Category Archives: Holidays

Our autumn blur

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I haven’t blogged in nearly three months — officially the longest gap I’ve ever had between writings. And that pretty much sums up the blur that has been life the last few months.

Our summer wrapped up with these end-of-dog-days notables:

  • Matthew’s birthday party;
  • our final trip of the season to Wet n’ Wild with Matthew and Miss Stacey;
  • my completing the Color Vibe 5k with Tricia;
  • Zeke breaking his arm while playing nighttime freeze tag at Miss Jessica’s;
  • my 45th birthday;
  • and Papa’s 80th birthday party in Richmond.

We attended a Trump rally, which served as our anniversary kick-off & the 3 Amigos’ civics lesson for the day. Plus, we ran into Tyrnan & Jim @ the event. What a win-win-win!

From then on, we began mixing a brew of activities, which seemed to make life rush by in the blink of an eye. Now, don’t get me wrong, it was all good stuff, just a bit overwhelming, especially for a mama who took Awana off our schedule this year just so we’d have more free time. Ha, live and learn.

There were 3 main ingredients to our cocktail of crazy:

1. SRA baseball

Baseball was the big kahuna time-wise because all three boys played this season, although Gabriel and Zeke were on the same team. However, being that there were two games a week per team and two early-morning Saturday practices every weekend … well, just talking about it makes me tired.

Houston the big-hitter! (Speaking of blurry, my apologies for the not-so-focused baseball pics. Sports photography is hard, people.)

Now, throw in these curve balls (pardon the pun):

  • that kids were supposed to show up a half an hour before game time to warm up;
  • the fields where they played were both 20-30 minutes away from home;
  • sometimes the 3 Amigos were scheduled for games on the same night (and sometimes at the same time);
  • dinner either had to be eaten in the van en route to the game, or made and served up upon arrival home to a tired and hungry (read: “hangry”) crew;
  • and then there were even games every night of the week during part of the playoffs.

Luckily for me, the boys’ teams didn’t advance too far in the tournament. I know that sounds callous to say, but sheesh, this old lady needed a break something fierce. I think the 3 Amigos and Daddy did, too.

Houston participated in his last season of coach-pitch ball with good buddy, NickO. His team, the Athletics, didn’t do that well, but Houston really came out of his shell as far as his personal skills go, especially his hitting.

Bum arm & all, Zeke does what it takes to help out his team during an early-season scrimmage game.

That child actually hit a few home runs and a lot of RBIs. He was even moved to 4th position in the batting lineup, which is the “cleanup hitter” (a.k.a. the “power hitter,” says Stephen). Way to go, Houston!

This season was Gabriel and Zeke’s first experience with competitive baseball. Their team was the Rockies. And I’ve gotta say, they really took to the regimen, the hard-nosed style of the rec coaches, the technicality and rules of the game, and the responsibility that comes with being part of both a winning or losing team.

It was amazing to see my two sometimes head-in-the-clouds boys out on the field, focused and ready for action; to watch them attentively listen to their coaches, heed their advice, and improve on skills; and to witness them strike out or be called out or lose a game, and not cry, although I know it often devastated them. Studs for sure.

Gabriel, whose running had been likened to a kid moving through quicksand, sprints to home plate. Running was just one of the many drastically improved skills the twins attained over the course of their baseball season.

Moreover, Zeke played the first five weeks in a cast. Sure, he didn’t get to hit. But when he was in the outfield, boy, he was working his butt off, stopping grounders and even catching a couple pop-flies with his baseball cap.

I’ve got to say, although it was an exhausting few months, it was such a pleasure to watch the 3 Amigos grow in their sportsmanship, maturity, and love of the game. It really was a blessing to be a part of it all.

2. CC + Essentials

Sure, this is our 5th year of doing Classical Conversations. But this is Houston’s (and my) 1st year of Essentials, which is the dialectic stage of the classical-education model called the trivium.

Zeke & Gabriel get ready to blow out their eight candles during their birthday celebration @ the Eden Drive-In. Where have all the years gone, my sweet babes?!

What the boys have been doing up to now is called Foundations. It’s the grammar stage of the trivium, and it involves tons of memorizing vocabulary and basic facts about a variety of subjects.

