The Adventures of Clan Dillingham

Wikipedia describes it as a “post-apocalyptic folk-rock song written by Canadian singer Bonnie Dobson in 1962.” Everybody has covered the classic, from Jeff Beck to Devo, Robert Plant to Nazareth, and Blackfoot to Billy Corgan. But two of the better-known versions are those of the Grateful Dead and the Allman Brothers Band.

A few weeks back, the best college radio station around here (the one where Stephen used to volunteer DJ … remember that?) played the latter two covers back to back. The boys absolutely fell in love with the song, calling the Dead’s interpretation “the sad one” and the Allman’s “the happy one.”

So, it’s not uncommon to find a dude strumming Daddy’s acoustic and singing the song, or the three of them belting it out at the kitchen table, or one of them requesting it while we’re riding around in the van. Yep, I have now added the Dead’s quintessential album Europe ‘72 to our car catalog, which consists mostly of Veggie Tales CDs and other children’s music.

 Zeke helps move the ball down the field. (Click to see all the pics.)

Gabriel is the one who gets bummed when the song is turned off in midstream because we’ve arrived at our destination. But I’ve explained repeatedly that the recording is more than 10 minutes long, and we just can’t be hanging out in parking lots, jamming out Morning Dew to its dramatic climax every time we hear it. He’s coping pretty well.

Other media-related interests

• Watching the ’80s cartoons of G.I. Joe and Transformers with Daddy, and pondering whether or not the other Autobots believe in God. Yet, Houston is certain that the Decepticons do the devil’s work;
• Picking Mommy or Daddy’s brain about war, its meaning, the reasons for it or against it, and all the rest. Their playing Battlefield 1941 on Xbox, listening to Morning Dew, and attending a Revolutionary War reenactment no doubt has played a role in the inquiries;
• Reading Cinderella, which they call “the girl book.” We’ve had it for years, but I never bothered with it ’cause I didn’t think they’d be into it, forgetting that the story has so much more to it than just happily ever after. Apparently our romantic, Zeke, is especially keen on the dramatic two-page picture of Cinderella dancing with the prince;
• Since they’ve shown such interest in Cinderella, I busted out Sleeping Beauty — another book we’ve had unread for years. And because of story’s magic spells, dragons and valiant sword fights, turns out we have another girlie hit;
• We’re still reading Charlotte’s Web, although the book had gotten Houston a little self-conscious about eating pork. Fortunately, the extra-crispy bacon Daddy made last weekend helped quell his over-analysis. “Wilbur tastes delicious!” said a guilt-free Houston during breakfast.

 Gabriel guards the Marvels’ goal.

Real-life farm animals

We made an amazing discovery this week: dairy cows love eating kudzu! I figured that since goats devour it, moos probably would, as well. And because of the mountain, we now have up-close access to the cows who graze on the dairy farm behind our house.

And since the weed is still thriving beyond the clearing and in Miss Heather’s yard, the boys and I happily gathered and fed the leaves to a gathering bunch of hungry creatures. It was a hoot. The cows got nourishment, the 3 Amigos squealed with delight and we killed some kudzu to boot.

While picking up our weekly CSA (community-supported agriculture) food on Thursday, the boys were petting the horses on the farm, while I chatted with Miss Polly. Suddenly, Gabriel fell down a slope and into the horse side of the fence, so Houston notified me (while laughing all the while) of what had happened.

Luckily, Gabe didn’t come into contact with the barbed wire, the nearby piles of poop or puddles of pee. He was a little muddy and scared, but no worse for the wear, thankfully.

The Marvels 

Soccer is great fun. At yesterday’s game, Houston scored two goals, Zeke blocked a the all with some handy footwork, and Gabriel played the entire game. Honestly, though, Houston is the star of the team.

 Houston shows off his fancy footwork.

Granted, he’s nearly 5 years old in this ages 3-4 league and towers over all the other players since he is gargantuan for his age, but all that shouldn’t minimize his determination, positive attitude and teamwork. In fact, one of his coaches told me they never want him to play goalie ’cause the Marvels wouldn’t be able to score any points without him kicking on the field.

I mean, these are non-scoring games where all players are winners, but Houston still knows he’s good. Stephen talked with him about it, explaining that he should be proud of his hard work, but he should be humble and not get big head.

“What does that mean, Daddy?” he asked. Stephen said it’s not nice for people to brag about their talents or to think they’re the best, to which he responded, “Only God is the greatest.” How cool is that?!

Free Comic Book Day

Immediately after last Saturday’s soccer game, we headed to Free Comic Book Day. Due to time restraints, the boys were forced to go napless. Plus, it was a particularly hot day, so waiting in the long line could’ve resulted in some major meltdowns. Yet, the 3 Amigos held it together like champs.

Once everyone got their bag of comics with a Thor collectible miniature inside, they got a second wind. Not even an afternoon thunderstorm could dampen their spirits for this awesome annual event. The kids posed for lots of pics with cool superheroes and villains; Gabriel and I got our faces painted, while Zeke opted for his hand; and Stephen and Houston scored three personalized sketches by the visiting artists.

Houston, Zeke & friends take a ring-around-the-rosie break.

Steven + Paige = ♥

The last weekend of April, we attended our second wedding of the season. These nuptials were for our dear friend, Steven, and his sweet bride, Paige. Steven is one of a set three bros who is responsible for (my) Stephen and I meeting and consequently falling in love. So suffice it to say that Steven is one of our fave folks on the planet.

It was a privilege to be a part of the rehearsal dinner and post-eating fun, the beautiful wedding and rockin’ reception, and the late-night hangin’ in the hotel. Thanks Paige and Steven! And a heart-felt “Cheers!” goes out to the rest of the posse: Adam; Michael and Anah; Frannie and Dr. Phil; Jon and Don; and Willie, Melanie and the kids. Thems just good foke!

