you have caught your infant/toddler trio doing? Now that two out of three are crawling, we are into childproofing like crazy! DH and I spent all weekend trying to view the house through their eyes and I *know* we missed something. I was wondering if you seasoned parents could share some of the zaniest moments you recall that might give us an idea as to what we have to look foreward to -- and can maybe prevent!

Thanks a lot!

Tara

Mom to BBG born at 33wks on 4/3/03

Our first problem was that they used each other to climb, meaing one would kneel or lay down and another would stand on top giving them a couple of inches we didn't expect - doesn't seem like much, but a spilled coke off an end table taught us they can get higher than you expect.

Also, 2 of our three couldn't open doors - the 3rd could, but he couldn't climb shelves, so he opened the linen closet door and the other 2 monkeys pulled things off of shelves for him.

Laura
Mom to Meghan, Nichol & Christopher (5/8/99)

Laura
Mom to M, N & C (5/8/99)

My twins pulled a dresser on top of themselves; they opened the bottom drawer, took out all the clothes and one crawled in. He curled up in a fetal position so when it fell over on him he was safe. His brother was sitting ONE INCH out of range! We ended up putting the dressers in the closets and locking the door with a hook-and-eye. They also almost pulled over the TV so we bought an entertainment center that locked. They pulled over lamps. For two-three years our house was stripped bare of every nice, breakable thing! We had to lock the fireplace doors with a bungee cord...as you can see, it was a busy few years!

Thankfully they are of an age now where we can actually have breakables out again.

Just be mindful that they can achieve much more than a singleton because of their combined weight/smarts...

Laura, my twins were born the day after your triplets! It was Mother's day...

Mom of a princess, age six, and two princes, age 4

Well, you can break my trio's stunts into 2 categories... messiest and most dangerous. Messiest has to be painting the windows and the leather sofa with an opened tub of A&D ointment they discovered - then topping it all with baby powder... smelled good, but oh what a mess!

Most dangerous has to be Brandon pushing the TV off the stand - thanks goodness no one was sitting in front of it...... or starting up the van and putting it in drive and well.....we don't even want to go there.! Suffice it to say, this child's guardian angel probably has to call for reinforments on a regular basis.

BTW Laura and Fiona - my trio were Mother's Day babies too - 5-10-98!

Jan
Mom to 5 blessings
Ricky 17, Matthew 11, Jared, Brandon & Lisa, age 5 (33.1 wks)

JW
b 20 b 14 b/b/g 8

"I am too blessed to be stressed"

Jan, you guardian angels truly have been working overtime. Baby powder can be fatal, we had a close call with our 3 year old and our Pediatrician said that you should NEVER have baby powder in the house, corn starch works just as good. If a baby/toddler breathes in enough baby powder it can coat the lungs and there's nothing the medical community can do other than watch the child die.

So far the worst stunt my triplets have done: they push toys over so they can climb onto the couch via the toys and Dylan managed to get on top of a huge pile of pillows that Savannah and Jacob had put on the couch. Dylan was on his knees looking at him self in a big mirror that hangs behind the couch. I caught him as he slid backwards and off the couch!

Oh, and today they got the cupboard under the sink open and got the dishwashing detergent out. We do have it childproofed but that didn't stop 3 13 month old babies. Guess I must find a way to install those magnetic locks I bought, the other ones are just not strong enough.

AnneLena - SAHM
^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^
Christian 17
Savannah 12
Jacob 3
and surviving sextuplets born at 32.2 wks Dec 02:
Noah 4# 4oz
Dylan 4# 3oz
Amalie 4# 2oz
^angel d^
^angel e^
^angel f^
^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^-.,.-^

AnneLena - SAHM
·.¸><((((º>.·´¯'..¸.·´¯'..¸><((((º>.·´¯'..¸.·´¯'..¸><((((º>.·´
Christian 19
Savannah 13
Jacob 4 1/2
and surviving sextuplets born at 32.2 wks Dec 02:
Noah 4# 4oz
Dylan 4# 3oz
Amalie 4# 2oz
Sweet Angels ^d^ ^e^ ^f^ We'll love you f

I think the funniest thing the boys have done so far is also an embarrassing one for my DH. One morning while getting ready to take the boys to day care, my three Houdini's escaped their high chairs, ran downstairs, and into the garage while DH was in the shower. (I was already at work.) DH had just gotten out of the shower (his bathroom was downstairs, next to the garage) and realized that Derek and Behren were in the garage. Well he figured that since he was going to be loading them in the van shortly to take them to daycare, he would just load them in the van with some toys and they could hang out there while he got dressed. He had just gotten Behren in the van, and was turning around to locate Derek when all of a sudden the garage door went up, Jacob and Derek had stood on top of each other to hit the open button. (Did I mention that DH hadn't bothered getting dressed?) To add insult to injury, the service that mows our lawn had just pulled up in our driveway and was unloading their pick-up.

