KJ: Private Investigator

The triplets celebrated their fourth birthday a couple of weeks ago and got a lot of great presents. Among them are a few sets of girly Legos (with pink blocks and flowers and such), and actual, honest to goodness digital cameras.

The cameras are made by vtech and are pretty sturdy. So far I've been pleased with them. They actually take decent pictures when you hold them steady. The problem is that the kids don't often hold them steady, so most of the pictures they take are unrecognizable blurry works of art. However, every once in a while there's a good, clear, well composed picture in there.

Yesterday we busted out the Legos and were building lots of cool trucks, tractors, gas stations, helicopters, and even little pink houses with flowers. At some point KJ decided to get me back for all of the pictures I've taken of him in the princess and fairy dresses and take a few of me playing with the pink Legos. And wouldn't you know it, they actually turned out okay. I mean, they're a little blurry, but you can definitely make out that the person playing with the pink Legos is me.

The little bugger might have a future in surveillance.

Need a laugh? Watch this video of the Triplets

The triplets were having so much fun playing Ants In The Pants last night that I just had to capture some video.

Triplets' Fourth Birthday Party: Video

A couple of weeks ago I got myself a Nikon D7000 to use around the house for pictures and video of the kids. While I do love the quality of the video, I have to admit, taking video with it is a challenge for me, especially focusing (as you'll see in the video). It has several focusing modes that are supposed to track subjects or focus on a certain area. I'm still trying to figure out which one to use in which situations. I also realize that I need a better external microphone, as the one I bought picks up the sound of the lens focusing (the motor sound you'll hear at times).

So, here it is, my first attempt at a DSLR video. I apologize for my unsteady hands, focusing, and audio issues. Those who are prone to motion sickness might want to take some Dramamine before watching. ;)

The Pre-School Drop-Off Saga Continues

This pre-school thing is turning out to be a great source of stories. This morning as I was walking the kids into their classroom Elisha started to cry a little and repeated "I'll miss you" several times. I kept reassuring her and telling her that I would be back to pick her up and that she was going to do lots of fun things at school. At this point Juli looked up at me dry-eyed and said "I'm not going to miss you daddy".

Way to make a dad feel good kiddo.

Little Brother Saves The Day

As many of you have read, the triplets started pre-school last week, and every time I dropped them off, the girls would cry and tell me how much they would miss me. It was pretty heart-breaking.

This morning was their first day back after the weekend since they only go three days a week. As I was getting the kids out of the van, KJ turned to his sisters and sternly (with a pointed finger for emphasis) told them "No crying in school today, Girls." I was having a hard time containing my laughter. At that point, Juli tried to sneak past him to get to me, and he pointed his finger at her and sternly said "No crying, Juli, okay?" and would not let her pass until she agreed not to cry. Once she agreed, he let her past and turned to Elisha and made her agree not to cry.

It was truly the sweetest, funniest thing I have seen him do in his four years. I was cracking up by the time I had them all out of the van and headed into the school. The other parents probably think I'm a mental case now.

The best part about it all, is that it worked. Juli, who was the worst last week, didn't cry at all today. Elisha only whimpered a little and said "I'll miss you" as I left their classroom. Leave it to little brother to show the girls how it's done!