Seven

Of late I've been reading a number of "Mommy Blogs" - having finally succumbed to that title myself - which are full of all the reasons why people's kids are great, fabulous, clever and all together too wonderful for words (unless you count the 3,000 words in yet another isn't-my-kid-fab post.) I like to think that here at emzeegee & the hungry three I'm a bit more honest about it all. Do I love and adore my kids? Absolutely! Do I think they are perfect? No. Generally speaking, while I will blog about them, it's not to say how utterly great they are.

However, it's their birthday week...and if a mother can't be super saccharine nice about her kids on their birthday, well...come on now. So without further ado, here is the official birthday blog post:

This week, on May 17th, the triplets turn seven years old. When they were babies, I met a woman whose triplets were in high school. At the time I found myself thinking, "We're never going to make it that far. Teenagers! Can you imagine?!" That woman's teenagers are now heading off to college, and my triplets are well and truly on the way to being pre-pre-pre teens. The attitude, the clothes, the "I totally know better than you do" hallmarks of the teenage years are fighting against the lovey-dovey, tickle-me-more, bubble baths of young childhood.


DD1 - You, my smiley girl, are perhaps my easiest and yet my most difficult child. You have spent most of your seven years smiling, laughing and jumping around with unabashed giddiness. We've always said that you march to the beat of your own drummer...but we were wrong about that. You would never, ever, EVER just march. You would dance, jump, swing, wrestle, spin and somersault to that drummer...and you would do it with so much enthusiasm and excitement that you would take the rest of us along with you.


Your life is not an easy one. You have to work harder to achieve things which your siblings seem to do with ease. You have to control your emotional impulses a lot more. You have to concentrate harder at staying on task, and you have to fight the demons within who tell you that you can't do something. Your world is a loud, distracting one and every day you fight to keep it under control, and often you don't manage that. This year you have learned to cope better with that chaos and noise, and it really shows in terms of all you have achieved. The Queen of the Monkey Bars reigns supreme both at school and at gymnastics, and your Dad and I could not be more proud...even if it means we all giggle at your endless bruises and scrapes.


Emotionally, you are the single most loving person I know - even more than your Dad, which is saying a lot! You always, ALWAYS have arms ready for a hug, hair ready for a ruffle, and you love people with a fierceness which is just truly remarkable. You feel all of life so strongly - there are no 'half measures' with you - it's the highest of the highs and (very rarely) the lowest of the lows. You are a person of simple things - which is not to say YOU are simple-minded. A person who grabs the biggest amount of happiness from the smallest, simplest things. A person who understands the value of a simple gesture like a hug or a hand drawn picture.


Alexis, at seven years old, I only hope you never grow out of your endless ability to love, and your eternally optimistic view of the world. I truly believe the world would be a much better place if only there were more people like you in it.



DS. Ahh, my crazy son-shine! He who struggles between having the brain of a boy much older than his years, but a heart still that of the gorgeous little boy you are. Because you are so smart, we all have an expectation that you are more mature than your years, but the reality of it is you need your love, your cuddles, and your being-a-kid time more than most. As our only son, I suppose there is a certain cultural expectation, too, that you will be our reliable one, our stable one, our one on whom we pin the responsibility of looking after your sisters. I have to say that this is a responsibility you take pretty seriously - you make sure they never get more dessert than you do! They drive you crazy, as only sisters can ... but just when I think you've had enough of this triplet business, you take the time to sit down and read a story to them.


You are so many things to me. You're the person I go to when I want (need?!) to tickle someone, who I know can give as well as he gets. You're the person who will always offer and give help when needed - either to me or to a friend in need. You are the person who keeps all of us on our toes, always needing to know more, see more, do more, ask more. Your constant quest for knowledge also means you have an unwavering belief in yourself - your self-confidence shines through with everything you attempt. You have your moments of frustration, but you don't let them get you down for too long.


Like your older sister, you are capable of huge amounts of love for other people. Your poor stuffed elephant Wuh-wee has been literally loved to death! All of us have been on the receiving end of one of your bone crushing hugs, and there are very few people who do not melt at the sight of those beautiful baby blue eyes. The eyes, and those hugs, basically mean you (like to think you can) get away with just about anything!


You're cheeky, clever, amusing and sometimes downright naughty - but then those are all the things which really define you. Foolish enough to get yourself intro trouble, you're also smart enough to talk your way out of it. My wish for you, Julian, as you turn seven - is that you remain able to revel in your academic ability, while never underestimating other people's abilities, too. Selfishly, I hope you never find giving your Mum a hug in public to be embarrassing (even though you've already told me you won't.)


DD2, my world-leader-in-training. From the time you were small, you made a huge impression on me, and everyone else! You have a hugely independent will - a force to be reckoned with. There are so many things about you which will hold you in good stead as you grow older. You are smart - smart enough to talk your way out of just about anything. You are resilient - even though you claim not to be, you're often the one who copes with the world's unfairness the best. You are demanding - you never let anyone get away with anything, and you demand greatness of yourself as well. You have perseverance - choosing to follow a "career" in dance has always been on your agenda, and you've never strayed from that goal, even when other options looked more "cool" or glamorous.


From your days in daycare, teachers have always told me how well-liked you are, how other children look to you for guidance, and how someday you will grow up and achieve leadership greatness. In my house, though, you're just my beautiful, delicious little girl whose voice always needs to be heard. Your need for attention is often amusing, and sometimes frustrating - but we always know what a huge part you play in our family dynamic. You are often the voice of reason, the person who will make sure that everything is fair and that turns are taken and that nobody is left without their portion. I admire you enormously for that skill. A lesser person would worry only about themselves.


If I were to label you, I would say you are the classic achiever - the stereotypical beautiful Prom Queen who is not only getting straight A's but also has millions of friends and interests and the person who everyone likes. In your short life you've already begun to win awards - for Yiddish and for your leadership skills - but with me the award you hold is that of Cutest Tush! That, I think, reflects what I think about you ... that while you may be so many great things, you also maintain your sense of humour and often let me drive you crazy with all my carrying on, even though you find me embarrassing. (Although just between you and me, I know you secretly like it.)


Emotionally, you are my drama queen - the one for whom life is unfair, for whom other people are mean, and "nobody" ever listens to you. We both know that none of that is true, if for the one reason that you would NEVER let any of those things happen. You are, by nature, a bit of a pessimist - you'll often say your school day was "horrible" but then take an hour to tell me how fun and exciting it all was. I was lying if I said I didn't sometimes worry about you, and wish you took things just that little bit less seriously. I suppose the old Control Freak gene is alive and well in you.

So that, dear Claire (or Kiki as you prefer), is my 7th birthday wish for you - that you remain the capable, confident, loving, high achieving girl that you are ... but that once in a while you remember to just let go and have a little bit of fun (and that you let your dear old Mum give your tush a pinch now and again, no matter how embarrassing.)



The bathtime photos in this post were taken a few days ago...and looking at them makes me so happy and yet so sad. Sad because I know it's probably the very last of the bathtub photos I'll ever take - the kids are growing too big for that bathtub, and their growing body awareness means they won't want to bathe together for much longer. Sad, too, because their faces are so happy and shiney ... and I know that soon enough they will grow up and the weight of the world will rest on those shoulders. Happy because I am confident that DH and I are raising capable, responsible, downright adorable human beings ... and happy because even when they drive me crazy, their mere presence in my life has improved it immeasurably.

Happy 7th Birthday Lexi, Jules & Kiki!