It seems with our three, that if they put their heads together, there's nothing the three of them can't accomplish. At this point they have snapped evert "chil-lock" in two, and their bedroom has 3 beds in there and nothing else. They have toppled dressers, taken down gates, and all three know how to operate every shower in our home. The toddler years are very exciting to say the least.

Good luck with your crawlers.

Maggi
Wife to Ray
Mom to Jacob, Behren, & Derek
03/03/01

LMAO. Thanks for providing my laugh for the day. Great story.

Mike H
Andrew, born 9/01
Ty, Ben, & Zach born 6/04 at 36w1d

When mine couldn't climb over the baby gate, they decided to try a different tactic. They pushed and pushed at the plastic webbing at the bottom, until it gave. Because it was fairly stiff, and would return to its correct position afterwards we were very puzzled as to how they were getting over the gate, and just appearing out of nowhere while I was cooking dinner, often scaring the bejeebers out of me when I would turn around and they would be right behind me.

Well, we caught one in the act of crawling through the bottom! LOL.

After that, because they busted the next gate by cooperative push-pull, we bought a solid wood door, Cut it a few inches above the door knob and installed it in the doorway instead of spending any more money on baby gates that aren't triplet proof.

3 babies pulling on a cabinet door can bust any of those latch type cabinet locks. The magnet ones are expensive, and we have so many cabinets, the cost played a big decision in the installation of the solid wood half door.

Thomas climbed out of his crib by hoisting himself up over the rail, leaning over, grabbing two of the rails with both hands, and then FLIPPING his body over so that he landed, standing, on the floor, still holding onto the two rails. Gymnastics in his future?

Mine also use each other as step stools. First unwittingly, baby # 2, using any body parts to baby # 1 as a convenient boost of an inch or so, but as they got older it became deliberate, up to recently when Kate actually got on her hands and knees and let Thomas stand on her back to get to the slide latch keeping them in their bedroom, all the while not making a PEEP so that I, sitting a few feet away, didn't even know!

They figured out how to do this to get out the front door when they were about 2.5 There is now a slide latch at the uppermost right corner of the storm door.

Mine have never tried to climb up the front of any furniture, so we've had no problems with dressers falling over, or TV's (I know someone who had one child get a broken leg from a TV pushed over by another child) so in that, I've been pretty fortunate. But mine discovered at the age of 3, that they could pull a chair over to the door, and stand on it, lean over and unlook the half door! Once that was accomplished, its only a small leap of the brain to figure out that you can push the chair over to the cabinets and get anything off the counter you want. Then another small leap to figure out that you can then climb onto the counter and then open and get anything out of the upper wall cabinets where mommy keeps all the goodies!

This called for drastic measures... goodies are now on top the fridge, yes it looks messy! But they are safe up there! For now.....

Most recently they've discovered the chair and their height now grants them access to the FREEZER. Oh joy of joys, they can now serve themselves their own frozen french fries, fish sticks, chicken tenders and ice cream. Hey, at least they won't starve to death if I neglect them, huh? LOL

MTM - mom to Michael(84),Stephan(85), Thomas, Matthew and Kathryn - born 12/27/99 at 32w 0 days

OH YEAH - mine have been getting into the refrigerator for about 6-8 months now. Dustin, my worst guy at talking (refuses) has long figured out any cabinet/fridge lock, and has mastered the art of chairs/stools from the dining room into the kitchen to reach ANYTHING he wants. NO, the TOP of the fridge is not safe! I hear a chair moving and I am on the run. Seriously considering bungee cording the chairs to the table! But, he'd probably figure out how to get them off in a day! LOL! I can remember him just learning to walk, and toddling into the kitchen, and watching us open the cabinet, and then fiddling with it and getting it open even then. (The simple lock that you open a little bit, and then push down to open the rest of the way) I should have known I was in BIG trouble!! LOL!

At 2 1/2 they all knew how to get onto the top bunk - WITHOUT a ladder - just using the 40 degree angle rail from the double bed on the bottom with naked monkey toes just shimmy on up. Same age, *someone* climbed from the 2' diaper pail to the 4' changing table, then back across the open air above the diaper pail to the top of the SIX foot armoire (the diaper pail is in between the armoire and changing table, and I *thought* provided enough room that they couldn't reach the armoire) to get down the Renuzit air freshener and spread that all over the room. Try explaining that to poison control - "Yes, I DID think it was out of their reach! (SIX FEET in the air arg!!!)"

I have naturally dark brown hair, but I will be amazed if it isn't all grey by the time I am 40!!! LOL!!!

