I had a fabulous Mother’s Day due to the kindness and generosity of my phenomenal family … thanks, dudes! 🙂

The day kicked off with a big, fat nap — one of my favorite things in the world these days. Stephen tended to the kids all morning long and then awakened me with a fantastic “Happy Mother’s Day” chant, with spastic 3-Amigo accompaniment, of course. The boys jumped in the sack and lovingly attacked me, putting into action their best wrestling moves, and Zeke even treated me to one of his current specialties: loud, slobbery raspberries on the belly.

Team Dillingham raises $500-plus for March For Babies … thanks for the donations!

Then Stephen surprised me with a gift certificate for an hour-long spa massage and took the clan out for a Mexican dinner, which included not only delicious food, but also pretty well-mannered boys. A mom sure can’t ask for much more than that.

In fact, the weekend was great all around. On Saturday, Free Comic Book Day was a smashing success. I’ll have more details about that wonderful event once I deal with the pics, but suffice it to say that it was a complete 180 from our disastrous family outing the previous weekend: March For Babies.

I had been raising money for the March of Dimes charitable walk for a few months and had exceeded my $500 goal, so the family was looking forward to the culmination of our fundraising efforts and participating in the final event. It started off great, with the boys cheering “March For Babies” on the drive downtown, free doughnuts and drinks at check-in, access to the concourse overlooking our city’s awesome minor-league ballpark, and the kids having fun playing at the stadium’s playground.

Cousin David assists Zeke in hunting Easter eggs @ Gramsey & Papa’s house.

Things went south about a half mile into it when Zeke decided that riding in our red wagon just wouldn’t do; instead, he wanted to be carried by Mommy. Obviously, carrying a 35-pound kid on a 5k trek wasn’t feasible, but no amount of urging, reassuring or disciplining would change his stubborn-as-a-mule mind. Once the tantrum of Zeke “the Mean Streak” (his current moniker, which is quite unfortunate, but all too often appropriate) erupted in full force, we had to head back to the car, missing out on the rest of the walk, seeing our friends at the GMOM spirit station, and all the post-march fun, food and entertainment.

Who knows if Zeke was tired, hot, hungry, mad, sad, sick, vying for special parental attention or what, but we have decided to take two cars to all family outings henceforth, if logistically possible. That way, the troublemaker can be removed from the situation and punished immediately, and those who are well-behaved are rewarded with continued good times, instead of being forced to suffer the consequences of the lone agitator.

Luckily, good behavior abounded during the boys-only weekend, when I was up in Virginia in early April and Daddy had the kids by himself. After a rainy Saturday of blankie forts, movies, video games, books and action-figure fights, Stephen took the kids to on an Easter egg hunt at park on Sunday. The event featured real hard-boiled eggs and live children’s music.

Gabriel & Houston share their candy w/ a baby @ the Mom’s Club Easter Egg Hunt.

Later in the month, the boys went on the Moms Club egg hunt, but this time, the eggs were candy-filled plastic eggs. Considering that they were chanting “chocolate bunnies” before the search even began, I think this was a welcome variation to the seasonal activity.

There was a third egg hunt during our family trip to Virginia. Aunties Lisa and Dina, Lisa’s rockin’ fiance Albert, and cousins Kara, Meredith and David came out to Gramsey and Papa’s to see the kids. The 3 Amigos were treated to yet more candy and also participated in water-gun fights, light-saber battles and happy hikes in the pasture.

The day before was Kara’s 9th birthday bash. The Sponge Bob-themed party featured painting, pigging out and pinatas. The boys had a ball being part of cool-cousin Kara’s special occasion; she is, after all, one of their favorite people on the planet.

Gabriel does his best punk-rocker while painting @ cousin Kara’s birthday party.

However, poor Zeke puked his guts out en route back to Gramsey’s house, giving me horrifying flashbacks of his incessant infant vomiting, before his acid reflux was diagnosed and treated. At the time, we weren’t sure if it was caused by the mass amount of junk food he consumed at the party or if his Prevacid wasn’t fully back in his system yet, since our recent attempt to get him off the meds was unsuccessful.

In retrospect, Zeke’s hurling was probably due to the fact that the whole family came down with yet another stomach bug over the next few days after Kara’s party. In fact, Stephen and I were supposed to go out for a hometown get-together that evening with some of my oldest and dearest friends, but I was so exhausted that I had to cancel our plans, which had been in the works for months. (Sorry, CC Brew Crew girls!)

