After Jessica Landis had twins Ashley and Dakota three years ago (and the attendant prenatal bed rest), she still had a yearning for one more child and "a normal pregnancy." Her ever-amenable husband, Steve, also thought it was a fine idea.

So the Richfield couple planned parenthood one more time and, guess what? With no genetic predisposition or fertility drugs, they had triplets Nathan, Montana and Trinity, now almost 2.

"Expletives came out of my mouth," said the self-described devoted Christian of her initial reaction.

Now, of course, the family is thrilled with having five kids age 3 and under -- even if it means they must be hyper-organized as well as only semi-portable.

"We do take them places, but it's rare," Jessica said. "Target is a three-hour outing -- if only because everyone stops us and asks us questions."

So they make their own fun. The fenced back yard is a sea of garage-sale Little Tykes roadsters, picnic tables, swings and slides, and Monster Fort Building is a family tradition. (They make endlessly varied tunnels with blankets, couch cushions and bolsters.)

Jessica, 33, feels particularly blessed because Steve, 49, the public safety manager at St. Catherine University, works from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. -- and when he gets up in the late morning, he is hands-on. They read, feed, bathe, nap, change and chase their brood as a team. There is flexibility but order. A no-exceptions bed- and nap-time gives the parents time to rest and recharge. Nor are the children coddled, coerced or carried into sleep -- they go to bed awake.

"It's the best gift we can give them," Jessica saids. "If they can calm themselves and learn to be self-sufficient, it will take them a long way in life."

Besides a schedule and abundant energy, she said you need the right equipment: "Like the car seats -- which are extra narrow so they will all fit. They're lined up in there like pigs in a blanket."

What many adults take for granted -- personal time, couple time and downtime (not to mention vacations, gym memberships and disposable income) -- is not in the cards right now for Team Landis. Which is OK by them.

"What's most important to us is peace in the house," Steve said. "Even if it's a messy house. If we can keep these kids clean, fed, read to, organized and otherwise nurtured, that's all we can ask."

Jessica agreed. "This has brought us closer together. There'll be time later for everything else."

Kate McCarthy is a Minneapolis freelance writer.