Tiff SAHM to
Mitchell (6 - pitcher on dad's baseball team)
Devin (2 1/2 - playing with the dandelions in the outfield)
Dustin (2 1/2 - shortstop cuz I'm tough!)
Dylan (2 1/2 - catcher, 'cause I have a big mouth, and I do EVERYTHING with Mitchell!)
Nanner (very fat 8yo g golden retriever)
Simba (3yo b rescued Heinz breed)
Wheezer (10 yo g spoiled cat - well, they are all spoiled )
Nicky the rat (b about 2 months)
Goldy the fish (who knows lol! a party favor from an Elmo bday)
(If this list gets much longer I think I'm gonna lose it! LOL!!!)

Tiff (Masters student, part-time Environmental Educator, and mom to:)
M (12 - sports rox)
D (8 - water spirit)
D (8 - animal lover)
D (8 - video gamer)

Protect your food!!!! My littles would walk a trapeze to get into our walk-in pantry!!!! I'm sure that you can imagine what a Costco sized Nestle Quik looks like spilled throughout. Other than that, I think you are better off not knowing

Theresa
mom to Amelia-8yrs
Katherine- 6yrs
Sam, Jane, & Sarah- 5/26/01

Theresa
DD-9
DD-7
GBG- 3.5

My 4 decided to make mommy breakfast one morning. While I was sleeping they opened the fridge and pulled out the pitcher of orange juice I had mixed up the night before and dumped that all over the kitchen carpet. Then they pulled out the egg carton (18 count) and dropped that in about the same place. Ofcourse it opened up. Almost every egg broke. I heard all the little voices and went to see what was going on. There they stood with the fridge door open trying to figure out what to do. I felt so bad for them. They were a mess. But I learned that egg whites really get your carpet clean!!!

mom to:
Ryan 32 The Lawyer
Jason 30 The Chief Meteorologist
Chris 30 The College Student
Tim 30 The college grad

I love hearing their versions of their childhood memories!!

What had the biggest impact on me was walking into the living room and being hit by a wall of odor from the boys mural-painting (using the deposit in Calder's diaper). The mural was a bit mono-toned, but well executed.

Vaughn and the ABCBoys

Vaughn and the ABC Boys
Alex, Bryce, & Calder
The 14 year olds!

Gosh, I guess we are really in for a wild ride. I had always heard rumors about the things that multiples can accomplish together, but these real-world examples are amazing! I cannot even imagine and in a strange way I am looking forward to the havoc. Isn't that weird?

Owen is really on the prowl today exploring every room and touching everything in his path. I think he will be the leader in wrong-doings!

Tara

Mom to BBG born at 33wks on 4/3/03

We had the changing table on the other side of a gate. One day I walk downstairs to find all three of the boys (maybe 2 yrs old) standing on the top of the table. They had piled a bunch of toys and used them to climb up. An hour afterwards, I was SOOOOO hot. I checked the thermostat and I gues they could reach it from the changing table because it was set as high as it could go! LOL

Last fall I had this conversation with one of the boys....4 yrs old, as he was "doing his business" on the toilet:

Phillip: "Don't EVER drink pee!"
Me:"That's right."
Phillip: "Pee tastes disgusting."
Me:"I'm sure it does"
Phillip:"OH....It do!"
Me (catching on):"Are you guessing, or do you know this?"
Phillip:"Oh I know...pee tastes disgusting."
Me:"Did you TASTE it?!!!! How?!!!"
Phillip:"I peed in the toilet and then took a cup and dipped it out and drank it"
Me:"WHAT?!!!"
Phillip: "It was disgusting. I spit it out. Don't worry, I rinsed out the cup"(the toothpaste cup!!!)

You can't make this stuff up

Bahahahahahaaaa!!!

Your stories are all hysterical!!! AND scary!!! LOL.

The first major stunt for my trips happened today only it involved only ONE, my wild guy Jonah. We have gates across both archways into our dining room and Dh calls it the petting zoo. Jonah figured out how to get his hand under the gate and dump the dog's water dish. This has happened several times, but today, Noah sat the dog food down at dinner time and before any of us could do anything Jonah reached right under and dumped the food and grabbed a big handful
and shoved it into his mouth-EEEEWWWWW. OK, so I finally moved the dog's dish.

My twins have done the smearing poop on the walls thing (not recently of course, they are 8!). BLECH.

When Elly was 2 I found her in the backyard FEEDING THE DOG HIS OWN POOP.

Now, that was GROSS. I cringe just thinking about it!

Jill
Noah and Elly, 12/13/95
Jonah, Justin and Erin, 3/17/03

Jill
Noah and Elly, 12/13/95
Jonah, Justin and Erin, 3/17/03