Beyond the ALWAYS surprising month of August, since our move to Texas there's been the boys first wedding and six birthdays plus they've also started school. My daughter and middle son were married, we discovered one son has Cerebral Palsy, while we purchased two new cars and bought a new house here in Texas. My third, fourth and fifth grandchildren were born to my daughter and oldest son, there were family crises as well as national ones (check here and my BIO page for more details), several deaths as well as the births and I turned 56 last August. The boys attended their first, and probably their last, Mardi Gras parade until they're grown in February '02. Everyone loved the noise and color and really got into catching trinkets from the floats. A picture of the party boys is posted on their web page. Added with their first move, visits to a circus, a swimming pool, the zoo, a rodeo, movie and the New Orleans aquarium just before we moved, it's been an adventure for the triplets AND their parents since moving here.

2005 was an especially eventful year. There was the chaos and disaster that was Katrina and the disruption it's caused to millions of people. The boys started 1st grade and I was given the opportunity to begin a new career. We finally settled into our home here in Texas and the extra family members added due to Katrina all went home by the holidays that year.

The triplets are back in school full time, really seem to enjoy going and are eager to learn .... if it would only last! At least it now gives me some time to myself to do things that are too much trouble with three boys in tow. Vickie also has settled into her new job as well as a new building when they moved to a new location in July. It's a big change going from worker to becoming "the boss", especially in a new city AND a new building! As I've mentioned, Vickie's mother bought the house next door August of '03 and was scheduled to move in before Christmas. In fact, Vickie left for Cape Cod on December 9th to help her mother pack, then they planned to drive her mothers car down to Texas and meet the movers sometime before the 20th. However, the day before they got back, I was checking on the house (cleaning up a bit actually) when I found the floors were covered with water. I called a plumber and they discovered the main water pipe had broken where it enters under the floor of the house. The carpets, floors, tiles, most molding, some drywall and trim plus a few other things all needed to be replaced! Luckily, we live next door and when the movers arrived a few days later, my mother-in-laws furniture was placed in our garage, spare rooms and her shed. What a welcome home!! Other than the new house after our move from New Orleans, we'd purchased a new family vehicle just before the move, a new Dodge SUV. Talk about sticker shock!!! Neither Vickie nor I had bought a NEW car in over 15 years. Since it looked like any prospective move was on indefinite hold, we purchased the new truck, began major home improvements and made large furniture buys earlier in the year. Boy were WE wrong!! As I said, the past few years were busy... as if having triplet, pre-school boys didn't keep us busy enough!

As for the boys, Thomas, Robert and Samuel are healthy and thriving. When Vickie's mother visited the first week of June of '03, she was surprised how much they'd changed since her last visit just prior to our move to Texas. During her visit, the triplets had a big adventure when Vickie and her mother took the boys to visit Vickie's sister and her twin boys who already live here in Texas. They had pony rides, got to run around a farm for a few days and a good time was had by all. In fact, her mother liked the area here so much, she bought the house next door! Now the boys can see "grammy" by running across the front yard instead of making a run to the airport.

We'd anticipated taking the triplets out for their first "Trick or Treat" in 2001. However, a family crisis put the big event on hold for a year. THAT Halloween was delayed when we came to Texas and the movers arrived with our furniture on October 31st. In 2003 Vickie was informed she had to attend a "business" conference in Houston October 30-31. She did manage to get home in time to go out with the boys, but the way things were beginning to look, the boys were going to out grow trick or treat before they got a chance to do it! Thankfully, while she was delayed returning, Vickie did get back just as we returned from a quick trip around the neighborhood and we went out again after dinner so mom could participate in the boys first Halloween. They've also had visits from my mother and sisters and everyone has a wonderful time, especially the triplets! This past Christmas, the boys were ecstatic as they tore into packages and opened gifts, especially since it was in a new home. They're now all aware that Santa brings presents and the boys were continually asking when he'll bring their presents and toys. Just before Thanksgiving of '01, we replaced the boys cribs with toddler beds. Everyone seemed to like their new "big boy" beds, but that first night would become a real challenge for us later. Thomas wanted to jump from bed to bed, Sam would only sleep at the foot of his bed and Robby refused to sleep in his bed at all! I finally placed Robby's blanket, pillows and favorite stuffed toy at the foot of his bed and he fell asleep there. During July of '04, their toddler beds were replaced with three twin beds as the boys were ALREADY outgrowing their toddler size beds.

