Little brothers.  Who needs 'em?

I certainly don't, that's for darn tootin'!

Yet that is exactly when I got when Tanner, Tyler, and Teague were born six years ago.  Yeah, they're triplets--and three times the trouble!!

I never knew three little boys could cook up so much trouble.  And usually I'm the one who gets yelled at for their shenanigans because "I didn't keep a close enough eye on them", as my parents say.  It's very frustrating; it happens every time, without fail!!

Like the time they decided to stick their friend's pet tarantula in the microwave, "to see what would happen" (something did happen, all right; let's just say it was disgusting!!).  Or the time when they tied bedsheets on the windowsill and shimmied out the window, down the sheets, and into the woods in the middle of the night, because they thought they'd heard a bear, and they wanted to go bear hunting.

Or the time when Tanner wanted to run my underwear up the flagpole, for all the neighbors to see.  And he did.  Everyone knew what kind of underwear I wore; the kids at school still tease me to this day about it.

I love my brothers, don't get me wrong; however, I also hate them, especially when they knowingly embarrass me.  I don't know why I didn't get any little sisters; girls would make better companions!  I'm the only female besides mom, and I (as well as mom) are outnumbered by males four to two!

I knew mom was going to have a boy when she got pregnant; then she got bigger.  Way bigger.  So big, in fact, she had to spend the last month on total bedrest; she couldn't get out of bed without risking the health of her unborn babies (by this time we'd found out she was carrying not one, not two, but three babies!!).  It was very hard on all of us.

Not as bad as the time when the triplets came into the world.  They all weighed under three pounds:  they were unbelievably tiny, and they had a rough start in life.  They spent at least three months in the hospital, where brave doctors, nurses, and other medical people fought to keep them alive. 

They've since gotten over that, and thank God they're okay, but they are all unbelievably bad!  Tanner, Tyler, and Teague make Dennis the Menace look like an angel!!

It seems wherever the triplets go, mud (or dirt) is sure to follow.  I never knew three little kids could attract so much dirt, especially into the house (and it seems to be at its worst on the days mom washes or waxes the kitchen floor)!  At times we have to bathe them three times a day because they get so caked with filth and grime, and it isn't long before they start smelling like a trio of baby skunks!  It's awful!!

I'm just glad that Tanner, Teague, and Tyler are okay; I don't know what I would do if any of them would have ended up handicapped, like my one cousin's brother.  He's the same age as my brothers; however, Kevin can't lift up his head, eat by himself, or even walk; he's in a wheelchair, and people have to take care of him because he can't do it by himself.  It's really sad.  (Like my triplet brothers, Kevin was born premature; he seemed okay at first, but then had a brain bleed and ended up being severely damaged.)

I guess I should learn to appreciate my stinky little brothers (mud, dirt, hairbrained ideas, and all) and thank God above that they are healthy, active, normal little boys who do their best to try to drive their older sister crazy!

Suddenly, I love Tanner, Tyler, and Teague with all my heart.  Suddenly, stinky little brothers don't seem so bad!  :)  I feel blessed that I am their big sister!