The dialectic is when kids start “asking questions, sorting, comparing, and practicing the knowledge learned in the grammar stage.” It involves delving deeper into English grammar and writing. It’s an extra 2-hours of instruction after Foundations wraps up at noon every Tuesday, but it does comprise our complete language-arts program.

It’s intense, humbling, time-consuming, and challenging, to say the least, but it’s effective. I also had good advice from a couple veteran moms, who advised us newbies to take it easy, chill out, and relax. After all, Houston will be in Essentials for three years, so no need to bite off more than we can chew. (The twins will start it in fall 2018.)

The neighborhood crew held their own election & the results are in: Zeke won secretary of state, Jacob governor, Gabriel treasurer, Houston VP & Congress, NickO president, Gavan (not pictured) press secretary & Congress, & Matthew (also not pictured) general.

Houston has become a madman at diagramming and parsing sentences. He actually enjoys it and always says, “Let’s do one more, Mommy.” And we’ve written some great papers on a myriad of medieval topics, with Houston taking the helm more and more each week, coming up with his own similes, alliterations, metaphors, and more.

It is quite a wonder to see a classically-educated child unfold and mature and grow into an independent learner. One day, the 3 Amigos will all be smarter than me … but not just yet, fellas. And can you believe we wrap up our semester this coming Tuesday? Life is a blur indeed.

3. “Church shopping”

That’s what Protestants call it when they flee a church because it’s not meeting their spiritual needs anymore. It may have gotten too worldly because it has too many parking volunteers, too much of a rock-n-roll praise band, or too much of a social-justice bent.

We had a corntacular good time w/ friends @ Harvest Ridge Farm on Halloween morning.

Or it may have been putting too much effort into lobby coffee, happy Sunday greeters, or video messaging. Whatever the case, evangelicals say their hungry for authenticity and truth, not watered down, gimmicky, commercial, popular sentiment. After all, truth is probably the most unfashionable thing these days … or any days, for that matter.

But because of this, we left our church of 3+ years this summer and have been “frolicking,” as one pastor called it, this fall. We have visited three churches over the last few months: two Reformed Presbyterian and one Eastern Orthodox.

I will write more about our religious adventures in a future blog. But for now, suffice it to say that we’re seeking a church with stronger roots and traditions, more liturgy, and a deeper respect for history and the early church.

The Halloween posse, featuring the 3 Amigos as different warriors throughout history: Gabriel is a Confederate infantryman, Houston a U.S. soldier, & Zeke a Medieval barbarian. Not politically correct in the least, which is just the way we like it!

And because we’re so serious about participating in a church, a denomination, a corporate worship that is grounded in longstanding convention with an adherence to great Christians and rituals of the past, we have been very intentional in our frolicking, as well as getting to know each church’s leaders.

My pal, Adair, and her family are extremely involved in Christ Covenant. Her husband, Eric, is an elder, and a few cool CC families attend there. One Sunday, Adair and Eric even hosted a lunch at their house, where they invited our family, the lead pastor, Neil, and his family, and a few other choice folks. That meant a lot to us.

Neil even reached out to Stephen on his own accord. The two met for lunch and talked about everything from faith to firearms to freedom and more.

The dudes go nuts on the giant jumping pillow @ Harvest Ridge. You gotta love the feel & smell of a warm autumn day … it’s just like a cozy blanket.

Our pals, Tricia, Jeremy, Bret, and Bella go to The Kirk. In fact, Jeremy preached during our first visit there. He’s not a pastor per se because he didn’t graduate from seminary, but still, that was super-cool. They even treated us to a post-church lunch twice and on their dime. Very kind indeed.

Like Adair and Eric, Tricia and Jeremy are serious, thoughtful Christians. They wear their faith humbly, but forthrightly, always growing, reading, discussing, reaching out, delving in, and just keeping Jesus at the center.

It’s like my BFF Christie, who actually introduced me to Tricia and Jeremy, once said: that her walk with Jesus was head and heart. Intellectual and emotional. Reason and faith. And that describes where Stephen and I are, and the Kirk and Christ Covenant, which are both Reformed/Calvinist, meet those needs.

