It’s exhausting work rearing such willful little dudes, which is one reason this is only my fourth blog of the year. When I get any down time away from the kids and housework, I often end up just collapsing in the sack.

Walking w/ a confident swagger, Gabriel shows off his bed head.

But now that the weather has turned pleasant and we’re spending as much time outdoors as possible, our days haven’t been nearly as madcap as they were beginning to get during those last stir-crazy weeks of winter.

Here’s what we’ve been up to:

• Nearly a month ago, Gabriel and Zeke turned the same age Houston was when they were born: 16 months old. This milestone is a reminder that despite the demands of my career, these precious years are fleeting.
• The twins are such strong and happy boys that it just delights my heart smother them with kisses and receive their firm hugs. Watching them grow into toddlers is truly a joy.

 Zeke doesn’t have to be using the ball tower to appreciate good old-fashioned fun w/ a ball.

• Last weekend, we took a day trip to Shelby for Aunt Hessie’s 100th birthday party and then dinner at Bridge’s BBQ. This was the twins first time dining out at a restaurant. They were amazingly well behaved.
• For about a week now, the boys have been fighting snotty colds, giving them croupy coughs and seemingly endless runny noses.
• When their not sick, all the boys have insatiable appetites, stunning everyone who has the opportunity to feed them. Wish we could put those eating fools to work to help us buy groceries … damn child labor laws.
• Gabriel and Zeke are now climbing our outside stairs. Their other favorite outdoor activities include throwing gravel, checking out parked cars, playing with plastic pots, and messing around with dirt and leaves.

Houston goes for a backyard ride in the Papa-tweaked seeder.

• Houston’s current outdoor thing is collecting rocks and acorns … and pushing down Gabe and Zeke, although the twins are holding their own and fighting back a lot more now that big brother doesn’t seem as big as he used to.
• One of Houston’s fave indoor activities is dressing in his Spidey costume and playing super heroes with Storm (a.k.a. Mommy). Addressing one another by our pretend names is a must, as is Mommy — I mean, Storm — donning her blanket cape.
• Indoor fun for the twins includes building blocks, ball tower, board books, puzzles and ganging up on Houston.
• Zeke is now on a second Rx for reflux. It has helped a bit, but puking still rears its ugly, stinky head on occasion.

Gabriel charges @ Granny w/ the Nerf ball & Zeke experiments w/ a couple of pinwheels.

• Houston’s sleep problems persist, with him often climbing into bed with us due to an array of issues: “bad cats, bad guys, shadows, too dark.” Sometimes we get him back into his bed, sometimes not. It’s hard to be persistent at 4 a.m., but eventually we’ll prevail.
• Houston’s potty training is going great, though. I think he’ll be in big-boy underpants before we know it.
• And last but not least, Houston and Stanley are finally friends.

Click the above photo to view all the February – Part 2 pics and the very top photo to see all the Part 1 shots.