The three boys weigh from 58-85 pounds (Thomas is the largest with being Sam the smallest)and they're 49-52 inches tall now... just where they should be as healthy, 9 year old boys. Still, though their doctor had said everyone was on track with other babies their age, on August 30th (things always seem to happen around my birthday) of 2001, we got the disturbing news that Thomas has Cerebral Palsy. Though it wasn't obvious at first, it later became clear to Vickie and I that Tommy wasn't as physically adept as his two brothers. About 2 months earlier, we'd asked his doctor about the reasons, if any, for his slower physical development. He explained that while Tommy wasn't as coordinated as his brothers, he was still within the normal range of development for a child his age. However, he recommended we consult a physical therapist to help Tommy improve his coordination and agility. It was during the visit to the therapist we discovered our doctor had diagnosed Thomas as having a form of Cerebral Palsy. To say we were shocked is an understatement! Not only were we in a state of disbelief that one of our babies was diagnosed with a neurological disorder, but we found out about it from a therapist (who assumed we already knew) and not his doctor! Tommy then saw a neurologist and we were relieved to find that Tommy has the least invasive and most easily controlled form of CP. With the use of physical therapy, temporary leg braces worn while Thomas was awake for about a year, treatment with the muscle relaxer Botox and daily stretching exercises, his doctors feel Thomas should have the full use of his leg muscles as he grows older.

We had our first visit to an emergency room with one of the boys on August 9th, 2002. About a year earlier, I'd placed some loose weights under an old recliner to prevent the boys from turning it over when climbing on it. When I decided to give the chair to the Salvation Army, I removed the two, 25 pound weights from the bottom and put them on the floor while I took the chair outside. Tommy and Robby began playing with them and before we could stop them, Robby lifted one of the weights, then dropped it just as Tommy was reaching under it. His mom and I heard a loud clang, then an even louder howl of pain as we looked up and saw Thomas running toward us holding his hand. Robby was also running just as fast, but in the other direction. We checked Tommy's hand and could see one finger was already purple and beginning to swell, so we put it in ice water and tried to comfort Tommy, with little success. After about thirty minutes of non stop crying, we decided to take him to the local emergency room, where x-rays were taken and sure enough, Tommy had broken one finger on his left hand. The doctor put a small finger cast on it and told us what to do to make Thomas more comfortable, but there wasn't much else to be done. Luckily for Thomas AND for us, while it was a painful experience, it could have been much worse. Other than a purple fingernail which fell off a few weeks later, there were no signs of the accident after a month or two, though he still remembers it VERY well. There's never a dull moment!

On a much better note, we were informed (7/29/02) by his therapist that Tommy had improved dramatically since he began physical therapy in October of '01. In fact, she recommended that he no longer attend "therapy" sessions, but have semi-annual maintenance visits to review his progress instead... a good thing for us since here in Longview, we don't live as close to the medical specialists that were available in New Orleans. With a few minor areas that need some attention (primarily due to lack of experience/practice), Tommy meets or exceeds the physical and developmental skills expected from any child of his age. He also cut back on the use of his leg braces to occasional rather than full time after about 6 months, and hasn't used them at all since the move to Longview. Still, Thomas started attending weekly therapy sessions here in Longview again in January '04 when he began to complain of leg pains. They were stopped entirely in May '05 after the therapist said he was doing better than she'd hoped. She recommended we schedule Thomas for annual evaluations to monitor his progress rather than schedule regular visits.