Our crew @ the Carolina Renaissance Festival. Jousting, dungeons, falconry, fire eaters, jugglers, sword fighting, gothic weaponry, fairies & even camel rides + awesome friends = medieval merriment!

Holy Cross, on the other hand, is Orthodox, meaning that it has basically done things unchanged for 2,000 years. It was the early church. The first Christians sung the same songs, chanted the same prayers, and had the same liturgy.

When the Great Schism took place in 1054, Catholics tweaked a few tenets and invented some new ones from their base in Rome. But Orthodox Christians just kept doing things old school and kept its center in Constantinople. And when Martin Luther began the Protestant Reformation in 1517, it was against Catholicism, not Orthodoxy.

Admittedly, Stephen and I still researching this ancient, but not-well-known brand of Christianity. And it is vastly different than what we’ve become accustomed to at Protestant churches. It’s extremely serious, not casual. It’s highly ceremonial, not preacher-centric. It’s solemn, not loud and over-the-top.

Interestingly, Father Christopher, the head priest at Holy Cross, was in the popular alt-rock band Luxury in the ’90s (click on this NRP link, and he’s the second dude from the left). Before that, he was into punk and says that he used to read a lot of Noam Chomsky. Pretty zany for a man of the cloth, huh?!

Zeke’s uses his new double-headed axe to slay this scalawag pirate @ the Renaissance Fest.

Recently, Stephen met with Father Christopher for lunch, and even though some of the above tidbits might lead one to believe that he leans left, he explained to Stephen that, because of keeping with tradition, there’s really little room for politics in a homily. And for us, that’s a good thing.

Sickness, Stanley, & slogging

This triad of busy was intensified by a stomach bug that worked its way through the family in early fall. People puking in trashcans, on couches, in beds, and on walls… you know, the average abdominal-virus fare. It was rough.

Houston, Gabriel, and I were hit early on in autumn with severe seasonal allergies. Mine haven’t been that acute in years. We really should buy some stock in Kleenex.

Those illnesses subsided, only to be replaced by a harsh debilitating cold that’s been bringing Stephen, Gabriel, and me down for the past week and a half. Oh, and did I mention that I got a gargantuan stress-induced fever blister on my top lip the night of the election?! Here we are, nearly two weeks out, and I still have a healing scab. Nuts!

A nervous Houston grabs on for dear life on this real, live camel during a ride @ the Renaissance Fest. It was an hour-long wait to ride, so I hope the boys’ enjoyment & adrenaline rush outweighed any anxiety they may have felt these atop these huge, smelly beasts.

Stanley had an injury, too: a cat bite on his front right paw. Once I noticed his limp, I doctored it myself for a few days, and it seemed to get better. But all of a sudden, it ballooned up and his hobble intensified, so I finally took him to the vet.

The doc said he had the cat version of cellulitis, so he got his booboo drained and cleaned, a shot, meds for home, and had to have a check-up a few days later. While at that return visit, the vet noticed that Stan had lost 3 pounds since his annual appointment this summer. So, he had a third appointment for a round of blood tests.

Turns out, Stan has hyperthyroidism. Because we’ve caught his early on (unlike Bob’s, which was in the extreme stages once diagnosed) and because he’s 14, we are foregoing expensive treatment options, which the vet says is ethical at this point. However, once the condition worsens, we’ll have to put him down. So sad.

I actually completed an entire 5k (w/o walking) w/ my pal, Tricia. And amazingly, I have been running fairly consistently ever since. Here’s to good health.

Stephen’s job got a bit hairier than usual this fall, with calls from the powers-that-be for additional sacrifices in personal time and little to no telecommuting. So, I had to get creative in getting to all my necessary yearly medical appointments, which, for some reason, all take place this time of year.

Thankfully, Granny visited, allowing me to get to my gynecological and eye exams, and then I squeezed in my mammogram late one afternoon when I think the kids were playing at a neighbor’s house. I can’t really recall, but it was touch-and-go for a while there.

Fortunately, Stephen can work from home again without too much hand-wringing from his workplace overseers, but he could still use any and all prayers for just doing what he does so well: laboring diligently and providing for his family with little complaint. We love you, darling!

