I don't know if this will sound right but I think it is important for me to share this, especially to those that have multiples.
My friend, Susan (another triplet mommy), & I were talking on the phone a couple of weeks ago. The topic was about how we felt "robbed" from many normal mommy experiences. It starts w/ a triplet pregnancy being high risk from the get go. To many, the belly touching & the comments about being pregnant are not welcomed & can even get annoying BUT for us, they were virtually non-existent. I was on bed rest for half of the pregnancy, from 18 weeks until I delivered. I never got to answer when I was due while I was out at the store or have people gawk at my tummy. She agreed, saying that we got to miss out on that part of a regular pregnancy. I could go on for ever...the cute maternity clothes, the designated driver position, etc.
The same goes for parenting, except this time I wonder if me not getting out of the house is depriving my children of so many "normal" experiences. We don't go to the grocery store, Walmart, to family/friend's homes, to the park, to the zoo, out to eat at a restaurant, and the list could go on and on and on. As Susan & I were talking, we both realized that our children would not experience the weekly trip to the grocery store & that taking them was going to be a "special event". I think we were both a bit saddened by this thought. So many things that many others take for granted, we do not.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't a pity party b/c I honestly LOVE being at home all day w/ my kids, hearing them talk to one another & discovering new abilities every day BUT I also don't want the grocery store to be a special place to visit. I want them to be familiar w/ the world, not just our home & subdivision. The problem is taking 3 children out is a BIG production if you are alone, not so much if you have help. The flip side, I don't want to deprive my children of day to day experiences & become sheltered children.
The solution? I'm not sure. I do know that I am making more of an effort to get out w/ them at least once a week. That doesn't sound like much but compared to the handful of times we got out during the fall/winter, it is a huge improvement.
Our first field trip was to the local firehouse. Our second? To one of my favorite places in the world...HOBBY LOBBY! Man, I just can't get enough of that place! Luckily, Sheila was available to assist me once again. She has been banned from ever getting a job that would require her to work during the day, haha!
As w/ any field trip, there were a couple of bumps in the road. We forgot the diaper bag. Thankfully Hobby Lobby is only about 5 minutes from my house. The girls didn't have any shoes or socks on, oops. At least they were clothed! As organized as I was w/ the list, I left a few things off. I had to return that evening, sans kids.
The highlights were that the kids LOVED their new seats! They also seemed to enjoy the converted Triple Decker stroller which will soon be all decked out w/ a sun canopy & covered seats w/ a head rest. The kids enjoyed all the colors & got involved by holding the spools of tulle I needed. Overall, the trip was a huge success! I have already planned next week's field trip over to Sheila's & am sure there may be a trip over to the grandparents home as well. YAY for new found freedom & as we say in Spanish, "aprovechando".
Here are the kids in their seats. Ian smiled from ear to ear the whole way there & back.
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Here is the trio in the Triple Decker w/o all the good stuff we ordered. It was super easy to convert from the infant carriers to the Bell Bicycle seats.