Outdoor Fun

Earlier this week I mentioned our snowman we had fun making together, who is still thriving thanks to the lovely frigid weather we have had. I forgot to mention we have 3 little stinkers who LOVE to throw snowballs and have snowball fights; Dylan being the most active in that camp. Check out our video above for a clip from the outdoors.

We can read!!

I just had to post a quick update on our homeschooling progress because, as a mom and their teacher, I AM JUST SO PROUD!!! Last week, we opened up our first "Pre-Books 1-3" and mustered our way through them based on the letters/sounds we have learned so far. Let me tell you, my patience hat was on SUPER tight last week and I am glad we all survived with little to no injuries, as least physically. Today, we sat down and read through the first official "Story Book 1" and Lindsey, Taylor and Dylan were ALL reading it to me!!! Tears of pride and joy rolled down my cheeks and their smiles beamed from ear to ear. I wish I would have set up a video camera to capture that experience. It was just WAY too precious and a memory I will never forget. They were SO excited and I was ready to burst from all the excitement!

After the Christmas season, we plan to dive into "Handwriting Without Tears" and pre-K mathematical lessons in addition to continuing on with our phonics program. It should be interesting and worthwhile. The time we spend closely together in a fun, learning environment is time I will cherish forever and never regret. I am grateful to Dave for working so hard so that I may have this opportunity in the first place. Someday, I will pay you back, babe!! That's a promise!!

Sounds of Christmas - Part 2

This past Sunday was Part 2 of Camp Clark's Christmas concerts. This time it was at our church. Let me preface this post by saying, I love my husband dearly and have complete faith he is one of the absolute best camera men I know. Just not this time.

Of course, it didn't help that Lindsey was placed 5 down from Dylan and Taylor, and that Taylor was once again placed behind a taller friend. BUT, Dave insisted he "had it under control and had great zoom shots of all 3" when I kept asking if we should move to a more central location once I noticed how they were situated. If you look closely, you just might be able to see Taylor (1 person to the left of Dylan, behind the giant) and Lindsey (to the right, 5 people down from Dylan).

Anyway, I must say we are SUPER proud of our munchkins; they all sang really nicely (Dylan was the loudest and most dramatic) and did all the hand motions their Sunday School teacher taught them. The best part is , they had fun and that's really all that matters. God bless our angels and all the other little angels on the stage at KPT and at church PLUS their teachers who are full of patience & kindness.

Frosty the Snowman

Today was such a gorgeous day for being outside, finally!! We took full advantage of spending time outdoors and of course, we had to make a snowman. It was the perfect sticky snow and the kiddos were SO excited to make their first snowman this winter. So was Dave! In fact, the kiddos and I had our fair share of "creating" and decided to do some sledding. When we came back, Dave was still at it putting on the finishing touches (sculpting shoulders and arms). I believe our snowman is taller than any snowman we have seen; we even had some people stop and take a photo of them standing with our snowman. Let's hope Frosty sticks around for a few days.

4-Year Stats

Last week we had our 4-year well child check-up. Did I just say 4?? Oh my goodness, where has all that time gone? SO many memories gone by with so many ahead.

Lindsey takes the weight title at 34 lbs, barely beating Dylan at 33 lbs. Although, he's got her by a 1/4" in height; Lindsey is 39" tall and Dylan is 39-1/4". Lindsey is tracking along at 25-50% and Dylan remains around the 25% mark. Then there is our little peanut, Taylor. She weighed in at 29 lbs (5-10%) and we decided we are going to have a BIG "celebration" when she hits that 30 lb mark!! She is 37-3/4" tall and remains in the 10-25% category (when compared to other children - singletons). Our pediatrician was pleased with their health, development and growth progress but said we could increase Taylor's calorie consumption. Funny, she eats the MOST of all 3!!! She can shovel it in and eats anthing and everything; never picky, always hungry. So we went ahead and baked Christmas cookies with lots of frosting - nice excuse for the extra calories, right?

Recent Quotes from the mouths of babes:

Lindsey:
"Oh sure, mom!" (her infamous quote whenever I ask for her help)
"Dilly, I better call Santa and let him know you are being naughty"

Dylan:
Daddy asks, "Are you my 3 little pigs" (pretending to be the Big Bad Wolf).
Dylan responds, "NO! we are little stinkers"
At prayer time, mom asks who do we want to pray for and Dylan says "a big airplane".
When moms says, "let's try to pray for a person instead of things",
Dylan responds with "ok, how about the people on the big airplane?"

Taylor:
"Baby Jesus, don't worry, I make you toasty warm" (as she plays with our Nativity Scene)
"God's watching you!" (to Dylan when he tackles her to the ground)
"Oh, baby doll. You sleep now - no whining!"

Sounds of Christmas - Part 1

Aaahhh, the sounds of Christmas - young babes singing Christmas songs. We had a little better luck this year at KPT; no tears and a little more singing. Dylan was our shining star while Taylor took the oath of silence; Lindsey flashed her smile a few times and sang a few lines here and there. I guess it didn't help that Taylor (our little Peanut) was placed behind some kiddos that basically covered her up - kind of hard to shine when you can't see. It's funny, Taylor is typically the one to run around the house singing Christmas songs they learn at Sunday School and KPT to all her dolls. It's absolutely precious.

LTD get to sing again this Sunday at church (Part 2). Last year, LTD were placed front and center, the girls in angel outfits and Dylan in his lamb outfit. He cried 30 seconds into the production - poor little man. He had to be pulled off the stage and our Pastor got a kick out of it. In fact, Dylan was the topic of conversation at their weekly church meeting on Monday. Let's hope this year it is much more enjoyable.

This week is action-packed. We have been baking and decorating Christmas cookies, and have dates for the Holidazzle Parade, to visit Santa at the Mall of America, to see Disney on Ice, have the Erickson 5 over for holiday cheer, and to go to a birthday party for Baby Jesus. The kiddos are SO excited and really enjoying the beauty of the season.

Pump It Up!!

We want to pump (clap), you up! Anybody else remember the SNL skit? Everytime we go to Pump It Up, I giggle inside thinking of that goofy skit with 2 wanna-be muscle boys in their grey sweat suits & weight belts, pretending to be Arnold. Ok, so I am dating myself here!