Gabriel readies himself to ride a mini-motorcycle @ NickO’s birthday party. What a cutie pie!

October occurrences

October always offers up an annual whirlwind of fun. Our 16th anniversary began with a Trump rally in the afternoon. That evening, we got Donni to babysit, and Stephen treated me to an hour-long couples’ massage and then an eating/drinking feast at World of Beer. Doesn’t my husband know me well?!

We celebrated Gabriel and Zeke’s 8th birthday at the Eden Drive-In. A smorgasbord of cool kids and even a few families were in tow for the movie. We packed up already-prepared hotdogs, sides, popcorn, and cake, and enjoyed the beautiful night outdoors under the balmy fall sky.

Bret and Tyrnan spent the night, so the good times kept on rolling until wee in the morning. And then our clan went out to Burger Warfare and Krispy Kreme that Sunday (on their actual birthday) to round out the celebratory weekend.

There’s always a haze of activity surrounding All Hallow’s Eve. A few days prior, Miss Julie hosted a Halloween piano party, at which each student played their spooky-themed songs.

During our outing to Harvest Ridge, Gabriel & I strike a pose w/ Miss Jessica — my partner in crime for mirth-making & mischief.

On Halloween morning, we went with Miss Jessica, Jacob, and NickO to Harvest Ridge Farm. It had massive hillside sliding boards, a giant jumping pillow, a corn cannon, huge rolls of hay to climb on, a barrel train, and of course, a corn maze and a tractor-pull ride.

Miss Stacey hosted a pre-trick-or-treating party that evening. She had a variety of games for the kids and food for all, which really came in handy since I had spent my whole late afternoon helping the 3 Amigos piece together their homemade costumes, not fixing dinner.

Trick-or-treating was a hoot. Miss Jessica even drove us wide and far in her golf cart, so the boys’ pumpkins were overflowing with goodies, and the adults were able to kick back and enjoy an adult beverage or two during our escapades.

Playing Risk w/ Daddy: a new favorite pastime of the 3 Amigos. It can get pretty intense, y’all.

We’ve had quite a few other special fall memories, like:

  • a rare visit from Gramsey and Papa, who got to catch both a Rockies and an Athletics baseball game;
  • a farewell dinner hosted by Miss Shawn for our longtime and wonderful neighbors, Miss Ruth, Mr. Kevin, and Maddie, who’ve moved back to their home state of Pennsylvania;
  • Q Commons, a “live learning experience” that focuses on discussing relevant topics through a Christian lens, which I attended solo;
  • the Renaissance Festival, which we did with Mr. Jeremy, Bret and Bella, as well as the J-Crew (sans Logan), who spent the night with us the night before;
  • local birthday parties for neighbor NickO and CC buddy Joel;
  • and Asher’s 10th birthday party, which was in Roanoke, so our entire clan made a weekend of it and was able to spend some much overdue with our beloved J-Crew.

So, yes, we are busy and our lives do sometimes seem to be a blur. But what is abundantly clear is that we are truly blessed. Of that, I am sure and grateful.

Fantastic Florida fun!

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Clan Dillingham does the Sunshine State. Fun-filled vacation details below!

After wrapping up our final day of CC on 3/22 (woo hoo!), we headed straight to Great Wolf Lodge in Concord to hang with some of our favorite homeschool families, Granny, and cousins Kelly and Ella (double woo hoo)!

Los gemelos were finally tall enough to take on the Howling Tornado, so all the boys frolicked about the waterpark in free and happy fashion, sharing rides with whomever wanted to take part in each thrilling descent. I think it’s safe to say that Stephen’s now an official GWL fan, too!

The following afternoon, we hit the road for Florida. And after a quick overnight stay in Kingsland, Georgia, we arrived in Fort Myers, where my old Madison pal, Jenny, welcomed us into her home and family.

The 3 Amigos & Ian climb on driftwood on the beach near the Sanibel Lighthouse.

See, Jenny and I never fully lost touch since I left Wisconsin in ’99. We probably chatted a couple times a year over the past couple decades, that is, till she reached out to me more consistently last fall to talk about homeschooling. Within those more frequent conversations, a fire lit under the both of us to get together in-person.