It’s just kinda falling into place

That’s how I would describe my homeschooling journey thus far. Sure, it has all been prep thus far, but it has happened rather organically:

• The initial happenstance chat about homeschooling with Miss Christie and her subsequent mentioning of Classical Conversations and willingly answering my queries about it;
• Our partnered investigation of the local CC communities and the eventual placement of Houston and Asher in the same Abecedarian tutorial for the upcoming homeschool year;
• The fact that every homeschooling-related function I attend, I see familiar and supportive faces from Westover;
• The email Christie forwarded me about a CC curriculum sharing event being held at nearby park this week — a casual and informative outing of lunch, playtime, and lots of homeschooling discussion with our soon-to-be CC community;
• That email resulted in info that one of the community facilitators, Christine, provided me, including news of a used curriculum sale (which was Friday at Westover, of all places … I got tons of materials for only $30!) and the CC Parent Practicums (for which I immediately signed up, scoring the kids the last three slots in the camp for their age group);
• Not to mention the invaluable resources I’ve stumbled upon on my own, most notably the upcoming NCHE (North Carolinians for Home Education) conference and book sale.

“Lining up is so lame,” exclaims Zeke, who is (obviously) second from the left.

It’s so easy to get overwhelmed with it all, from the varied curriculums and divergent methods; to the never-ending supplies and discussions of what’s necessary and what isn’t; to the debates of structured vs. free flow and homeschooling vs. un-schooling; to learning homeschool-ese (read: understanding the lingo) while not coming off as a total idiot.

But for some odd reason, this highly organized Virgo planner is not so stressed. Because I understand the enormity of the choices out there and how easily one can get tangled in the minutiae, I figure I just need to keep it simple. And so far, I’m doing that.

Oddly enough, my mind has for fleeting moments lent itself to the notion that since I’m not worried, that’s cause for worry. Luckily, I’m successfully tempering this odd type-A tendency.

Like John Steinbeck once wrote: A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us. So, let’s submit to the imperfections, learn from our mistakes, not take ourselves too seriously, and have some fun with the homeschooling thing!

Zeke got his staple out this morning and was extremely brave. He is very happy to be able to get his head wet again, especially since we’ve been playing in the sprinkler the past couple of hot and humid days. And I am happy that his hair will no longer smell like dog.

Houston, Zeke & a covert Gabriel stand atop Mill Mountain, overlooking the Shenandoah Valley.

Click the above image to check out the fun from our quickie trip to Roanoke for Daddy’s birthday. I am getting excitingly close to being current with my photos, although I have 200+ pics on my camera at present (sigh). I shall try my best to get all the April stuff up soon.

Sweet Z-Bird, that poor child had to get a small staple in his head on Tuesday. Not to worry too much … it’s the kind of staple that is used to bind a laceration, used in place of a stitch or medical glue, and Zeke’s cranium should be completely healed by next week.

It all started when we were getting ready to head to NSC for an omnisphere redo with Miss Christie and her brood. We had attempted to see a movie in the high-resolution domed-projection theater the week before, but it had sold out due to field trips en masse.

(Despite our missing the show, we did, of course, manage to have tons of fun with Asher, Jackson and Piper that day — especially outside in the sunshine with all the cool critters.)

So, Miss Christie and I decided to give the omnisphere another shot, but this time with Miss Jessie in tow. Lunches were packed, bags were stuffed with necessities, and we were ready to roll into town a couple hours pre-showtime as to ensure our ticket purchase.

Why we went to Texas: to see our pal, Ryan, tie the knot with his sweetheart, Amanda.

Miss Jessie was grabbing a few things and I was about to lock up the house when we heard Zeke screeching. By the time we made it out to the driveway, we saw that the back of Zeke’s was bleeding. It wasn’t gushing out, but anytime you see blood coming from your kid’s head or face, it definitely strikes the fear of God in you.

Turns out that Houston had pushed Zeke down and he hit his head on a some gravel. Zeke says “Houston was being mean” and did it on purpose, while Houston maintains his innocence, insisting that “I was helping you and Miss Jessie.” See, the best-behaved boy was going to ride with Jessie, so I’m guessing there was a mad dash for her car that resulted in some overzealous policing on Houston’s part.

I was able to stop the bleeding quickly, which lessened my worries. We sadly headed back inside, I canceled our outing, and Jessie and I proceeded to tend to Zeke’s wound. I used my trimmers to remove hair from around the gash, making it easier to apply medicine and enabling us to get a better look at the short, but deep cut.

I got Zeke in to see Dr. Gay, and she decided a staple would work best. Unfortunately, it took two tries to get one in flush with his head, but Zeke handled the trauma extremely well, as he always does with medical-related stuff. And as of today, our boy with the bald spot is doing just fine, thank the Lord!

The Pasadena boys reunite in Dripping Springs for Ryan’s wedding.

I’m still working on getting my health in working order, most notably healing my crunched-up core and its adverse affects on my left hip most specifically. In fact, I had my first orthopedic appointment last Friday with the physical therapist who gave me that free screening at the Y back in February.

The appointment entailed electro massage (painful), firm hand massage (a little less painful), and a forceful bend/snap of my quadratus lumborum muscle back into place (surprisingly not painful). The orthopedist gave me a regimen of home stretches to do, and then I’ll be going back to see him in a few weeks.

After a two-week hiatus, potty training resumed on 4/18. We are using pull-ups this time around, which has decreased some of the stress and mess. We are also pitting the twins against each other in the hopes that competition will motivate at least one of them to master the life skill. So far, there have been no huge breakthroughs, but things are indeed moving along, albeit very slowly.

There have been other (more enjoyable) things going on, besides medical visits and dealing with pee and poop … like another “date” Stephen and I had a few weeks back. We kicked off the romance with a trip to Costco, while Jessie watched the kids. Yep, lame, I know, but a necessary to-do that we both find more enjoyable when done with the other.