It was the next night on our drive back home that I started feeling achey, and by the following morning, I was sick as a dog and eventually spread the illness to my sweet babies and hubby. We went to the doc that Tuesday and, fortunately, tested negative for strep, but all the doc advised was “eat lightly, stay hydrated and the virus will pass within 48 hours.”

Zeke tries to get the attention of Axl, a male tiger @ the Natural Science Center.

Sure, she was right about that particular ailment, but our medical misfortune continued and our stomach bug soon morphed into a horrible, family-wide sinus infection. I suppose our immune systems were so run down that we were perfect victims for the next sickness. That week was a trying and turbulent one, for sure.

Since the kids and I had not left the house for what seemed like an eternity and we thought we were on the road to recovery, we decided to spend Easter at Granny and Grumps’ house. Sadly, that weekend turned out to be the height of sickness, especially for Houston and me. We had violent coughs, sparse appetites, scratchy throats, high-pressure headaches, clogged ears, stuffed-yet-runny noses, no sense of smell, major fatigue, etc., and all of our over-the-counter remedies did squat.

Despite the prevailing sickness, we still managed to have some mirth and merriment, including eating Easter breakfast and attending the sermon at Granny’s church; visiting with Aunt Naomi, Uncle Clay, Uncle Tommy, and cousins Terri and Peggy; playing on Clay’s tractor and in his old barn; checking out Terri’s fresh-caught trout and worm bait, and going on 4-wheeler rides with Clay.

Houston tweaks his firearms skills while fighting off bad guys.

We also went for a joy ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The section we drove on had quite a few tunnels, which delighted the kids and inevitably led to them belting out “more tunnels” chants. Other than my getting car sick when riding in the rear of the van (thanks for letting me have the front seat, Granny!) and almost puking over the edge of an mountainous overlook, it was the perfect way to spend a gorgeous Easter afternoon.

But the best part of our Easter weekend – besides celebrating the resurrection of Christ, of course – was the fact that our dear old Grumps looks fantastic. We are encouraged about his new, healthier outlook and happier attitude, and we will continue to pray for his improved wellness. Take care of yourself, Grumps … we love you!

There’s lots more news, but since it’s late and this blog is already long, I’m calling it quits for now. My hope is to get the amusing Free Comic Book Day photos done and to post another blog by week’s end. In the meantime, click each of the five pics seen here to check out our April happenings. You can also see a few of Miss Beth’s blurry-but-fun shots from Matthew’s birthday party in March.

What the heck happened to January?! We have been so on the go lately that this first month of the year has just barreled by, leaving us a tad pooped, but also very happy and fulfilled.

The big news is that after having attended the monthly “socials” for Greensboro Mothers of Multiples (GMOM) and Greensboro Moms Club, I have officially joined both groups.

Houston & Gabriel tackle Granny — what a good sport!

The GMOM social was for moms only, so it was nice to get out and do something for adults — even if most of the talk was about kids. GMOM does offer plenty of occasions for the boys to make friends (i.e. play dates, group outings and the like), but it is more mom-centric, affording me opportunities to socialize solo with other gals who are fully in the same boat as me parent-wise. Should be a little cathartic and lots of fun.

Moms Club is mainly kid-oriented, featuring more frequent play groups and around-town activities. Plus, the socials are for moms and kids alike. The dudes had a blast playing with the other kids (mostly boys!) in a separate room, while I got to relax and hear a cool presentation with the other moms.

These groups will serve as wonderful outlets for the 3 Amigos and me. The kids will get to socialize, make friends and go on adventures with people their age, while I get to do the same. What a fabulous way to kick off the new year!

Zeke thoroughly enjoys getting raspberries from Gramsey.

Zeke’s cough has gotten much better due to the antibiotics the ENT specialist prescribed. The cough isn’t totally cured, but it is, thankfully, nonexistent at night. And since sleepless nights are never good for kid or parent, this is a huge improvement. The doc surmised that the cough is most likely a sinus issue and there’s not much else we can do for a 2-year-old. He did add that kids with sinus problems typically do better in the spring.

