Jon and I survived Triplet Weekend with very few battle scars. All three boys had a great time and it was fairly easy to incorporate a third kid into our routine. That said, the weekend provided Jon and I with some wonderful insight on two topics:
* We work much better as 2-kid parents.
* Having twins is very different than having a singleton.
For the second bullet point, I wrote an entire post on HDYDI about what it was like to have a singleton in the house. I think this weekend was good for everyone.
Going into the weekend, Jon and I were 99.99% sure we were done with kids. But to be totally honest, sometimes when I walk past BabyGap and see a frilly pink sundress in the window, that 0.01% rises in my throat and I long for a girl with curly pigtails. Not anymore.
We went to a party on Saturday morning and Jon and I were SWEATING trying to corral three 3 year olds for three hours. We're good at zone defense but it seemed like we never got a chance to do anything but care for the kids. All three kids pooped, all three kids needed to eat, all three kids needed to be watched. I shoveled a hot dog into my mouth standing up and that was it for food before I was needed to do something.
Jon and I have grown into our freedom lately and we love it. We love how easy things feel with the boys now. Having a third would mean another transition, switching to zone defense for good, and lots more sweating it in public. And believe me, I have sweated enough in public the last three years, thank you very much.
Before anyone takes any of this the wrong way, we had a great time. The pictures tell the story of how much fun we all had. It's just that our family truly does feel complete with two little boys. I think I've known that in my heart for a very long time but experiencing three helped me come to terms with never having curly pigtails in my house.
8 comments:
I know what you mean. It feels so good to have gotten this far and to have adjusted life around the current situation. Adding another child would just throw everything off again. Personally, I really enjoy having Michael out numbered.
As far as the frilly pink stuff? That what grand kids are for.
That's why I am thinking about plunging now - more to get it all out of the way in relatively short order. I predict you will feel differntly in 3 more years and you'll have another kid. I won't bet my mortgage on it but I get the feeling you aren't actually done.
Wow, I can relate right now. I have my sisters two for the next couple of days and it translates to triplets and a newborn! YIKES! It is curing me of my hormonal desires for a girl!
Perspective is always a good thing.
At a recent-ish birthday party, the mom came up to me at the end and said, "I hope you had a good time. It didn't seem like you had much time to sit down or chat for very long." Honestly, I was a little irritated with the comment. She had three adults for her one child, and got to sit down and enjoy herself, while I was corralling two toddlers by myself.
I much prefer birthday parties targeted at kids where there's no pretense that parents are relaxing.
Sorry - venting.
I look forward to someday attending a party with the children and not sweating. We have the zone defense down but I can't wait until we can just sit and coach from the sidelines!
I feel this way when my friend with twin boys, same age, is visiting. Quadruplets!
That said, I envy your freedom and easy going time now. 3.5 is proving to be quite the challenge for our house and our marriage.
I get what your saying...however ;) I have two boys in their teens now and I just hit the 40 a week ago and guess what....I would not mind hearing news that I have another one on the way. I had my two so young and I would feel way more confident and would have more time to really enjoy. Not that I didn't with my two. So I may agree with Mommy Esq and think words are easy to say but let's just see :)
I know what you mean, too. Our girls are almost four, and after a recent road trip we just remarked on how much easier it is at this age, without strollers, booster seats, pack and plays, etc. Every once and a while I feel the twinge, especially as many friends and family members move on to baby # 2 or # 3. I always thought that I would have a big family, but having twins has taught me many things, including my limits. While it's still challenging and I have my days, I know I can give my girls the love and affection and attention that they need. I'm not sure I could handle another one (and definitely not another two at once!). Whether you have twins or singletons, I think it always takes time to make the decision. Now that we have made ours, and I know that my family is complete, I feel very good about it. And in the end, that is all that matters for all us.
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