Check out this old married couple! (Click to see part 1 pics from our Texas trip.)

Luckily, the fun didn’t stop there. After unloading the perishables at home, we headed back out to a nearby sports bar for cheap eats, drinks and some adult conversation. It was a nice evening of both business and pleasure.

Similarly, Stephen and I took the kids with us downtown for early voting in the NC primary on 4/20. Once we were done with the errand, we treated our well-behaved “guacamole heads” to Mexican for lunch at an authentic joint they had not been to before.

That night, the kids had soccer practice, which was their first in a while because of time off for Easter and spring break. The next morning, it was team picture day and a game. The twins held their own, and Houston scored the only goal for the Marvels. The 3 Amigos were thrilled that both Mommy and Daddy were there to cheer them on, as well as Miss Jessie and Kaylee.

A couple weeks ago, I stumbled upon my old copy of Charlotte’s Web. (Thanks, Lisa, for passing down these treasures to me and my kids.) On the inside cover, you see my name scribbled in elementary penmanship, along with the name of my first-grade teacher.

The cool find inspired me to read the book to the boys. And despite its lack of pictures, they absolutely love the classic and have even gotten into acting out the story — stellar dramatizations that are replete with pig oinks and squeals.

Gathering @ the Salt Lick w/ some of our favorite Lone Star friends. (Click to see our part 2 photos.)

I was notified earlier this month that Houston wasn’t picked in the lottery drawing for the one charter school in which I was interested. Hes currently 154th on the waiting list.

No worries, though, because I’m increasingly optimistic that I can pull off this homeschooling thing. The book I’m currently reading on what the author calls family schooling is helping me become more confident. Apparently, we’re already doing so much of what needs to be done. Our practice by home-preschooling has readied us for the big leap into official kindergarten instruction.

I don’t have any illusions of grandeur. I know there will be some great days, some awful days, and even days I wonder, “And why did I want to homeschool?!” But I know we can meet the challenges by learning from our mistakes, and repeating and growing upon what works for the kids as individual learners and for the family unit.

I already enjoy the flexibility of homeschooling. For example, when our St. Patrick/Ireland/Viking lesson went a little long due to other curriculum and time restraints, I told Jessie, ”We shouldn’t really stress about it. After all, we are not only the teachers, but we are the school administration and the school board. We run the show!”

This Ron Paul portrait, entitled “2012,” was on display in the Austin Airport. Man, you just gotta love Texas!

Likewise, in addition to Mommy, wife, family manager/planner, nurse, housekeeper/chores supervisor, and light gardener/landscaper, I would also include curator in my resume. The boys are so overflowing with creativity and artistic expression that I am constantly changing up their beautiful displays.

Sure, my house looks like a preschool, but I guess it really is. And some of the noted lovely art as of late includes tissue-paper/clothespin butterflies, egg-carton caterpillars, cupcake-liner lillies, popcorn cherry-blossom trees, and origami dogs and foxes.

The latter was from this week’s Japan theme. The dudes like learning about different countries through presentations and activities, but I do believe their favorite part of these lessons is the food.

Just like devouring the meat pie Houston and I made during our Ireland studies, the kids’ Japan highlight was eating a homemade stir-fry and fish feast and drinking tea from saki cups. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, well, perhaps the best way to his brain is the very same path.

Last month, we attended the reenactment of this historic struggle, which took place on March 15, 1781. (Click the image below to view all the photos.) The event marked the 231st anniversary of the Revolutionary War battle.

The dudes pose w/ a Revolutionary War militia man.

The largest battle of the war’s Southern Campaign was lost by the Americans, but came at a great cost for Lord Charles Cornwallis, whose British regulars and German allies suffered massive losses, totally 25% of the general’s army.

It was a high-water mark for the British military, which was driven to leave the Carolinas soon thereafter, forcing Cornwallis to place all his hopes for victory in Virginia. Seven months later, he would surrender to Gen. George Washington at Yorktown.

The American forces reload & keep fighting the surging Red Coats.

The American efforts at Guilford Courthouse were led by Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene, who began the war as a militia private, but quickly earned a high rank and the reputation as one Washington’s most dependable officers.

“I never saw such fighting since God made me,” Cornwallis said of Greene and his Continentals at the 2 1/2-hour Battle of Guilford Courthouse. “The Americans fought like demons.”

The British take the hill, but suffer extensive losses.

Greene, who came to be known as The Fighting Quaker, summed up his motivation for combatting tyranny and promoting independence this way: “I am determined to defend my rights and maintain my freedom or sell my life in the attempt.”

Our beloved Eastern Tent Caterpillars, Friendly and Dinky, anxiously made their cocoons on 4/13. The pending in-flight creatures, scientifically known as Malacosoma Americanum, are not butterflies at all, but are instead boring brown moths.

Guess that’s an easy mistake to make as a kid, as I did during my heyday of creating “ecosystems” constructed of cylindrical Quaker Oats containers and my mom’s old pantyhose. That was the ’70s, though … now oatmeal comes in huge boxes bought at Costco, we pride ourselves on knowing exactly what kind of insect we’re dealing with (thank you, Internet), and this mom definitely don’t wear no stinkin’ pantyhose.

Friendly and Dinky now share their shoebox-residence with a few baby caterpillars Houston and Miss Jessie found yesterday, while scouring the yard for the aforementioned tents (read: their communal webbed nests found in trees).

Gabriel proudly dons Daddy’s boots.

Besides our new moth larvae members of the family, Houston also befriended an ant yesterday, who he named is Hershey Kiss. The insect now lives in tupperware with ample holes poked on top for proper ventilation. He is currently living in plenty of Carolina red dirt, and feasting on leaves and fruit.

Non-critter nature

In late March, Houston and I finished cutting down the rusty barbed wire in our back yard — a task I began years before I had kids. But since I’m a mom, I dutifully put big bro to work as my assistant.