Back to the point. The LTD addition were all healthy and the party went on as planned at "Pump It Up". They invited 15 of their closest friends and had an absolute blast!! The only downfall was leaving "daddy" in charge of electronics and getting to the party realizing our camera was missing the memory card. Cake (check), candles (check), party favors for our guests (check), Lindsey, Taylor, Dylan with clean faces, combed hair and no snot (check), electronics to document memories of a lifetime (oops, left that one minor detail to daddy). Thankfully, our friends offered to take a few photos on our behalf and we have included a few of those. More will be availabe in our KodakGallery photo album for Nov/Dec at the end of December.

Lindsey, Taylor & Dylan are officically 4. They keep reminding us that "they are grown up now and ready to ride the big kid rides at MOA and Valley Fair".

They truly enjoyed their first official birthday party where they got to invite all the friends they love to play with. The only "glitch" was when it came to gift opening which is always a struggle with Dave and I. We would rather people not bring presents since the real gift is having friends with parents we hold near and dear to our hearts there to share in our special day of life given to us by our Savior. But then again, is it right to rob a 4-yr old of their birthday joy? Such a struggle. Thankfully, we have friends who share in our dilemma and concerns around this issue. After all, 4 out of 5 families at the party were triplet families; the other family (Uncle Ken) is a family with 3 precious angels on earth (cousins Faith, Anna and Baby Jordan) and one miracle on the way.

Dave and I are just so very thankful for our children's health, their smiles & laughter, their unique personalities, and the love in their hearts. That night when we got home, they prayed for ALL their friends at the birthday party. I think they are starting "to get" how fortunate they are to have such wonderful friends in this world that care enough to be there for them on their ultra-important day. Thank you to all our friends and loved ones for the smiles you bring to LTD's faces.

Happy 4th Birthday, LTD!

It's hard to believe 4 yrs have passed by since that day Dave rushed us to the hospital at 4am driving 110 mph! Just yesterday LTD were still learning how to walk, talk, dance & sing. In fact, I just had to go back and capture some moments from their first birthday timeframe (oops, no video of their actual birthday celebration that first year; only photos). It's amazing how much these little angels have grown. Please God, can we stop the growing process and keep them this young forever?

We have already had 2 birthday celebrations with cake & cupcakes: one this past wknd with Papa & Grandma Good who were in town for the Thanksgiving holiday and one at KPT today. They also got a chance to go birthday gift shopping with Papa and Grandma Clark and had an absolute blast!!! Thank you SO much, Papas and Grandmas, for your love and generosity and to our entire family for the thoughtful cards, birthday calls & songs!

However, I am starting to believe Camp Clark has a birthday curse. Today I received a phone call from KPT at 11:30am telling me that Dylan was feeling sick and sleeping and that I should come get him. Poor little guy was singing so happily at breakfast and then, WHAM, the curse hit. Every year we have at least one child sick on their birthday - UGH! We are supposed to have a birthday party at Pump It Up on Wednesday night with all their little friends but may have to reschedule now for a later date. They are SO looking forward to it and will be really bummed but we can't take the chance of getting other children sick. Most likely Dylan's illness will spread to the girls as most viruses typically do at Camp Clark.

Christmas Cakes

LTD absolutely adore story time. Two of their recent favorites include: The birth of Baby Jesus and Twas the Night Before Christmas. Baby Jesus and Santa consume their thoughts, playtime activities and words. In fact, they just HAD to make two Christmas cakes; one for Baby Jesus and one for Santa.

Dylan wanted to decorate Santa's cake himself so the girls shared in decorating the cake for Baby Jesus. They were really intense in making sure each cake was decorated perfectly with snow white cream cheese frosting, lots of colorful ornaments and sparkles and then topped them off with a shining star. They did a fantastic job!

One cake lasted approximately 2.5 minutes before they wanted to dig in and taste the fruit of their labor. Dylan insisted we save his cake for Santa since he will be really hungry when he gets here on Christmas Eve to drop off their presents; so it's in the freezer officially taking up space.

We have a Nativity scene we put up that is like a magnet that little hands just can't keep off. Thankfully it is very durable since Baby Jesus has been dropped several times. It's a riot to hear them "play" the story of His birth with all the figurines in the scene. Taylor is especially transfixed and you can hear her saying, "Oh, baby, that's ok. Let's wrap you up and get you toasty warm. Oh look, visitors!" I MUST get all this on video since it just warms the heart and soul to the core.

Tree of Thankfulness

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and with that comes reflection of everything our family has to be thankful for. In the corner of our formal dining room sets one fake evergreen shrub with sparkling lights. LTD have always called it "the BABY Christmas tree", although it's up yearlong. This year we received a great idea from our SIL, Heidi, and decided to start a new family tradition and have officially changed the shrub's name to the "Tree of Thankfulness". The kiddos decorate the tree with paper ornaments they make by hand that list what they are thankful for that particular day. Not only does it make each one of us talk about what we are most grateful for, but it allows them to visibly see ALL that we are fortunate to have been blessed with. They are so proud to disply their ornaments but we have also found other things hanging from the poor shrub such as cars, dolls and necklaces. We have lost a few ornaments due to scissors experiments (thank you, Dylan), but for the most part they are holding their own.

Things they are most grateful for include:

Mommy & Daddy

Papas & Grandmas

God

Baby Jesus

The sun

Snow

Friends (Aimee, Ella, Kendrick, Anna, Ben, Maddie & Melise)

Cousins (Anna, Faith & Baby Jordan)

Aunt Heidi and Uncle Ken

Trucks/Cars

Dolls/Dollhouse

In addition, each night before bedtime when we pray, LTD always get a chance to pray for somebody or something specific. It's so precious hearing who and what they want to pray for. Each night it's a whole new experience and brings alot of smiles to our faces. Our goal is to instill in our children the importance of being thankful and to pray for people they love and others who are in need or less fortunate.

Memory Lane

In the last week I have been exceptionally emotional and disheartened. Perhaps it has something to do with witnessing our country leaning deeper and deeper into the grips of liberalism and socialism (Obama elected President - YIKES!!!!). Our conservative and Christian values seem to be less important in today's society and we can only trust and have faith in our loving Lord & Savior and His master plan. Let's continue to pray for our country, our leaders and the future of our children so that they too may know the benefits of living in the greatest country on God's green earth.