Last week, Gabriel and Zeke had a “screen” with Miss Dana, an occupational therapist (OT) colleague of Miss Pat’s. I know it sounds official, but it was just a casual meeting to discuss the twins’ propensity for clumsiness — a typical trait for preemies — and get some suggestions as to how we can help strengthen their “core” (the trunk area of the body). A sturdier, more capable core not only improves agility, but it also enhances fine motor coordination, as well as fosters increased cognitive activity.

Flirtatious Gabriel plays hard-to-get w/ Mia.

Houston’s final basketball game was last Saturday. He has come so far with the sport, making a few shots during recent games and doing a decent job of following the coach’s instruction. Since Houston showed good sportsmanship and lots of stick-to-it-ness, we celebrated the completion of basketball season by treating he and bros to their first jaunt to Krispy Kreme.

Then Sunday was a warm-weather tease. Daddy helped Houston ride his new bike for the first time; the twins got their fill of Liberty Loop, sidewalk chalk and swinging; Houston tweaked his “light saber” (read: plastic baseball bat) skills; Gabriel and Zeke practiced riding the trike and played on Miss Shawn’s bridge; and then we went on a walk/wagon ride with Maddie and Miss Ruth. And now that we’ve had this taste of spring and I’m ready for balmier temperatures, today was frigid. Oh well.

Cousin Kara teaches Houston the art of shooting silly string.

Click the top photo to see the rest of our Christmas Day fun; the shot of Gabriel and Mia for pics of our Virginia trip; and the above photo to check out our New Year’s Eve shenanigans.

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Wow, I can’t believe we’re half way through the first month of the new year. So much has happened since my last pre-Christmas blog.

• 12/18: Daddy took Houston to his final basketball game of 2010. Instead of busting out his “light sabers” during the game, he instead tested out intense karate chops on the air, as well as milder chops on some kids.
• 12/19: The family attended our church’s Christmas play that evening. Then we hit a drive-through Living Nativity before heading home and collapsing from our full day of church activities and holiday-related fun.

Initially scared of the mammoth decoration, Houston finally decides to strike a pose w/ Mr. Scott’s Grinch.

• 12/21: We visited Miss Pat for the year’s last appointment and then went to the Y so I could squeeze in a swim before Christmas. Unfortunately, the pool was closed due to a broken pump. Not willing to load the boys right back into the van, I thought that the least I could do while I had some free childcare was to take a long, hot shower, serving as a much-needed break from my Mommy duties.
• 12/22: I packed my bundled-up boys back in the van because the twins had a doc appointment very early this morning. Regrettably, my pediatrician didn’t have the vaccine Gabriel and Zeke needed, so this was a totally unnecessary and extremely frustrating trek made way across town.
• 12/23: Daddy and Houston ran errands for 7 hours, while I hung out with the twins and wrapped all the Christmas gifts during their nap.
• 12/24: Unable to find a brisket yesterday, Daddy took the clan out in search of the cut of meat. He also decided to pick up a last-minute gift for Houston: an X-Box remote so that the two gamer geeks can bond via video fun. That night we watched “The Nativity,” while we treated the kids to cookies and popcorn for dinner. Later, of course, Daddy and I had Santa duty, of which assembling Houston’s Buzz Lightyear bike was the lowlight.

Daddy instructs our caped crusader, Gabriel, in the proper ways of playing w/ radio-controlled cars.

• 12/25: The kids seemed pretty overwhelmed with the magic of Christmas morning. Even though they didn’t get tons of gifts, the spectacle off silver-wrapped boxes, goodies within red velvet sacks and full stockings had the 3 Amigos (for once in their lives) speechless. The customary hyperactivity eventually returned as the boys figured out their toys and culminated by the time Granny and Grumps arrived that afternoon. Daddy, the kids and I built a crooked “Frosty” in the fresh snow. Then the family feasted on yummy brisket, which Daddy somehow managed to smoke outside, despite all the white stuff cooling down the grill’s firebox.
• 12/26: Church was cancelled due to the major snowfall, so Daddy and I took the boys sledding in the back yard on the kids’ plastic rocking horse. The make-shift toboggan actually worked well, although buying a real sled would probably be a good investment.
• 12/27: After Granny and Grumps hit the road, we went into town to buy each boy (including Daddy) a cool Keepsake ornament from Hallmark and Mommy some half-priced ornaments from Pier One. Too tired to cook at home, we ate dinner at Chik-fil-A. Daddy and I were able to relax a bit while Houston, Gabriel and Zeke ran around with some other spastic boys in the play area.

