Author Archives: reba

Critter craze continues

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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!

Happy belated Easter!

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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.

To Ned, Lucky & Dusty w/ love

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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.