With emotions running high, I searched out the past and managed to resurrect our family's very first web site on CaringBridge. This was the web site we used to keep family and friends updated on our journey through a triplet pregnancy as well as the aftermath. How sad that when LTD were about 6 mos old, life got REALLY busy and I quit posting journal entries and it all got slowly left in the dust. SO, I thought to myself this week , I said "Tina, why not find the old web site and put a link on this blog so we can reflect back on the early days and let our children have something to look back on as well?" So that's just what I did. I realized we had 4,226 visitors to that site by the time the kiddos turned 6 mos. old!!!! WOW!!! It's simply amazing how positive news (the birth of healthy babies) is equally as "popular" as negative news which we are so accustomed to hearing in our world. Check out our CaringBridge link in the right hand column of our blog (immediately under our Kodak link) to look back on a few pictures (their old web site template only let you post 3 pictures at a time), journal entries, and guestbook entries. What an incredible experience!!!! God has been SO amazingly wonderful to us and I feel it is our duty to spread His word, especially in times of uncertainty. Let us all stand up for what we believe in so that we don't fall for "anything", never waiver, and bring others on the journey with us. May God bless you and this great country.

Happy Halloween!!

Halloween is great for checking out all the adorable children's costumes but it's a real doozy when you have little ones with LOTS of candy treasure. What's a parent to do? How do you secretly get rid of the "stash", the fruit of their labor of going door-to-door and begging for sugar, without breaking their little hearts? What about those of us who have an addiction to Tootsie Rolls and have an entire bag leftover from that night? Bah humbug!!

Sugar aside, Halloween week was a blast!!! LTD got a chance to dress up on several occasions: the Mother's of Mutliples party, their KPT class and on Halloween night. Dylan was sold on the duck outfit the first time I pulled it out for them to see (I bought 3 for a great price from a friend with triplets hoping LTD would like them - no questions asked). NOPE! Lindsey and Taylor had their hearts set on being princesses and that was that. I did talk them into wearing the duck outfits to KPT since they needed an outfit that was "easy on and off" for the teachers' sake. Princess outfits seem to include about 20 pieces of fluff per outfit and I couldn't do that to Ms. Lisa and Ms. Kim. I played and sang the "5 Little Ducks" song over and over for a few days prior to get them fired up about it, but Lindsey was NOT happy about it (although she caved in for one day). Not sure how they cope with all their stress, poor things!

Make sure to check out the KodakGallery link (right hand column) for all our Halloween photos and October fun. Also, click on the "music we love" to hear Steven Curtis Chapman's song "Cinderella", which seemed appropriate for our little princesses. Steven is a Christian music artist. If you don't know Steven's story about his daughter who he lost at an early age due to an unfortunate accident, check it out on google or YouTube. Very sad and it makes Dave and I want to hug our children tightly and never let them go.

Most recent quotes at Camp Clark:

Taylor: "Daddy, do you got a baby in your belly?" (no, that's just good beer)

Dave: "I like that meat on this pizza. What is it, sheep?" (confusing that with 'lamb' as in gyros - actually it was steak sliced thin )

Stay tuned for more :)

Goblin Talk

Halloween is in the air! Check out what our little goblins have been saying lately:

Lindsey:
"Uncle Ken, winter is just around the corner you know." (Ms. KIA)

"Honey, what are you doing honey bunch?" (to Taylor)

"Mommy, do you need a time out?" (after I accidentally said "stupid" when talking with Dave)

Taylor:
"I've lost my appetite (as she pushes her dinner plate away). I need to find a new appetite. (mommy says 'really, where are going to find that?') Old McDonald's!" (the golden arches)

"Stop teasing my brother!" (as Daddy is pretending to take away his food with his crawling fingers)

"We don't want to lose our teeth like Grandma!" (as she brushes her teeth after having a sucker - sorry Grandma Good!)

Dylan:
"That sippy cup is Taylor's; I have the gerbil straw!" (As I give Taylor his cup by mistake - Dylan cut off half his straw on his sippy cup in a scissors experiment & overheard mom call it a gerbil size straw)

"Mommy, you're not cute (.............VERY long pause.........) you're beautiful!" (as I tuck him in one night and tell him how cute he is)

"God wants us to obey!" (as he scorns his sisters for not listening - look who's talking)

As you can see, SO much laughter which is great for the soul. Keep smiling :)

School is fun!! (from the mouths of LTD)

Camp Clark started homeschooling in mid-September and LTD are having a great time learning, so far, while Ms. Mommy is learning a whole new dimension of "patience". My goodness, it makes me appreciate even more the important and challenging role of our teachers. Hats off to all educational professionals - they deserve alot more $$$.

Somebody at my church who is a Sunday School teacher once told me that the influence parents have on our young children is profound and the single most important role God gave us is being their teacher. That is one of the main reasons why I took on this challenge; the second reason being $$. After researching 3-4 preschools, I was amazed by the cost of it for only 2 days/week (2-1/2 hrs each day) considering the basic cirriculums offered. I thought to myself, why spend that kind of money on things we are already doing, and then some? Instead, I consulted with other moms who homeschool that I respect and admire wholeheartedy and they referred me to some excellent online resources that help me with our weekly cirriculum. It has been very positive and truly lots of fun for all of us. Daddy even steps in and offers his math expertise from time to time, although he can get a little "above" their heads at times. (example: you are 3.8 years old vs. 3-1/2 or almost 4). Huh?

Our focus for the school year is on phonics and the alphabet (letter of the week), music and singing, story time, counting, colors and shapes, arts and crafts, field trips and time outside with nature, the calendar and days of the week, the US of America and the world (via maps and the globe), telling time, and most importantly, all about God. The above photos show them being mini-Picassos painting at the easel and getting ready at their desks for some tracing/cutting activities.

I have gained a huge sense of accomplishment and pride when I ring the school bell and see them come running up the stairs to their "classroom" with wide grins from ear to ear. It just melts my heart!!

Fall Bismarck Trip

Camp Clark just returned from a 10-day trip to Bismarck and we all had a great time. The kiddos got a chance to spend LOTS of time with all 3 sets of their grandparents, visit Papa's Pumpkin Patch with their cousin Eastynn (pony rides, train ride, hay bale climbing and mazes, lots to do!!), check out the local parks and play outside, share lunch with mommy and her dear friend Lori, and hang out with their cousins Anna, Faith & Baby Jordan at a hotel in Fargo for a NDSU Bison football game (lots of swimming). Dave got a chance to golf with his dad several times which is one of his favorite things. They even took Dylan along one day and he gladly took over driving the golf cart and taking a few shots himself. The kiddos also got to see 1/3 of the infamous Memorial Bridge being imploded which just about scared the daylights out of them. Dave had to get as close to the site as possible which made for a very loud "BOOM", one which I heard clearly from my mom's condo about 5 miles away. Needless to say, LTD came home talking non-stop about the bridge and are still talking about it.