Ignoring Daddy’s instruction, Zeke says, “Maybe if I hit the vehicle w/ the remote, it will move faster.”

• 12/29-1/1: We stayed at Gramsey and Papa’s house in Virginia and spent lots of time with family, including a rare visit from Great Grandma Bobby. Lisa and Albert were no-shows because Rick ended up having his appendix removed. Poor dude. But we did get to hang with Ingrid, Ellie, Mia and Ashley, who made a special trip out to see us and partake in some spicy oyster shooters.
• 1/5: Houston had a blast attending his first Adventure Club at church. This is a weekly program for kids that is more action-oriented than is children’s church. He went this past week, too, and says he loves it, so we hope to keep Houston him involved in the club throughout the new year.
• 1/6: This was the day the dreadful stomach flu reared its ugly head in our house. It began with Zeke, who had it intermittently coming out of both ends starting in the morning, but seemed pretty happy regardless. Since the twins had to get vaccines that afternoon, we told our pediatrician about Zeke’s symptoms, but he said that stomach bugs just have to run their course. Bummer.

Even w/o an assembled track, the choo-choo-loving 3 Amigos get into playing w/ Thomas, Toby & James.

• 1/7: The virus spread to Houston (who projectile vomited on our recliner) and then Gabriel (who hurled on our couch). By evening, the nasty excretions from all three kids was nearly constant. And by night, the violent bug was raging throughout my body. The only thing that made me feel any better was sleeping, so to Daddy’s dismay, he had to tend to the sick masses.
• 1/8: Daddy’s body was the last to succumb to the virus, although his symptoms were never as intense as was the rest of the family’s. Now that the entire clan was ill and exhausted, I begged Granny to come to town to help with the healing and cleaning. How quickly our fairly tidy and orderly house had devolved into an utter wreck. Nearly every blanket, towel and piece of clothing had been used to (initially) wipe up and (subsequently) cover up the disgusting bodily fluids that coated our floors and even some walls. A heartfelt thanks goes out to Granny “the saint,” who drove through 10″ of snow to save us.
• 1/10: Since I was still battling the bug, I couldn’t make the year’s first Greensboro Mothers of Multiple (GMOM) meeting. I’m finally getting involved in this group, as well as the Moms Club of Greensboro, which is a organization aimed at stay-at-home moms and their families. Both offer lots of fun opportunities for the boys to play and friends, as well as an outlet for me to bond with other moms and perhaps make some new friends myself.

Since Santa was too tired & frustrated to attach the training wheels, Daddy helps balance Houston on his new bike.

• 1/11: Although we opted to skip Miss Pat’s in case we were still contagious, this was the first day everyone started feeling well. School was cancelled because of snow and ice, so we invited Maddie and her dad over to play outside. After an intense snowball battle, the twins headed indoors to hang with Daddy (who was working from home due to the wintry conditions), while Maddie and Houston went for some wild downhill rides on our rocking-horse sled.
• 1/13: We took Zeke to see an ear, nose and throat specialist for his cough, which never went away, and in fact, had worsened, despite using various cough syrups under doctor supervision. It had gotten to the point where Zeke sounded like he was coughing up a hair ball and was waking up every night. The specialist checked him out and ordered him a CT scan. Thankfully, nothing is wrong with Zeke’s nodes, tonsils or any other throat anatomy. The doc thinks the most likely diagnosis is that it’s a sinus thing, so we’re giving him a two-week round of antibiotics. I think the meds are finally working because last night was Zeke’s first totally restful sleep in a while. The doc did say that some kid coughs are never diagnosed, and then out of the blue, it ceases to be — kind of a medical mystery, which is also my new way of referring to Zeke: he’s “our little medical mystery” for sure!

Staking his claim on Thomas the train, Gabriel announces to his brothers, “My choo-choo!”

• 1/14: This was the first time I got to swim at the Y in nearly a month, and boy, did I need the work out and the alone time. Child Watch was packed so the boys had a blast. And then we rounded out our pleasant day with Zeke taking his first doo-doo in the potty at home. Yay!
• 1/15: Having missed last weekend’s game due to the stomach bug, Houston attended his first basketball game of the year. Gabriel went with Daddy and Houston so that Zeke could have some one-on-one time with Mommy.

I still have lots of Christmas photos to edit, but in the meantime, click the above photo to check out all the pics from Christmas morning. There are also a few random shots at the end of the December gallery.