You scared me!

We're in the house, it's just after nap. Sira and Bereket are awake, snacking and playing, while Tsega sleeps on. Suddenly from the corner of perception my senses begin to form an image in my brain of an extra figure entering the living room. It's Tsega, groggy, he has woken and let himself out of the nursery. But since my conscious mind only registered two players in our scene at that time, I am startled. An instant reflex of frightened unknowns threw my flight or fight senses into a frenzy. I scream. No small scream either (I have very powerful lungs--no triplet can match me in volume). A LOUD shocking blood curdling scream. What am I thinking, it's just my third child, who else would it be? Poor Tsega, my scream waves through his body visibly, he jumps, and his face produces that adorable turned down quivering mouth as his cries mute out the echoes of my scream. Of course by now we are all hugs and consoling apologies but I cannot stop cracking up. Hilarious, mama.

I guess because I am still not used to free comings and goings, it's still weird for me to see a child enter a room from doors that I closed. Come on brain, catch up. We're growing up. Two of my three can even put their own shoes on now--velcro secured and all.

Guess where I'm going?

I can't keep it to myself any longer. Barring no bad luck to stop us (knock on wood), I am returning to Ethiopia and traveling with my mom for two weeks come October--2 weeks from today! Flights are fixed, travel arrangements are made. Just mom and me, no kids coming or going this time around. Day 2 in Ethiopia we travel by car eastward to Awash National Park and staying on at the Bilen Lodge among the Afar peoples for a couple of nights (just one lion roar to reach my ears is all I ask for).

We then continue east onto Harar for a couple of more nights, where I will be sure to feed the local wild hyenas.

We fly back to Addis from Dire Dawa and get back on a plane the next early morning and head north for a whirldwind's night stay in historical Lalibela.

Holiest of places we will be, one among Muslims (Harar--the fourth holiest Muslim site), one among Christians (Lalibela--the unofficial 8th Wonder of the world).

I ran across these amazing photos of Ethiopia, many of Harar and the Northern Historical Route, by one adventuresome blogger (within the old city we're staying at the traditional Adare (Harari) house the blogger describes).

My only disappointment is that I will not be camel trekking around Bilen. Apparently two of the camels are lost.

Why am I going? Why not!? Mom is staying for 2 weeks beyond my stay for volunteer work around Addis Ababa with a group of Canadians. What else would a cool, retired mama hungry for the world opt to do with her time off?

Excited? You bet!

Please send Jerry your arms, your child care providers, your prepared meals for my time away. He will really, really, really need the help (before you think me selfish, his truly wonderful mother will help while I'm away). And I will really miss three little babies but I can't think of that right now . . . ouch my heart (oh my they will be missing on me and I doubly don't want to think about that . . .).

Melkam Adis Amet

Happy New Year! May your 2001, the precise New Millennium (in Ethiopia), be joyous! Yes, we are all 7 years younger in the land of 13 Months of Sunshine. In honor, those of us with roots in the Ethiopian gene pool gathered on the prairie; the first such gathering to ever hit the innards of rural Kansas. Thank you thoughtful hosts and kind patrons! A bow to the cooks and your very impressive Ethiopian menu. May your tongue be hardy and the berbere sauce I made for you tantalize your lips and sit well in your stomachs (Kansans are not known for their spice). By the way, in case you read this, to the family with the 2 girls with roots in Tennessee (and not Ethiopia, my mistake!): I absolutely adore your girls! Tell them their three "cousins", as one of them put it, would love to see them again.



September 12th also marked a special day for us as we celebrated the 2nd anniversary of our referral. Well, celebrate is a loose term. We played outside after many hours of beautiful but stifling rain. The stifling part being house bound with nap rebellions and an overly cranky (sleepless) fitful mama (remember when I said I thought we were conquering the crib farewells? Well I take it all back--help!). We thanked Mama Earth for a better mood for mama, a cool end of summer, much rain, and fewest bug bites I ever remember in Kansas; we sat in mud puddles, baked wet dirt, and walked the dog (Louie that is; true to her coon hound blood, Clementine is a dog that runs and searches, never to be walked).











We also marked a stark decline in parenting energy and skills. I hate to say this aloud and can it really be true? Yes, we have turned to videos for parenting moments. Let the TV baby sit as we steal a few moments of house duty, shower, or rest. Yikes, has it really come to this? And I never thought my boys would sit still for TV. Seems Sesame Street: Old School, Volume I possesses magic soothing powers (it works on me too). My favorite parts are the thick grainy videos with soft folksy music playing in background: kids in funny 70s style following each other; cows getting milked; or orangutans yawning in the zoo. Really floats the soul. Ohhh, how I love the big hair in the Old School Sesame St black community. Maybe my kids will finally learn to talk watching Bert and Ernie? Still very little words bellowing forth from three rosebud lips; but plenty else bellowing.

Really, speaking of words, I'm starting to get a little embarrassed as other, younger, 2 year olds tell their moms in clear voices, mom, I lost my shoe, while my trio babble on in baby squawks. We're still in child/infant development and I see general, overall improvements, but it's hard for us sensitive mamas not to worry. Yet there is a sweetness, an utter cuteness, an extra special uniqueness to my boys; star quality. They are hard to take one's eyes off of. And man can they play. They are now at the age where they lose themselves into a crowd of children so naturally, so easily, that one begins to wonder, whose children are these? Those babies are all mine, baby.