We had a minor scare with another son, Samuel, just before our move to Longview, but that was resolved by the time of our move to Texas. While Sam's always been physically advanced, his speech and learning skills had lagged somewhat behind his brothers. After a physical the spring before our move to Texas, it was recommended we consult a speech therapist. Since his hearing had recently been checked and was excellent, the therapist thought Sam might have a problem comprehending or understand what was said to him. We then visited a specialist in learning disorders, who did a complete evaluation. Surprisingly, he concluded that Samuel was at the level of most 3 1/2 year old's or older, his age at the time! The specialist recommended that Sammy continue with his speech therapy to come up to the level of his brothers, but said he's perfectly normal. The bottom line was that Sam wasn't behind, his two brothers were just well ahead of their age curve.

The triplets had their 8th birthday January 31st of this year and a good time was had by everyone since they invited all their frinds to a local skating rink their mom and I rented for the party. Another milestone was reached by the boys in '05... they had their first day at school as 1st graders. Actually, they had already started daycare two days a week (tues/thur) in January of '03. Their mother and I felt they needed to learn how to interact with other kids their own age since they seldom see anyone other than adults and they could begin getting accustomed to the discipline of a classroom environment instead the come and go as they please atmosphere of the home. Now that they're in elementary school full time, it seems to have paid off for them and us. It also gave me time for things I need to do without having to keep an eye on the boys. In fact, one of the first things I completed was a new greenhouse. I'm sure Vickie couldn't wait for me to remove all the Orchids I'd been keeping in her new office so she didn't have to water them everyday... a major event with over a hundred plants!

The triplets continue to be less like little boys and more like just plain BOYS every day. All three enjoy reading books, watching TV or using the computer and talking on the telephone to their frinds when given the opportunity. They can already spell and read as well as most adults I know and read at the level of most middle/Jr high school kids. They ride their bikes, roller skate and have skooters they love to use. Their favorite night time activity is telling stories before going to bed. Each boy takes a turn making up a story or their mother and read a bedtime story while they go to sleep. They get into trouble more often than ever now, even though we're watchful, and usually with one another. The problem now is they've gotten large enough that they can actually cause SERIOUS damage to one another when they start swinging or playing too rough, so we're constantly trying to intercede to prevent problems before they get started. Believe me, it's not an easy task with the boys constantly on the run either in the house or in the yard. An early example of what was to come happened October of '01 after we'd moved Robby's bed to another part of their room. Lately, he'd been pulling himself into the other boy's cribs - they were side by side - and we were concerned he'd fall and hurt himself. The next morning, Robby had climbed out of his bed and into the crib with Tommy. Along the way, he'd opened all the dresser drawers, removed all the diapers, toiletries and anything else within reach and piled everything in the middle of the room. Needless to say, I was not amused! After Tommy and Sammy had several escapes of their own, we tried several arrangements for their room with little success. Finally, we decided we couldn't prevent the boys from getting out of bed anymore so we removed everything breakable, lowered the sides to their cribs for easier access (they eventually got toddler beds a few months later) and secured drawers and widows so they can't be opened easily. As another measure, I made the door to their room a "Dutch" style door so we could see inside but they couldn't get out.

The boys love to talk and act along with their favorite TV shows or books when we read to them. In fact, we all have to be extra careful what we say or watch on television, particularly around Tommy & Robby, as they repeat ANYTHING they hear or see on TV, sometimes when we least expect it! They all love to read and are always asking what a word means or how to spell something. They still enjoy helping us do things like washing dishes or making their beds and often do it without being asked now, telling their mother or me "We want to show you something", then taking us to their room or the kitchen so we can see what they've done. They also love to sing songs they hear and are able to carry tune very well. In fact, they got so good at singing that they are now the three youngest members of the church choir (check out the photo of them in their robes below)!

All three boys still refuse to go to bed unless I (usually) or their mother tell or read them a bedtime story. About age 3, the boys started becoming familiar with the computer. Though they normally use a mouse to click on their favorite computer games or stories, they know - all too well - how the keyboard works since they have learned the alphabet. We've already had to program our computers several times after they got into the system and "customized" them. We finally placed our older computer in a spare room and installed the boys favorite games for them. It will also keep them from surfing the internet, something they've done several times already with the newer machine. They love to dress themselves in their favorite colors (Thomas likes black, Robby loves orange or green and Sam wears red or ANYTHING with an "S" on it), like to fix their own breakfast - usually cereal, Eggos or pop tarts when we let them - and generally helping around the house, especially Thomas. However, that will change, I'm sure as they get older! They have also reached the age where they now want their "privacy". They bathe themselves and when they do need help with something, they only want me or their mother to see them undressed. When younger, the boys had their own words for things like "door" or "light" when talking among themselves but they no longer use them since they now use regular words... frequently better than many adults I've encountered. For more on Tommy, Robby and Sammy, see the individual paragraphs below or check the triplets web page.