Bismarck is always a breath of fresh air after living in the Cities for so long. People are just so genuine and "real" and it makes me homesick for our family and friends who we rarely get to see. It's amazing and wonderful to drive only 5-10 minutes to get anywhere in the city! Perhaps there is still hope we can move there someday and raise our children in a conservative, safe, small community like we were raised.

The pictures above are from a day at Papa's Pumpkin Patch and reading a book with Papa Clark in the hotel room in Fargo (after the Bison football game) with cousins Anna & Faith.

Bike Riding Babes

Summer is over, Fall is here, Winter is just around the corner. Although Dave and I love the change of seasons, it is always sad to say goodbye to Summer which means alot less bike riding time. This video captures a typical day of riding bike and taking in the sweet summer sun. Take note of Dylan's bike basket. The girls each have a flower basket to hold their dolls/stuffed animals and Dylan wanted one too to hold his balls, rocks, whatever (Target only sells flower baskets - not cool for boys). So Dave got a bit creative, grabbed a small beer cooler and slapped it on Dylan's bike. Our little man is in high heaven and shows off his "basket" to everybody we meet. What's really funny is hearing other little boys at the playground tell their parent(s) they want a basket just like that one. Patent pending :)

Accordian Mania

One of my favorite memories growing up was hearing my mom play the accordian and of course, doing the polka. It appears that LTD are similar in their fondness of accordian music, particularly when Grandma Good plays. While back in Bismarck recently, Grandma once again pulled out her accordian and rolled out the barrel of fun :)

Backseat Drivers

Although I love my dear hubby with all my heart and soul, one area we need to work on is his patience level with traffic in the metro area. It's amazing how every time we drive in the same car, it's non-stop complaining about drivers & traffic. Well, it has now officially rubbed off on our children and this quick video clip is proof of what I listen to every time we cruise around in the mini van. Lovely!!

Apple Orchard & Arboretum Outings

Every week we plan a family outing that allows us to share time as a family, typically outdoors to take in God's beauty. This past weekend we visited the Minnesota Harvest apple orchard in Jordan, MN. We had an absolute blast and the weather couldn't have been more perfect - lots of sunshine and warmth. We knew we were in for a treat the moment we drove up the picture-perfect drive leading into the orchard. Not only did we get to pet the beautiful full-size horses the moment we got out of our car (used for trail rides), but we thoroughly enjoyed the tractor ride leading out to the apples, picked our own delicious apples (which the munchkins took full control of), taste-tested the fruit which was allowed, LTD rode the ponies (more their size), and we topped off the afternoon by eating freshly baked apple dumplings with caramel sauce and homemade wild rice soup while we listened to polka/accordian music outside (LTD LOVE the accordian thanks to Grandma Good).Truly a grand time and will now be an annual trip for Camp Clark.

We also had time to check out the U of MN Landscape Arboretum in Chanhassen earlier this month, once with the Erickson children & Mommy Nicole and a week later as a family with Dave. Both days were absolutely lovely and the grounds were bursting with flowers in full bloom. Dylan happened to casually take a poop on the grounds right in full view of the children's education building. He thought that was ok since we were "in the woods" and he equated that to camping. So here I am, picking up a big turd much like I would have done for Shaq - what a riot!! On the family play date, Dave had initially intended to take our Christmas portrait photos but Taylor got stung by a bee early on which put a damper on the "smiling". Oh well, maybe one more try when the fall leaves come out in full color?

Please check out our KodakGallery link located on the right hand side of this blog page for our September 2008 album. Lots of GREAT photos from the entire month.

More adorable sayings from LTD:
Lindsey:

"Dylan, you're driving me nuts!" (as he jokes around yet once again)

"Listen to me, I say!" ("I say" follows many of her commands)

"Hey Dyl, let's do 'nastics!" (Dylan's abbreviated nickname, short for gymnastics)

"Taylor, you're beautiful today!"

Taylor:

"I'm not 'diculous!" (short for ridiculous, Dylan's accusation of her at the moment)

Dylan says "Jesus is mad at you". Taylor rebuts "HA AH! Jesus died on the cross cuz he yuvs (loves) us so!"

"I want my butter straight up, mommy!" (vs. spread on her toast)

Dylan:
"I wanna buy that!" (pointing to almost every sports car or big truck that drives by)

"No I not!" (meaning, no I didn't)

"You've GOT to be kiddin' me!" (to Lindsey)

"I'm really disappointed in you!" (to Taylor after she had a "baby" accident in her underwear)

(BIG yawn) "I'm too tired for church today." (on way to church, which he just had to repeat to his Sunday School teacher - she was impressed)

It's like living with comedians - so many laughs!!!

First Week of Fall Slideshow

The slideshow photos and background music pretty much say it all.

Camp Clark took in our first Minnesota Twins baseball game together and partook in the on-field parade (for multiples). But, the highlight of the day was riding the monorail downtown to the game. LTD had a blast on the train and Dylan was in awe of the dome and seems to be rather fond of baseball and the players.

Our fall schedule has officially begun with lots to look forward to including Kids Peace Time, homeschooling a few days per week, Christian Mom's Fellowship and the children's program, gymnastics, ECFE music and art classes, Sunday School and of course, lots of time to play outside and with friends. Check back soon for our next post/photos of recent outdoor playdates with the Erickson 5 and an update on our homeschooling experiences :)

Camping Video

Video footage from our first camping trip. Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to capture video of our campfires. It probably had something to do with Mama Bear holding the dual roles of Fire Chief and videographer. Just something about big bonfires and little people that didn't feel quite comfortable. Dave just lauged at me since I was on constant watch but I am proud to say there were no injuries. Check out our August photos on KodakGallery for all the fun photos from the camping trip and the entire month.

Our First Camping Trip!

