Most parents will tell you that the time flies by when you have kids. "They grow up so fast!" For me it has been just the opposite: The days are long, and usually very, very difficult. This is not to say life with three two-and-a-half year olds is not rewarding, because it is, but that I do not miss the passing days as does the typical singleton parent. I do not miss the time when they were learning to walk. I do not miss the sleepless nights, endless spit-ups, intolerable wailing from being sick, the trials of getting them in-and-out of the minivan, the strain on our marriage, and everything else that goes along with being a parent of three kids the same age.

Shortly after coming home from the hospital

As I said, it keeps getting better. They became fun the day they turned two. I'm not sure who flicked the switch, but where we once had three little things that consumed and complained incoherently, now we have three interactive, often warm, interesting little people. They're still an often unbearable burden - particularly for my wife - but at least we can play together rather than playing at them. We ask where it hurts, and they answer. We ask if they need to potty, and they tell us. We ask what happened when they are crying, and they let us know. We tell them we're going to the park, and they get excited. They love diggers, animals, planes, trains, Diego, family, friends, food, and just about everything else you could think of, and that joy rubs off.

A little less than a year old

At the end of each day I am happy that they are finally in their beds and I get some quiet time. I particularly enjoy Wednesday nights, which have been reserved as "date night" with my wife. The time still doesn't "go by so fast," and I do not miss any day before the one that I'm in, but that's a good thing. Now, instead, I look forward to every day ahead of me, because it just keeps getting better.

Recently, in downtown Boston