Three Meets Three

I once wrote this in my blog: I often have this fantasy of coming around a corner with my family and meeting head-on another family strolling their triplets; it could've happened one day when we were at a shopping plaza in Wichita and a group of fans told us that within the very same plaza, at a lunch place just minutes ago, there was a family with 2 year old triplet girls.

At last my fantasy was realized, except for the corner part. There I was on a rare day. Me all alone with my three sons at a local park (I hate that show because now I always feel stupid when I say "My Three Sons" (I know, you are too young, you don't have a clue what I am talking about)). I was scared and helpless as my little men toddled too close to the pond (the dead fish cannot be a good sign and I'm not convinced they won't follow a duck right into the water--haven't we all fell in a pond?). My kids edged the water park fearfully, while other moms secretly stole stares at this lonely wonder-mother who lacks all good park etiquette and a social circle being so new at it and all. I guess I'm not supposed to let my boys throw sand and mulch at other kids. But my kids enjoy it so . . . And while every mother and father is playing politely, trying so hard not to stare at us, I feel like a misfit. One sweaty white mama, with way too many brown toddlers in tow. And those lazy ducks won't touch our bread crumbs.

I was trying to corral the boys back to the van (why oh why did I park waaaay over there) but of course I was forced to stop in the last playground before the parking lot begins. (Tsega does a great agitated slip of the wrist technique when he will NOT hold your hand.) The funny thing is, my boys will play on the equipment--sometimes; wander off suddenly together other times (usually in the same direction as a group--this helps); and other times they might just stand there together and gawk at passersby. This moment they were indeed playing probably because we were all alone in that particular rectangle. I am thinking let's go home when I casually spot a family unloading their children and stuff for the day. My mind barely registered the event. Hmmm, cute kid. Here comes daddy towards us. Hmmm, wait, something interesting. TWO cute kids holding hands with daddy. Hey, look at that, identical twin girls, how cool. Then mommy pops her head up out of the car as she is getting something else out. . . ohhhhhh, it can't be, it's blowing my mind, it's another baby girl and she looks just like the other two--are these triplets!?--and they are coming my way! Now I get to play gawker, how fun. Oh, wait, they are not going to just keep walking by me!? Nooo, they are stopping in our rectangle. They don't notice us yet because my boys are crawling through tunnels. Then I did something uncharacteristic of me, I initiated a conversation with a stranger and put myself out there. Hey, don't tell me those are triplets!? (Haha, this is when I know they will be nice but thinking inside, oh boy here we go again, the freak show is in the park.) So are these!!!

What a time to forget my camera.

Triplets and triplets played together in park. Sounds like a headline. The girls, all identical, are about 21 months old. Tsega could not stop hugging and at least one girl really liked it and took it quietly. The few face sucks got me nervous though since Tsega's kisses can get toothy. The kid is strong like an ox to boot my nerves not to mention his sensory needs are intense. My kids displayed all the funny triplet stuff that got us laughing about our familiar territories. Like when Sira feigned falling down for sympathy after Tsega did it for real. Or when they all started pouring pebbles and bark on top of each other's heads. Or the many cryless falls and shoves that most kids (singletons) would cry over. Or the way they always show off for people by pushing each other down to the ground (Tsega topped off the show with a perfect somersault.) Or when they suddenly ran over to a yellow taped-off area and proceeded to pull and shimmy the tape from all angles. And just like me, the other mother never goes out alone. But unlike me, other mother has all sorts of family in our Kansas town who help out. Not fair. But I got the good yard at least. Poor other mother lives in a town house with no real yard. *Shivers*.

I often wondered how big a difference it would be if some or all of my trio were female. Judging by the tiny glimpse I saw (and a sample size of 1), it is vastly different. Those triplet girls were more like triplet 1/2 Berekets. (Just between us, that's a lot less load than one Tsega-Mega.) Although other mother reports that her girls do their share of biting and hair pulling and that she does indeed buy everything in threes (I don't).

I even found myself asking other mother cliché questions. Do you have a hard time telling your girls apart (never?)? What about your husband (still never!?). I'm sure future play dates await us on the horizon. I'm not sure, however, if I will ever be able to tell these girls apart. How refreshing. Now if only they were Ethiopian . . .