"Peep Peep!"

Last weekend we went to see Thomas the Tank Engine. The kids have been talking about riding Thomas ever since we went last year. It amazes me that a toddler can carry a memory like that for a year. All month long they were playing with their trains, reading their Thomas books and requesting to watch it on TV. To say they were excited would be an understatement.

And the kids couldn't be more thrilled that Pops and Nunie would be joining us. Pops and Madison walked up to the event together while Payson, Nunie, Hayden and Daddy walked hand-in-handbehind them.

Once again we stayed several hours, this time closing the place down in the afternoon. We could have easily spent another hour or two there so next year I will plan on making a day of it!

Madison, Hayden and Payson proudly compare their Thomas tattoos.

Of course the petting zoo is always a hit with toddlers.

This year the kids knew how to approach the animals calmly and pet them more gently so the animals didn't run off. They all loved the super-soft bunnies.

The blacksmith made little cowboy hats out of nickels for each of the kids a they watched in anticipation of their pocket-sized treasure.

For some reason the kids LOVE this particular sandbox! Probably because it has such great toys and trucks. They played almost in silence for over half an hour before we had to move them on to the next activity.

Madison and Payson take a digging break to watch as Thomas peeps by. The first time Payson saw Thomas drive away, he got sad and began to cry. He thought he had missed the ride and didn't realize that Thomas was coming back. Such a sweet little boy he is!

The back-woods view on the train isn't very interesting, but the kids love riding in the passenger car as they take in the surroundings and listen to stories and facts about Thomas on the intercom.

The kids enjoyed the magic show.

But the best part was when Hayden volunteered to help the Magician on the stage. She was a fabulous assistant and was so at ease on stage in front of all of those people. I always admire that little girl's self confidence!

After the show was over, Payson began to cry out of sadness that he didn't get to go onstage. So the man let him assist in a quick magic trick. Payson wasn't fooled as he new it wasn't the real deal, but it was enough to stop the tears. It's hard when you have three toddlers the same age and you can't use the excuse, "You can do it when you're older" or something similar. Toddlers expect fairness in general but especially when they are equal in age with all of their siblings!

Payson and Daddy checked out the model train display.

Madison snuggled with Pops at the end of a busy afternoon. Bye-bye Thomas. Until next time!

Going Manual

I am loving my new Canon EOS Rebel T2i SLR camera. Thanks to my wonderful husband for the early birthday present!

This past weekend I took a camera class with Treva and Bob from Treva Tribit Photography. I learned a great amount of helpful information on how to move from "Auto" to "Manual." It's going to take some time to get it down, but I feel like I am off to a good start.

Here's a shot of a friends' camera as we sat in class taking notes and asking lots of questions. And drinking Dr. Pepper, of course. I liked Treva from the start but I knew I really liked my fellow Texan when I saw she had Dr. Pepper as a beverage option!

Here is our class outdoors learning about how to shoot with various lighting.

After our day was done I spent an hour in charming dowtown McKinney to put my newly learned skills to the test. Most of it is still life as I tried not to photograph people in an effort to not creep anyone out or post strangers on the blog. All of these were taken in Manual mode.

Staying Busy... As Always!

Here's what else we've been up to this month...

The kids played with their friends Juliet and Benjamin.

Hayden actually rode her trike around the block (rather than giving up after two minutes so she could run free like she usually does. The girl loves freedom!).

She and Payson bonded and giggled about their little made-up stories.

Madison caught up... and then passed us up! (Her little legs go 'round and 'round so fast!)

We enjoyed our friends, cupcakes and the sun at Sofia's birthday playdate. We hung out with our fellow twin and triplet friends at the railway museum for storytime and exploration. (Notice Payson covering his ears- he didn't like the microphone at first! Sweet boy.)

We set up the backyard for a party...

...and hosted a going-away party for our good friends, The Gebhardts. (So sad to see you go!)

We worked on projects around the house (with three little helpers... and lots of plastic tools, of course!).

Madison's hair continued to grow and grow.

Speaking of growing hair, the kids saw their second movie in a theater: Tangled. They did great and they LOVED every minute of it! The dollar theater is especially great when you have triplets!

And speaking of Disney princesses, here's our little Princess and the Pea.

Not to be outdone by our fierce pirate! "Argh!"

Go Green!

Happy St. Patrick's Day from our little Leprechauns!

We had a fun-filled day that included lots of green food! Think green eggs, green grapes, green macaroni and cheese, broccoli with green ranch dressing and even green-buttered grilled cheese sandwiches. The kids loved it!

That morning we met up with our MOPS group at a local park where the kids played and spent some time learning safety tips from a police officer followed by some exploring in the officer's car.

Have you ever seen two people this happy in the back of a police car?

The kids also got to explore an ambulance. The paramedic was extremely patient with all of the questions my three-year-olds had about the items in his medical kit. They couldn't get enough!

That afternoon we had our super-sweet, super-fun neighbors (four boys!) over to decorate homemade four-leaf clover sugar cookies. As always, it was a hit!

Earlier in the week we had a St. Patty's day playdate with three sets of twins. The kids had fun with their green lunch, St. Patrick's Day craft and outdoor play with their friends.

Payson worked on his T-ball skillz.


Madison loves her cupcakes!

Say Cheese!

At the end of 2010 we had a great photo session with our friend Betsy from Betsy Marie Photography. She did a fabulous job and we just love the shots she got of the kids. You've seen our Christmas card photos, but here they are again along with a few more.