Sadly, there are plenty of people from UW “daze” who probably want nothing to do with me due to evolutions since college, namely my non-leftism and my faith. And that’s okay by me ’cause deeper friendships are built sturdier than that.

But Jenny never worried about those details. In fact, she said, “I never knew you were an atheist, Beebs.” To which I replied, “Well, I guess we were always partying too much back then to talk about it.”

Longtime friends together again: Jenny & I get ready for the hour-long boat ride from Capitva to Pine Island. What an incredible day of history, nature, & some silliness, too!

I suppose even back then, our relationship was more solid than some of my other ’90s friendships, which relied more on political likenesses than on deeper connections and appreciations of each other as unique individuals. I guess you could say it was more about fitting in and conforming, than it really was about letting your freak flag fly.

Now that’s not to say that Jenny and I don’t have some similarities these days. She’s a Christian, a stay-at-home mom, a woman in a committed relationship, an informed citizen, and a common-sense chick all around. Of course, there are still ample differences to keep things interesting.

One of our biggest distinctions is Jenny’s super-casual, island-time personality and my type-A, always-organized temperament. It was interesting to see how we rubbed off on one another, meeting on a happy, healthy middle ground. And that’s exactly what a good friendship can do!

Jenny’s apartment complex is filled w/ ultra-grumpy old people, who complained to security about the kids “splashing” & “jumping.” What geriatric killjoys! Good thing this beach-side hotel was cool about the boys swimming in their pool. Live it up while your young, fellas!

Besides rekindling my thang with Jenny, we got to meet her 4-year-son, Ian, and her boyfriend, Bill. I dubbed Ian “Mr. Proclamation” due to his wont of making sweeping and authoritative statements about most everything, but not in a whiney, annoying way. He was one funny little dude for sure.

Fortunately, Ian and the dudes got along splendidly, as did Stephen and I with Bill. In fact, Bill and Stephen hit it off. They could often be found smoking cigars, drinking bourbon, and talking late into the night. He was definitely a cool guy who enjoyed waxing philosophical with Stephen.

But I think Stephen’s biggest fan was Ian. He called Stephen “dat man” and loved holding hands with him whenever possible. So all in all, other than Ian hating Lexus (Zeke’s lemur stuffed animal) for some toddler-rationalized reason, Ian really clicked with “doze boys,” and they with him. Great success!

After our families devoured half-price pizzas, pitchers of Florida craft brews, & the best homemade mozzarella sticks I’ve ever eaten, Bill gives Houston pointers on how to play pool.

Our big vacation splurge was a boat-trip from Captiva to Pine Island. En route there, we cruised by barrier islands along Florida’s intracoastal inland waterway. Many were keys uninhabited by people, but their mangroves and the surrounding waters teemed with wildlife. We even saw a few ospreys and dolphins!

Some had fancy inhabitants and fancy homes, however, like one of North Captiva’s islands, where there’s no electricity or running water. So it’s like camping, but in a mega-lavish, super-expensive rental house.

Our tour guide said the lone store on the island sells milk for $15 a gallon, so really the only reason to visit there is to try to undercut the competition with $10 milk. As long as we had a kickin’ generator and/or a ton of dry ice, now there is a good business idea for early retirement!

Zeke & Gabriel pose for a shot on the Sanibel Island Pier, while Ian proclaims, “No, I don’t wanna be in dat picture.” Then all our sassy boys got to watch the local anglers fish for snook off Point Ybel, as well as witness a hungry osprey circling above, tenaciously in search of scraps.

There’s also Cabbage Key, which novelist/playwright Mary Roberts Rinehart bought for her son and his wife in 1938. It’s rumored that Jimmy Buffett based his iconic “Cheeseburgers in Paradise” song on an experience he once had at the Cabbage Key Inn.

And then there’s Useppa, another private island that had been a vacation retreat for such notables as the Vanderbilts, the Rothschilds, the Rockefellers, Herbert Hoover, and Shirley Temple for decades after WWI.

But in May 1960, the CIA took over the island as a secret organizing site and pre-training base for the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in April 1961. Crazy, huh?! It is again under private ownership and is back to being the stomping grounds of the rich and famous.