Labor Day Weekend marked another new experience for Camp Clark. After hearing the weather was going to be beautiful and talking about it for months, we decided to skip the warm-up backyard tent experience and go for the gusto. So we packed up camp and headed south to Cleary Lake Regional Park (only 15 minutes from our home - just in case!). It was SO fun and Lindsey, Taylor & Dylan are true naturals (like their dad). We took our canoe, our bikes, a 2-room tent, our own porta potty (for the kiddos), and ALL the camping essentials - I never knew camping involved so much preparation (thankfully Dave has done this many times before)!! We camped in an area that only had 4 other family campsites and LTD met some new little friends (and so did we). It was gorgeous!! We had so much fun making campfires and grilling our evening meals over a fire and, of course, making Smores. Other highlights included canoeing, swimming at the beautiful sandy beach, reading at night with flash lights in the tent, singing campfire songs, playing at the playground, and bike rides (we did the full lap around the lake and LTD rode their bikes with training wheels the whole way around). Everything was perfect with the exception of me being on full alert each night (while everybody else snored heavily). I heard every hoot of the silly owl perched near our tent and all the scurrying around of racoons at night so needless to say, I didn't get much shut eye. The favorite saying out of the mouths of our babes over the wknd was "let's build a fire camp!" (vs. campfire). We look forward to alot more camping next year and LTD keep reminding us of that. Check out our KodakGallery Link (under right hand column on this blog) for alot more fun photos from camping and from the entire month.

More adorable sayings from LTD:

Lindsey:

"Look at this pretty smile" (as she lays on a big smile)

"Hey, you little stinker!" (to Dylan as he sneaks some of her food)

"I really sad, Mom. I miss Gramma & Papa SO much!" (as we're leaving the airport after visiting Papa & Grandma during their 3 hour layover in Mpls)

Taylor:
"I love you SO much, mommy" (as she hugs me tight and lays a super big kiss on my lips)
"What's goin' on in here?" (as she stomps in the bedroom where Dylan and Lindsey are being super loud)

"It's just a BABY school bus" (about a mini yellow bus that drives by)

Dylan:

"MUSTANG!" (as a Mustang car drives by). Lindsey responds, "That's right, Dylan". Dylan responds back, "I know cars!"

"Yuck" (after sipping from my coffee mug at the park while visiting with another mom). The mom responds, "you must like juice?" Dylan hesitates and responds, "No, I like beer!"

"I'm smokin' my tires!" (as we pedal up to the park and a man tells him how fast he is)

They continue to keep us laughing (most of the time)!!

First Canoe Trip

This past weekend, Daniel Boone (aka Dave Clark) decided to take us all on a family canoe trip in our canoe on the Uptown Lakes in Mpls. It was a beautiful sunny day and LTD had a blast (so did mom)!! We rowed around Lake of the Isles and Cedar Lake and had a grand picnic on the banks of Hidden Beach (used to be known for nude sunbathing but thankfully is now a public beach with swimsuits required). The kiddos loved all the ducks and geese and enjoyed singing "Row Row Row Your Boat". Dylan was especially fascinated with the kids that were jumping off the bridge into the water and wanted to try it himself. Uh, let's wait on that one!

I had a woman walk up to me at the swimming area on Hidden Beach while the kids were swimming and said, "Oh my, we saw you row in and I have to say you have the most beautiful family! You are so blessed!!!" Yes, indeed we are - thank you, God!!

Dance, Gymnastics & Balls!

The Olympics have been a highlight to watch at Camp Clark over the last week, especially gymnastics, swimming, diving and volleyball. Needless to say, we have 3 aspiring little ones that are fascinated with the sporting events and feel compelled to imitate what they are watching (or at least give it their best attempt). They all have made sure to put on their "sporting attire" right before we sit down to watch them (bodysuits, gym trunks, swim suits, you name it). It has been an absolute riot and we have managed to capture a few of those crazy moments.

Before I forget, here are a few more words straight from the mouths of babes:

Dylan - "Move it, woman!" (talking to the car in front of us when we are stopped at a red light and it turns green - gee, wonder where he picked that up? - hint: a male driver who thinks women drive badly)

Lindsey - "Oh Taylor, isn't that just adorable?" (about a puppy at the park)

Taylor - "Oh look, Papa's Cheese!" (Papa Egg is known for having Velveeta in his fridge and mom ended up buying some due to the popular request).

Cupcakes & Corn

Here's a video of Dylan's Potty Party celebration!! We are so very proud of our little dude!!

Here's to Brother Dylan, He's Potty Trained Now!

Yes, that's right; Dylan is potty trained and we are so very proud of our little dude!!! Tonight we had an official Potty Party to celebrate his big accomplishment. First, LTD got to help by making triple chocolate fudge cupcakes (after receiving approval from the Sugar Police), then they frosted them with cream cheese frosting (customized with their favorite color; D was green, L was purple and T was pink), then the candles were added in each of their muffins, and THEN the song......


"Here's to brother Dylan, brother Dylan, brother Dylan....
here's to brother Dylan, he's potty trained now...
He pees and he poops and he wipes and he flushes...
here's to brother Dylan, he's potty trained now!"
(we will have to post the video of this milestone once I am organized enough to share it).

Next week Tuesday we venture off to the Mall of America for Toddler Tuesday to ride on all the rides as a final celebration. This is one of Dylan's favorite places (next to North Dakota) and a huge incentive this last "potty trial" (along with peanut M & M's; of course approved by the Sugar Police). It worked and we are SO relieved and anxious to close that chapter. Whew!!!!

Simple Thoughts and Funny Quotes

Only one more month of summer left! Looking back on the last few months, what an incredible reinforcement of how grateful Dave and I for each other and our health, our 3 beautiful, healthy children, our amazing families, and our wonderful friends. We continue to thank the Lord every day for the gifts He has blessed us with. (The photo above is a group shot on a warm summer night on Prior Lake with great friends: the Little's, the Erickson's and us - it just so happens we each have a set of triplets + 1).

Speaking of gifts, recently I was treated to dinner by 3 of my dearest friends (Ann, Terrie & Vicki) whom I always enjoy sharing quality time with. One thing we talked about was the challenge of becoming financially "dependent" on your spouse when you choose to stay home with your children instead of work. There are pros and cons, sacrifices are made, priorities change, but in all honesty, the truly important things in life really get put into perspective. I have gained so much in the last 3-1/2 years that is worth WAY more than anything money could ever buy and I am eternally grateful for the journey. After all, we only have 7 short years before they start 1st grade (only 3-1/2 left!!) to share in all their glory and truly savor each and every moment, 24/7/365. Such little sacrifice for such an enormous gift.

On to the fun stuff, there have been lots of cute sayings coming from the mouths of LTD recently and here are just a few:

LINDSEY - "Dylan, did you just talk back to me and use a "tone"?"

