On Getting Ready (...With Triplets)

People often ask me how long it takes me to get the Triplets ready to go anywhere outside of the house. Obviously there are many variables that factor in my answer. Have they had a bath? Are they dressed? Does anyone have to pee? Depending on the status of these and other issues it can take up to an hour or more to get them all ready and out the door, but let's look at a more simple experience. (Ha! As if ANYTHING is simple with those three!)

I told them today that we would go for a walk after lunch. As I begin to clear the table, I send APC who has finished her lunch, to go potty and find a pair of socks to wear. Like a good girl she heads to the bathroom and I soon hear the loud grating noise as she drags the step stool to the toilet. By this time, RBC has finished. I send him to put on shoes and wait for his turn in the bathroom. Within 10 seconds I hear APC screaming bloody murder as he has skipped shoes and gone right to waiting for the potty. He is standing too close to the little lady who needs privacy to do her business. I leave the handful of dishes to go break up the scuffle, admonishing APC for screaming instead of talking to her brother, and reminding RBC that other people enjoy privacy on the potty like he does.

Having wiped APC and sent her in search of socks, RBC takes his place in the bathroom and promptly requests HIS privacy. I head back to DLC who is finishing go-gurt at the table. I help him get the last drops out and send him on the same mission as his siblings --potty and shoes.

I pick up the dishes and turn to walk to the sink when APC begs for my attention. She has to show me the pretty socks she picked out.

'Those ARE pretty socks A,' I say. 'Now please sit down and put them on.'

I get one dish rinsed and put in the dishwasher before she asks,

'Is this the right foot, Norie?'

'Yes, A, socks don't matter which foot you put them on, just shoes.'

As I finish my sentence, there is more screaming from the bathroom. Of course DLC didn't think to go to one of the 2 other bathrooms in the house. He headed straight to bother R who is attempting to pull up his pants while standing precariously on the step stool and spouting off the tenets of privacy to his intrusive brother.

I break up the scuffle, have a brief fight with DLC about using another potty, remind APC and RBC to get their shoes on and rush back to the dining room to finish cleaning up. RBC meets me in the kitchen.

'Is this the right foot, Norie?' He asks.

'No, honey, you've got them on backwards.'

I turn to the sink.

'Is this the right foot?' The princess inquires.

'No, baby, try again.'

Both children switch feet and ask again. We go through the cycle all over with an affirmation that 'Yes,' they indeed have both shoes on the right feet.

I leave in search of DLC. To my surprise I find him coming down the stairs buck naked. He has used the restroom and readied himself for bath time. (Which is an event for later in the day.) There is a brief bout of tears as I ask him to get redressed because we are going for a walk.

He retrieves his clothes and there are more crocodile tears as I refuse to put his shoes on for him. (A skill he has mastered, but likes to avoid.) I eventually convince him to do it while *I* use the potty and get my shoes. As I mentioned in my 'On Privacy' post, I have none and we continue to have the 'is this the right foot?' conversation through the door as I try to relieve my overfull bladder. (Cause seriously, when else did I have time to pee today?)

By this point RBC and APC are staring out the front door waiting to go out. There is commotion as DLC tries to weasel his way between them to see as well. I referee that fight and assure them that we'll leave as soon as I put the food and dishes away where Bailey can't reach them. (If you read my 'On Pets' post you'd understand why...)

As I'm working, quickly as possible, I hear the tell tale sign that the kids are playing with the front door handle. I stop to remind them that they are not permitted to open the door without an adult present. I work. I stop to remind them again, and a third time. This results in a time out for RBC and DLC follows suit with the same pattern of warnings and consequences.

By this time I have at least gotten the food put away and the table cleared. The dishes will have to wait for nap. (That's assuming they ACTUALLY nap today)

I collect the boys to talk about why they had time outs,

'Because we tried to open the door'

And why it's dangerous.

'Because we could get lost or pinch us in the door.'

All the while tying my shoes and fielding questions from A about when we will finally go.

To be honest, I can't even tell you how long all this took. 30 min? Perhaps more? I've given up trying to count. In general, I try to let them get ready alone, but if we are on a schedule, I would help more and we could probably cut the time in half. (Though there would be tears and fights since THEN they'd want to do it themselves. What can I say? They're three and they like to do the opposite of whatever I suggest.)

So this is what it's like for me to do a simple thing like take a walk in the neighborhood. It's the repetition that kills me. As if it's not frustrating enough to tell one toddler the same thing over and over, imagine that times three! It was even worse when we were wrestling winter coats and boots. Sheesh! I'm exhausted just writing about it.

So yes, it takes a while for us to be ready to do anything. However, it's better for my sanity though if I don't try to time it.