Houston sits atop Brown’s Mound. Although archaeologists say the Calusa mounds were originally much steeper, today this one is just shy of 30 feet.

We arrived on Pine Island, and our kids and a few other boys amused themselves by playing with “Mr. Coconut” off the dock landing at Tarpon Lodge. This “Old Florida” waterfront hotel dates back to 1926, and served Stephen and I our only vacation seafood fix: Mahi-mahi paired with white wine and asparagus. Delish!

One of the main inspirations for this trek was that the 3 Amigos learned a bit about ancient mound-building civilizations this year, and Pine Island once had their own: the Calusa Indians, who lived in southwest Florida starting in about 500 BC.

The Calusa didn’t farm or make pottery like other regional Indian tribes. They were fishermen and are the first known collectors of shells, using them as tools, weapons, and ornaments, as well as discarding the shells (and bones) of their food into huge heaps.

Zeke uses one a gag gift on Jenny (what a great actress!), while we kill time @ the Mucky Duck during a fierce beach storm.

And its these raised-earth masses that became the Calusa mounds. From the tops, the “Shell People” could view their village below, possibly using this vantage point in religious ceremonies. But these strong, warring peoples most certainly used the mounds in defense of their lowland homes.

Fishing, of course, was a much quicker and easier method of getting food than was hunting and gathering. So, this gave the Calusa the extra time needed to do other cultural things. For instance, they eventually established their own complex system of government, which involved nobility, commoners, and slaves.

The Calusa, whose name means “Fierce People,” eventually died out in the late 1700s. It was due to a mix of invading enemy tribes from the north, and smallpox and measles brought to the area by European explorers. It’s thought that the few remaining Calusa fled to Cuba when the Spanish turned Florida over to the British in 1763.

Gabriel, Zeke, & Ian view a turtle in the pond behind Jenny’s mom’s house, that is, until an alligator makes his way on to the scene. With 2,200 acres of freshwater wetlands on Sanibel providing a habitat for a sizable gator population, interaction between humans & these cold-blooded reptiles is not an uncommon thing. Yikes!

On the boat ride back, we passed a slew of adorable, rustic fishing shacks sprinkled throughout Pine Island Sound. Then our tour guide cast a net into water, pulling up all sorts of critters, including puffer fish, sea horses, and even a small sea turtle. The boys were delighted to check out all the strange-looking sea life up close and personal.

After we docked, we headed over to the Mucky Duck, a laid-back restaurant where Jenny used to work. A huge, violent storm rolled in, and we caught wind that traffic returning to Sanibel and then into Fort Myers was extremely backed up.

So, we chilled there for a while, drank a bunch, played the ring toss, and got silly. Jenny also took us on walk-through of the quirky restaurant, the Bubble Room. (Side note: the establishment was started by the Farqhuarson family — the namesake of the Scottish clan from which Quate is derived. Small world.)

Although we caught this nice sunset on our first trip to the beach, the Sanibel no-see-ums (a.k.a. biting midges) ate us up this evening. Luckily, we made it back to la playa on another bug-free day for shelling, playing in the sand, swimming in the Gulf, & then poolside hangin’ @ the West Wind Inn.

Our Easter in Florida was filled with blessings. We attended Jenny’s church, St. Isabel, on Saturday night. It was a much lengthier service than what the boys are accustomed to, but they were quite well behaved, I must say. They did get to light and hold candles as part of the mass, so I think that helped in keeping their attention.

Then on Sunday, Stephen took the four boys to a nearby park (even paid for them to jump on an Easter bounce house), while Jenny cooked, and Bill and I got the house ready for dinner. Jenny’s Aunt Marie came over for the celebrations, bringing all the kiddos chocolate bunnies and even eggs for an Easter hunt. What fun!

And if you can’t tell by now, we had an utter blast visiting our good buddies in the Sunshine State, and we look forward to going back again. Maybe next Easter, right Jenny?!?

BFFs, betterment, & bustling about

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Obviously, holiday happenings have been in abundant supply lately.

First up, Thanksgiving

We deviated from the normal tradition of going to the mountains for Thanksgiving. Instead, Granny came here, and then the lot of us headed to Virginia .

