I was sitting back just watching my children, the tripleta are now 2.5 and my youngest 1.5. As I sat there watching my 4 "babies" play and interact I could not help but think back over the past 2.5 years to all that has changed in our lives. I am constantly amazed each day at how all 4 of them change and develop in their own ways. I was just wondering, what was, or what is your favorite stage you experienced with your children?

Elizabeth
AABC Mommy to:
Adriana 4-14-01
Brittan 4-14-01
Cameron 4-14-01
Abbey 3-14-02

My boys are just a month older than your trips, and I'd have to say I love this stage. Everything is so new to them, it's wonderful to watch them figure something out. Derek's my most expresive right now. Whenever he figures something out it either sends strutting around like a peacock, or he'll sit there and clap for his accomplishment.

Behren loves to repeat whatever it is he's figured out over and over again. Just the other day it finally dawned on him that he was Behr, he always knew who he was when we called, or spoke to him, he just realized that "I am Behr Behr!" He must have gone arount the room for 15 minutes pointing every one out, saying their name, and then pointing to himself saying "Behr Behr." It was wonderful.

I admit that right now they are a little bit frustrating, but I really love this stage.

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

While in a stage, it's my favorite. I love that my boys are 6 and are reading! It's such a huge step and they love being in first grade. We can do more things with them and I just love their "love of learning."

But I do admit I have a soft spot for the baby stage. I love the age around 6 months. My boys were sitting, still loved to cuddle with their bottles, didn't walk yet! The cute babbling, "baby fat" stage was one of my favorites!

Sharon
6 year old bbb + 10 year old son

I call 9 to 18 months the honeymoon stage. The kids are starting to move around by themselves, really enjoy each other, do some self feeding and give a BIG smile every time you walk into the room. Best of all they haven't started talking yet. I will always love the baby stages and will never lose the longing for one more but have to admit having 8 and 7 year olds is pretty awesome too.

Judie and Victor
lucky parents to
Frankie 3/95
Maggie 7/96
Rose 7/96
Elizabeth 7/96

Judie and Victor
lucky parents to
Frankie 3/95
Maggie 7/96
Rose 7/96
Elizabeth 7/96

I love every stage, whether with the triplets or the singletons. This stage with the triplets (just turned 2 for us) is very nice as they are starting to listen to what you say and do what they are supposed to! They do have tantrums but they are infrequent. I love each stage my kids have been in - although I would not go back and do that first triplet year again!

Kari S.

Mom to BBB 21, 18, 14
BBG 9/25/01

Wow,

This is a really hard question to answer. I used to think babies were the ultimate. Then I loved the stage where the kids were toddling around at home but always with me and under my control. They were so cuudly, and I was their world. Then they ventured out into the world and starting having their own schedules and I thought that was really cool. Then they got to middle school and I thought that was my favorite stage because they started making their own decisions and having opinions about our family life. Well then, they got to high school and their lives filled with exciting activities and tons of friends and I thought wow, this must be my favorite. How could we top this? Then they graduated and became young adults and now I think this might be my favorite stage. I am betting that when they marry and become parents my favorite stage may just be watching them doing the parenting.

It's like when people ask you, what stage is the easiest? I always tell them that none are easier, they are just different.

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!!

every stage is wonderful, every day is better than the last. when they start getting past 8 and talk back and get embarrassed by you a little bit, you can start to imagine the oncoming teen years, and it's very bittersweet. you wish they still needed you as much, and you want them to be independent. so after 8 it gets a little hard, because they start growing up very very fast. and then your wife starts saying, don't you miss having a baby around the house. and you think, hmmm...

and sometimes i still call them the babies, even tho they're 9...

fatdaddy999
proud daddy

Hi,
My favorite stage is right now! I just love age 5-6 years old.
The kids are so much fun, have so much energy, and becoming so logical!
7mozz

All stages have their pros/cons....I think I liked it best just a bit after they turned 3. Mine are 3 years and almost 8 mos now...I'd say about 3 years and 3 months until now (hope to continue) I really like. Why? All potty trained, not as many tantrums, I can reason with them a bit more, they understand timeouts, their speech is great, STILL in the young enough stage that endless kisses and hugs and thinking mommy/daddy are the greatest, learning, easier to "get around" with all of them.

Of course I miss the cuddly baby stage. I think around 18mos to 24+ was tough (into EVERYTHING, tantrums, independence, etc)...then real close to 3 the attitudes/search for independence was tough. Just starting to calm down now!

Nancy
Proud mommy to:
Julia, Kyle, Brandon (7/1/00) and
Gabrielle (9/8/05)

ooh! Tough question! I love all the stages so far-well,maybe not the "NO" stage-hee hee. I really love the new baby and tiny , chubby baby stage when they are/were just crawling and were all giggily and ticklly and chubby and you can just eat them up! hee hee Serious baby fetish here.... Henry fills that for me-he is all ofthat and more. I have toddler and 2 preschoolers too so I have my fill o all the stages. It's just amazing to me to watch themall develop and grow. It seems like they were alljust babies last week! McLean especially, Ifeel like I missed out on his infancy b/c I was PG with Henry whenMac was 6 months old.

Korrie~
^i^B/G/G 24 w 3d,1/17/00
B 10/31/01
B 1/27/03

<a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="" alt="Lilypie Kids birthday Ticker" border="0" /></a>

I haven't read the replies yet, but for me I'd have to say that every stage they (the trips and their sisters and brother) are at seems AWESOME. Then a few months go by and it seems even better. I don't know, there's just something special to each age I guess...LOL

Cindy
Happy & Proud Mommy to:
Shannon Alexis 12
Trevor Jack 10
Sierra Brooke 7
Madison Rose 5
Mackenzie Lynn 5
Max Christopher 5

I agree with 7mozzas, my triplets are now 5.3 and I love this stage. The 2 girls are best friends and play endlessly together. There is much less work (I really wonder how I managed until now), they understand much more, fight less with each other, etc. At age 5 things really took a turn for the best.

Laura
Asaf, Maya, Yael
12/4/98 33w3d