"It's go time!" (when we took off for the zoo one morning)

"I'd like two blue M & M's to match my eyes, please"

TAYLOR - "There's corn in my poop!" (at potty time: we ate corn on the cob the day prior). Then a few days later, "hey mom, where's the corn?" as she stared into the toilet bowl

"Dilly Bar, I am SO proud of you!" (after Dylan went potty on the toilet)

"Speed up, mom, and catch daddy!" (as Dave blows by our mini van in his sports car)

DYLAN - After I told them I would "throw" them in the bathtub after dinner he said, "NO, we could get hurt!"

"Ah-men is at bedtime; A-men is for breakfast!" (the dilemma of A-men vs. Ah-men during prayer time)

"That's 'scusting!" (admiring his recent droppings in the toilet)

PS - DYLAN IS POTTY TRAINED - YEAH!!!!!!!! (Finally :)

Birthday Bashes

Birthdays are such a treat when you have little angels sitting anxiously who thrive on singing "Happy Birthday" and blowing out your candles for you. In reality, they truly enjoy licking the frosting off the candles and devouring the cake (with the Sugar Police standing guard)!! Lindsey, Taylor and Dylan got the opportunity to help me and their cousin Anna celebrate our July birthdays in the last week (Anna turned 4; I'm not telling). Poor Anna didn't even get to blow out her own candles since they swarmed around and moved in. We had a really nice time having Aunt Heidi and Anna & Faith over for time in the pool and a BBQ.

Dave took me out for sushi and a movie on my birthday and he was such a trooper!! He doesn't care much for sushi and he sat in a movie theatre full of women for a chick flick I had been wanting to see (we rarely go to movies since we rent them at home). He didn't complain even once - what a babe!! Although, I believe I am done with sushi and theatre movies for quite a while. Just can't see paying so much for so little and not being able to enjoy a great movie in the comfort of your own home and laughing as loud as I want without getting "the look". I think my brother Bruce and friend Annie are the only two that may be on the same volume level as me. Oh well, laughter is the key to happiness, especially really loud laughter, right?

Splash & Play

LTD outgrew their kiddie pool from last summer and with hopes of moving in the next year or so, an inground pool was not an option (not to mention, WAY out of our budget). SO, we decided to get a new "easy set-up" pool that cost us about $60 (what a bargain for 12' x 30" with a filter). Or so we thought. Quite a fiasco for a pool!! First, it was not on completely level ground so it pretty much took out the garden while we were out for dinner (basically rolled down the SLIGHT decline - did I mention it took a day to fill with warm water?). SO, Dave levelled out the backyard as best as can be the next day and we tried it again. Thankfully, it worked but we found out that it is much more "involved" than we anticipated. We initally thought, "hey, a filtered pool would be great so we don't have to empty the water every day". Well, that filtering system also entailed: purchasing non-chemical disinfecting agents/testing kit since we did not want to use chlorine as they recommended (cost $50 and a trip to Chanhassen); purchasing a pool cleaning kit with vacuum and debris skimmer ($20); rigging our own ladder since a new one was way overpriced (would have cost $50+); and rigging our slide so it could be high enough to slide into the pool - Whew! Now we just have to stay on top of all this and we'll be good.

Anyway, the kiddos LOVE it!! So we captured a few moments of them on their first day in the pool along with a day at their favorite park with mom and dad. We have so much enjoyed the summer and have spent a great deal of time outdoors with lots more fun times ahead. Stay tuned for a posting on some July birthday bashes.

Swimming & Birthday Celebration

We just got back from North Dakota after an awesome visit!! We truly enjoyed sharing time with our dear parents, genuine friends and taking time to just relax and celebrate Independence Day (also Grandma Ione's birthday). We went swimming, boating on the river, shared time with friends on Lake Isabel and saw an incredible fireworks display, took in the zoo and the amusement park - twice, shared cold beverages with friends on hot summer nights, shared more cold beverages with friends at the park while our kids played together, Dave got to golf, we slept in and spent lots of time outdoors. Bismarck is just such a fantastic place and the fact that it takes 5-10 min. to get anywhere in town is so amazing. No metro traffic and lots of friendly people that actually speak English - how refreshing!! The sad part is we did a horrible job of taking time to get out the camera & video camera, not only in ND but the entire month of June and into July.

We did mangage to capture the grand finale of their very first swimming lessons (without mom and dad in the water with them) which Grandma & Papa Good got to see firsthand the day LTD left for ND for 9 days without us!! They never cried even once for us while they were there!! They had so much fun and got a chance to share quality time with Papa & Grandma Clark and Papa & Grandma Kemmet too. They had absolutely no problem moving around from place to place. I think Dave and I missed them WAY more than they even had time to think about us. Mama Bear cried ALOT more than her cubs did. We also got a chance to capture on film the 4th of July birthday celebration of Grandma Ione. LTD had a blast singing, blowing out candles and eating ice cream cake and frosting.

We are back to MN and the kiddos have been formally introduced to their new bedrooms. Stay tuned for video and photos of the big transition!! Check out our KodakGallery link on this page (right hand column) for photo memories from June to mid-July. We vow to do a much better job the rest of the summer taking videos and photos.

Goodbye Cribs!!!

Today is a really sad day for me personally - we are officially saying goodgye to the cribs. Another new chapter of our lives yet a sad milestone in a way. The name "Camp Clark" developed because of the way we had their cribs set up in their room. They were placed in a U-shape so they could all see and communicate with one another easily and feel close, like one big happy camp. Now today, we are sending those cribs out the door with other parents-to-be so they may develop new memories of their own. The above photos were the last ones we took of them in their cribs (with Zoe).

To top off the sorrow, LTD have left with their grandparents to spend time in North Dakota for a little over a week while Dave and I begin a home remodeling project. It is SO quiet here and we miss our kiddos badly. Sog, Sob, Sob!!

OK, I need to pull myself together. On the bright side, Dylan is graduating to his very own room, complete with a BIG bed and a fun "cars & trucks" theme. He will LOVE it, or so we hope. They have always shared a room together and we don't want him to feel left out or lonely. But truthfully, the girls chatter alot (rock stars) and end up disrupting his sleep which he tends to need more of. We call him Little Cat, after his dad, Big Cat (likes his sleep and naps). Plus, we want to personalize things more for him (and the girls) versus the unisex theme we have in their room now. Everybody gets their own big beds and we are really playing that up to get them excited about it all. When we all return from ND (we leave a week from today), they will come home to their new rooms and beds.

