch Stole Christmas musical at the Wang Center in Boston. It was a joy to watch the actors and truly celebrate their talent. And apparently we sat in the Gallagher seats where all the special effects fall right on your head (but not two rows in front or behind you). All the 5 year olds were jealous. And no, we didn't bring the boys.

I was able to run some errands today, and when I returned Nanna informed me of a new development. Winston received a 2 minute timeout for hitting. And while he was in timeout, Wesley purposely hit Win in order to join him in timeout. Apparently they don't like to be apart!

Attack Nanna!

Attack Poppa!

Wesley is smiling because he stole Nanna's shirt - it was the greatest toy

Win - look at all those teeth! Their eye teeth are now coming in.

Well, well, well...

Wesley getting Poppa kisses

Nanna, Winston and Charlie

Winston and Poppa