Houston thoroughly enjoyed handing me the various tools necessary to tackle the project (although he was insistent that a pair of pliers is indeed a wrench). The two of us worked hard clearing the old farm fencing, so we now have a spot for hanging a tire swing — another ancient to-do that will finally come to fruition this spring.

Now, if the boys and Daddy would just get me a hammock for Mother’s Day, our back yard would be pretty darn close to being a recreational/leisurely paradise (hint hint)!

Daddy & the dudes relish in brandishing their “swords” @ Mommy. (Click to see March - Part 1 photos.)

The kids will be attempting to grow one veggie each in our raised-bed garden. They helped me weed and hand-till the dirt, and then Zeke got to plant chocolate cherry tomatoes, Gabriel jalapenos, and Houston cucumbers.

Unfortunately, Houston’s cucumber has already perished. I think it was just a bad plant to begin with. So, the twins and I picked up an okra plant for big bro yesterday on the way home from MOPS. Houston planted it that afternoon, and then we spread a bucket of cow manure Mr. Milt donated to our worthy garden cause.

In addition, Houston and I planted some carrot seeds, and Gabe and Zeke helped me install two more fruit trees.  So if our varied horticulture efforts pan out, we will one day yield the aforementioned veggies, as well as cilantro, basil, strawberries, peaches, apples, nectarines and pears.

Jolly jaunts

On 4/12, the boys and I met up with Miss Christie, Asher, Jackson and Piper. We visited a nearby park on a gorgeous sunny day and the kids tackled the play equipment, battled with light sabers, and went nuts in “the giant sandbox,” which is a really volleyball court, minus the net.

The 3 Amigos are ready for their first soccer practice. (Click to view March - Part 2 pics.)

Last Saturday, Daddy and I took the 3 Amigos to the Natural Science Center for RoboFest, which featured robots, Lego building and lots of other cool engineering displays and activities. And I’m happy to report that when we visited the hall of dinosaurs, none of the dudes were scared of the replicas, as they had been previously.

Another fear conquered is that of the Fry Kids. You know, those fuzzy McDonald’s mascots from the ’80s? ”They look like cotton balls with feet,” describes Houston.

Anyway, Zeke was the first to notice them hanging from the ceiling of the only local indoor Play Land — a great rainy-day resource. He became panicked, decided he hated “the ghosts,” and then dubbed the place “the scary McDonald’s.”

Zeke was so sincere in his opposition to the non-threatening fluffs that he even convinced Gabriel to recoil from them. Luckily, they’ve both gotten over the angst, and we have had a successful visit to that McDonald’s since then.

Houston manages the construction crew in the sand egg.

Edible anecdotes

A Sunday school teacher told me that, apparently, Gabriel and Zeke find it enjoyable to dip goldfish crackers in their water cups during snack time. Seems weird enough for my boys, but I asked her what the rest of the class thought about it. “Oh, all the other kids follow right along,” she said with a laugh. “They think it’s a great idea.” What trendsetters!

Thankfully, the 3 Amigos have quite adventurous palates. They’ve discovered their love of jalapeno potato chips and Vietnamese food (well, spring rolls and shrimp fried rice in a combo of soy, fish and plum sauces, but still, pretty impressive). The dudes will also try most anything, which has revealed that Houston likes sushi (well, California Rolls, but still gratifying from my perspective).

Zeke was the last to earn his “fancy dinner” on 4/12. The food wasn’t elaborate, but he was thrilled to chug milk out of a champagne flute, eat off of a glass plate and blow out the candle I had burning for mood lighting. Remember your table manners, boys!

Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there. — Clarence W. Hall, author

Easter weekend

We kicked off Good Friday with a Moms Club Easter egg hunt. Saturday consisted of geocaching and playing at the park with Daddy, doing a resurrection egg hunt I set up for the boys, Maddie and Dixie, and then watching Puss In Boots.

Houston gets coached on proper shooting techniques during his first time handling a BB gun.

Sidebar: Zeke is now quite passionate about pretending he’s Puss. He discovered some hand-me-down cowboy boots hidden in the closet and wears them proudly, while also donning my Tilley hat snapped up on one side with a feather poking out of a grommet, and a piece of Hot Wheels track (what the 3 Amigos have been using as swords as of late) stuck in the waist of pants.

Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime. – Martin Luther

On Easter Sunday, the boys received chocolate crosses and Bible-story puzzles as sweet and simple gifts celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and its significance to us as Christians. Then we attended a glorious church service and spent the afternoon outside, appreciating the exquisitely sunny and temperate weather. It was a lovely weekend for which I am thankful.

The 3 Amigos relish the freshly fallen snow.

From the Lone Star State to the Shenandoah Valley

Stephen and I were in Texas from 3/30-4/2 to go the wedding of one of his dearest pals, Ryan, who was also the best man in our wedding. The nuptials and festivities that followed were held at a private campground in beautiful Dripping Springs. The Hill Country was the perfect backdrop to see Ryan commit to his lovely bride, Amanda; catch up with old friends and make new acquaintances; and rock out late night to an excellent Phish cover band.

We also feasted at the legendary BBQ restaurant, The Salt Lick in Driftwood, and did a lot of chilling in Austin. We devoured authentic pescado y carne de res tacos at a dirty, but delectable roadside joint; munched on ceviche y cordero empanadas at Curra’s Grill; visited H.E.B., the best supermarket in the world, at least four times; and relaxed and slept a bunch at the hotel.

Then the boys and I made an impromptu visit to Roanoke to visit Stephen, who was there for work last week. It was his birthday on 4/5, so we drove up the day before to do dinner. Interestingly, Auntie Lisa also happened to be there on business and was staying in the hotel right beside Stephen’s, so we met up with her for a bit so she could get her 3-Amigo fix.