All the usual Richmond family gathered for the occasion, as well as frequent no-show, Cousin David, and New Orleans newlyweds, Casey and Garret. This whole cool crew + Granny made for an extra-special holiday!

Papa, Granny, & Gramsey get cheery on Turkey Day!

The following day, Stephen, Granny, and I cruised around town for a bit. We gave her a driving-by tour of some of the highlights, including Monument Avenue, the Virginia Capitol, Shockoe Slip, and a few of the Seven Hills of Richmond.

Atop Church Hill, which is Richmond’s highest point and home to most of city’s original 32 blocks, we visited St. John’s Church. This historic site was where, in 1775, Patrick Henry gave his revolutionary “Give me liberty, or give me death” speech.

We rounded out our afternoon by hitting Alamo BBQ, a funky little Yelp find of Stephen’s. Although the eats were tasty, I still think my hubby makes a way better brisket.

Albert keeps score as Zeke aims @ cans during a target-shooting contest w/ his bros. Thanks for the super-fun Nerf guns, Casey & Garret!

December: Tis the season of building relationships

The dudes and I met up with my new pal, Carrie (whom I met through Christie) and her four adorable boys for a playdate at Backyard Paradise. I’m hoping our friendships with these fine folks grows in the new year.

I got together with a gal named Kristie, who sought my advice on homeschooling. (Weird, I know.) She is an acquaintance from our days at Westover, but I also see her at random Mercy Hill events, as she and her family are neighbors with one of our pastors.

Not sure how much I relieved her overwhelmingness at being a newbie homeschooler with a kinder and two toddlers. But I’d like to think that my sharing of mistakes, as well as successes, and my passion for home education as a blessing and a calling helped instill greater confidence in her. Man do I love being an homeschooling ambassador!

Houston finally got sick of having a shaggy do & begged me to give him a buzz cut. Sure, the hippie thing is kinda cute, but man, does that kid have some thick, unmanageable hair, so I happily obliged. Here he is just moments before the big change.

Not sure if we’ll be seeing Kristie and her kiddos around CC next school year, but wouldn’t it be fantastic if we did? I think the two of us would be fast friends, if we could just see each other a little more often.

The boys and I went to see “A Christmas Carol” at the High Point Community Theater for a field trip with CC. After meeting up with a few families for lunch at Freddy’s, we headed to Wilkesboro to meet Granny.

Houston spent a weekend with his sweet Gran, who took him to a gem museum and a junk store (and spoiled him rotten, of course!), while I seized the opportunity of being sans Houston.

Gabriel & Daddy enjoy each other’s company & musical musings while playing some improv on the piano. Yay for awesome father-son moments!

See, Gabriel and Zeke sometimes feel like they’re second-rate to big brother when they’re all hanging out with other kids. It’s not that they really are. One thing is that the 3 Amigos are so close in age that they have many of mutual friends.

Nevertheless, Houston is older and pretty mature. Thus, he tends to be the ringleader, so naturally, the twins get a bit fed up with this competitive dynamic from time to time.

Now couple that with the fact that Gabe and Zeke sometimes whine (ugh!) and still have occasional tantrums (double ugh!) when their frustration gets the best of them, and it’s a recipe for Houston being seen as the cooler kid and the twins feeling like hangers-on at best.

I think it’s safe to say that Josh’s sleepover was a smashing success. See, I knew los gemelos (Spanish for “the twins”) would let their lights shine through with a little less brotherly competition.

To help remedy this a bit and foster Gabe and Zeke’s friend-making confidence, I invited Josh (their bud from CC and church) to spend the night. Well, it went off without a hitch — quite the feat, especially since it was Josh’s first sleepover ever — and everyone had a grand old time building their budding relationships!

Speaking of which, we have convinced our pals, Penny, Jim, and their son, Tyrnan, to start attending Mercy Hill. This is welcome news not only because they were already church shopping, but also because we’re totally vying for them to be our much better friends.

I jest with Penny that I’m in the market for a new BFF and that she’s in the running. But I’m only half-joking, as I’ve seriously been looking for a close mama buddy ever since Christie moved away. A good girlfriend is simply necessary for getting through this crazy thing called life!