BUT, Camp Clark lives on, just not technically. Our home will always be one big, happy AND loud camp!!! We wouldn't want it any other way.

Puppy & Prayers

Camp Clark was in high heaven last week as we were asked to watch a dear friend's dog while they travelled for a week. I don't know who was more excited, me or the children. Her name is Zoe and she is such a sweetie pie and was so good with LTD. She never once snipped at them and she doesn't shed so Dave was pretty pleased too (no watery eyes or constant sneezing as in the old Shaq days). The kiddos had so much fun taking her on walks and to the park, feeding her, cuddling her and playing with all her toys. They especially liked when we gave her a bath and she ran around the house afterwards with LOTS of energy and excitment. There were a few bodies knocked over and run down but it was all harmless. The video above captures some of those moments as well as some goofy times and time for prayer at the end of the night. There is something very precious about hearing a child pray and we always savor those moments.

LTD have really been developing some creative imaginations. They are always pretending to be some character like Arial, Flounder, Cinderella, Belle, a fire truck or police car, a naughty black rat, Madeline, cats, dogs, fish, etc. Taylor can carry on conversations with her imaginative friends for hours while Lindsey gives orders on who everybody should be. Dylan is the joker and is always trying to get laughs by doing silly things. It works! We laugh at him all the time. In fact, we have our own comedy show daily. Check out these latest sayings:

Lindsey - "Quiet Mom. Dad's trying to drive" (as I give directions to Dave when driving); "Go on and get! (to her siblings in a joking manner - see video); "Oh my goodness sakes, Dilly!" (to Dylan as he's goofing around); "mom, I need to go to the hop-i-stal, I'm really sick (for "hospital" as she scratches a few mosquito bites)

Taylor - "I like sales" (when I mentioned there was a sale going on); "I want just a baby bit of beer!" (when Dave refuses to give her a chug of his beer); "No, I gotta eat!" (as she bites into her pizza when asked to sing with Dylan and Lindsey at the dinner table); "I have a pocket right here in my underwear" (to slip her quarters in - she's wearing Dylan's boy underwear with the flap in front)

Dylan - "That's scusting!" (for "disgusting"); "No way, Jose" (when Taylor asks for his ball); "I'm growing up now" (as we put big boy underwear on for a trial run); "al-bu-lance!" (for "ambulance" when one speeds by and he shouts at the top of his lungs)

Constant laughs!! Everyday it seems there is always something new coming out of their mouths which is why we really need to watch what we say and do and front of them. Little eyes are upon us and they catch it ALL, little stinkers!!

Gymnastics Spring Celebration

Earlier in June, LTD had their very first gymnastics performance at the Spring Celebration to close out the season until fall. It was SO cute but they were the youngest kiddos there and I think they got a little intimidated by the very large crowd of spectators and all the comotion going on. Regardless, we managed to capture a few fun moments although Dave thinks I am the least talented camera person alive: he's right and I apologize for the unsteady shots :) They were each awarded a gold medal and treat bags full of candy (Sugar Police was NOT happy) and the girls won McDonald's gift certificates which will come in handy for ice cream cones this summer. It was a really fun experience and we look forward to alot more performances in the future, at least for the girls but Dylan really likes it too for now. We suppose that may change as he gets opportunities to try other things like soccer which he absolutely LOVES. His little legs move about 100mph and he can kick that ball super hard and high. It's hilarious. He's also a big fan of basketball, t-ball and football. Oh boy, so much ahead of us!!

Swim Lessons

Lindsey, Taylor & Dylan started a new swim class this week, every day M-Th, for two weeks. It is called "Guppies"; how very appropriate!! It is really nice since Dave and I don't have to get in the pool with them, in fact, we are not even allowed in the pool area except on observation days (Th). They even get to wear their goggles into the pool which is perfect since they turn into fish whenever they put them on. It is SO cute when they get done - I meet them at the entrance into the pool waiting with their warm towels since they are totally shivering. They really like their instructor, Ms. Colleen and talk about swimming constantly. They scoop, kick and go under "all by themselves" and are so very proud!! When they are done, we rush into the locker room and take toasty warm showers which they LOVE. All was great this morning until Lindsey decided to pee in the drain while she was showering. I told her we use the potty for that and she said "Daddy told me it's ok to pee in the drain". Funny thing is, he DID tell her that, in the "private" family shower room at our health club, where nobody else can see us. Mom had to set the record straight today - no more peeing in the shower! What is so funny is that we are typically the entertainment of the morning. Moms just stare and say things like, "oh you poor thing" or "you wear me out just watching you" or "how do you do it?" or the best one today "oh, you're still here - I guess it takes you longer, huh?" You think? Honestly, I answered with a smile and said, "God blessed us with three so we could take more time to enjoy the moments - there are 3x more moments!". Our hectic days of running here, there & everywhere all while trying to beat the clock really makes me stop and think - live in the moment and enjoy each and every one of them we are given! We are never guaranteed tomorrow. So I do!! God is really good.

Adios to May!

Blast from the past; a day on the river

LTD are gearing up for a trip in June to North Dakota to see their grandparents and spend a few weeks there. They keep asking when they get to go to "Elks Pool" and go on "the boat", two of their favorite memories from last summer (2007). SO, I just had to pull up a video clip from that trip to share with them (and you). It was a day on the river in Bismarck and we had Papa & Grandma Clark's boat for the day. Grandma Good got to join in on the fun that day too and taught the kiddos how to play hopscotch on the sand.

May was a great month. The kids finished up their first year of Kids Peace Time (really mom's peace time is what it should be called - 4-1/2 hrs to myself for the week!) and we all looked forward to Mondays because of it. We also finished up CMF (Christian Mom's Fellowship) which I served as Director for the year. I thoroughly enjoyed serving and have grown immensely in my Christian walk because of it. LTD always enjoyed going every Wednesday due to the fun children's program and their teachers (Ms. Pam is in our prayers alot). We also finished up Sunday School until next September; we finished up our ECFE Marvelous Multiples class and plan to try some new classes in the fall instead, and started swimming lessons (Dave and I go in the pool with them for now). Gymnastics ended for the summer the first week in June and we will make sure to post some photos from their "pageant". BUT, most importantly, we made lots of time just to have fun and spent of time outdoors on their trikes (they are just starting to dabble with their big kid bikes with training wheels), had lots of picnics and days at the park, went on a fun family overnight trip to the waterpark, planted flowers and a vegetable garden (yes, they helped and it got a bit messy), spent an afternoon on Lake Harriett and got caught in a horrible rain/hail storm, and spent time with friends (like the 4th birthday party of their friends, Aimee, Ella and Kendrick). Check out the link on this blog page to our KodakGallery site for May's photos to see lots of fun photos.