Of course, the dudes were super excited to sleep in Daddy’s hotel room and then do a continental breakfast with him on his birthday. After that, we trekked up to the Roanoke Star. Although it was drizzly and foggy, we were able to see some good views of the valley, snap some nice photos and take a brief hike before hitting the road for Carolina.

The dudes, Alyssa & snowman, made of not-so-fresh snow.

Critter fever

On 3/26, Houston found an injured winged ant. So, he adopted the flightless bug and named him Jeremy, since J was our letter for the day. Although we were never 100% sure Jeremy wasn’t a termite — yep, these destructive insects look quite similar to winged ants — Houston took great care of him.

Unfortunately, just two days later, the Jeremy died. We had a short funeral for Houston’s beloved ant, buried him on the mountain and marked the spot with a cross made out of found branches.

That evening, the 3 Amigos and I dug in wet soil in search of easier-to-maintain pets for Houston. As of today, earth worms named Hermie, Wormie and Billy have been living quite contentedly in their coffee-can ecosystem.

I had also told the boys about caterpillars — low-maintenance pets that I had every spring as a kid. Houston spotted one on a family walk last Friday, so he brought him home and named him Friendly. A few days later, Friendly got a new pal, who Zeke named Dinky. The two butterfly larva seem to be thriving in their makeshift ecosystem: a Spidey shoe box covered with a thin cloth.

Gabriel as a snowman, made of toilet paper (unused, of course).

Yesterday, the boys stumbled across a baby caterpillar, named Zinky. Regrettably, he wasn’t as lucky as Friendly and Dinky: he was got critically injured by accident this morning, so I had to euthanize him. It was actually quite sad. The 3 Amigos and Jessie buried the tiny, green caterpillar beside Jeremy and marked the spot with another homemade cross.

And then there’s Norman the Nightingale, another critter who has become part of our family this spring. No, we don’t have him in a box, a jar or a cage. Norman simply visits a tree alongside our driveway, which runs up right beside our living room. So, on nice evenings when the windows are open (which are most nights these days), Norman sings us to sleep with his lilting melodies.

Kicking & bouncing

Miss Jessie surprised the boys by showing up to their second soccer practice with her boyfriend, Joseph, and sister, Kaylee. Daddy says the dudes loved having all the “fans” there to watch them play.

The game on 3/24 got rained out, so Granny ended up taking the kids to their first game on 3/31, since Stephen and I were in Texas. Not only did she lug them to the Y, but she also took them to their pal Matthew’s birthday party prior to the game. It was at a bounce place, so the twins were pooped for soccer. But Granny says, “Houston played his little heart out.” Thanks, Granny!

“There’s no snow south of the border, so I’ll wear this sombrero instead,” Zeke says.

From butts to eyeballs to boo-boos

On 4/4, I got official pediatrician approval to take a brief hiatus from potty training. I was going nuts with all the accidents and the cycles of progression to regression. It has been nearly a week of total liberation from the messes, headaches and wasted time that constant accidents produce. But we’ll be back at it as of 4/18 (sigh). Please pray for us … seriously.

On 4/9, Houston went back to the doc for his pink eye, which never fully healed. Turns out, the redness is due to seasonal allergies, so he has to take a daily regimen of oral, nasal and eye meds for the remainder of spring. Poor little dude … well, he now weighs exactly 50 pounds, so I guess he’s big dude … but at least his allergy symptoms aren’t as nasty and severe as when he was a toddler.

Picture this: While sprinting across the grass, Gabriel dramatically trips and falls. Cries of pain echo throughout the backyard. “Are you okay, Gabe? Did anything get hurt?” Miss Jessie asks. “The ground,” he replies.

To check out February photos, click the top pic to see Part 1 and the group snowman shot to see Part 2. You can also view February fun had a Chuck E. Cheese – the boys’ reward for painstakingly earning 30 marks on their good-manners-while-eating chart.

Seems I had spoken too soon about Gabriel and Zeke’s headway with potty training. After my positive update on 3/13, I am sad to report that the twins regressed. It was an occasional accident here and there, but major mishaps were becoming the norm.

And then at our playgroup at Miss Amy’s on Friday, both Gabriel and Zeke went doo-doo in their undies. All the Moms Club gals were supportive and consoling, but that was just the last straw for me. So, Stephen (who was also at his wit’s end) and I decided to give up on trying to win this dirty, discontenting battle.

Instead, Gabe and Zeke are now commanding their own ships. Each is at the helm and can steer his boat toward the bathroom or back into diapers. Whatever works for him as captain, but we’re done with the exhausting prodding, the ineffective rewards, and the tireless timed potty breaks.

The boys hesitantly pose with their finally completed Word Wall. (Click to see the January gallery.)

I figure this is a control issue, plain and simple. And the more I try to exert my authority and my rules, the more the twins are going to resist. Let’s face it, the twins know what to do and how to do it; the choice just has to be theirs.

Over the few days that we’ve been more hands-off, the pirate ships of Captain Jack Sparrow (Zeke) and Will Turner (Gabriel) have been sailing on much smoother waters. Maybe it’s due to the cool “Pirates Of the Caribbean” references, but whatever the case, I think this new approach may be just the motivation needed to help each of our stubborn boys charter his own route on these stormy seas. It also serves as a nice break for the rest of us.

Comportment: Beyond the potty

• CHORES

I started keeping better track of the kids’ chores. Instead of saying, “Hey, who’s gonna help me with laundry?” and having all three gleefully volunteer for the task or none (I’m not sure which was worse), I decided to have one at a time help me with what I’m calling teamwork, as opposed to the less inspirational housework.

Daddy talks snow globes w/ Zeke on New Year’s Day.

This method offers me a conducive environment to instruct said child in the chore at hand (better focus on his part and greater patience on mine), while also helping me more fairly delegate whose turn it is to assist. It’s just a much better use of our time and energy and, so far, seems to me both more effective and enjoyable for everyone.

