Being a Real Mom

This week is the first time since having three kids that I've really had them by myself for a few hours a day.  I always think that I got off really easy with being able to have Gaetan home all the time, so I don't really know what it's like to take care of them by myself... but I would have to say that I think I'm doing a pretty good job!  :)  The only tricky part comes because I don't know when Norah is going to nap, so if I wanted to plan an outing with them it could go really well (because she sleeps the entire time) or it could get cray because she wants to eat, and then the kids run off or something.  But, I decided that I was going to take them to the playground because the weather was so nice and I like having them burn off as much energy as possible :)

I think the outing went pretty good.  This was definitely the first time I had taken all three out by myself for an extended period of time.  the crazies did a good job of listening and sharing the swings (that's their favorite thing to do, but there are only two and usually other kids want on them too).  When they started to get a little wiley I sat them down with an apple and they shared it.  It's really quite endearing watching them share an apple... they have a bite and then pass it to the other one.  While they were eating their snack Norah woke up so I had put her in the backpack but she didn't seem real satisfied with that set up... so I thought that I was going to have to feed her, but she seemed happy with being in her carseat.  I put her in there because Dude requested that we go for a walk, so I had to get the stroller out.  Dude was done eating the apple but Lucy still wanted the rest of it, so it was perfect!  She sat in the stroller and was occupied eating the apple while Dude ran around on the trails and Norah got rocked back to sleep by the movement of the stroller.

At the lookout with her apple

Look at that sly smile

Turns out that Dude really wanted to go back to the Lookout Point that Papa had taken them to before. Its really beautiful back there, but the way that their 'boardwalk' is set up to get there if it has any amount of moisture the water comes through the holes and can get muddy quickly.  There were only two spots that it was iffy... but in the boardwalks defense that double stroller gets heavy fast...

They had a nice time back there enjoying the scenery.  And the nice part is it's so secluded that I figured I could feed Norah back there if she woke up unhappy.  She did not though, so all was well.  We hung out there for a little bit until we had to start heading back.  Dude rode in the stroller for a little loop and then Lucy wanted to ride again.  We probably walked a little over a mile, and I'm always so impressed that Dude walks as far as he does... his little strong legs!

All in all I think that we had a very successful outing.  It makes me more apt to want to try it again and hopeful that I can handle them out and about.  :)

JVG