Rings around the Rosies

What a delightful after dinner treat.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Super duper mom

I am getting so brave in my goldening mama years. Such a seasoned parent I am becoming. Somewhere inside of me I finally found the courage to start venturing out in public, alone, except for the triplets. I even took them grocery shopping--twice now. First time after the store, I got tired, nervous, I thought we should go home, but I kept going and even strolled the mall and dined at the food court with triplets in tow (gosh, how mom-like of me). I swear the boys behaved better that day than they normally do when both Jerry and I share the experience. The trick is, I had two securely strapped in the double stroller (and never let them out) and Bereket in my sling, and a leash for when he finally wanted to run free, and an endless stream of granola bars (kids and dogs aren't much different). Those grocery carts do not work for us; my boys slip out of the belts and stand up to jump into my arms. I guess my back up plan, in case the boys do get free and run wild, start yelling security!

The second time I had Tsega and Bereket strapped in (Tsega always and Bereket was getting spoiled and wild being the free one) and little Sira sat on top of the double. He was great, but remember, never let go of stroller or the heavy top weight will tip it backwards.

Of course I must look the sight! I just put this face on that says: hey, I’m cool, nothing going on here, having so much fun, under perfect control, *yawn*. Most people walk by us with the same nonchalance: I don't see anything unusual, no, I'm not staring. I love it when little kids blurt out to mom: Mom! Look at all those babies! Really, this is a break through for me.

Now you are laughing and shaking your heads (especially you Chicago folks--you know who you are you cupcake freaks, always going cool places!). Poor lady, never gets out, cooped up with triplets, what a wimp. Or, poor baby boys, stifled by that crazy hermit mom and stuck in Kansas. You'd think many acres of country would be enough to entertain three small boys, even though it ain't enough for one coon hound (our lovely Clementine). Truth is, the boys always want to go somewhere in the van, anywhere. And since it makes naps go dreamily along, let's go the park. Anything to avoid grumpy faces.

Shared Art

Bereket created it, I captured its image. His was original, mine was found, together it's shared art. OK, so I was just excited to figure out my camera better and discover black and white. During my discovery Bereket crossed over into waking and I let him loose in the kitchen drawer.

The End (of Confinement)

Yes, dear readers, I have been keeping a secret. I tried to suppress and prolong, but I now must face reality and say it out loud. It is with utmost mourning and resistance that I announce the end of cribs--all 3 of them. A major symbol of babyhood is now lost forever. Bedtime routine, once again, is under construction (I'm flexible if they are). But more importantly, gone are the days of confinement. You really know your babies are big kids when one is suddenly standing over you in the middle of the night.

It started with a little innocent crib climbing. Then I was finding Tsega asleep on the floor, usually under Bereket's crib. Seriously, Tsega prefers to camp on the floor under cribs (weird!). Then Bereket got a fire in his pants and morphed into a big trouble maker, running all over the room and finally getting tackled and trampled during so-called naps. And, finally, Sira decided crib no more.

For a few dreadful days (or weeks if I'm being honest) sleep was topsy-turvy and I didn't how to handle it (my tears didn't seem to help). Nobody would stay put and too much wrestling instead of sleeping. Honestly, it's not safe leaving three rowdy toddler boys to their own.

Though we're still in transition and the boys are staying up way too late (darn sun, come on, who can sleep when it still beckons you for more play), they are doing well and actually sleeping. I mean they actually, most nights, go to bed and stay there! Well, OK, so we're only expecting just two (Sira with Tsega) to sleep in the nursery right now with one (Bereket) in our bedroom. (Twins really are easier than triplets.) No big boy beds yet; instead we put our floor mattresses in their room. For nap--and let me first say that I intensely fear that Tsega will grow out of naps soon--we do the same except as long as there's light and he is free, Bereket will not sleep. But there is one trick. I put the other two to bed and after much tiptoeing and self-crossing I come back for B and put him in the high chair. I set him up with a blanket and book and face him away from me and start cleaning the lunch mess. Within minutes he's out and I can put him in my bed. I think the nanny has her own routine (she keeps telling me they sleep); whatever works, do it.

There is one cool thing from all this. It's easier for me to lay with the boys as I tuck them in and kiss their eyelids, and stroke their big foreheads. And it makes my stomach tickle when it's morning and I hear little foot steps and a door knob turning and see a little body coming out all by himself. And I shouldn't complain because we are actually sleeping in more some days. Eight a.m. wake ups are heaven.

Special thanks to Sira who, currently, is the best little sleeper, so still and willing to lay down, even if he is always the first awake. Please, oh please, hold onto your naps dear boys (at least until you turn 4) or I quit.

Monkey See, Monkey Don't

While I find zoos a place of torment for those unlucky to find themselves behind the bars and walls, especially if the habitat is replicated poorly and animal is alone, pacing, or bored (or in Kansas), they are nevertheless blessings to families and babies. Our favorite and most feared (beside the rhinos who usually pee on us), is, of course, the primates. Feared because it is hard watching these near-humans caged, so far removed from their native habitat, looking into those thoughtful humanoid eyes; and also because at least one baby always gets scared. Favorite because they are monkeys, after all, and they love scooting up to the glass to tease (and it's fun watching baby get scared by monkey).





Speaking of monkeys, the 'monkey see, monkey do' thing is sooo Sira. This kid is hilarious as he copies and mimics everything. Like if somebody falls and gets a boo boo (most falls get left without crying--it's a triplet thing), he'll fake fall down and fake cry and point to a fake boo boo. I've got a million examples, but watching this kid strike poses and mimic sounds, mirroring a brother, is great entertainment. Sira is our actor in the family. Although everybody is theatrical, to say the least . . .