Thomas (or Tommy as he's usually called), the oldest, still enjoys more contact time with his parents than his brothers and usually comes running to us when there's trouble. It's now obvious why he was the last baby to do many physical things like crawling or walking, yet he was first to dress/undress and feed himself or use words and sentences. He was also first to use a fork and spoon, ask understandable questions, knew the ABC's by age 3 as well as counting to 20 on his fingers. He was also the first boy to ride a bike without training wheels and use roller shates without help. He can now read and spell most words in his books or words on other things he sees, like the TV or street signs. He's the most outgoing when it comes to strangers or being with other relatives and loves the attention when we have visitors. While not as coordinated as his brothers, he's just as physical. He's the tallest (52+") and heaviest (85+ lbs) of the boys and people usually think he's older than his brothers. Though it's sometimes hard to tell who's is worse, his or Robby's, Tommy seems to have developed the worst temper and he'll tell you in no uncertain terms exactly what he thinks if he's unhappy about something! Since moving to Longview, he's become extremely animated when he talks, making faces, rolling his eyes, striking poses and shaking his finger or head to make a point. He also loves to act out scenes from his favorite movies, complete with sound effects. He also has becom infatuated with anything mechanical and spends hours building "gagets" or taking things apart - like a new calculator we got him recently - to see how they work. Ironically, while Thomas is the loudest and most vocal triplet, he (still) hates loud noises like thunder, horns or power tools. Until our move to Texas, he wouldn't get out of his chair when we used the vacuum cleaner or blender, though he liked playing with the attachments. Now, he plays baseball and soccer with a dozen other boys his age and while maybe not quite as fast, can keep up with both his brothers and most other kids in almost any situation. Finally, his therapist in New Orleans had just completed a progress evaluation before we moved to Longview and as previously mentioned, Tommy has improved by leaps and bounds since his condition was detected. The same thing was told us by his therapist here in Longview. At the rate he's going, he'll be on par with his brothers soon in most physical aspects and has even become better than them at doing some things, like building things and using tools.

Robby's probably the most well rounded of the three boys. He's as physical as Samuel and better with letters or numbers than Thomas. He's very artistic, loving to draw, sing, write stories and organizing small skits and plays with his brothers. He's also the most outgoing around people he knows and has become the "Leader of the Pack". Oddly, Robby's the most physical and best coordinated of the three boys, but he seems the least interested in playing sports, outdoor activities or being a member of a team. While Sam and Thomas will practice pitching or batting with their mother and I, he usually prefers to chase things around the yard, inspecting plants or singing to himself and dancing. He's shorter than Thomas by about an inch and 10 pounds lighter, but he enjoys bossing his two brothers whenever he can get away with it. He usually gets first choice with toys (whether the others like it or not) and gets upset when one of his brothers has something he wants or he doesn't get HIS way. His temper is as bad as Tommy's and he's just as vocal about his displeasure, especially if you change one his favorite TV shows or take something he has or wants. He's also more likely to take or take back what he wants from his brothers and if hit, will push or hit back rather than cry or run. While he'll bully his brothers, he's "Mr. Chicken" when it comes to strangers, going into places he's never been before or trying something new for the first time... unless it's food! Except for our cats - which was given us by a sister-in-law about 3 months after we moved here - he usually refuses to go near most animals (though he's developed a recent attraction for bugs and lizards he finds in the yard) and will NOT sleep without a light on and the door open! Still, at home he rules the roost.