• REST

Keeping the boys on a structured sleep schedule is always a feat. Whether it’s coping with Daddy sometimes traveling for work, tweaking our days to fit with Miss Jessie’s college schedule, or getting Miss Karen to babysit for whatever reason, it’s so darn easy for things to get out of whack.

For instance, we used to let the kids stay up late the night when Daddy would arrive home from a biz trip. But we soon realized that this homecoming treat was just asking for trouble, i.e. fatigue-induced meltdowns, lengthy whining spells and pterodactyl boy: when Gabriel or Zeke uses a high-pitch, screeching form of communication, even while saying, “Mommy, I’m being good now. Can I please have some water?”

Moreover, the dudes all intermittently have what Dr. Gay classifies as night terrors, of which a main cause is being overtired. Luckily, these bad dreams are rare, but still, it’s just another reason to remain vigilant in keeping the 3 Amigos on tight nap/nighttime schedule and as rested as possible.

The dudes feast on frozen yogurt during Zeke’s kicking-his-thumb-sucking-habit celebration.

• MANNERS

An additional hill on which I’m willing to die is the battle for the boys to have good table manners. It has drastically improved from the days of food-throwing and constant drink-spilling, but we still have a long way to go to achieve genteel.

Case in point: the twins often consume at break-neck speed while gulping down huge bites, and this resulted in my having to give Zeke the Heimlich on 3/7. Scary! Then again, I had to use the maneuver on Houston once or twice long ago. And these days, he is pretty dignified during mealtime.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, however you wanna look at it), all the kids exhibit pretty polite behavior while eating out, as recently exhibited at Red Robin and Fuji Sushi, where the dudes ate their first-ever California rolls — a big hit with Houston, but not so much with his cheeky bros. Point is, I suppose progress is being made, however slowly and painstakingly it might be.

Early March saw both Gabriel and Houston regaled with their fancy-dinner rewards. Each dining experience treated the guest of honor to a candlelit meal on a non-plastic plate while drinking from a wine glass or champagne flute. Zeke also recently earned his final signature on the scroll, but we still own him his hoity-toity dinner.

Steve Martin, Chevy Chase & Martin Short: The original 3 Amigos. 

For all you “sons of a motherless goat”

I tagged Houston, Gabriel and Zeke as The 3 Amigos after the 1986 movie of that name. Being that the slapstick motion picture (a la Blazing Saddles) had such an impact on me back then and starred some of the day’s best comedic actors, I just assumed that everyone else knew about the classic flick.

But not so. Miss Jessie hadn’t heard of it or any of its stars, but then again, she’s half my age. So I wrote that off as a generational thing.

Yet, only one of my MOPS gals, who range in age from early 30s to mid-40s, was familiar with the funny film. Oh, the injustice!

I’ll leave you with the immortal words of the 3 Amigos themselves from the Singing Bush scene: Ned Nederlander, “Chip, chip, chip, chip, chip. Nanny!” Lucky Day, “Faaaaaaaarley, farley, farley, faaaarley!” Dusty Bottoms, “Hfurhrmrgurny.” Nuff said.

I’m not only playing catch-up with photos (obviously), but I’ve also found myself falling behind with keeping the blog up to date. Here are some recent happenings, along with a few older items to boot.

The vine that ate the South

As some of you know, I’ve been battling kudzu on our wooded property for years. I finally had to call in an expert in late February. The landscaper and his crew spent two days creating a buffer between Liberty Loop and the evil weed (which can grow up to a foot a day) still residing in my neighbor’s yard.

The landscaper clear-cut all the dead trees and dormant kudzu, and dug up and sprayed as much of the root system as possible to create a clearing. The thinking is that this buffer, which the kids named “the mountain,” will stop the spread of the vining vegetation.

I still must remain vigilant, keeping an eye out for any attempt at encroachment. But with my newly sharpened machete (thanks, Mr. Milt), my hardcore weedkiller and my keen kudzu-spotting kids, I am hopeful that we will eradicate (or at least, control) the evil plant.

It takes true grit & teamwork to get the easel box open. (Click to view “Christmas - Part 1″ pics.) 

Now if I could just get rid of those darn moles — which are a protected species in my wacko state — that are infesting much of our subterranean lawn for the second year, my yard-improvement progress would be even more appreciable.

Who says child labor is bad?!? 

Wth all this work to be done, I am teaching the boys how to be good little yard-workers themselves. In early March, they assisted me in demolishing the old rip-rap-bordered sandbox and building our new “sand egg”: a much larger construction, which is oval and surrounded by vinyl landscape edging.

Since then, the dudes have helped me plant two fruit trees, and weed and mulch our berms, beds and gardens. And being the fans of water that they are, the 3 Amigos also enjoy using the huge watering can to soak our thirsty plants.

“The home is the ultimate education lab.”

This comes from a book I’m reading by Terrie Lynn Bittner, Homeschooling: Take a Deep Breath — You Can Do This! And like the above lessons in horticulture, everyday life is brimming learning opportunities.

Miss Jessie and I find these sentiments ring true with pre-schooling. Here are some things the boys have been working on:

• Ocean-them week — Learned about the seven seas and many of the critters that inhabit the water through books, art and games. Jessie also brought over “Finding Nemo,” which enthralled the dudes and evoked many pressing inquiries. We tied up the week by feasting on fish at Libby Hill, the kids’ favorite seafood restaurant.
• St. Patrick – Learned about the Apostle of Ireland, pressed shamrocks, went on a leprechaun treasure hunt and ate green pancakes.
• Ireland — The agenda for our coming is week is more about the Emerald Isle: history overview, early Christianity there, the Great Potato Famine, cooking Irish Meat Pie, etc.
• Vikings — We will also introduce the kids to these Norse warriors through their time spent in Ireland and will continue with that theme the following week.
• Pirates — Since vikings are infamous for their acts of robbery and criminal violence at sea, I thought that would tie in nicely with a much-overdue lesson on pirates, which is one of the boys’ main obsession these days.

