the three turned four on saturday. it delights me to tell you that this year, i was able to really celebrate their birthday. to delight in them turning four instead of remembering how they nearly didn't make it to four days old.
we held a party on the playground and invited around 40 kids (nd their parents), which means approximately 70 people attended the party. i am very grateful for the events planning i did when i was a student at mount royal - mum and i did everything the day before the party. cut vegetables for the vegetable platter, made dips, (the party bags had been prepared since tuesday), checked that the candles worked, and friday night i premixed the dry ingredients for the chili i was making for the party, chopped the four onions, pressed the garlic, and got everything together, so the next morning, the preparation time for the chili was minimal. friday night i also made a list of what needed to be accomplished the next morning, and what time it needed to be done. i love being this organised and OH! did it pay off. keep in mind, i don't drive, so i bought all the alcohol in three shops prior to the party, as well as water, etc.
charles made the cake, and keeping in theme with the party and invitations, it was a shrek cake. when the triplets saw it, two of them were enchanted. one child however, burst into tears and sobbed, "i wanted a princess cake!" hello! this was the first we had heard of it! i reminded this child that the tears & dislike of shrek cake might be hurtful to the father, and the child did not show remorse. briskly carted off to room, child smartened up.
as soon as the party started, aforementioned child cornered me and said with a mouth crammed full of crisps, "i am having a really good time".
it was a good party. my dad did what he does best, he held the plethora of babies that our playground always has, and only very reluctantly relinquished them to their parents. he informed parents that their babies needed to visit canada. my mum suggested that i have more children. i suggested that possibly my other siblings might like to take a turn. each time we took a child up to use the toilet, we took an armful of empty trays or brightly wrapped presents with us.
(i asked sela and carys if they would like another baby and they told me they would like a girl baby. they decided on the name of "baby supergirl". i like it. any child that could be naturally created from my calcium covered ovaries would be pretty superheroic indeed. this child's head would have like a crusty eggshell on its top.)
my mum had a great time as well, and was incredibly helpful. i was v. grateful to have them there. they were so fantastic, talking to so many people.
the food was fantastic. i had made the chili in the slow cooker. i had been worried about the weather and chili is such a nice warming food. other appetisers were also warmed and i had done the prep work the day before, but the cheese dips were fantastic (ie: none were left over), and the platters were great. but you know what i learned? no matter how many bags of crisps you buy, the kids will finish them off. it was astonishing to watch the kids polish off 4 bumper bags of doritos and 6 bumper bags of crisps. and they were still looking around for more when other parents told me to NOT put any more out!
the girls wore their pink tutus and jasper wore his buzz lightyear costume. the girls were chuffed that the weather was a little warmer because, "if the weather is very cold we have to wear stockings and pants with our tutus and then jumpers. we won't look like ballerinas."
did i mention that the girls got their first "real" haircuts?
did i mention that they are four?
everything that comes with four?
i survived three kids being three. and even more importantly, their survival no longer has such an impact on me.
this year of theirs is off to a great start.
fore!
I'm SO GLAD to hear that not only the triplets had a great day - but that MOMMY had a good day too. That's awesome.
FOUR. WOW. That's really incredible.
Posted by: Tammy | February 26, 2008 at 10:44 PM
Delighted to hear that you could all celebrate their birthday this year!! Sounds like a great time. Can't believe that they are four already!
Posted by: Trinie | February 27, 2008 at 03:49 AM
Just wait ten years (yea, wait, right) until fourteen and boyfriends/girlfriends. Oy.
Posted by: joeinvegas | February 27, 2008 at 04:14 AM
Happy Birthday! Enjoy FOUR!
Posted by: Jody | February 27, 2008 at 06:37 AM
happy birthday!
how delightful that it felt like a celebration to you, Tess. I'm glad your parents are with you as well.
Posted by: katrina | February 27, 2008 at 08:22 AM
Well done Tess ... I knew you'd get there! I hope you savoured the moment - both for the excellent party preparation and the 4 year endurance ride!
Lots of love,
Lucy
Posted by: Lucy Moran | February 27, 2008 at 08:51 AM
PS are we going to see PICTURES???
Love lucy
Posted by: Lucy Moran | February 27, 2008 at 08:52 AM
Has another year passed already... wasn't it just yesterday that I was looking at pictures from last year's triplet birthday bash??? WOW!!! Go Trio! Go mum and dad!!! That means in 8 short months Keighley will be four as well!!!!!!!! CRAZY!!!!!! Love you lots and lots...xo lyns
Posted by: lyns | February 27, 2008 at 10:22 AM
Happy Birthday you beautiful kiddos! Good to hear that the day was joyous for you as well Tess. Cant beleive they are 4 already! Smooches & hugs all around!
Posted by: Carrie in MN | February 27, 2008 at 12:23 PM
Fore?
You are brilliant. not only in your ability to produce such fantastic children from such calcium covered ovaries, but in your ability to write about them. Fore? Genious 'Fore'ever in my opinion. That is what you are to me.
Posted by: Charmaine | February 29, 2008 at 01:10 PM