Since Robby has become so good at reading and writing his own stories, he's started keeping a diary and I believe is actually considering writting the great American novel! During the summer, he actually wrote a "book" about the solar system, complete with diagrams and pictures. Each chapter was about a different planet, the sun or moon and when finished, he made a cover and had his mother bind everthing together. He also loves to sing almost any song he hears more than once. By the time he was three, he could write letters and numbers, saying "I made a T (or 12, H, 6, etc.)" and could draw figures or shapes and put recognizable "faces" on them (he drew mine with a mustache and he and his mother with glasses). He learned to sound out most words he didn't know by the time he was in kindergarten and loves to write short stories on his own. He aced the standard test for kids his age at the end of the school year and could read at a 3rd grade level or better before he'd even left the 1st! His 2nd grade teacher has recommended that he be placed in the gifted or advanced class this school year since he's already performing at a 5th grade level. He has recently begun making a daily "to do" list of things he wants done the next day and has his on again/off again diary he keeps.

Robby wore glasses for a year starting when he was about 10 months old, his vision improved and the glasses weren't needed anymore. However, after another exam about two years ago the doctor thought he may be near sighted and would need the glasses again. A second visit indicated he was actually crossing his eyes at will, so glasses are necessary again until he learns to stops crossing them before any permanent damage is done.

The youngest and smallest triplet, Samuel (Sammy or Sam as I call him), was the "quiet one" of the three until about the time of our move to Texas. He doesn't pronounce some words quite as well as his brothers and until he began school didn't seem as interested in learning letters or numbers, but he's now the best at coloring pictures (though Robby is the best "artist"), playing games especially video and computer games) and playing card games like poker or blackjack... something he's picked up from his grand-mother. He's also consistantly recieved the highest marks on all his tests and evaluations at school compared to his two brothers. Sam loves puzzles and is almost as good as Robert with the alphabet and counting. Sam is also the best writer (neatest)and constantly worries that he's forgot to finish some school work or didn't make a perfect score on something he turned in. He's extremely computer savvy and can get into programs or run games almost as fast as his mother and I. In fact, Sam's actually better at playing many computer games and finding things he's familiar with than us or his adult cousins he sometimes plays games with. In school, the kids were given a class in computer use/familiarization and at the kindergarten level. They were expected to complete level 3 by the end of the year. While the other two boys did outstanding and reached level 8, Sam completed all the levels available (10) and began to make up his own projects. He can now probably do as many things with a computer as his mother or me and LOVES computer games. We may have another Bill Gates on our hands! He's the risk taker and most fearless of the three as well as having the most even disposition - unless he's tired, then watch out! He's also the best ball and soccer player of the bunch. Tommy seems to enjoy sports more than his brothers, but Sam has become the best at playing the games. He's also a wiz with numbers and can tell you the birthdays of everyone he knows, the times and dates of every doctor vist or trip to visit someone in the past year, what day a particular date falls on and already knows not just addition and subtraction, but how to multiply, divide and use fractions. Sometimes, his mother and I refer to him as "rain man" due to his ability with numbers.

As I said earlier, until our move to Texas, Sammy attended speech therapy classes several times a month in order to catch up with his brothers. Still, he's quickly became better than his brothers at recognizing words and understanding their meaning. He's afraid of almost nothing - sometimes to his regret - and unlike Tommy, will go toe to toe with Robby during an argument even though Robby is over an inch taller and outweighs Sam by 15 pounds. Sam's better than his brothers at solving puzzles, in recognizing shapes and enjoys playing with anything electronic. He loves animals, unlike Robby, and wants to play with any creature he sees. As I've mentioned, Sam seems to have a way with the computer. He could already use the mouse to play games or listen to stories by age 3 and he's become better at most memory games than either his mother, me and his brothers! By the time he was 4, he began to talk more and has become the most vocal of the three boys as well as the most likely NOT to do what we ask him - like not jump off a table or not play with the computer keyboard - until his mother or I get up to correct him, then he flashes a big smile and runs away. While he talked the least when younger, he jabbers away now and now it's harder to get him to STOP talking than it is to get him started! His mother often jokes (?) he's the daddy's boy of the group. Sam usually won't go to bed unless I carry him to his room and tuck him in. If he gets scared at night, Sam will still crawl into our bed next to me and usually comes to me rather than his mother when he's tired or hurt. Of course I don't think so!