It’s quite apparent that Houston’s exhilarated to have some hang time w/ his BFF, Asher. And yes, they’re constructing Legos in their undies … it’s just what they do!

And speaking of BFFs, the J-Crew stopped by for a quick day visit over the holidays. The kids fought over games, played in the rain, and built Legos in their skivvies. It was as if no time had passed since we last saw them half a year ago — always a good sign of a quality friends.

Stephen and I also got to catch up with Christie, and the big news there is that they recently moved to Roanoke. Sure, they’re still not local, but the Crew is now a heckuva lot closer than Charleston, so we’re planning on definitely seeing one of our fave families much more often in 2016.

Now, on to the Big Show: Christmas!

I attended the CC Mama’s Comfy Christmas Party, where guests wore PJs and traded plush socks for the Dirty Santa gift swap. In one room, we talked about gun ownership and conceal-carry permits, and in the other, we chatted about home-brewing beer and owning livestock. I just adore my cool homeschool community!

Zeke plays Christmas carols w/ Piper. I wonder if that sassy girl still wants to marry both Zeke *and* Gabe, like she used to. Hmmmm.

Miss Stacey and Matthew took the 3 Amigos to the Greensboro Christmas Parade.  They also took the boys and me to see the Christmas lights at McLaurin Farm. They let us ride with them, and they paid. Not only are they terrific neighbors, but they’re turning out to be pretty fabulous friends, as well.

Stephen went to the dudes’ Piano Christmas Party. They were thrilled to have their Daddy there for the festive event, and he was equally impressed with their performances. Turns out that all those (increasingly pricey) lessons are paying off … thank goodness!

Granny, who was visiting for Christmas, took the boys to see the newest Chipmunks pic, Road Chip. Yeah, that’s one of the “perks” of being a grandparent: going to see a lame movies, so that the parents don’t have to endure it. Thanks, Gran.

Zeke helps Granny put the finishing touches on a gingerbread house. Apparently, it was the first one she ever made, so Gran was in holiday heaven.

As per usual, we kept Christmas as simple, commercial-free, and Jesus-centric as possible. Interestingly, Santa’s still in the mix.

It’s funny ’cause Houston claims he doesn’t believe, but you can tell he still clings a bit to the wonder of it all, whereas Zeke is still firmly in the Santa camp. And Gabriel says he doesn’t believe in the jolly old elf. But oddly enough, Gabe doesn’t question the existence of the Tooth Fairy in the least.

Honestly, I think Gabriel only asserts disbelief due to Houston’s stance. For example, Gabe did some last-minute shopping with me at Barnes & Noble, where he picked out his own book. Yet, he seemed truly surprised when he opened that gift on Christmas morning.

The 3 Amigos play w/ their flags, which were among the “sensible” gifts that Santa brought them.

After Granny hit the road post-Christmas, we made another short trip to Richmond to trade gifts and chill with family. We wrapped it all up with a tidy 2015 bow by ringing in the New Year at home, just relaxing, drinking toddies, and enjoying each other’s company.

Being better in the New Year

Sure, I understand that betterment is not a self-help thing, but rather, a response to God’s radical grace. So, only by relying on the Holy Spirit any improvements ever possible.

This is what has gotten Stephen and I through the first 10 days of January alcohol-free. Our goal is to stay on the wagon for the month, so we’re a third of the way there! Funny thing is we’re also trying to be quieter and calmer, so this can be quite the quandary without cold beer to celebrate another day in the trenches of parenthood survived.

Nothing says “peace on earth, goodwill toward men” like settling grievances with bop gloves! See, not all of Santa’s gifts were sensible.

The kids are working on their issues, too. Zeke, who I call my “distracted dancer,” is trying to have better focus. Gabriel, who is our “bull the breaker,” is working on being more careful with his own stuff, as well as other people’s property.

And Houston is the “the picker,” but not of his nose. Rather, he sometimes revels in prodding and poking los gemelos till he gets the tearful reaction he wants. Thus, he’s diligent about being a kinder, gentler big bro.

So, here’s to building relationships, battling sin, and embracing life to its fullest in 2016. Happy New Year!