Zeke, one of our resident train aficionados, is in choo-choo heaven. (Click to view Part 2).

Sunday school

Our church has outstanding children’s programming and the 3 Amigos truly enjoy their classes. But for whatever reason, kids are sometimes aloof about discussing what they learned in school.

However, Zeke bolted from his room last weekend and eagerly asked, ”Hey Mommy, you want to know what I learned in class? I am not ashamed of the Gospel!” He was so proud of himself and his succinct recitation of the lesson. And as a mom, it was wonderful to see my child’s enthusiasm for learning about the Bible.

Español

On 3/8, I attended the open house for a Spanish-immersion magnet school. Although, it seems like a phenomenal public school, I’ve decided not to sign up Houston for their kindergarten lottery.

Instead, we will work on Spanish at the home front, weaving the language into the kids’ lessons and conversations whenever possible — something Miss Jessie, Stephen and I are already doing. Eventually, Stephen wants to implement a Spanish-only day, in which no English is spoken during the allotted time.

Amigo merriment

Here are some fun things the boys have been up to lately:

• The kids love to dance, especially to the current pop song, “Move Like Jagger” by Maroon 5. Zeke is particularly gifted at boogying. It is hysterical watching him shake his stuff just like the Rolling Stones frontman … very groovy indeed!
• On 2/23, we attended two play dates. In the morning was interactive-sports activities hosted by Moms Club. Then in the afternoon, we met Miss Christie, Asher, Jackson and Piper at McDonald’s for eats and Play Land fun.
• Dina, Kara and Meredith visited the weekend of 2/24-2/26. As always, we had a blast with our Virginia brethren.
• Gabriel finally got his pool date with Daddy on 3/2. (This was for the second diamond competition.) Stephen said it was a blast and looks forward to his next one-on-one outing with Houston, and then the with Zeke, who just won the most recent round.
• On Thursday, Houston went to Alyssa’s for a “game date” — a new reward opportunity that treats Houston to an hour of Wii video gaming at her house. This helps limit his video game requests for at-home play and serves as a powerful leveraging tool for motivating good behavior.
• On Saturday, the family attended a reenactment of the Battle of Guilford Courthouse. The boys we enamored with all the different types of soldiers, the cavalry, the wartime musicians, and of course, the weapons and artillery at the 231st anniversary of the dramatic Revolutionary War struggle.

The boys check out the globe — one of the two gifts Houston requested from Santa.

Soccer studs

We signed the 3 Amigos up for soccer. This is Houston’s third sport and the twins’ first! The Y league is for 3-4 year olds and the dudes are all on the same team. (We didn’t want to have to attend three separate practices and games.) We met their coaches last weekend and then their first practice was Friday.

The players were broken into two groups: Houston and Zeke trained with Coach Nellie and Gabriel was with Coach Tiffianie. I think splitting them up whenever possible will be a healthy thing for the boys.

Daddy, who watched the whole practice while I took off to get some exercise on the recumbent bike, said they did fantastic following instructions and delighted in all the kicking and running. I caught the first few minutes and it was simply too cute!

Merriment for Mommy & Daddy

On 3/8, our pastor’s wife, Donna, invited the woman from our Families On the Grow class to her house for eats and conversation. It was nice to get to hang out with some of these ladies outside of Sunday school, and it was lovely to get to know Donna.

Stephen happened to return from a biz trip that night , so I met him out for a bite to eat en route home, since Miss Jessie was already babysitting the kids.

Then the next morning, we continued the kid-free theme with a jaunt to the gun club. This outing was actually my idea. Who says “date nights” have to entail romance and darkness? I can’t think of anything much more enjoyable than heading to the great outdoors with your hubby to tear off a few rounds for target practice and stress relief with? It was incredible fun!

Mommy milestones

• February 21 marks the day that I completed my first entire book since becoming a mom. (Having the opportunity to read uninterrupted and without distraction is definitely one of the perks of riding the recumbent bike at the Y.) Sure, I’ve started a few tomes over the years, but haven’t made it cover to cover in a long, long time. Sadly, this was a huge deal for me!
• Then on 3/1, I took my first shower while the boys were awake and I was the solo caregiver. (If you can’t use TV for that, then it ain’t worth having.) It actually went fine: nobody got into the kitchen knives, opened the door to a stranger or burned the house down. And it proved that the dudes are indeed growing up and can take care of themselves when need be. How liberating!

Gabriel & Houston open yet another Christmas present.

Small world

• During one of my recent visits to the local CC communities, I ran into the midwife who tended to the latter stages of my agonizing 32-hour labor and delivery with Houston. Turns out that the person who brought my first beautiful baby boy into this world now homeschools her kids and uses the method we’ll begin using in the fall.
• It also turns out that one of Stephen’s co-workers has twins and his wife had a difficult pregnancy, which required a high-tech operation. But beyond that similarity, they also went to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where the very same surgeon who saved Gabriel and Zeke also did their prenatal surgery.

Zeke’s lungs & Houston’s eyes

Speaking of fancy operations, I emailed Dr. Petty, the surgeon who performed Zeke’s lobectomy to remove his CCAM back in June ‘09. I inquired as to whether Zeke’s “yucky” might reside in a jar somewhere on the campus of Wake Forest School and if we could possibly come sneak a peek at it. He said after the pathologists made slides for studying it under a microscope, the actual mass was incinerated.

However, the good doctor was kind enough to send me some links in hopes that they’d “hit the ‘gross out factor’ the boys are looking for.” I haven’t showed the images to the kids yet, but click here if you wanna check out what a “yucky” looks like. If that’s intriguing to you, here is another one. I’m sure the 3 Amigos will find these disturbingly cool.