Cute sayings that happened to come out of the mouths of our babes this month include:

Lindsey - "Mom, that's just diculous! (for ridiculous); "Not a good idea! (when I accidentally left the windows open and it rained)

Taylor - "I'm going to work" (as she gets in Dave's truck and shuts the door and starts steering); constantly sings, "Wa la, my scar, wa la, my scar" (from her new favorite video, Madeline)

Dylan - "Can you believe another red light?" (as we approach our 5th or 6th red light on Cty Rd 42), "I want to bring my cars in my back-cack" (for backpack)

Those are just a few of the ones I actually remember but there are ALOT more - I just don't always write them down and my memory is lacking these days. I hope someday my mom-brain goes away and I get my memory back. God bless and have a fantastic summer!!

Waterpark Mania

Waterpark Video

Ever since LTD started wearing goggles and began swimming lessons, they are wild about water. Dave and I decided to take a mini-vacation (an overnight) with the kiddos and head 35 minutes south to Owatonna to a well-known water park that was highly suggested by a dear friend of ours. It features small crowds, affordable prices (Kids Eat Free), and an overall fun time for families. We had an absolute BLAST!! Our suite featured 2 rooms; one with a king bed for 2 worn out parents and the other had bunk beds for the kiddos. The bunks were great for climbing and playing on but when it came time to actually sleeping, they much preferred to cuddle up together in their sleeping bags on the floor in the middle of the room. (note to self: SO relieved and grateful we opted to skip bunk beds for their new big kid beds at home). LTD swam hard and we basically had the entire park to ourselves the whole time we were there (Thursday night). The pool also had some big water slides that the kiddos had so much fun on - but we never got a chance to capture any of it on film (probably had something to do with having our hands full with 3 wild munchkins anxious to get to the top of the slide saying "Let's do it again, Daddy!!). We swam, sang, danced, had pillow fights, enjoyed a delicious dinner in the dining room (LTD especially loved the free ice cream), played fun games in the arcade, swam some more, and Dave and I even had time for a movie after the kiddos zonked out for the night (Silence of the Lambs - how romantic!!). We really had a nice time and look forward to going back again with some friends in the fall.

The video features a few moments leading up to and during our trip including: their new song "We're going to the water park" which they made up and sang the night before we left; time in the pool, the pillow fight, and dancing on the bed. We had to omit Taylor's dance since she has this thing about being naked - not good when sharing videos with others. Of course, she had to do the twist in the nude. Our little exhibitionist!!

Singing Babes Video

Can you tell, we love to sing?

Mother's Day was especially spectacular for me this year. Not only did LTD make me the most adorable mini-flower pots (with their photos) and special cards with their little handprints, but I was privileged to share that special day with somebody I adore - my own mother. My mom and Jon were in Mpls for 4 full days and LTD were in high heaven. They always love visits from their grandmas and grandpas - they were also able to spend time with "Papa & Gamma" Clark one week previous which they were super excited about. Now, all they are talking about is when they get to go to North Dakota again to see all their grandmas and papas!!

As each day passes, I look with amazement at our children. They just crack me up! They are just so animated and innocent and I wish I could have the video running all day long and capture alot more of those moments. Lindsey has an art for "correcting" not only her siblings, but her mom and dad too. Today she told me that the baby geese are not called "baby geese" (like I called them when we drove by a pond); they are gosslings. AND, dolphins are not fish, they are mammals (as I read a book about dolphins). Taylor LOVES animals and tonight we were playing in a park across the street and she ran right up to a 100 lb dog and hugged him - thankfully he was a gentle giant. I think she gets that from me. Dylan has a blast playing soccer at the field across the street and his little legs move about 100mph. He is REALLY good at it!! He also thrives on riding his tricycle up and down hills and gets going as fast as he can and just screams at the top of his lungs (with glee! and the hugest smile covers his face). Guess where he gets all that from?

Mother's Day Tea at KPT

LTD partake in a preschool program 1x weekly called, Kids' Peace Time. They go to "school" for 4-1/2 hours on Mondays and just love it. Last week they had "Mom's Tea Time" in honor of Mother's Day and all the children sang some songs, and then we all shared cookies and tea together. It was so sweet and adorable and Dave even got a chance to come with to watch them perform. Dylan sang loudly after he got warmed up but Lindsey & Taylor were more interested in lifting up their skirts and staring at all the people watching. We managed to capture some fun "school" photos in front of the church after tea (Taylor on top).

April 2008

April is kind of a blur for me, as many days or weeks can be. Dave and I had bought LTD goggles right after our trip to MX and they have taken to water like fish now that they have them. They LOVE swimming and they spend a great deal of their time under water vs. above. The lifeguard at our health club was amazed at how well they do in the water and said she has 6 yr olds that don't do that well. This is funny to hear since they have never had a swimming lesson but are enrolled to begin in May.

We've always marveled at some of the things that come from the mouths of babes! Here is just a sampling of a few cute ones that I managed to write down:

• Lindsey - "Dylan & Taylor, what color is the road?(pauses waiting for an answer). When they both say "black", she authoritatively states, "correct!"
• Lindsey - "My belly is full" (as she lifts up her shirt to show her belly after eating)
• Lindsey - "Mommy, your hair is beautiful!"
• Taylor - "I'm not a fish, I'm a scubadiver!" (when we tell her she swims like a fish)
• Taylor - "Mommy, it's going to be ok" (as she holds my face as I am exhausted during the bedtime process and she has to go potty, AGAIN!)
• Taylor - "Daddy, can you pull Cinderella from behind my ear?" (her Polly Pocket Cinderalla was MIA. Dave always pretends to perform magic and find things behind their ears, except this time he couldn't pull off the magic trick with Cinderella missing)
• Dylan - "Lindsey, get me my blankie, I'm busy right now!" (as he sits in my lap during storytime at bedtime)
• Dylan - "Come on lady, get moving!" (to the car in front of us at a traffic light that turned green - wonder where he gets this from?)
• Dylan - "Buckle your seatbelts; we're going on a roller coaster ride!" (as I was driving down a hill near our home)

Never a dull moment!!