The drops we were using to treat Houston’s bloodshot eyes weren’t helping. On 3/15, I finally took him to Dr. Gay, who diagnosed him with pink eye. She said symptoms of the virus aren’t always goopy and/or crusty eyes, which is what I had been looking out for and why I hadn’t taken Houston to the doc sooner. Anyway, his new Rx seems to be doing the trick.

However protracted the journey has been, we have come a long way from the twins sticking their hands into a dirty diaper to investigate their doo-doo status.

Or the boys trying hard to convince me that they still need to go potty, even though a big poop was already residing in their undies. Man, has it been a messy ride!

Gabriel gets fashionably festive for cookie decorating @ Matthew & Jonathan’s house.

As of now, the dudes wear undies all the time (around the house and yard, on every adventure and outing, and even on road trips). Accidents are still semi-commonplace, but seem a little less frequent with each passing day.

Gabriel and Zeke mostly have the peeing thing under control. In fact, they just recently began peeing in the potty without any assistance, and they are amazingly adept and hygienic about the whole process.

I attribute these good mechanics to the fact that Gabe and Zeke have been going solo in the backyard for a while now. Once they mastered the downhill rule, all that remained was target practice: aiming at blades of grass, leaves, tree trunks and the like.

Bowel movements are bit more elusive. Luckily, most of their poopy accidents occur while in diapers, which they only wear during nap time and to bed at night. My theory is that they make the conscious decision to hold it and hold out for diapers.

Fortunately, the twins can physically control the urge, yet they opt for the ease and convenience of soiling a diaper and letting mommy change it. I know they will eventually outgrow this indolent habit. Plus, it’s better for me than dirty undies and the nasty cleanup that follows. Buy hey, progress is progress.

Houston breaks in the new easel — the boys’ main Christmas gift from Mommy & Daddy.

In other health news

On 2/10, the twins had their first head-to-toe wellness check with our new pediatrician, Dr. Gay. Gabe came in at 39 pounds heavy and 39 inches tall, while Zeke is just a tad lighter and shorter — odd since Zeke typically has the hardier appetite.

To my surprise, the boys were much farther behind on their vaccinations than I had thought or hoped, and they each had to get three shots. For a couple days thereafter, Zeke had a fever, which is a normal yet unfortunate reaction for some kids. But good news is, the twins are finally up to date with their vaccination schedules.

Dr. Gay also found a small amount of fluid in Zeke’s ears. It wasn’t enough to warrant antibiotics, so she advised me to give him Claritin for a few weeks. At his check-up yesterday, one ear was clear and the other had a few droplets. The doc said to continue with the meds throughout the spring, which is a good idea considering our family’s history with seasonal allergies. I have already been giving Houston Claritin for a while now due to his increasing allergy symptoms.

Houston & Zeke do their best @ following Twister’s rules.

And then some time last week, Houston’s left eye became persistently bloodshot, so we’ve been giving him eye drops to boot — a regrettable course of action since he detests anything eye related. But just yesteray, Houston decided he would rather be brave and have the trauma be brief, than kick and scream and have the experience drag on and on.

So out of the blue, Houston accomplished a Herculean feat all on his own. I mean, I had accepted the exhausting ritual just ’cause a mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do. So thanks, Houston, for being such a mature boy!

Speaking of growing up, I attempted the triple-threat endeavor of taking the 3 Amigos to the dentist all by myself on 3/1. Unlike less volatile and fear-inducing visits to other docs, going to the dentist has always been an parental exercise in patience, compassion and safety in numbers.

None of my go-to folks could accompany me, so I mentally prepared for the worst and forged ahead. But to my great surprise, the dudes were casual, as if getting a dental cleaning was no big deal. They were calm and care free, friendly and fearless. Boy, have they come a long way!

Gabriel helps Salty, the dockside diesel, chuff down the track.

I got a free orthopedic screening at the Y on 2/15. The physical therapist diagnosed me with “quadratus lumborum tightness” and a “hip flexor strain,” which are conditions stemming from my 32-hour labor and delivery with Houston. My pelvis area and the surrounding tendons on the left side of my body have never felt right since then.

Over the years, this has spread to my hip, lower back, outer thigh and even my shoulder — pain felt only on the left side of my body. That’s the reason I’ve taken a hiatus from swimming. Can’t really do freestyle or backstroke without a working shoulder. Major bummer.

So, the therapist taught me how to do some core-strengthening stretches, which truly have improved things. Wanting still greater mobility and certainly less pain, I plan on visiting the good therapist so he can help work out my kinks even more effectively.

Bob (the cat) is cashing in on her nine lives. See, I was seriously considering putting her down a while back. Her physique was gaunt and her personality was manic. Bob has always been a weirdo, even for feline standards, but she seemed quite unhealthy.

Not a hard sell for the biggest sweet tooth in the bunch, Zeke was thrilled w/ his belated gingerbread-man treat.

Despite her age (15 and a half) and the cost of the initial testing, we decided that the loyal, but peculiar cat deserved another shot. Turns out, she has hyperthryoidism.

After three expensive trips to the vet, we now have her Rx tweaked. Surprisingly, the meds are fairly inexpensive, and even more shocking, she takes the small oral pill without much of a fight.

In short, Bob’s doing great: she has gained weight, is much less crazy and is a lot more tolerable these days. She is still a pain the butt, but I’m glad to have her around for a few more quality years. We love you, Bobby!

Click the above photo to view December’s part 2 gallery and the top image to check out part 3. The train shot is a teaser for the forthcoming Christmas-day pics … keep your eyes peeled.

Here’s another installment of older photos. Click the image below to see the “December - Part 1″ gallery.

Zeke & Houston throw leaves to their hearts’ content.

Zeke loves getting buried in a pile of leaves.

Gabriel goes wild for foliage fun.

Also in this gallery: gingerbread mixing and decorating, climbing on a newly fallen tree, and decorating Miss Jessie’s car for the Christmas season.